[Reader-users] Going Flat Kurzweil Reader

[Gashel, James]

Hi Laurence:

We recommend connecting the Reader to external power whenever you are not using it for a significant amount of time.  You can obviously travel around with it and not need to plug it in.  However, you should always maintain the practice of connecting it to power overnight.  This will insure that the battery is 100 percent full when you remove it from the power to use during the day.  

You mentioned hearing the Reader giving a low-battery warning in the middle of the night.  This suggests that it was not connected to power at that time.  Otherwise, if the Reader is connected, you should not be receiving a low battery signal.  

The condition you describe, where the Reader goes from essentially full power to very low power in a short amount of time occurs when the Reader is continuously switched on.  My practice, and I think this is quite typical, is to switch the Reader off right away after I am finished with Reading whatever I am reading.  I don't put it down and just leave it switched on.  This is very much the way I use any other digital camera or Braille note taking device.  

Also, you should not receive a low-battery signal while the Reader is switched off.  Please check your power timing options under user settings.  Normally the default setting is for the Reader to shut down if a key has not been pressed within three minutes.  One of the settings is for the Reader to remain on unless switched off manually.  Given the situation you have described, I am concerned that your setting may need to be changed to one of the timed shutdown choices.  

Thanks, J. G.

******************************************

James Gashel
Executive Director for Strategic Initiatives
NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND
1800 Johnson Street
Baltimore, Maryland  21230
Telephone:  (410) 659-9314, ext. 2227
Fax:  (410) 685-5653
Email:  jgashel at nfb.org

 

-----Original Message-----
From: reader-users-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:reader-users-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Waddington Photographic
Sent: Wednesday, January 10, 2007 3:41 PM
To: reader-users at nfbnet.org
Subject: [Reader-users] Going Flat Kurzweil Reader

I have been having a lot of trouble with my Reader since purchasing it three months ago. The reader is excellent but the battery keeps going flat. I am aware of the instructions stating it should be connected at all times when not being used but this is not always practicable. 
Sometimes the reader can hold a charge for up to 10 to 15 days and at other times, it can go flat over night or during the day having been fully charged only hours previously.

I bought the reader from Sight and Sound in the U.K. and they tell me no other person has reported an issue. However, I wrote to Kurzweil support and they say (or, rather, the person responding told me) that he has the same problem with his. He did not tell me what I could do about it other than to leave it connected to the mains supply.

I find this to be a rather negative attitude. The Reader is very expensive at oveer £3000. It is brilliant at reading text but the poor and erratic battery performance lets it down.

Over the past 7 days, it has flattened over night from 98% full to totally flat.  The second time a day or so later fro 92% to 10% (Critically low message) and to 30% (battery low message). For the last couple of days it has behaved itself. 

I sometime am woken in the small hours by a chime coming from it and I think this is similar to a mobile phone telling the user it needs to b recharged.

I will  be very grateful if you or anyone else can advise me on the best way to proceed. Sight and Sound have replaced the unit once (at their
suggestion) they say the one sent back has been on test and has lasted for up to three weeks! All I know is that when I was using it ,it could go flat overnight and the replacement unit does the same.


Laurence Waddington
U.K.

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I have had to send thisw mail by the normal mailer program as I cannot send it via the in built mail section on your internet site as their is no send button

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