[NTLK] Re - new battery pack for my Newton 130

From: Frank Gruendel (Frank_Gruendel_at_t-online.de)
Date: Fri Aug 31 2001 - 20:20:23 EDT


>> I need a new battery pack for my Newton 130, who still carries them at a
>> resonable price.

You can easily refurbish yours, see the hardware section of www.pda-soft.de
for
detailed instructions.

>> Can you use any rechargeable Nickel-Cadmium battery for the newton?

Yes. Provided you use the same brand for all four, preferably bought at
the same time.
You can also trick the 130 into believing that an original battery
pack is installed if you put a piece of cardboard beneath the middle two
batteries. Thus the switch in the bottom of the battery compartment is
depressed. NEVER DO THIS WITH NON-RECHARGEABLE BATTERIES.

>But is the Newton battery level gauge still calibrated for such higher
>capacity cells?

Yes. The level gauge shows percentage of capacity, not remaining usage
time. Thus it is, at least for all kinds of NiCad's, *always* correcly
calibrated as long as it knows about NiCad's being installed. It won't
show the right value if you use off-the-shelf NiCad's without doing
the cardboard trick as the Newton would think it is running off alkalines.

>I have found no problems with using higher capacity NiHm 1600mAh cells in
my
>2100. The only thing is that the Newton goes on.... and on..... and
on......

I wouldn't recommend it for a 130. The 130's charge circuitry was designed
for NiCad's, NiMH's need a different charge characteristic. I know, I know,
some of you are doing this anyway, but I wouldn't. Especially since over
here I get two sets of 1000 mAh NiCad's for less than the price of one set
of 1700 mAh NiMH's.

Frank

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