Does the grayscale Sharp HC-4100's AA battery holder fit the color models?

I asked this in my Sharp thread a few days ago and got no answer so I figured I'd make a thread to ask as I know someone knows.

My Sharp HC-4100 was unusable when I got it, but I'm wondering if I could buy a color Sharp like the HC-4600 or whatever the model is and use the grayscale HC-4100's AA adapter to power the color model off regular AA batteries.

So does the AA adapter from the HC-4100 fit the color model?

Thanks

I have read somewhere that the answer is yes but at the moment I am not sure. However, I have both - HC-4100 and HC-4600, so will check and confirm. The only thing I suppose may be a problem is using power supply with AA adapter on HC-4600.

I was just reading the 1998 May-June and Nov-Dec issues of HandheldPC Magazine where they reviewed the HC-4500 and HC-4600 respectively, and nowhere did it mention the capability of using the HC-4100 battery pack in the newer models.

But something tells me the thing is a battery hog, so even if it is possible, it wouldn't be worthwhile except in an emergency...

I seem to recall some discussion of this in these forums a few years ago. I don't have an HC-4100, but my recollection is that the battery packs are not exactly the same size and/or shape between the HC-4100 and the HC-4500/HC-4600, so they're not interchangeable.

rumen_s, have you had time to try it?

Rich, do you mean you have physical printed magazines or is this on a website?

By the way my HC-4100 often says the main batteries are low even when they are fresh off the charger, this is my only HPC to do this, but the battery contact was heavily corroded when I got it, maybe it needs more cleaning, but if this is normal then I probably won't want to get another HC-4100 if it says the batteries are dead the minute you put them in. BTW I use only rechargeable which can have slightly lower voltage but other handhelds report them as 90-100% full when charged.

Thanks

The primary articles are online, here is the one for the HC-4500: http://www.smartphonemag.com/cms/node/1592

I checked compatibility of HC-4600 and battery adapter from HC-4100 (AA adapter). Situation is following:

1. Physically AA adapter from HC-4100 fits in HC-4600.
2. However, connectors are not identical. So, AA adapter needs minor modification in order to be used in HC-4600. Modification seems very simple and should not be a problem.
3. In my opinion using AA adapter make sence if you are using rechargeable batteries. As far as I remember HC-4600 may work appr. 2,5 hours with its original pack, so having 2-3 sets AA rechargeable batteries can give you at least 5-7 hours usage time. I suppose normal alkaline batteries will drain very fast.
4. Open question is if AA adapter can be used on HC-4600 with connected power adapter. For me answer is not clear. As far as I remember when I rebuilt one of my battery packs for HC-4600 there were some internal diode, resistor, etc.

I have made some pictures of both packs, will try to attached them to this message, if not happen I can send them by mail.

Regards





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Thanks, actually if that end is the only difference then they are compatible, that is the normal end for the rechargeable pack for the 4100 also (the extra contact is the charging contact).

However, have you verified that the voltage is the same? If the color one is 4-8 volts then it won't work even if it does physically fit.

Have you tried actually powering the color model from the AA adapter and did it work?

Thanks

The HC-4500/4600 power adapter is 5 volts, if that's any help. When I tried making an AA battery pack (using the stock battery pack housing, in which the AAs fit almost perfectly), I used two 2.4-volt NiMH rechargeable AAs. If the batteries were fully charged beforehand, it worked, though for less than an hour as I recall. They did not appear to charge through the power adapter while in my HC-4600.

Voltage is the same, HC-4600 original battery pack is 2.4V, so AA pack should be OK. No, I didn't tried HC-4600 with AA-pack because of connectors issue. The point is that from one side of AA pack contact should be extended because original AA pack is not contacting with HC-4600 terminal (there is no metal). However, in my opinion this very easily can be solved.

I also think that charging will not work because the original battery pack contains 2 battery cells + diode + termal resistor. However, I am not sure if there is a risk of damaging HC-4600 with AA pack and connected power adapter. If I remember correctly when HC-4600 is on with an original battery pack, the later is not charging.

Edited by rumen_s 2012-10-10 7:36 AM






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I think you're right about the device not charging while running on AC power. It looks like you modified the pack exactly the way I did, with a spring on one end.

Actually on top is HC-4600 original battery pack and below is AA adapter from HC-4100. The idea was to show HC-4600 battery pack voltage but the picture by mobile phone done early in the morning is auful.

Did you try putting the AA adapter in the color one? It looks like the 4100's rechargeable pack (which does look different to the AA holder, it does have an extra contact, the 4100 is made to accept that battery).

Are you worried about trying it? Unless I missed it I don't think you said you tried it.

I'd like confirmation to know if it would work on a color one.

Thanks


Edited by aab 2012-10-25 7:58 PM

Yes, AA pack from 4100 fits nicely in 4600. It didn't power 4600 because of connectors issue. The point is that from one side of AA pack contact should be extended because original AA pack is not contacting with HC-4600 terminal (there is no metal). However, in my opinion this very easily can be solved.

I just wanted to update this thread to say I finally do have a color Mobilon 4600 and since I have a broken Mobilon 4100 I took its AA holder and I now understand what you meant. Simply adding a thin strip of aluminum foil to one end of the AA holder to add the missing contact does make the AA holder compatible with the 4600 so I finally have a pocket size color HPC that runs on AAs! I wasn't even expecting that when I bought the 4600, I thought I'd have to mod the rechargeable pack.

I haven't used it immensely yet but so far no low battery warning after probably over 30 minutes of on time. Rechargeables last 2-3 times longer than alkalines, I suspect alkalines probably can't even power it up at all, or not more than for a few seconds if they can, I don't buy disposable AAs so I can't test that.

By the way, the 4600's rechargeable pack is in fact bigger, but the battery bay is still identical to the 4100's other than for the location of the contacts, this actually means the 4600 is smaller and thinner with the AA holder from he 4100 (though the lid/screen part of the 4600 is slightly thicker than the 4100's due to the color LCD).

Thanks


Edited by aab 2013-09-23 11:20 PM