Strange Battery Issue - Need Application?

I have two batteries for my CF-28... The regular one that goes in the bottom and the media bay type battery. The combo gives me at least 6+ hours of continuous operation. HOWEVER... The problem is that the PC reads both batteries independently. For example... The media bay battery is the first to be used. When it gets down to the 3% battery life remaining the laptop automatically goes into hibernation. So what I need to do is, when I see that battery getting critically low, I have to remove it. Then the laptop sees the remaining battery at full charge and keeps going.

There has got to be a way to combine them both so that the Toughbook reads both of them and doesn't make me take the media bay battery out to continue.

Someone mentioned in one of the threads in this forum about a battery application. Does anyone have one available? Can you post a link or email it to me?

Does anyone else experience this?

 

Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? Bueller?

 

ooh i do know this BUT my crazy mind is not in the right place of mind at the moment, just got inn from watching the football,
i'll post tomorrow once i remeber what the solution is..........

 

Did you remember yet? Someone out there mentioned a "battery application"... It sounds like what I need!

 

Hmmm... My newest laptop didn't seem to mind the first battery draining when I used it last night. This was all of a sudden. The last time I tried it didn't work.

I'm still looking for that program....

 

Come on guys... I know one of you posted that you had a battery program to handle this issue... Or something similar.

It worked last night like it was supposed to. The media bay battery went to red and then it auto-switched to the main battery. Just now it didn't... The laptop shut down when it got to the "3% battery remaining."

Somewhere there is a program for this. At least one of you has the original CDs with the Panny programs... Can you hook a brotha up?

 

i have the original recovery cd for win2000 but cd 2 is messed up,
i tried but dont remember the software for it,
have you got the manual for the extra battery, caus it should explain it in there for you..........

 

Hmmm... I still have the box but I don't remember any manual coming with it... I'l have to run downstairs and check.

 

DJ... You were right... There is a paper in there that says that if the battery is to be used with the following models (Insert a bunch of different models here) that I need to either contact Panasonic or 800-laptops for a firmware upgrade so that I can maximize the 2nd battery.

So... You solved my issue! I'll try to call them on Tuesday!

 

finaly, problem solved,
but shouldnt there put that firmware up so anyone who needs it can download,
rather then calling them up..........

 

The guy I called was surprised that he couldn't find it online. He said he was sure it was on Panasonic's Canadian site... But he couldn't find it. He gave me tech support's email address. By the way... Panasonic's tech support line is

(800) LAPTOP5

The guy was real nice and said that it would take until Tuesday for them to get back to me.

I can post the firmware upgrade but he said it was model specific. So does the manual. In my email... I also asked their tech support dept. for any info on the GPS... A PDF, drivers, etc. We'll see what happens.

 

Tb,

Did you get an answer on the battery issue?
I have the same problem with a MK III
Can it be solved in windows? Perhaps extra software for power management.

Greetings,

Derick

 

OK TB, time to share the wealth with your lowly minions. Did you get anything from Panasonic concerning the media bay battery?

Was this on one of your 28s or on the 29?

Does bay battery charge (or is it supposed to) when the machine is connected to the charger?

 

Toughbook O Toughbook where art thou?

 

Sorry guys... I didn't even see this one.... Sorry....


Uh... Yes... I got it figured out... Sort of.... Here's the story.

These batteries work with ALL CF-29s... However... They only work with TWO types of CF-28s... Anything other than that and you are OUT OF LUCK!

The eye wash that came with the batery states that the battery is meant only for models;
CF-28PBJXXXXX
CF-28PCJXXXXX

And these models must have the BIOS tweak to make it work. (I have it somewhere)

It will work, of course, with all models of CF-28 but you must remove the battery when it drains or the system will read it as a dead battery and shut down. It is a pain to have to do this and then carry around a dead battery but the trade off is that you DO get longer up-time with your CF-28.

 

Seems strange they'd only make 'em work with a couple Mk2s and NOT any of the Mk3s...

mnem
Corporate weenies of the world... UNITE!

 

O.K. I copy all of that. When the bay battery was discharged; my 29 switched over to the main battery.

One last question, is the bay batt supposed to charge while it is inside the computer, with the A/C charger connected?

 

Hallo,

It works on a MK III, all you have to do is checking the action out in the energy control.

See picture

 

Mmmhmmm... differences in language notwithstanding, I don't have a page like that on my Mk3 - it must only be present if the AUX battery is installed...

mnem
You always find it in the last place you'd look...

 

Denrosten, what exactly are you referring to; the media bay battery?

Which MkIII computer are you referring to, the 28 or the 29?

Do you know if the media bay battery charges inside of a CF-29, MKII when the A/C charger is attached?

 

I was referring to the two CF-28 Mk2 models TB listed as allegedly fully compatible with the media bay battery...

mnem
Better battery buys but beware; best be betting before buying...

 

mnementh,

I talk you trough in English

Start - control panel - power options - alarms - (if you see "no action" on low and critical battery alarm you are fine) - if you see stand by in the action field you have to change it.

 

Are you talking about changing the battery?

I couldn't download the picture. I tried to click on "okay" when the window came up but it just locks up my laptop. A bad thing!

 

Rick,
You know that I'm a simple country boy. I just want to know if the bay battery is supposed to charge inside my 29.

 

Ahhh... I'm aware of that setting, but the issue we're talking about is that when running with the auxiliary battery, it STARTS by discharging the aux battery first, then is SUPPOSED to switch over to the main battery when its drained. What it does instead is just run the auxiliary battery completely dead til the laptop dies, without switching over.

I BELIEVE. Is that right, Toughbook?

mnem
*I'm just confusing myself*

 

My MK III (CF 28 for Pappy) also drain's the secondary battery first, and then shut down in stand by.

But if you un check the action as said above the first battery takes over just fine

 

I still would love to know if the bay battery is supposed to charge while installed in the CF-29 with the A/C charger hooked up.

 

It charge in a CF-28 so i suppose it will in a 29 too

 

If it does charge in a 29; then I need drivers or something to make that happen?

 

Pappy... I can't IMAGINE that it wouldn't be MEANT to charge inside the laptop; where else COULD you charge it? The "Spare battery chargers" we were looking at for the CF-28s were still only for a regular battery.

mnem
CHARGE!!!

 

The bay batt that I have has a small charging port in the side. The external battery charger has a connector for that small port, plus the connector for a "regular" battery.

I can charge the bay batt with the external charger, but so far, it doesn't charge when inside of the computer.

 

Pappy -

Looks like TB says so too:

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=229300&page=2

I'd guess if it DOESN'T charge in yours, there IS something wrong.

mnem

 

As i understood it, when using the bay battery it would drain it first, then start draining the primary battery. When charging, it would charge the primary battery FIRST then charge the bay battery? Have you left them both in until the primary battery was charged to see if it then charged the bay battery?

 

Or, if you haven't already, you could try removing the primary battery & ONLY charging the secondary...

mnem
Bits & batts

 

OK, I'll try that and report back. Right now, the bay batt is at 100%. I'll have to run it down some to see if charges.

 

Mnem,
Good call, I let it get down to about 75%, plugged in the A/C charger and lo and behold, it's charging (the bay batt by itself).

Mnem comes through!

 

Sweet!

Glad I could help!

mnem
Whose house? MNEM'S HOUSE!!!