[SPARCbook] Re: Batteries

[Chris Powell]

Jonathan Kalbfeld wrote:

> I contacted tadpole here in California but they don't have any batteries
> for the S3 series any more (can you blame them?)

Be aware the 'S3 series' includes the 50MHz MicroSPARC I SPARCbook 3 and
3LC which use different, and incompatible, battery packs to the later
MicroSPARC II and TurboSPARC 3XS/3XP/3GS/3GX/3TX/3000. If you ask for
an S3 pack, you might end up with the wrong thing....

> I'm concerned about the battery being NiMh and having a limited life, and
> I've probably used this for 100 hours in the last 2 weeks already.

That's a lot! In fact, this is amazing as that's about 7 full battery
cycles a day (unless you are getting > 1 hour run from a pack).

> I looked into doing that, but cannot figure out how to open the casing,
> and don't want to expiriment with a working battery.  Has anyone here
> attempted to rebuild the standard one?  It seems to juse use AA cell NiMH,
> but I'd like to build one with Li ion batteries, or at least pick up 2-3
> more NiMH battery packs.

I'd stick with NiMH in the internal pack - that's what the charging
circuitry thinks should be there. On no account try Li Ion cells in the
pack! Li Ion cells require specialist charging circuits and are
dangerous if you don't....


Chris.