how many charge cycles are you getting from batteries?

[aceyx]

just curious. i've gone through several already in 2 years. it's entirely possible i'm just a moron in charging and whatnot, so i'd like to know if i have to get myself edumacated.

generally they start being unusable (in the practical sense, or under 1hr charge time) after 100 cycles for me.

[Quattro]

I purchased my X20 used w/battery. Has 28 cycles, and in the 'red zone'. Does not charge to full capacity.

[devilsrejection]

ive had my x40 for about 4 months now, 50 cycles, preforms like a champ still.

[ldbobby]

X40 7 months now... 8-cell bat 125 cycles... extended batt 162 cycles... still kickin at near full capacity!

[synapse]

Hi-
Those of you getting many cycles out of yours. What are your usage habits and how do you charge them? Thanks-
-Dan

[DavidNZ]

I got my X40 in early August. Cycle count on my 8-cell is 60.

If I use it on battery, I tend to let it run down to at least 75% before re-charging.

[devilsrejection]

i just use mine for surfing and word, sometimes AIM, but i turn it off cause I end up not doing skool work hehe.

But yea I go online with it for like 1-1.5 hour intervals several times a day.

when im not using it i keep it in standby.

i recharge everynite and while im eating lunch (about an hour) everyday.

[tsammyc]

How do you tell how many times you've charged the battery?

[DavidNZ]

Left-click your batt max gauge, then click battery information. Then go to the Status Detail tab. Should be the last entry in the list ("cycle count").

[tsammyc]

Thanks. My battery is still charging fully. Can't believe I've only charged it 26 times.

[eriqesque]

Well AFAIK... Most of the time a cycle is only counted when the battery goes below a certain threshold, and I am not exactly sure what that is.
I think it's like below 70% or so and then it counts as a cycle

[synapse]

I think I might have read 85% is the threshold for counting it as a charge cycle. Anything above that and it doesn't track it.

-Dan

[ishinryu]

Left-click your batt max gauge, then click battery information. Then go to the Status Detail tab. Should be the last entry in the list ("cycle count").

I have an X31 and call me stupid but my system tray battery icon does not have "battery information" as an item in its list.

[DavidNZ]

It doesn't? what version are you running? (I'm on 1.36 myself)

If it doesn't, I would think that, within the Batt Max Wizard, there should be someplace that tells you the cycle count.

And I would never call ya stupid, matey.

[ishinryu]

Well stupid or not I don't get it. Maybe I haven't installed the correct battery utility - I'm new to this notebook malarkey. When I left-click I get a long list of modes like this:

Home/Office Desk
Portable/Laptop
On Screen Presentation
...
Presentation (with Projector)

[DavidNZ]

Hmmm...sounds like you're clicking on the Presentation Director in the system tray.

Here's a photo of my system tray:

http://photos3.flickr.com/2863374_d607883432_o.jpg

So, when I click on the meter itself (i.e., where it say 100%), I get this:


http://photos1.flickr.com/2863571_6c50efa203_o.jpg


Then, when I click on 'battery information', i can go to the Status Detail tab, like this:

http://photos3.flickr.com/2863572_5b66294772_o.jpg

As it shows, I've got 61 cycles on my battery.

Hope this helps.

Edited by Moderator. Links, not images, remember? What? You thought I wasn't looking?

[ishinryu]

What timing - I found the problem as your post arrived. I looked up Programs - Access IBM - Battery Maximiser Wizard and checked "Show Battery Maximiser Guage on Taskbar" then left-clicked as you suggested and have the correct display.
I have a cycle count of 39 but I don't seem to be getting anywhere 5 hours of use - more like 2 to 3 of just goofing around the menus, no cd access, no internet, no attached peripherals (except the X3 base). Does the battery look like it needs replacing?

[DavidNZ]

In the Information tab, what is the "Design Capacity"?

Then, in the same 'status detail' tab, what is your a) Full Charge Capacity and b) the Remaining Capacity?

For example, my design capacity is 61.92, my full charge capacity is 56.72 and my remaining capacity is 56.23.

Now, because my unit is right now plugged in to the mains (i.e., wall outlet), that explains why the remaining capacity is so close to the full charge capacity. (And my gauge, as it shows in my last post, is 100%).

But, the reason my full charge capacity is less than my design capacity is because it's not a new battery. I've had 61 cycles, meaning I have indeed been using my battery. It certainly isn't new. In fact, it's degraded about 9% using the numbers above.

To me, that's a lot, and I think I read somewhere here in the forums that IBM may consider replacing a battery if it has degraded more than 30%. I could be wrong.

However, all that being said, I still get darn good battery life out of my X40. I've never run it down, but with wireless on (b) and a low brightness level on the LCD, my gauge says about 5:47 or so. Like I say, never tried it completely.

[ishinryu]

My Design capacity is 47.52, Full capacity is 39.71 and Remaining capacity was 0.00 as I am purposely draining the battery.

[DavidNZ]

You're down about 20% or so, but discharging it to 0 is not healthy for a Li-Ion battery, from what I've heard.

It's debated heavily on the net (and these forums), but I've sided with the belief that Li-Ion batteries like small discharges, where possible, and always being plugged in to the mains.

[ishinryu]

Cripes I've been doing that to my mobile phone batteries for years now!