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Q1: Are my batteries charged all the time when connected to my Player/Recorder?
A1: Player: the charging is all done by hardware and the exact
functionality is hard to determine. It is however not recommended to keep
the charger connected for more than 10-15 hours if you're not using the
unit.
Recorder: no. The charging algorithm is carefully crafted in to not wear
out the batteries any more than necessary. If you're using your unit
connected to the charger most of the time, use the 'deep discharge' option
to save your batteries somewhat.
Q2: Will keeping my charger connected a long time damage my batteries? Can I
leave it over night?
A2: The charger logic lets the batteries charge until they are full. After
that, the charger is disabled, but the device will stay powered on and
continue to consume some power from the batteries (the hardware does
not allow running from the charger without charging batteries, or
powering off with the charger connected). After some time, it will
start charging the batteries again to keep them full. This will
wear the batteries a little, but overnight charging is what most
people do.
As the Battery FAQ at http://www.greenbatteries.com/ puts it:
"A NiMH battery can be charged and discharged hundreds of times,
but whether that means 200 times or 800 times has a lot to do
with how (you use it)".
Q3: Does Rockbox charge the batteries more/less/worse/better than the Archos
firmware?
A3: Player: Rockbox doesn't affect the charging on Players, it is all done
by hardware logic out of software control.
Recorder: The current release of 1.2 is much worse than the Archos
charger, it tends to stop charging much too early and leave the batteries
half empty.
The current development code (CVS daily builds as of 20.8.2002) is much
better than the 1.2 release, but still not perfect. Linus recently
measured 6 hours continuous playtime after a rockbox charge, and much
over 7 hours after an Archos charge. We are working on fine-tuning
the charger logic to get the most out of the batteries, but the
emphasis is on not overcharging them, since that would damage the
batteries. Better be safe than sorry.
Q4: What kind of batteries are there in my factory default Player/Recorder?
A4: Both ship with 1500 mAh NiMH (Nickel Metal Hybride) batteries.
Q5: Is it hard to change the batteries? Does it void my warranty?
A5: The archos manual and web site describe how to replace the batteries,
so you're supposed to do it. They recommend using only Archos-supplied
batteries, but my Recorder 20 unit only shipped with one set. Some
units have been shipped with two sets of batteries. Someone actually had
Archos send him new batteries free of charge after they had weared out,
under the warranty. (have asked from support-technique@archos.com,
waiting for an answer to arrive!)
Q6: How much do replacement batteries cost? Where can I buy them?
A6: http://www.greenbatteries.com sells 1800 mAh NiMH cells at $3.25USD each,
and I bought 4 of the same GP batteries for 20 euros in an home
electronics & household appliance store in Finland. NiMH batteries are
sold in almost all shops that sell consumer electronics, and in many
online shops. Browse around. There's a pretty good comparison between
different battery makes and models at the digital imaging resource site:
http://www.imaging-resource.com/ACCS/BATTS/BATTS.HTM
Q7: What kind of run-time can I expect on a set of fully-charged batteries
when running Rockbox?
A7: For the stock 1500 mAh cells, from 6 hours to 8 hours, depending on
which charger was used (see Q3). It depends a lot on the condition of
the batteries. We are looking into implementing more battery-saving
techniques in rockbox to make it rock longer.
Q8: Can I use different batteries in my Archos?
A8: Only use NiMH-type rechargeable batteries. It is considered to be safe
to use NiMH batteries of different capacities though, a lot of people
have purchaced 1700 or 1800 mAh batteries to replace the stock 1500 mAh
cells and have the device run a bit longer.
Q9: Can I use non-chargeable batteries in my Archos?
A9: This is not recommended. The unit has been designed to operate with
four 1.2V batteries producing about 4.8V at most, and using 1.5V
alkaline/zinc carbon batteries will produce around 6.0V, which will
heat up the unit a lot more and might even damage it. The Archos
manual explicitly tells you not to do so.
Q10: Can I use a different charger?
A10: People have successfully used different chargers with similar
specifications as the stock charger. The charger must have the
same kind of connector with same polarity (center positive/+).
The charger should supply at least 7-8 volts, and if it provides
more than 9V, it probably should be current limited (do not
directly plug it in your 12V car battery or it's charger!).
The universal travel charger sold by Archos is specified at
12V, 1.2A so that's probably the maximum rating you should use.
Using lower charging voltage will slow down the charging, and using
higher voltage will cause a higher charging current, more heat,
and too much heat and current can damage the batteries or the unit.
Using a different charger will void your warranty and can be
dangerous to your unit, so we can not recommend it.
Many people are happy using an external quick charger which
is specified to work with NiMH batteries.
Q11: Can I buy a replacement charger exactly as the one Archos shipped?
A11: The FAQ on the Archos web site and the top of the charger both read:
Output: 9VDC 600mA
Center positive (+) polarity
The universal travel charger sold separately on the Archos web site
is specified for 12VDC, 1200mA output.
Chargers with similar (or user-adjustable) properties are available
at shops selling consumer electronics.
Q12: I often need to stop my player for about 15 minutes or so, and when I do
it runs off it's batteries. I was wondering, which is best: shutting the
player down completely and rebooting it when I want to listen again, or
leaving the unit on? Which way does it draw more power?
A12: In our testing we found the following results:
HDD off, LED off, idle 94 mA
HDD off, LED off, play 97 mA
HDD off, LED on, idle 129 mA
HDD off, LED on, play 131 mA
HDD on, LED on, play 230 mA
HD on, reading, LED off ~ 600 mA
HD spin up before read max 800 mA
So leaving the unit on and paused consumes ~100mA, and thus much less
than needing to reboot the unit. Your mileage may vary.
Q13: When I plug the charger in my Recorder, it doesn't immediately start
charging the batteries. And when I plug in the charger when the Recorder
is turned off, it turns itself on and starts charging in the Archos
software? What's up?
A13: There is a switch in the DC IN jack of the Jukebox - when a charger (or
whatever) is plugged in, the unit is powered on, even if the charger
is not plugged in a mains outlet.
If the charger is providing power at this point, the Archos firmware
located on the FLASH ROM does not load a new firmware version (like
Rockbox) from the disk, but goes into charging mode instead. You can
use this feature to get to the Archos charger if you want to.
When Rockbox is running on the Recorder (the device has been booted
without the charger) it's power management code runs once per minute
(thus the charge level and charging status is only updated every minute).
If the battery is not full, it will start charging. If the 'deep
discharge' mode is enabled in the settings menu, it will start charging
only when the battery is almost empty.
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