About The Charging 8 Hrs Before Use Thing

[Azuma]

I just got my pandora and didn't know you were supposed to do that. I think I used it for about an hour now so should I just let it charge now? Or did I already screw up the battery for good? BTW if this is that important a message telling you to do this on first boot might be a good idea.

 

[Tom`]

I just got my pandora and didn't know you were supposed to do that. I think I used it for about an hour now so should I just let it charge now? Or did I already screw up the battery for good? BTW if this is that important a message telling you to do this on first boot might be a good idea.

I don't think that's necessary, as the system is on while it's charging anyway - you can charge and play at the same time...

 

[VRAndy]

(I'm making this post from memory. I may be completely wrong.)


I think the only danger was that a few batteries were precariously close to absolute zero.

If your Pandora didn't die completely, you should still be good. (The batteries were supposed to come with about 40% charge, and most of them did.)

 

[Azuma]

Oh, ok. I read somewhere that it would greatly decrease the general life of your battery or something like that. Glad I didn't screw anything up... thanks!!

 

[Pickle]

once you plug the charger in it will charge to a minimal level (if the battery is low enough) and then turn on fully

you can put the pandora in a low power saver mode (power slider) and charge the quickest

 

[WizardStan]

i don't think they die completely, do they? They just take a little bit long to resurrect (15 minutes later)?
am i right? or am i right? am i right?

Yes and no. There's supposed to be protection circuitry that keeps the Pandora from discharging the battery completely. If it reaches this point, it's too low to turn on, but it's still not absolute flat. However, a battery just sitting around loses some of it's charge. After a few weeks, a near flat battery that wouldn't turn on due to protection is now completely flat regardless of protection, and that's very bad for the battery.
That's why it can take 10-30 minutes to charge: it has fallen below the safety cutoff from just sitting around and desperately needs to be charged before it runs completely flat. It takes a few minutes of charging to get it back up above that cutoff point.
At least, that's how the giant batteries I've worked with work. I'm pretty sure a smaller battery works the same way.

edit for advice: long story short, don't let your battery run completely empty, and don't keep it completely topped up. If you use it to the point it almost shuts off (or does shut off) make sure to plug it in and don't leave it for a few weeks without a charge. In contrast, if you charge it up to 100%, make sure you use it over the next few days: keeping it at 100% charge isn't good for it either.
Lithium batteries like to be used, don't be afraid to discharge it halfway, charge it up, discharge it to almost dead, back up to half, so on and so forth. It's leaving it at 0 or 100 that is the real danger. 40% is the often quoted "perfect" storage level if you aren't going to be using it for an extended period of time (by which I mean months. A few days or even a couple weeks at 100% probably won't cause much harm)

 

[wdt]

Mostly true wiz
This lipo is likely LiCoO lithium cobalt oxide
> There's supposed to be protection circuitry
And this is mainly to prevent OVERCHARGE
~>4.25V and lipo "puffs". Charge more and spontaneously combusts
Military often has circuit set at 4.1V top charge ~= 90% capacity
> A few days or even a couple weeks at 100% probably won't cause much harm
Shortens life of battery
lipo happiest mostly living between 10%-60% charge, not always possible
Store cool, <50% charge, >20% to allow for self discharge (which should be low, ~2%/month)

dave

 

[WizardStan]

> A few days or even a couple weeks at 100% probably won't cause much harm
Shortens life of battery

I said "much harm", not "no harm". Yeah, it will shorten the battery life slightly, but we don't want to cause people to over-worry about whether they need to stash the battery in the fridge because they're going away for a week or two (and can't bring their Pandora for some reason).

 

[wdt]

> cause people to over-worry
Well there is protection circuitry (if there isn't it would be a big boo-boo)
For short storage most important is 40% charge and NOT HOT
Fridge storage only for spare batt or month+ storage
But no one else is putting out this info
Should I shut up?

dave

 

[parag0n]

This was only 100% necessary for the first ones, because during the initial 'long-boot' process the protection circuitry wasnt active. This means that if a battery was very low on charge, it could fall low enough to permanently die.

Then long boot is now done at the factory, so you'll be fine.