.KEYWORD fullcharge
.FLYINGHEAD PRODUCT REVIEW
.TITLE Recharge at large with FullCharge
.OTHER
.SUMMARY When you’re traveling, one of the greatest dangers your Palm handheld faces is running out of power. Thanks to eXtend Computer’s FullCharge International Travel Kit, that need not be a problem. Stephen Borchert reviews this extremely useful accessory for your Palm III or Palm VII series device.
.AUTHOR Stephen Borchert
Unlike the other Palm handhelds I’ve owned, the Palm VIIx seems to eat batteries. I felt that the convenient, wireless access to the Internet outweighed the disadvantage of having to buy so many AAA batteries.
However, after several months and a whole strip of batteries later, you can imagine why I jumped at the chance to review the FullCharge International Travel Kit (at http://www.extendcomputer.com) for the Palm III and Palm VII series devices. While other Palm handhelds are more frugal with their power, accessing the Web while mobile requires considerably more juice. I have to watch the battery gauge carefully, for once it dips below one quarter of capacity, that’s it for the wireless Web.
.H1 In the box
Included in the box is a 100-240 volt AC adapter, a FullCharge NiMH battery, and a replacement battery cover that allows the charger to recharge the battery while the organizer is being used, sitting on your desk, or even while the Palm handheld is in the cradle. A plug adapter allows the adapter to be plugged into a European socket, where the power supply automatically adjusts to the higher voltage.
.H1 Installation
Anytime you take the batteries out of the Palm handheld, it’s a good idea to have synchronized first. That way, all of your data is backed up onto the desktop, just in case. I removed the battery cover and the alkaline AAA batteries and then replaced them with the NiMH battery pack. As the instructions say, it does fit rather snugly in the compartment. After making sure it was all the way in, I put on the replacement battery cover that eXtend Computer supplies in the kit, as shown in Figure A.
.FIGPAIR A The replacement battery cover fits over the AAA battery compartment.
Two tiny holes at the left of the cover show where the AC adapter plugs into the back of the Palm handheld, and the thin end of the connector allows it to be used while in the cradle. The FullCharge adapter plugs into the back of the Palm handheld, with the flashing red LED indicating that the unit is charging, as shown in Figure B.
.FIGPAIR B The FullCharge adapter plugs into the back of the Palm handheld.
.H1 Test drive
I used one of the notorious Dot commands to set the battery gauge to NiMH (Nickel Metal Hydride) rechargeable batteries for a more accurate power display. Although not documented with the Palm handheld, there are a set of functions that can be accessed through the "dot commands," so named for the way they are invoked. These functions affect the way the organizer operates and should be used with some caution. The command to change the battery gauge is the dot-seven command, or ".7". It’s accessed from within a memo or note where text input is expected. First draw the shortcut symbol on the Graffiti pad, which looks like a lower-case cursive letter "L". Then tap twice to create the period, or "dot," and write the number seven (7) in the number area of the Graffiti pad. If done correctly, the text "[NiCad]" will appear. Repeat until "[NiMH]" appears. The text in the memo can be discarded.
One of the worries I have when traveling with the Palm VIIx is that the battery will drop enough that I can’t use the wireless transmitter. I began using the backlight, synchronizing multiple times, and checking email and browsing the Web excessively to see how the NiMH battery performs under "Road Warrior" conditions, since that’s when you rely on your Palm handheld the most.
Under this extended use, the battery gauge didn’t even move for the first day, and only after the second was it reading in the lower third of the display. To preserve the NiMH battery, I decided to plug it into the charger that night. In the morning, the steady red glow of the LED told me that it was full.
.H1 Conclusions
The FullCharge performed admirably under heavy use conditions, and the solid construction of the AC adapter pulled it through in spite of its delicate appearance. The battery charging contacts are gold plated and strong. For travel to Europe, the included plug converts from the blade we’re familiar with in the US to the pin type used over there, with a minimum of extra baggage to carry. The AC adapter itself is small, and coiling the cord around it loosely makes an easily stowable package.
.BEGIN_SIDEBAR
.H1 Product availability and resources
For more information on the FullCharge International Travel Kit , visit http://www.extendcomputer.com.
For more information on Palm handhelds, visit http://www.palm.com.
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.END_SIDEBAR
.BIO Stephen Borchert has written articles for ZATZ publications including Pocket PC Life and PalmPower Magazine.
.DISCUSS http://powerboards.zatz.com/cgi-bin/webx?50@@.ee6fb72
