Compaq Presario 1600 - Notebook PC Maintenance And Service Manual page 9

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Battery Pack Operating Time
This appendix covers the following information concerning battery pack
operating time:
Increase battery pack operating time
Conditioning a battery pack
Disposal of a used battery pack
Increasing Battery Pack Operating Time
Battery pack operating time differs depending on several variables. To avoid
unnecessary replacement, consider the following variables when determining
how long a charged battery pack should last:
Power management settings
Hardware configuration
Software applications
Installed options
Display brightness
Hard drive usage
Changes in operating temperature
Type and number of installed PC Cards
The power consumption requirements
for PC Cards vary widely. Some cards
NOTE:
drain the battery pack very rapidly.
Battery pack operating time can be increased by as much as 50 percent by
controlling the energy required by the computer and the energy stored in the
battery pack.
Minimizing the Energy Required
To minimize the energy required by the computer, follow these steps:
Set the power conservation levels in the Power Management
utility to Maximum.
Customize the timeout value to work more efficiently with the
applications. The amount of battery life depends on the values
selected.
Maximizing the Energy Stored
To maximize the energy stored in the battery pack, follow these guidelines:
Condition the battery pack at least every 30 days to improve
overall battery performance.
Keep a battery pack in the computer when using it with AC
power to supply the battery pack with a constant trickle
charge.
Store the battery pack in a cool, dry place when not in use.
Conditioning a Battery Pack
CAUTION: To avoid a loss of data,
ensure that all data is saved before
discharging a battery pack.
To condition a battery pack, complete the following steps:
1. Allow the battery to drain until the computer reaches hibernation
and turns itself off. Do not plug in the AC adapter during this
process. Also, the system should not be allowed to sleep. To
prevent sleep, you may either use the computer while the battery
is draining, or you may disable power management.
2. Plug in the AC adapter and allow the battery to charge until the
LED light on the display stops blinking. Your battery gauge may
read 100 percent for a period of time before LED light on the
display stops blinking. Do not unplug the AC adapter until the
arrow disappears.
Your battery is now re-conditioned, and you may begin using the
computer normally.
The battery pack charge time may vary greatly from 2 hours to 5 hours or
more, depending on many factors (including whether it is charged on-line or
off-line).
Disposal of a Used Battery Pack
In the interest of safeguarding our environment. Compaq Computer
Corporation recommends that nickel metal hydride (NiMH) and lithium ion (Li
ion) battery packs be recycled. Battery packs should be handled in
accordance with country, state, province, or local regulations.
CAUTION: Never attempt to open or service a
battery pack. Opening a battery pack not only
damages the pack and makes it unusable, but also
expose potentially harmful battery components.
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Maintenance & Service Guide
Presario 1660 Model
| Notice | Preface
| Removal & Replacement Procedures
Pin Assignments
| Product Description
| Battery Pack Operations
| Troubleshooting
| Specifications