Topic: Fujitsu Lifebook Batt. Questions

[dmonterisi]

i recently bought a lifebook p2120 for taping...I am wondering what the best combination of batteries is for power this in the field and what type of recording environment runtimes people get using one of these. so far i only have the regular main bay battery, so i was planning on getting the hi-cap main battery plus the modular bay battery, which together fujitsu rates at 12 hours of run time. i figure this for about 4 hours of record time or so with the lid closed. then i'd also have the main bay battery with an additional 3 hours of rated run time. this should get me throw most shows, shouldn't it?

which is depleted first the main batt or the modular bay battery? if it's the modular bay battery, i could just get two of those and switch em out while the main battery is in.

thanks for any help or suggestions

-damon

[DaryanLenz]

Electrovaya power pad 160...I love mine even though I don't use it that often.  A little exspensive, but gets you about 12 hours with everything on!



Daryan

[Electric Cowgirl]

I'll back Daryan up....that electrovaya power pad is the shit!!  Ran my lifebook no problem.  If anyone sees a good deal on one of these babies please please let me know.  I am definalty in the market.

[dmonterisi]

i saw a couple on ebay...one was the model A (which fujitsu requires) that was going in the 220 range i think...don't know if it's still available.  450-500 retail is a little ridiculous imo so i went with the fujistu internals...i'm told they work very well for taping.

[tim in jersey]

I don't have the same model Lifebook as you (can't remember which model off the top of my head, and I'm at work, can't look) and w/ the hi-cap, and main bay batts I was able to get ~7 hours running 24/48 (HDD constantly spinning) with the lid closed.

[DaryanLenz]

The powerpad can be had off of ebay for around 250ish.  It runs just about any laptop with all the connectors..even has a 4-pin for external hookups etc!

Daryan

[jjjewett]

I use a 2040 for taping.  I have the modular bay battery and the regular main battery.  Have done many 2 set shows.  come close but never ran out.

john

[ianstone]

damon, was looking in the manual:

apparently you can only "cold swap/warm swap" the main battery bay (std or hicap battery). Cold = turn off cpu, warm = exit all programs and goto suspend mode.

But, it seems that you can hot-swap the modular bay battery. DAMN. i shoulda gotten two of those puppies and skipped out on the regular std. battery.
As far as discharge, it drains both batteries equally... when you're at a show there's a battery level meter icon in the systray bottom right... if you hold the mouse over it it will tell you the %'age left and the approx time. I wonder if that time is different when the lid is open or closed (obviously you cant see it when it's closed, so hard to know).
I would think this laptop will run 8 hours w/ the hicap and the modular battery easily (w/ lid closed). I ran donna the buffalo last night, and the opener jim lauderdale w/ donna backing.
Total music time was like 3hrs... plus the 30-40min setbreak in between where the computer was sitting idle.
I got home and the batteries still had like 78% left.

this thing is the TITS!

[dmonterisi]

i saw what the manual says, but i believe that you can actually hot swap the front battery as long as the modular battery is in there.  i believe the machine will run off just the modular bay.  it is a nice machine...i meant to get the 128 mb of ram upgrade, i'm gonna order that.  will make things a little more stable.  that was a stupid brain fart.

i would love to get 8 hours off those two batteries...set it and forget it.

[dmonterisi]

you can go ahead and take the d8 off the caption of your avitar, ian.

[ianstone]

Oh yea, i fergot  

[jjjewett]

i saw what the manual says, but i believe that you can actually hot swap the front battery as long as the modular battery is in there.  i believe the machine will run off just the modular bay.  it is a nice machine...i meant to get the 128 mb of ram upgrade, i'm gonna order that.  will make things a little more stable.  that was a stupid brain fart.

i would love to get 8 hours off those two batteries...set it and forget it.

You could run the modular battery down to close to 0%, then plug in the main battery, swap the modular
battery for another modular battery, and forget about running out of battery.

john