Impres battery: Virtual capacity degradation Question

[dutch]

We encounter unwanted behaviour of our (Li-Ion) Impres batteries used with MTP700 Tetra handsets.

When steadily placed in the Impres charger for a longer period, the Impres chip in the battery indicates on the handset screen a degradation of the capacity.

The degradation goes from 65% after 3 weeks down to 5% after 6 weeks.

When the handset is used after a long charging period, it will switch off after 10-15 minutes of operation.

If the Impres chip output contact on the battery is taped off, the handset will operate however for the full period.

So the practical charge level seems OK, but the Impres chip information is incorrect.

Impres chip can only be reset by a full reconditioning, however repeats its misbehaviour again with the next long duration charging (which is normal for our equipment, is for emergency use only)

Is anyone recognizing this behaviour ??
Can there be a relation with the firmware version of the charger (3.0) ??
Is changing to NiMH batteries an option ??

Dutch

[2wayguy]

You need to upgrade the firmware in the chargers 3.0 is old and problematic....

[escomm]

This was not one of the issues specifically covered by the SRN dealing with the bad firmware for the Impres, but it could still be related nonetheless. Obviously the easiest thing is to upgrade the firmware, with the field programmer it takes about 45 seconds per charger. Also you can probably get those batteries replaced, assuming they are still under warranty

[dutch]

Thanks for the advise.

We have in the meantime changed a few chargers to firmware 3.3.

The Impres batteries that showed the virtual degradation do however continue showing the same behaviour. (65% after 3 weeks steady on the charger)

Is there any indication that our initialisation by firmware 3.0 creates this ??

Dutch