Recieved my MobilePro 700 with a surprise in system properties

It can use and recharge AA NiMH batteries. When I got my original 700 about 12 or 13 years ago, it came with with a recharagable battery. It was pretty easy from that to figure out how to make my own when it eventually died.

The original battery part number is S1424-15 (2.4v, 1200mAh). It took a couple of hours to charge. When it was fully charged, the 700 would automatically switch to a trickle charge mode to keep it topped up as long as the machine was plugged in. There was even an external battery charger made for it if you wanted to keep a second battery charged. The original part number for that is S1424-16.

Rick

I just tried ripping the label off one of my cheap made in china nimh batteries from ebay (I didn't want to do that to my expensive Duracell Precharged batteries).

I plugged it in and again in control panel it says "Power: External" and not "Power: Charging", is it just that the 700 doesn't bother telling windows that it's charging? I don't see any charge light either (there's one on the hinge but it stays off).

In any case I think I prefer to use my regular battery charger to charge the AAs, my 11 outlet powerbar is full anyway

BTW where did you read the MP700 can charge batteries? Nowhere in the user guide does it mention anything about charging batteries and the manual says it comes with 2 AA alkalines, wouldn't it come with rechargeable if it has a built in charger?

Edited by aab 2011-05-21 7:51 AM

I found a more detailed MP700 manual and it clearly says (paraphrasing) "replace the batteries with new AA alkaline batteries when they are weak" and "an external AA battery charger and rechargeable AA batteries are available from your NEC dealer".

Is it possible later 700 series models have a charger but not the 700?


Edited by aab 2011-05-21 7:56 AM

Is the manual you found something we don't have in H/PC:Update?

It seems like you require a LOT of convincing...

I first read about the 700 in Pen Computing magazine. They were the ones who fist mentioned the trickle charging system. You can read the original reference at http://www.pencomputing.com/WinCE/NECmobilepro700.html in the 5th paragraph.

The MobilePro 200, 400, 450 and 700 all used the same Ni-MH battery. They all could charge it internally. They all used the same external charger if you wanted to quick charge it or had a second battery. They all used the same AC adapter.

As for lighting up and doing whiz-bang things when charging, sorry the 700 isn't like that. The power contral panel isn't particularly sophisticated.

If you want more convincing, turn to page 5-2 of the 700 User's Guide. Down at the bottom under a section titled Charging it says:
"When this equipment is suspend, this equipment charge a storage battery (NIHM Only of S1424-15 or S1424-16) using AC adapter.
Necessary time for full charge: 10 hours"

And no, I don't know why they listed the S1424-16, which is actually the external battery charger. I assume it was a mistake (the manual wasn't particularly well written, as you've just read).

At any rate, I can state as fact that I used the original rechargable battery and then my own rechargable batteries in my 700 for years, while charging them from the AC adapter, without any ill effects. These days I still use recharagables, but they're powered by a solar charger.

Rick

The reason they listed the S1424-16 is that when you purchased that item, it came with the battery. The S1424-15 was the battery only. And you are correct, it does read funny...but they meant the S1424-15 battery, or the S1424-16 battery.

Unlike the external charger with the Jornadas, the S1424-16 didn't have pass-thru connections. You actually had to have an extra S1424-11 a/c adapter to charge both the unit and the external charger.

OK, I'll check that out, but I hope you can understand that from my point of view all signs point to it doesn't have a built in charger. I had never seen a device that doesn't mention the charge state in control panel, even my Casiio E-15 says when it's charging. Actually I never checked, but it does have a red LED on the cradle that indicates the charge status. Well I actually just checked on my E-15's power properties while charging and it too only says "External" and not "Charging".

Please excuse my ignorance but my first CE device was a Casio E-100 and it says "Charging" when charging I'm quite positive, that's why when I saw "External" I had assumed it wasn't charging, I guess these older devices don't bother informing Windows of the charge status.

In any case I'm still better off just using an AA battery charger and swapping them, my 11 plug powerbar is already full anyway.