Topic: Egads, Creative to stop making JB3 batteries??

[Digital Quality]

Yikes, I just saw this on the nomadness forum. http://www.nomadness.net/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=16187

Thu May 12, 2005 5:36 am    Post subject: It's RIP for the NJB3 battery...(feel free to hum TAPS here)   

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Just spoke with a customer service rep from Creative (U. S.) - he tells me (and confirmed it with a superior whilst I waited on the telephone) that CREATIVE WILL NO LONGER MANUFACTURE OR CARRY batteries for the NJB3 line of players. This is apparently not just a temporary situation, but the item has been permanently discontinued. As the owner of two NJB3 players (including one I picked up on ebay just a week ago!), it's hard to articulate my frustration with Creative. I have been through about 5 of these batteries, and was attempting to purchase a second one for my new player when I made this discovery. If you, like me, are still a happy user of the NJB3, please take some time to contact Creative and register your dissatisfaction with this decision.

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Once upon a time I thought I saw some knock off batteries on ebay but it must have been late at night or something. There has got to be something out there that uses essentially the same battery. Can they really be custom made by/for Creative??

[The Kilted Taper]

I've heard different reports on this. Some were told yes, they are discontinued. Some were told no, we are just currently out and waiting for a new shipment. Regardless, it makes one sit back and reevaluate how much longer the JB3's will be around in the field. I mean, do I wanna bother making an external battery set up, or do I wait and see how some of the new products coming out on the market will do?

[krebsy]

For the price of a couple new JB3 batteries, you can get yourself set up with a nice vr box and some RC batts, or walmart batts, and probably be able to have it modified down the road if you need it to power a different recorder. Something to consider.

[Todd R]

Well, not as nice as using internal batteries, but I just got a powerrunner li-ion external battery, at the doorstep when I returned from DC yesterday.  I got it here:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=15055&item=5773905259

Switchable output voltage of 3, 4.5, 5, 6, 7.5, and 12.  Works like a charm with the JB3 at the 5v setting, right out of the box.  No mods necessary, no buying extra parts or adapters or adaptaplugs.  Really a very easy power solution to the JB3.  At the 5v setting, it has a 7.2A-hr capacity, which given the power draw of the JB3, should be enough to run it for 24 hours.  Or stated otherwise, the equivalent of 8 internal JB3 batteries, which would cost apparently about $400 if you could find them.  The model I got, PR2310, was $70 from the above link.  The same vendor has the PR2200 model which is the same physical size, but has half the capacity, for $50.  This should run the JB3 for about 12 hours, or the equivalent of 4 JB3 batteries ($200).

I'm testing my battery out right now, running my JB3 without its internal batteries.  Seems to be working great, booted up fine and I'm recording at 44.1k wav seemingly fine.  I'll check the recording file in a bit, but I imagine it is all fine.  I doubt I'll have the motivation to test exactly how long this will run, since it will probably be at least 20hours and more like 24. 

I need to dig up the other thread, but I thought someone else tried this product and said it didn't work.  I'm guessing he didn't have access to a voltmeter.  The one issue I did find is the cable that comes with it is labelled wrong, so according to the actual labeling on the cable you'd have to run it with the adaptaplug in the "tip-negative" position in order to get it to have +5v at the tip (which is really "tip-positive").  I discovered this right away with my voltmeter before I ran it into the JB3.  So besides this mis-labeling on the cable (no idea if this extends to the other ones they sell, but I imagine), it works fine, you just need to insure you've got it set up to provide +5v at the center tip of the cable (hence access to a voltmeter is handy).

Anyway, nothing against Marc's VR box, but to me it is easier just to have one battery, not a battery and a voltage regulator box (unless you're trying to run two pieces of equipment off the same battery setup).  Bottom line, the Powerrunner is an excellent option for out-of-the-box JB3 powering, allowing long runtimes at little cost.

[krebsy]

Nice find!!  +T!!

[The Kilted Taper]

That was I that tried a similar, if not the same, battery. I have a voltmeter, but I guess I just don't know what the hell I'm doing with it (very, very possible). But I was getting nothing no matter what configuration I used with the tip...I MAY attempt this again if it's working OK, and we now know of the mislabeling.

[Todd R]

Yea, I think it was the same battery, or maybe the smaller capacity version of the same thing.  I think the initial problem you had was the mislabelling of the power cord.  As I mentioned in the other thread, these li-ion batteries have protection circuits built into them.  Once you had set yours up backwards (by following the labelling), you probably tripped that protection circuit.  Then you would have lost all power coming from the battery, and I think you could only reset it by hooking it up to the charger (without the output power cord connected).  If you didn't do this, once you got the voltmeter hooked up, you would be reading nothing, as it wouldn't be working at that point.  Just a guess, but given that you initially had it wired up backwards, it would make sense that the protection circuit kicked in, given what you are describing.

[The Kilted Taper]

Very good point. And I don't think I ever plugged it back into the charger. I'm getting dizzy replying to both posts on this, but now that we now the cable is mislabeled, I will try again.

[johnw]

I saw someone successfully record the Trey show at the Taft on Saturday with one of these Powerrunners. Looks like the way to go.

[John R]

niice find todd, thanks for the link.  looks like there's been a price increase though

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=64332&item=3805487224&tc=photo

[The Kilted Taper]

Well, not as nice as using internal batteries, but I just got a powerrunner li-ion external battery, at the doorstep when I returned from DC yesterday.  :snip:

Have you had a chance to field test this guy yet?

[Todd R]

No, I haven't be getting out to shows at all.  Bit of a dry spell for music out here in CO, at least for me.

It worked fine at home, and I don't really see why it would be any different in the field, as this is only a battery and not some complicated piece of electronic gear.  I still plan on using internals for shorter shows, only want the external battery for longer events.  So I probably won't field test it until July 4 weekend for the Gordon/Kottke/Mule/moe red rocks show and then the two SCI/YMSB/Spearhead/UM/Keller shows that follow.  I'm happy to report back after that run of shows, though.

[SparkE!]

Hey Todd R,

Does the thing still have an output voltage while you are charging, or does the output cut out as soon as you plug in the charging plug?  I'm just wondering if you can recharge it at the same time you are using it.  That would make festival recharging a bit easier if you could carry in a 12 V marine battery to recharge your gear while it's in use.  Otherwise, you'd need to have another to use while charging one that you ran down.

[Todd R]

No, according to the manual, you can't use it while it is charging.  But I think a full charge from completely empty only takes about 5 hours, so you could charge it at night.  Plus, it should run the JB3 for two full festival days, one day easily.  I think runtime/capacity for this is on the ordrer of 20-24 hours, so there doesn't seem to be a need for charging during the day or having two batteries on hand.

[SparkE!]

So you're saying that the JB3 only pulls about 350 mA?  I thought I read somewhere that you need to supply 700 mA @ 5V, so I was thinking you'd only get a little over 10 hours which wouldn't be long enough for a whole festival day.  Or is the 700 mA that I'm remembering actually the peak current with an average that is a little over half that?

[Brian Skalinder]

So you're saying that the JB3 only pulls about 350 mA?

If that, during recording.  Check the JB3 Tapers FAQ for current draw measurements from a TS member.

[SparkE!]

Thanks, Brian. +t  That was the information that I was remembering, but I remembered it wrong.  So, you need a 750 mA capability, but only to handle the peaks and you need less than 300 mA average.  So, that does work out to about 24 hours for a fully charged, new battery pack like this.  That would work out great because you could recharge over night off of a big battery that you leave back at the car... or even the car battery if it's in good shape.