Battery pack will not charge to full

2 Apr 2007

A Li-Ion (Lithium Ion) battery pack, such for use in an Archer Field PC, Mesa Rugged Notepad, or Carlson Surveyor+ (TK6000) may appear not to charge to full capacity in the following situations:

The first time charging a new battery pack

As with most electronic devices, a new battery must be run through a few charge cycles or used for a few days before the battery pack will utilize its full capacity and the charge indicator becomes more precisely calibrated.

The battery pack has been operated in below freezing temperatures

The discharge curve of a battery pack being used at below freezing temperatures does not match the discharge curve of a battery pack being used at temperatures above freezing, which means that the battery pack`s charge indicator may no longer accurately reflect the remaining charge in the battery pack (indicator has lost calibration).

Note: Though the rugged handheld computer can be operated at below freezing temperatures, always charge the battery pack at temperatures between 32 and 104 degrees Fahrenheit (0 and 40 degrees Celsius). The battery pack will not charge outside of this temperature range.

The battery pack has been charged multiple times in an external charger instead of the rugged handheld itself

We have had a handful of reports from customers that a battery pack may eventually no longer indicate charging to full capacity after mainly being charged in an external charger accessory. Though such an issue has been difficult to reproduce.

Solution

If the battery pack will not charge to 100% or to "0 mAh Consumed", or states that it is full but does not last as long as expected, try fully discharging the battery pack then charging to full again in the rugged handheld itself. To hasten the full discharge of the battery pack, you can turn off all auto-suspend and auto-backlight off timers. Allow to discharge until the rugged handheld will no longer even resume from suspend. Once the battery pack is fully discharged, then try charging it to full again.

If the battery pack will still not charge to full, try repeating the full discharge and charge cycle a few more times.

If the battery pack will still not charge to full, try using a different battery in this rugged handheld computer to confirm that the problem is specific to the original battery. If you do not have a second spare battery pack, you can use one from another similar model handheld. If you would like to purchase a new battery pack, please contact your local Juniper Systems Reseller or our Sales Department.

Note: Please recycle any Archer Field PC battery pack that you find to be no longer usable. See the User Guide for more information about recycling the battery pack.

If none of the above solutions resolves the issue, please contact our Technical Support Department.