pyke 0 #1 August 8, 2003 Hey all, Have done a search for posts on battery life, but have found little that talks about how to optimize it. I've heard a couple of people over the years talk about running it down and charging it up 3x before you get the "full" time on it. I've heard a couple other theories too, but wanted a "global" sample of ideas. I've just purchased a TRV-22 and it came with the M-series battery. Have heard that these only last about 8 jumps...is that long enough for a day of jumping?? Also, bought a 3 hour battery made by Duracell for it. The Duracell battery seems to run forever, but I can't say how long it would last for a day of jumping. Anyone have experience with it. Kahurangi e Mahearangi, Kiwi, RB #926, AFF-I, FAA Snr. Rigger, RN/BSN/Paramedic Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SonnyChiba 0 #2 August 8, 2003 8 jumps? huh? not really sure where you got your info but that doesn't sound at all right to me. I have a pc-100, uses M-series also, and 1 battery will last me all weekend. Take into account also that most weekends I am training we make about 20 jumps, we then review each jump for about 3-5 minutes each. This includes rewinding, pausing, slow motion, rewinding, pausing, fast forwarding, rewinding...etc etc etc etc. Sometimes, it will run out towards the end of the second day, but there have been plenty of weekends where it lasted no prob. It is best to have a second one also. One thing that you really want to avoid doing is re-charging a battery that is not completely spent. The lithium batteries are not supposed to build up a memory, but believe me....they do! So before charging, just make sure the battery is completely drained. Also, you may want to invest in a slow charger. Slow chargers give a better charge and it's better for the battery in the long run. I've had one of my batteries for over two years now and it still works as good as new. ---------------------------- "Insert witty quote here." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
quade 4 #3 August 8, 2003 He got the 8-jump thing out of me. I said it would definately hold at least 8 jumps. He was earlier talking about the range of 4 to 6 and I had told him that I had used my TRV22 with an M sized battery for 8 jumps in a day and that my estimation was that it would at least hold for up to 12. Same deal as you with debrief dubs and whatnot. I'm pretty conservative when I give my estimates because I don't want folks coming back and saying things like "you told me it was good for 20 jumps and it cut out on jump 19". That said, as part of my routine in the aircraft on the way to alitude, I do a camera function check at about 6, which includes looking at the battery condition and its estimated remaining capacity. For me, anything less than 30 minutes remaining will have me changing it out before the next jump. I do NOT want to have video failures and I do NOT ever want it to be my fault for having a jump and no video -- not if I can help it.quade - The World's Most Boring Skydiver Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SonnyChiba 0 #4 August 9, 2003 Well I do operate my camera a little differently from most. I turn it on right as I'm climbing out. I then turn it off right after I open and make sure everything is ok with my canopy. For debriefing I always plug into a tv, never use the lcd cause that sucks a lot of energy. I do check the time left on the battery, but don't change it until around ten minutes remain. Sorry Quade, I didn't know he meant it would last at least 8 jumps, I thought maybe he was told 8 jumps max on one battery or something. Then again, a TRV could require more power than a PC-100....I don't know, and since you jump a TRV, you would know more about the battery life/time than me.... And you are right, there is nothing worse than a video failure due to a spent battery......except falling off the plane before your tandem is even in the door....... ---------------------------- "Insert witty quote here." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pyke 0 #5 August 11, 2003 Sorry to have misled you both about my "8 jumps" thing....I guess I even didn't realise what I meant until now. "At least 8 jumps" works for me...but I'll use some of your experienced tricks in the beginning to set up my own pattern and get proficient with it. All I need now is the helmet set-up...and I'll be in good shape. Bummer that the person I was going to get that from is now in bad shape!! (vibes to Lewmonst!) Thanks both of you guys, quade and Chiba for your insights!! I had a great weekend last weekend - I hope you did too!! Kahurangi e Mahearangi, Kiwi, RB #926, AFF-I, FAA Snr. Rigger, RN/BSN/Paramedic Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
