Opinions: Laptop use on mains only

  • Thread starter Thread starter Count de Monet
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Count de Monet

What are folks opinions on using laptop's on the mains only. Is it
better to leave the battery installed or remove it while on long term
mains power?
 
What are folks opinions on using laptop's on the mains only. Is it
better to leave the battery installed or remove it while on long term
mains power?
Click to expand...

My opinion is that the battery on a laptop is like the battery on an
UPS (Uninterrupted Power Supply), that can be safely left in.

RL
 
Count said:
What are folks opinions on using laptop's on the mains only. Is it
better to leave the battery installed or remove it while on long term
mains power?
Click to expand...

You can find helpful hints on battery seller websites.

http://www.zbattery.com/laptopbatterycare.html

I think the most important theme of that web page, is
the lithium battery will not last forever, no matter
how carefully you maintain it.

Paul
 
Count said:
What are folks opinions on using laptop's on the mains only. Is it
better to leave the battery installed or remove it while on long term
mains power?
Click to expand...

My laptop battery has been essentially dead for a long time and I use it
only on mains power.
It will not run at all if the battery is removed.
 
Count de Monet said:
What are folks opinions on using laptop's on the mains only. Is it
better to leave the battery installed or remove it while on long term
mains power?
Click to expand...

Remove it. Heat kills Lithium batteries.
 
Count de Monet said:
What are folks opinions on using laptop's on the mains only. Is it better
to leave the battery installed or remove it while on long term mains
power?
Click to expand...

Unless it is a smart charging system, leaving in the battery while using
power from the wall long-term is going to result in overcharging and reduce
the battery's life for when you actually need it. I killed several phone and
laptop batteries this way, but that was because I didn't care enough to
maintain them. If you actually want the battery to be in good working order
months or years from now, take it out.
 
Count said:
What are folks opinions on using laptop's on the mains only. Is it
better to leave the battery installed or remove it while on long term
mains power?
Click to expand...

The laptops that I've used (IBM) had a feature in their power options to
periodically discharge and recharge the batteries. They had it already
included to do a periodic discharge and charge cycling of the batteries.
I don't remember what was the interval but I think part of it was based
on usage (i.e., if the batteries had been put under load to drain them
and for how long to record how often and how long ago they had been
charged and up from what charge level).

Of course, when using my laptop as my main computer, I wasn't going to
get stuck using its keyboard and touchpad or even have to squint at the
screen. I stuck it in a docking station and connected a monitor,
keyboard, and mouse to it. The docking station was angled to put the
laptop's screen at a comfortable viewing height should I need to use it,
and that gave it ample ventilation to keep the unit from getting warm.
 
What are folks opinions on using laptop's on the mains only. Is it
better to leave the battery installed or remove it while on long term
mains power?
Click to expand...

What I'd want, removed and running off AC. Going somewhere, then
obviously the battery. The right tool for the right job -- guess
that's why someone figured they'd stick a battery on the lighter-side
of a computer, no? Though some, and such mentions tend shy me, seem
require an operational battery as a prerequisite or allowance for wall
juice. Not an especially user friendly thing to do, no? Another
thing I'd like to consider (a friend I knew used to do it), is cut
open the battery case with an X-Acto knife and solder in (he said a
silver-solder job, because heat's rough on the connections)
replacement batteries. Direct marketing from Singapore these days has
quite an array of batteries for various exceedingly powerful LED
flashlights -- $30-40 bucks, and a little adaptability, be nice to
beat those $100+ reconditioned prices. Also have a LA CROSS AA/AAA
charger -- best that's made for rechargeable maintenance. As
someone's mentioned, be a nice thing for all better made laps to
include such as deep cycles or a software test facility to keep the
pack primed.
 
What I'd want, removed and running off AC. Going somewhere, then
obviously the battery. The right tool for the right job -- guess
that's why someone figured they'd stick a battery on the lighter-side
of a computer, no? Though some, and such mentions tend shy me, seem
require an operational battery as a prerequisite or allowance for wall
juice. Not an especially user friendly thing to do, no? Another
thing I'd like to consider (a friend I knew used to do it), is cut
open the battery case with an X-Acto knife and solder in (he said a
silver-solder job, because heat's rough on the connections)
replacement batteries. Direct marketing from Singapore these days has
quite an array of batteries for various exceedingly powerful LED
flashlights -- $30-40 bucks, and a little adaptability, be nice to
beat those $100+ reconditioned prices. Also have a LA CROSS AA/AAA
charger -- best that's made for rechargeable maintenance. As
someone's mentioned, be a nice thing for all better made laps to
include such as deep cycles or a software test facility to keep the
pack primed.
Click to expand...
\
Those prices are a bit low and there is additional circuitry in the battery
to be concerned with. Silver solder requires far to much heat to be used
safely. It could damage the circuits and the battery.
As for the La Cross charger, that would be useless as once the pack is back
together there will be a 12 volt charger requirement.
Additionally these batteries will be LiON and are not the same size as an AA
battery (18650 is 18 mm across and 65mm long), 3.7 volts, and require a
diffrent charger.
 
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