V551 Battery Never Fully Charges

Mike S. wrote:
> In article <[email protected]>,
> davidT <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>>John Navas wrote:
>>
>>>[POSTED TO alt.cellular.motorola - REPLY ON USENET PLEASE]
>>>
>>>In <Sgpaf.1534$5R2.1263@trnddc08> on Thu, 03 Nov 2005 14:37:38 GMT, Nathan
>>>Harbin <[email protected]> wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>>New V551 owner here coming from an older Nokia phone...
>>>>
>>>>I have not been able to even use my new phone off the charger yet. Upon
>>>>initial delivery, I attempted to charge the phone for 10 hours
>>>>evening/overnight. The following morning, the phone never said "Charge
>>>>Complete". After charging this long I assumed it would have enough to
>>>>run with so I took it with me to work. The phone was flashing low
>>>>battery after a 20 minute drive to the office. Called Cingular, went by
>>>>a Cingular store. People don't care to help, they just say send the
>>>>phone back. I ended up getting another battery and charged all night
>>>>again. Wake up and the same thing is happening so obviously it is
>>>>something with the phone. Any fixes or return this POS for a
>>>>replacement? Looks like a great phone...looking forward to actually
>>>>using it one day...
>>>
>>>
>>>In addition to other good advice:
>>>
>>>Q: Why is charging of Motorola phones so slow on the travel charger?
>>>
>>>A: The standard travel charger packaged by Motorola with many current
>>>phones puts out insufficient power for fastest possible charging and for
>>>continuous use while charging.
>>>
>>>For example, charger SSW-0509 for the V551 puts out only 375 mA. The
>>>V551 detects this as a slow charger, and thus keeps the external display
>>>backlight off during charging. Worse, there's not enough current to
>>>keep up with use of the phone while charging, so while the phone is use,
>>>the battery will still be discharged even with the phone on the charger.
>>>With a fast charger the external display backlight is on during
>>>charging, and the phone can be used while the battery is charging.
>>>
>>>Motorola makes fast 1500 mA chargers that are compatible with these phones:
>>>* SPN4716* (where * might be "B" or "C"), also known as
>>>* NNTN4250 (nominally for Nextel, but also works with non-Nextel phones).
>>>These chargers are readily available from dealers and on eBay for under
>>>$15 (plus shipping).
>>>
>>>(For what it's worth, Motorola probably saved less than $1 in cost by
>>>packaging slow chargers instead of fast chargers with these phones.)
>>>
>>
>>Hi! I am also interested in getting a fast charger for my V551, but I
>>cannot locate anyone selling those 1500mA chargers on eBay in North
>>America. The problem is that the sellers of the chargers on sale there
>>do not specify what capacity they have or how fast they can do the job.
>> I should,therefore, appreciate it very much if John Navas could point
>>me to the right direction. Thanks!
>>
>>davidT
>
>
>
> http://cgi.ebay.com/OEM-MOTOROLA-V60...QQcmdZViewItem
Many thanks for your quick info, but I prefer using the "buy it now"
option. Regards!

davidT

---

› See More: V551 Battery Never Fully Charges

"Steve" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:%[email protected]...
>
> "John Navas" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > [POSTED TO alt.cellular.motorola - REPLY ON USENET PLEASE]
> >
> > In <CUraf.1806$l23.1238@trnddc05> on Thu, 03 Nov 2005 17:36:34 GMT,
Nathan
> > Harbin <[email protected]> wrote:
> >
> >>John Navas wrote:
> >
> >>> Q: Why is charging of Motorola phones so slow on the travel charger?
> >>>
> >>> A: The standard travel charger packaged by Motorola with many current
> >>> phones puts out insufficient power for fastest possible charging and
for
> >>> continuous use while charging.
> >>>
> >>> For example, charger SSW-0509 for the V551 puts out only 375 mA. The
> >>> V551 detects this as a slow charger, and thus keeps the external
display
> >>> backlight off during charging. Worse, there's not enough current to
> >>> keep up with use of the phone while charging, so while the phone is
use,
> >>> the battery will still be discharged even with the phone on the
charger.
> >>> With a fast charger the external display backlight is on during
> >>> charging, and the phone can be used while the battery is charging.
> >>>
> >>> Motorola makes fast 1500 mA chargers that are compatible with these
> >>> phones:
> >>> * SPN4716* (where * might be "B" or "C"), also known as
> >>> * NNTN4250 (nominally for Nextel, but also works with non-Nextel
> >>> phones).
> >>> These chargers are readily available from dealers and on eBay for
under
> >>> $15 (plus shipping).
> >
> >>Okay, so let's assume I have a slow charger b/c it's the one that came
> >>with the phone.
> >
> > Then it is a slow charger. To be sure, check the current output against
> > the
> > numbers above.
> >
> >>Assuming everything works correctly, how long should it
> >>take to charge a fully drained v551 battery?
> >
> > The OEM (Motorola) V551 battery is 800 mAh.
> >
> > A slow charger rated at 375 mAh should fully charge a fully deleted
> > battery in
> > about 3 hours *if* the phone is OFF; if the phone is ON, it will take
> > longer,
> > possibly much longer, particularly if the phone is in a weak signal
area.
> > If
> > the phone is in use, the charger can't even keep up. Moral: With a slow
> > charger, it's best to turn OFF the phone for charging.
> >
> > A fast charger rated at 1500 mAh should fully charge a fully deleted
> > battery
> > in less than an hour if the phone is OFF; if the phone is ON, it will
take
> > longer, but still less than 2 hours, even if the phone is in use.
> >
> >>I've insured that the
> >>contacts are clean and the phone indicates it is charging...the external
> >> LCD battery indicator when charging never gets more than 1 bar, I
> >>assume it should have 3 showing to be fully charged.
> >
> > I takes quite a bit of time, but it should move up to more bars as the
> > phone
> > approaches full charge.
> >
> >>If I unplug the
> >>phone from charger, the battery indicator jumps up to 3 bars but will
> >>drop them within an hour or so
> >
> > The initial reading isn't reliable -- you do have to wait a bit.
> >
> >>and then the phone is dead again.
> >
> > How many bars of signal do you have? The battery runs down much faster
in
> > weak signal areas?
> >
> > Is Bluetooth OFF? It consumes a fair amount of power, especially with
> > older
> > firmware.
> >
> > Is email checking OFF? That can also consume a fair amount of power.
> >
> >>If I
> >>can actually get the thing to charge I will probably purchase a
> >>higher-powered rapid charger. At this point I feel it's just throwing
> >>more $$$ at the problem since it doesn't seem to be charging properly
> >>for one reason or another. I have tried removing the drained battery
> >>from phone and letting the phone sit "naked" overnight at an attempt to
> >>reset things.
> >
> > Full reset with battery out takes less than a minute.
> >
> >>Have performed a master reset in the phone as well.
> >>Nothing will make it hold a charge...don't know what else to try other
> >>than trying the replacement phone tomorrow if it arrives.
> >
> > That may well help.
> >
> > --
> To shed some light on this..
> The charger that Cingular supplies is an overnight charger. It could take
> 8-16 hours depending upon state of the battery and if the phone is on or
> not.
>
> Yes Motorola saves money on this charger vs. a fast rate charger. But you
> should also realize that when Cingular buys phones from Nokia, Motorola,
LG
> etc, they beat the crap out of them on price and every penny helps. So
its
> also the operator.
>
> If the phone is off, there a common misconception about "wiggling" the
> contact to make it start charging. Many Moto phones take up to 15 secs to
> recognize the charging current when the phone is off. If phone is on, its
> about 2-3 seconds. So if the phone is off, don't wiggle, just wait.
>
> And for a faster rate charger, you can also get a car charger. Most will
> charge in 3 hours or less. They will power the phone for calling with a
> dead battery. If that wont bring the battery up to 3 bars with no
flashing,
> then it's the battery or the phone.
>


Steve is correct - wait for the phone software to detect the charger. Also
my observations ...

Using a overnight slow charger means less risk of overcharging/overheating
the batteries and longer battery life in terms on number of charging cycles
and less warranty returns. A slow charger may not be able to power a phone
on a call and charge at the same time.

The Motorola battery indicator bars do not update when the phone is charging
and they are flashing - disconnect the charger to see the true state of
charge. Better still set a shortcut to Main menu / Settings / Phone Status
/ Battery Meter by going to the Phone Status Menu and holding down the Menu
key until the Assign Shortcut for "Battery Meter" appears, Select Yes and
then change the Key ID to something between 2 and 9 inclusive - I use key 5.
Then to see the Battery meter at any time just press Menu followed by 5.

Check the software version of your returned phone - there may have been a
software fix for the poor battery life.

Check the battery contacts are clean and bright - take care not to short
them.

The distance to your nearest tower affects battery life - if you live in a
remote area your phone will have to operate on full transmission power. A
phone will always try to run on the lowest power possible to reduce
interference to other users and to increase its battery life, so the closer
you live to a tower the safer you are (i.e. the power transmitting right
next to your head is less) - unless you are right underneath one.

Turn off Bluetooth unless you need it - set a home key to Bluetooth if you
use it regularly so you can turn it on/off easily.
Main menu / Settings / Personalise / Home screen / Home Keys

Al

> The Motorola battery indicator bars do not update when the phone is
> charging and they are flashing - disconnect the charger to see the
> true state of charge. Better still set a shortcut to Main menu /
> Settings / Phone Status / Battery Meter by going to the Phone Status
> Menu and holding down the Menu key until the Assign Shortcut for
> "Battery Meter" appears, Select Yes and then change the Key ID to
> something between 2 and 9 inclusive - I use key 5. Then to see the
> Battery meter at any time just press Menu followed by 5.
>

You must have a different firmware as I tried to set a shortcut for the
battery meter and was told it was not allowed for this item.

[POSTED TO alt.cellular.motorola - REPLY ON USENET PLEASE]

In <[email protected]> on Fri, 04 Nov 2005 13:52:01
GMT, cyberwasp <[email protected]> wrote:

>> The Motorola battery indicator bars do not update when the phone is
>> charging and they are flashing - disconnect the charger to see the
>> true state of charge. Better still set a shortcut to Main menu /
>> Settings / Phone Status / Battery Meter by going to the Phone Status
>> Menu and holding down the Menu key until the Assign Shortcut for
>> "Battery Meter" appears, Select Yes and then change the Key ID to
>> something between 2 and 9 inclusive - I use key 5. Then to see the
>> Battery meter at any time just press Menu followed by 5.
>
>You must have a different firmware as I tried to set a shortcut for the
>battery meter and was told it was not allowed for this item.

Set a shortcut to Phone Status instead.

--
Best regards, HELP FOR CINGULAR GSM & SONY ERICSSON PHONES:
John Navas <http://navasgrp.home.att.net/#Cingular>

Hey All,

Some great responses from all of you on this thread. Didn't think it
would see this much action! ha ha

Well, oddly enough guys after letting the phone charge *again* all night
long it finally said charge complete. I agree with the poster Steve
that the stock travel charger takes 8-16 hours or longer. In my case,
much longer for a fully discharged battery.

I still have a replacement phone coming today from Cingular, at least
the new one will be void of scratches on the back of the case from the
one I have now...so there is a bright side to it all.

Thank you all for your help. I'll definitely be coming back when I get
my data cable and start modding. Ya'll are great...

Nathan


Al wrote:
> "Steve" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:%[email protected]...
>
>>"John Navas" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>>news:[email protected]...
>>
>>>[POSTED TO alt.cellular.motorola - REPLY ON USENET PLEASE]
>>>
>>>In <CUraf.1806$l23.1238@trnddc05> on Thu, 03 Nov 2005 17:36:34 GMT,
>
> Nathan
>
>>>Harbin <[email protected]> wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>>John Navas wrote:
>>>
>>>>>Q: Why is charging of Motorola phones so slow on the travel charger?
>>>>>
>>>>>A: The standard travel charger packaged by Motorola with many current
>>>>>phones puts out insufficient power for fastest possible charging and
>
> for
>
>>>>>continuous use while charging.
>>>>>
>>>>>For example, charger SSW-0509 for the V551 puts out only 375 mA. The
>>>>>V551 detects this as a slow charger, and thus keeps the external
>
> display
>
>>>>>backlight off during charging. Worse, there's not enough current to
>>>>>keep up with use of the phone while charging, so while the phone is
>
> use,
>
>>>>>the battery will still be discharged even with the phone on the
>
> charger.
>
>>>>>With a fast charger the external display backlight is on during
>>>>>charging, and the phone can be used while the battery is charging.
>>>>>
>>>>>Motorola makes fast 1500 mA chargers that are compatible with these
>>>>>phones:
>>>>>* SPN4716* (where * might be "B" or "C"), also known as
>>>>>* NNTN4250 (nominally for Nextel, but also works with non-Nextel
>>>>>phones).
>>>>>These chargers are readily available from dealers and on eBay for
>
> under
>
>>>>>$15 (plus shipping).
>>>
>>>>Okay, so let's assume I have a slow charger b/c it's the one that came
>>>>with the phone.
>>>
>>>Then it is a slow charger. To be sure, check the current output against
>>>the
>>>numbers above.
>>>
>>>
>>>>Assuming everything works correctly, how long should it
>>>>take to charge a fully drained v551 battery?
>>>
>>>The OEM (Motorola) V551 battery is 800 mAh.
>>>
>>>A slow charger rated at 375 mAh should fully charge a fully deleted
>>>battery in
>>>about 3 hours *if* the phone is OFF; if the phone is ON, it will take
>>>longer,
>>>possibly much longer, particularly if the phone is in a weak signal
>
> area.
>
>>>If
>>>the phone is in use, the charger can't even keep up. Moral: With a slow
>>>charger, it's best to turn OFF the phone for charging.
>>>
>>>A fast charger rated at 1500 mAh should fully charge a fully deleted
>>>battery
>>>in less than an hour if the phone is OFF; if the phone is ON, it will
>
> take
>
>>>longer, but still less than 2 hours, even if the phone is in use.
>>>
>>>
>>>>I've insured that the
>>>>contacts are clean and the phone indicates it is charging...the external
>>>> LCD battery indicator when charging never gets more than 1 bar, I
>>>>assume it should have 3 showing to be fully charged.
>>>
>>>I takes quite a bit of time, but it should move up to more bars as the
>>>phone
>>>approaches full charge.
>>>
>>>
>>>>If I unplug the
>>>>phone from charger, the battery indicator jumps up to 3 bars but will
>>>>drop them within an hour or so
>>>
>>>The initial reading isn't reliable -- you do have to wait a bit.
>>>
>>>
>>>>and then the phone is dead again.
>>>
>>>How many bars of signal do you have? The battery runs down much faster
>
> in
>
>>>weak signal areas?
>>>
>>>Is Bluetooth OFF? It consumes a fair amount of power, especially with
>>>older
>>>firmware.
>>>
>>>Is email checking OFF? That can also consume a fair amount of power.
>>>
>>>
>>>>If I
>>>>can actually get the thing to charge I will probably purchase a
>>>>higher-powered rapid charger. At this point I feel it's just throwing
>>>>more $$$ at the problem since it doesn't seem to be charging properly
>>>>for one reason or another. I have tried removing the drained battery
>>>
>>>>from phone and letting the phone sit "naked" overnight at an attempt to
>>>
>>>>reset things.
>>>
>>>Full reset with battery out takes less than a minute.
>>>
>>>
>>>>Have performed a master reset in the phone as well.
>>>>Nothing will make it hold a charge...don't know what else to try other
>>>>than trying the replacement phone tomorrow if it arrives.
>>>
>>>That may well help.
>>>
>>>--
>>
>>To shed some light on this..
>>The charger that Cingular supplies is an overnight charger. It could take
>>8-16 hours depending upon state of the battery and if the phone is on or
>>not.
>>
>>Yes Motorola saves money on this charger vs. a fast rate charger. But you
>>should also realize that when Cingular buys phones from Nokia, Motorola,
>
> LG
>
>>etc, they beat the crap out of them on price and every penny helps. So
>
> its
>
>>also the operator.
>>
>>If the phone is off, there a common misconception about "wiggling" the
>>contact to make it start charging. Many Moto phones take up to 15 secs to
>>recognize the charging current when the phone is off. If phone is on, its
>>about 2-3 seconds. So if the phone is off, don't wiggle, just wait.
>>
>>And for a faster rate charger, you can also get a car charger. Most will
>>charge in 3 hours or less. They will power the phone for calling with a
>>dead battery. If that wont bring the battery up to 3 bars with no
>
> flashing,
>
>>then it's the battery or the phone.
>>
>
>
>
> Steve is correct - wait for the phone software to detect the charger. Also
> my observations ...
>
> Using a overnight slow charger means less risk of overcharging/overheating
> the batteries and longer battery life in terms on number of charging cycles
> and less warranty returns. A slow charger may not be able to power a phone
> on a call and charge at the same time.
>
> The Motorola battery indicator bars do not update when the phone is charging
> and they are flashing - disconnect the charger to see the true state of
> charge. Better still set a shortcut to Main menu / Settings / Phone Status
> / Battery Meter by going to the Phone Status Menu and holding down the Menu
> key until the Assign Shortcut for "Battery Meter" appears, Select Yes and
> then change the Key ID to something between 2 and 9 inclusive - I use key 5.
> Then to see the Battery meter at any time just press Menu followed by 5.
>
> Check the software version of your returned phone - there may have been a
> software fix for the poor battery life.
>
> Check the battery contacts are clean and bright - take care not to short
> them.
>
> The distance to your nearest tower affects battery life - if you live in a
> remote area your phone will have to operate on full transmission power. A
> phone will always try to run on the lowest power possible to reduce
> interference to other users and to increase its battery life, so the closer
> you live to a tower the safer you are (i.e. the power transmitting right
> next to your head is less) - unless you are right underneath one.
>
> Turn off Bluetooth unless you need it - set a home key to Bluetooth if you
> use it regularly so you can turn it on/off easily.
> Main menu / Settings / Personalise / Home screen / Home Keys
>
> Al
>
>

Well, to set the record straight once and for all. The replacement
phone solved all my problems. The first phone was getting hot and
draining the battery too fast. New phone functions properly and charges
quickly. Thanks again for all the helpful suggestions.

Nathan


Nathan Harbin wrote:
> Hey All,
>
> Some great responses from all of you on this thread. Didn't think it
> would see this much action! ha ha
>
> Well, oddly enough guys after letting the phone charge *again* all night
> long it finally said charge complete. I agree with the poster Steve
> that the stock travel charger takes 8-16 hours or longer. In my case,
> much longer for a fully discharged battery.
>
> I still have a replacement phone coming today from Cingular, at least
> the new one will be void of scratches on the back of the case from the
> one I have now...so there is a bright side to it all.
>
> Thank you all for your help. I'll definitely be coming back when I get
> my data cable and start modding. Ya'll are great...
>
> Nathan
>
>
> Al wrote:
>
>> "Steve" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>> news:%[email protected]...
>>
>>> "John Navas" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>>> news:[email protected]...
>>>
>>>> [POSTED TO alt.cellular.motorola - REPLY ON USENET PLEASE]
>>>>
>>>> In <CUraf.1806$l23.1238@trnddc05> on Thu, 03 Nov 2005 17:36:34 GMT,
>>
>>
>> Nathan
>>
>>>> Harbin <[email protected]> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> John Navas wrote:
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>>> Q: Why is charging of Motorola phones so slow on the travel charger?
>>>>>>
>>>>>> A: The standard travel charger packaged by Motorola with many current
>>>>>> phones puts out insufficient power for fastest possible charging and
>>
>>
>> for
>>
>>>>>> continuous use while charging.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> For example, charger SSW-0509 for the V551 puts out only 375 mA. The
>>>>>> V551 detects this as a slow charger, and thus keeps the external
>>
>>
>> display
>>
>>>>>> backlight off during charging. Worse, there's not enough current to
>>>>>> keep up with use of the phone while charging, so while the phone is
>>
>>
>> use,
>>
>>>>>> the battery will still be discharged even with the phone on the
>>
>>
>> charger.
>>
>>>>>> With a fast charger the external display backlight is on during
>>>>>> charging, and the phone can be used while the battery is charging.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Motorola makes fast 1500 mA chargers that are compatible with these
>>>>>> phones:
>>>>>> * SPN4716* (where * might be "B" or "C"), also known as
>>>>>> * NNTN4250 (nominally for Nextel, but also works with non-Nextel
>>>>>> phones).
>>>>>> These chargers are readily available from dealers and on eBay for
>>
>>
>> under
>>
>>>>>> $15 (plus shipping).
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> Okay, so let's assume I have a slow charger b/c it's the one that came
>>>>> with the phone.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Then it is a slow charger. To be sure, check the current output
>>>> against
>>>> the
>>>> numbers above.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> Assuming everything works correctly, how long should it
>>>>> take to charge a fully drained v551 battery?
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> The OEM (Motorola) V551 battery is 800 mAh.
>>>>
>>>> A slow charger rated at 375 mAh should fully charge a fully deleted
>>>> battery in
>>>> about 3 hours *if* the phone is OFF; if the phone is ON, it will take
>>>> longer,
>>>> possibly much longer, particularly if the phone is in a weak signal
>>
>>
>> area.
>>
>>>> If
>>>> the phone is in use, the charger can't even keep up. Moral: With a
>>>> slow
>>>> charger, it's best to turn OFF the phone for charging.
>>>>
>>>> A fast charger rated at 1500 mAh should fully charge a fully deleted
>>>> battery
>>>> in less than an hour if the phone is OFF; if the phone is ON, it will
>>
>>
>> take
>>
>>>> longer, but still less than 2 hours, even if the phone is in use.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> I've insured that the
>>>>> contacts are clean and the phone indicates it is charging...the
>>>>> external
>>>>> LCD battery indicator when charging never gets more than 1 bar, I
>>>>> assume it should have 3 showing to be fully charged.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> I takes quite a bit of time, but it should move up to more bars as the
>>>> phone
>>>> approaches full charge.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> If I unplug the
>>>>> phone from charger, the battery indicator jumps up to 3 bars but will
>>>>> drop them within an hour or so
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> The initial reading isn't reliable -- you do have to wait a bit.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> and then the phone is dead again.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> How many bars of signal do you have? The battery runs down much faster
>>
>>
>> in
>>
>>>> weak signal areas?
>>>>
>>>> Is Bluetooth OFF? It consumes a fair amount of power, especially with
>>>> older
>>>> firmware.
>>>>
>>>> Is email checking OFF? That can also consume a fair amount of power.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> If I
>>>>> can actually get the thing to charge I will probably purchase a
>>>>> higher-powered rapid charger. At this point I feel it's just throwing
>>>>> more $$$ at the problem since it doesn't seem to be charging properly
>>>>> for one reason or another. I have tried removing the drained battery
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> from phone and letting the phone sit "naked" overnight at an
>>>>> attempt to
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> reset things.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Full reset with battery out takes less than a minute.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> Have performed a master reset in the phone as well.
>>>>> Nothing will make it hold a charge...don't know what else to try other
>>>>> than trying the replacement phone tomorrow if it arrives.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> That may well help.
>>>>
>>>> --
>>>
>>>
>>> To shed some light on this..
>>> The charger that Cingular supplies is an overnight charger. It could
>>> take
>>> 8-16 hours depending upon state of the battery and if the phone is on or
>>> not.
>>>
>>> Yes Motorola saves money on this charger vs. a fast rate charger.
>>> But you
>>> should also realize that when Cingular buys phones from Nokia, Motorola,
>>
>>
>> LG
>>
>>> etc, they beat the crap out of them on price and every penny helps. So
>>
>>
>> its
>>
>>> also the operator.
>>>
>>> If the phone is off, there a common misconception about "wiggling" the
>>> contact to make it start charging. Many Moto phones take up to 15
>>> secs to
>>> recognize the charging current when the phone is off. If phone is on,
>>> its
>>> about 2-3 seconds. So if the phone is off, don't wiggle, just wait.
>>>
>>> And for a faster rate charger, you can also get a car charger. Most will
>>> charge in 3 hours or less. They will power the phone for calling with a
>>> dead battery. If that wont bring the battery up to 3 bars with no
>>
>>
>> flashing,
>>
>>> then it's the battery or the phone.
>>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Steve is correct - wait for the phone software to detect the charger.
>> Also
>> my observations ...
>>
>> Using a overnight slow charger means less risk of
>> overcharging/overheating
>> the batteries and longer battery life in terms on number of charging
>> cycles
>> and less warranty returns. A slow charger may not be able to power a
>> phone
>> on a call and charge at the same time.
>>
>> The Motorola battery indicator bars do not update when the phone is
>> charging
>> and they are flashing - disconnect the charger to see the true state of
>> charge. Better still set a shortcut to Main menu / Settings / Phone
>> Status
>> / Battery Meter by going to the Phone Status Menu and holding down the
>> Menu
>> key until the Assign Shortcut for "Battery Meter" appears, Select Yes and
>> then change the Key ID to something between 2 and 9 inclusive - I use
>> key 5.
>> Then to see the Battery meter at any time just press Menu followed by 5.
>>
>> Check the software version of your returned phone - there may have been a
>> software fix for the poor battery life.
>>
>> Check the battery contacts are clean and bright - take care not to short
>> them.
>>
>> The distance to your nearest tower affects battery life - if you live
>> in a
>> remote area your phone will have to operate on full transmission
>> power. A
>> phone will always try to run on the lowest power possible to reduce
>> interference to other users and to increase its battery life, so the
>> closer
>> you live to a tower the safer you are (i.e. the power transmitting right
>> next to your head is less) - unless you are right underneath one.
>>
>> Turn off Bluetooth unless you need it - set a home key to Bluetooth if
>> you
>> use it regularly so you can turn it on/off easily.
>> Main menu / Settings / Personalise / Home screen / Home Keys
>>
>> Al
>>
>>

"John Navas" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> [POSTED TO alt.cellular.motorola - REPLY ON USENET PLEASE]
>
> In <%[email protected]> on Fri, 04 Nov
> 2005
> 00:10:35 GMT, "Steve" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>>To shed some light on this..
>>The charger that Cingular supplies is an overnight charger. It could take
>>8-16 hours depending upon state of the battery and if the phone is on or
>>not.
>
> The charger is actually from Motorola -- Cingular is just a reseller.
>
>>Yes Motorola saves money on this charger vs. a fast rate charger.
>
> Probably, but very little.
>
>>But you
>>should also realize that when Cingular buys phones from Nokia, Motorola,
>>LG
>>etc, they beat the crap out of them on price and every penny helps. So
>>its
>>also the operator.
>
> With all due respect, that makes no sense -- the discount from Cingular is
> simply a differential. All the cheap charger does is make the price a
> tiny
> bit lower from *any* seller.

Makes perfect sense!
I've made these phones for Cingular and other operators and have been in the
room negotiating price. Every penny makes a difference to a network
operator. Imagine a one million phone deal. And a slow vs. fast charger
saves more than few pennies.

When was the last time you saw someone at Best Buy or any retailer for that
matter selling a phone on the charger time? It's never stated on the point
of sale information, or the Sunday ad. No where! That's why all chargers
were fast chargers years ago and now almost all are slow chargers. They are
much less expensive.

And fast chargers must use switched technology or they would be too big. So
to deliver extra current in a small package, a fast charger uses switched
technlogy where slow chargers use linear technology. (A fast charger with
linear technology would not hang on the outlet easily, it would rest on the
ground or counter or at a minimum cover both outlets top to bottom).

Cingular and all operators work to minimize their discount by pushing
manufacturers prices lower as long as reliabilility and call performance are
not compromized.




>
>>If the phone is off, there a common misconception about "wiggling" the
>>contact to make it start charging. Many Moto phones take up to 15 secs to
>>recognize the charging current when the phone is off. If phone is on, its
>>about 2-3 seconds. So if the phone is off, don't wiggle, just wait.
>
> Very important point.
>
>>And for a faster rate charger, you can also get a car charger. Most will
>>charge in 3 hours or less. They will power the phone for calling with a
>>dead battery. If that wont bring the battery up to 3 bars with no
>>flashing,
>>then it's the battery or the phone.
>
> Yep.
>
> --
> Best regards, HELP FOR CINGULAR GSM & SONY ERICSSON PHONES:
> John Navas <http://navasgrp.home.att.net/#Cingular>

Nathan Harbin <[email protected]> wrote:
> Well, to set the record straight once and for all. The replacement
> phone solved all my problems. The first phone was getting hot and
> draining the battery too fast. New phone functions properly and charges
> quickly. Thanks again for all the helpful suggestions.

Under the battery, does the bad phone have a white dot, or a red dot?
The dot is about 1/4" in diameter.

I had a V551 that had a red dot. A fully charged battery would last for
about twenty minutes, and the phone was hot.

You didn't mention "hot" before. "Hot" takes power.

---
Clarence A Dold - Hidden Valley (Lake County) CA USA 38.8,-122.5

[POSTED TO alt.cellular.motorola - REPLY ON USENET PLEASE]

In <[email protected]> on Sat, 05 Nov 2005
02:59:53 GMT, "Steve" <[email protected]> wrote:

>"John Navas" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>news:[email protected]...
>>
>> In <%[email protected]> on Fri, 04 Nov
>> 2005
>> 00:10:35 GMT, "Steve" <[email protected]> wrote:

>>>But you
>>>should also realize that when Cingular buys phones from Nokia, Motorola,
>>>LG
>>>etc, they beat the crap out of them on price and every penny helps. So
>>>its
>>>also the operator.
>>
>> With all due respect, that makes no sense -- the discount from Cingular is
>> simply a differential. All the cheap charger does is make the price a
>> tiny
>> bit lower from *any* seller.
>
>Makes perfect sense!
>I've made these phones for Cingular and other operators and have been in the
>room negotiating price. Every penny makes a difference to a network
>operator. Imagine a one million phone deal. And a slow vs. fast charger
>saves more than few pennies.

You're missing my point: It wasn't Cingular that made the decision to go with
a cheaper slow charger versus a bit more expensive fast charger -- it was
Motorola -- the same slow charger is included no matter who sells the phone.
As I wrote, the discount from Cingular is simply a differential from the
Motorola price (which reflects the cost of the bundled charger). Motorola
also cares about pennies (perhaps even more than Cingular), but the tradeoff
can be in product returns and customer satisfaction.

Charging is a weak area for Motorola (complaints of bad connectors that are
really due to slow charger response, inaccurate battery capacity display, long
charging times, etc.), and I personally think this was probably a poor
tradeoff -- I suspect charging problems are costing Motorola more in product
returns and customer dissatisfaction than it saves on initial cost.

>When was the last time you saw someone at Best Buy or any retailer for that
>matter selling a phone on the charger time? It's never stated on the point
>of sale information, or the Sunday ad. No where! That's why all chargers
>were fast chargers years ago and now almost all are slow chargers. They are
>much less expensive.

There are actually many fast chargers shipped with phones, depending on brand;
e.g., I believe Sony Ericsson still includes fast chargers (part of the reason
it's better on charging than Motorola).

>And fast chargers must use switched technology or they would be too big. So
>to deliver extra current in a small package, a fast charger uses switched
>technlogy where slow chargers use linear technology. (A fast charger with
>linear technology would not hang on the outlet easily, it would rest on the
>ground or counter or at a minimum cover both outlets top to bottom).

Actually both slow and fast cellular chargers are now typically based on
switching technology (as in the case of Motorola).

>Cingular and all operators work to minimize their discount by pushing
>manufacturers prices lower as long as reliabilility and call performance are
>not compromized.

You're missing other important factors like product returns and customer
satisfaction.

Motorola has been making something of a comeback in cellular, but I think it
would be doing even better but for "cheaping out" on items included with its
phones (not only in chargers, but also in such things as documentation,
accessories, and in charging extra for sync software).

--
Best regards, HELP FOR CINGULAR GSM & SONY ERICSSON PHONES:
John Navas <http://navasgrp.home.att.net/#Cingular>

On Sun, 6 Nov 2005 17:05:03 UTC, John Navas
<[email protected]> wrote:

> [POSTED TO alt.cellular.motorola - REPLY ON USENET PLEASE]
>
> In <[email protected]> on Sat, 05 Nov 2005
> 02:59:53 GMT, "Steve" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> >"John Navas" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> >news:[email protected]...
> >>
> >> In <%[email protected]> on Fri, 04 Nov
> >> 2005
> >> 00:10:35 GMT, "Steve" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> >>>But you
> >>>should also realize that when Cingular buys phones from Nokia, Motorola,
> >>>LG
> >>>etc, they beat the crap out of them on price and every penny helps. So
> >>>its
> >>>also the operator.
> >>
> >> With all due respect, that makes no sense -- the discount from Cingular is
> >> simply a differential. All the cheap charger does is make the price a
> >> tiny
> >> bit lower from *any* seller.
> >
> >Makes perfect sense!
> >I've made these phones for Cingular and other operators and have been in the
> >room negotiating price. Every penny makes a difference to a network
> >operator. Imagine a one million phone deal. And a slow vs. fast charger
> >saves more than few pennies.
>
> You're missing my point: It wasn't Cingular that made the decision to go with
> a cheaper slow charger versus a bit more expensive fast charger -- it was
> Motorola -- the same slow charger is included no matter who sells the phone.
> As I wrote, the discount from Cingular is simply a differential from the
> Motorola price (which reflects the cost of the bundled charger). Motorola
> also cares about pennies (perhaps even more than Cingular), but the tradeoff
> can be in product returns and customer satisfaction.
>
> Charging is a weak area for Motorola (complaints of bad connectors that are
> really due to slow charger response, inaccurate battery capacity display, long
> charging times, etc.), and I personally think this was probably a poor
> tradeoff -- I suspect charging problems are costing Motorola more in product
> returns and customer dissatisfaction than it saves on initial cost.
>
> >When was the last time you saw someone at Best Buy or any retailer for that
> >matter selling a phone on the charger time? It's never stated on the point
> >of sale information, or the Sunday ad. No where! That's why all chargers
> >were fast chargers years ago and now almost all are slow chargers. They are
> >much less expensive.
>
> There are actually many fast chargers shipped with phones, depending on brand;
> e.g., I believe Sony Ericsson still includes fast chargers (part of the reason
> it's better on charging than Motorola).
>
> >And fast chargers must use switched technology or they would be too big. So
> >to deliver extra current in a small package, a fast charger uses switched
> >technlogy where slow chargers use linear technology. (A fast charger with
> >linear technology would not hang on the outlet easily, it would rest on the
> >ground or counter or at a minimum cover both outlets top to bottom).
>
> Actually both slow and fast cellular chargers are now typically based on
> switching technology (as in the case of Motorola).
>
> >Cingular and all operators work to minimize their discount by pushing
> >manufacturers prices lower as long as reliabilility and call performance are
> >not compromized.
>
> You're missing other important factors like product returns and customer
> satisfaction.
>
> Motorola has been making something of a comeback in cellular, but I think it
> would be doing even better but for "cheaping out" on items included with its
> phones (not only in chargers, but also in such things as documentation,
> accessories, and in charging extra for sync software).
>


--

I recall an older Nokia TDMA phone that actually seemed to charge
faster with the car charger than with the AC adapter. If I let the
phone go dead, leaving it out in the car for an hour would fully
charge it.

My V551, on a recent road trip, went dead a couple nights when I had
left it charged for many hours while driving during the day. I made
the decision I didn't want to carry the AC adapter. (This was before
I learned about the 2 different levels of car chargers).

[POSTED TO alt.cellular.motorola - REPLY ON USENET PLEASE]

In <KIRoJuEXw9g9-pn2-zx0L0IUQELbL@ecs> on Sun, 06 Nov 2005 17:46:36 GMT,
"Kevin K" <[email protected]> wrote:

>My V551, on a recent road trip, went dead a couple nights when I had
>left it charged for many hours while driving during the day. I made
>the decision I didn't want to carry the AC adapter. (This was before
>I learned about the 2 different levels of car chargers).

What two different levels of car chargers? All the ones I've seen for the
V551, including the cheap Belkin I use, are fast chargers.

--
Best regards, HELP FOR CINGULAR GSM & SONY ERICSSON PHONES:
John Navas <http://navasgrp.home.att.net/#Cingular>

On Sun, 06 Nov 2005 17:05:03 GMT, John Navas
<[email protected]> wrote:

>Charging is a weak area for Motorola (complaints of bad connectors that are
>really due to slow charger response, inaccurate battery capacity display, long
>charging times, etc.), and I personally think this was probably a poor
>tradeoff -- I suspect charging problems are costing Motorola more in product
>returns and customer dissatisfaction than it saves on initial cost.

My wife's 6010 Nokia charges about 3 times as fast as my V551, and the
battery lasts about 3 times longer. And she uses her phone a lot more
than I do. Of course the Nokia charger, although no larger than the
Motorola, is 5.7V @ 800ma. The Motorola is 5.9V @ 375ma. Quite a
difference.

Sure would be nice if Motorola could take a page out of Nokia's book
and give us a decent charger along with decent battery life. I love
my V551, but I envy how the Nokia performs.

Dick

John Navas <[email protected]> wrote:
> Charging is a weak area for Motorola (complaints of bad connectors that are
> really due to slow charger response,

Last night I connected my powered up V551 to the stock charger which had
been left plugged in. No beep, no indication of charge. Because of the
comments in this thread, I let it sit for 30 seconds. Then I wiggled the
connector. Nothing. I disconnected the cable and got the beep and
indication that the phone was returning to a ring-vibrate mode, just like
it normally does after a successful charge. So I don't know the status of
the phone on that attempt. I reconnected, and disconnected after about
five seconds. Nothing. I reconnected, and the phone immediately gave a
beep, lit the backlight, and showed that it was charging.

That still looks like a bad connection to me, but I'm willing to accept
that it's some other are of the design that is deficient. It doesn't look
like slow response time, unless it needs to be measured in minutes.

--
---
Clarence A Dold - Hidden Valley (Lake County) CA USA 38.8,-122.5

On Sun, 6 Nov 2005 17:56:13 UTC, John Navas
<[email protected]> wrote:

> [POSTED TO alt.cellular.motorola - REPLY ON USENET PLEASE]
>
> In <KIRoJuEXw9g9-pn2-zx0L0IUQELbL@ecs> on Sun, 06 Nov 2005 17:46:36 GMT,
> "Kevin K" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> >My V551, on a recent road trip, went dead a couple nights when I had
> >left it charged for many hours while driving during the day. I made
> >the decision I didn't want to carry the AC adapter. (This was before
> >I learned about the 2 different levels of car chargers).
>
> What two different levels of car chargers? All the ones I've seen for the
> V551, including the cheap Belkin I use, are fast chargers.
>

You have SPECIFICALLY mentioned that there is a fast charger for the
Motorola, and a slow charger, with the slow charger maybe saving
Motorola about a $1. The slow one doesn't light up the exterior
display when charging, ...

I'll google this group if you want for the message.

Unless it was someone posting using your handle, some groups have
problems with people doing that.

--

On Sun, 6 Nov 2005 17:56:13 UTC, John Navas
<[email protected]> wrote:

> [POSTED TO alt.cellular.motorola - REPLY ON USENET PLEASE]
>
> In <KIRoJuEXw9g9-pn2-zx0L0IUQELbL@ecs> on Sun, 06 Nov 2005 17:46:36 GMT,
> "Kevin K" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> >My V551, on a recent road trip, went dead a couple nights when I had
> >left it charged for many hours while driving during the day. I made
> >the decision I didn't want to carry the AC adapter. (This was before
> >I learned about the 2 different levels of car chargers).
>
> What two different levels of car chargers? All the ones I've seen for the
> V551, including the cheap Belkin I use, are fast chargers.
>

I'm sorry. I went looking, and you referred to the "Travel" charger.
I remembered this as the Car charger, since that is what I used while
travelling.

I don't recall, now, whether the car charger was included as part of
my phone, or if it was an accessory I bought when I bought the phone.
If part of the kit I bought with the phone, including the belt case,
then it isn't as high of quality as your Belkin, since it acts just
like your cheap Travel charger you mentioned.

--