Topic: Rechargable Battery

I know this had been said in the general forums many times - but I think it deserves a post here.

I would love to see this thing be truely wireless.  I.E. not wall wart needed all the time.

I understand the cost of li-ion batteries are pretty high for the power needed.  I am guessing mainly due to the bright LCD that is on all the time.  However, if cell-phone makers can as much power from things like an iPhone then this thing should be able to handle an hour or so on a battery like that.  I would be willing to pay for the option to have it also.

So if you don't want to price the thing out of this world for the general public, make it an option that can be chosen at time of purchase?

I'm a software person and not hardware so I am all about buying it out-of-box like this as I could not upgrade one myself like others have talked about in the forum.

Great device - would put this thing in the all-time great items if it had a battery in it!

Re: Rechargable Battery

+1
I just got my Chumby today, and it's everything I was hoping it would be...except for the fact that there's no battery.  Come on guys, you are so close to a perfect product here, don't stop just short of the finish line.  I would definitely be willing to pay extra for a battery add-on.

Re: Rechargable Battery

A battery is a non-trivial problem.  The legal liability issues are likely the main blocker, followed by the cost and technology limitations.

Chumby Industries likely isn't in a financial position to handle any exploding battery problems.

Re: Rechargable Battery

You can put a battery in it if you want, though I doubt a 9v battery is gonna last you very long. 

Wonder how long it would last?

Chumby birthdate: 10/11/07

Re: Rechargable Battery

Legal issues should not be a problem at all.  They already have liability insurance or they could not produce and sell the product in the first place.  The issue is cost and supply.  Just have to price it into an option.

Re: Rechargable Battery

A couple of blurbs from recent battery issues:

Amid Fire Risks, Nokia Recalls Millions Of Batteries
Tuesday, Aug 14, 2007
Nokia Corp. said Tuesday that it was recalling 46 million cellular phone batteries amid concerns of overheating during charging.

Toshiba Recalls More Laptop Batteries Over Fire Risks
Friday, Aug 10, 2007
Toshiba America Inc. has issued a voluntary recall of rechargeable lithium-ion batteries over concerns that they could overheat and pose a fire hazard, the latest in a horde of recalls involving laptop computer batteries made by Sony Corp.

Then there's the guy who allegedly had an ipod burst into flame in his pocket.  I'm not sure how that's turning out.

I'm sure if you pay enough, you can get liability insurance for batteries, but it isn't going to be cheap with today's press.

Re: Rechargable Battery

slendergreenicehog wrote:

Then there's the guy who allegedly had an ipod burst into flame in his pocket.

Yeah but, the Chumby doesn't even fit in a pocket!  <g>

+1 on the battery.

Re: Rechargable Battery

At the end of the day - it's covered by the liability insurance they already have.

You never cripple a product because you are afraid of something like this.  The liability passes on to the battery maker when it comes to the lawsuit most of the time from what I understand.

Since Chumby is so small right now, it won't matter a whole lot, not enough reason for lawyers to sue as no deep pockets.  If they started to sell millions of these things, then it's just a matter of the insurance going up.

I really think the whole worry of a battery popping should not even be on the table for this discussion at this point.

9 (edited by derspiess 2007-10-25 12:18:19)

Re: Rechargable Battery

Just MO, but I really don't see that much benefit in having a rechargeable battery.  This isn't a mobile device, and if I want to move it from one room to another in the house, it's not that big of a deal for me to unplug it & then plug it back in in its new location. 

Of course, by its very nature, the Chumby is different things to different people, so I can only speak for myself here.

Chumby birthdate: 10/11/07

10 (edited by slendergreenicehog 2007-10-25 12:39:08)

Re: Rechargable Battery

You'd have to talk to a lawyer about that.  Especially if you think the liability just "passes on".

As much as I think a battery would be nice, I wouldn't want it if it meant diverting critical resources at Chumby Inc.

In any case, someone other than Chumby could design and market a battery pack.  Hacking the hardware is what Chumby is all about, anyway!

I didn't think my Chumby had enough internal USB ports or internal storage...so I re-wired it!  16 Gig!  Life is good.

Re: Rechargable Battery

A TomTom is a portable touch-screen computer that outwardly looks rather similar to a Chumby.

It could be done and the technology exists, but it would be a very different kind of device.

Re: Rechargable Battery

So how long does a 9-volt battery last?  I've only used it to move my Chumby around the house without having it reboot.

Re: Rechargable Battery

bozo_z_clown wrote:

So how long does a 9-volt battery last?  I've only used it to move my Chumby around the house without having it reboot.

It will last somewhat under an hour. When the battery runs down, the device will screech.

Re: Rechargable Battery

I wonder if the RC Hobby batteries can be set up to give out the same power the 9-volt does?  That would be a plug-and-play option.  Those things let you pick what kind of drain you want to set-up for.

Re: Rechargable Battery

Any 12 volt power supply of 1 amp or better will do. You can find portable rechargeable power packs; they are sold to power other electronic devices (e.g. TVs, camcorders, etc.) Just make sure it has enough power (1 amp, or 1,000 milliamps "MA").

I am a ham radio operator and use 12 volts for all of my equipment. A quick trip to Radio Shack yielded a pair of DC power plugs (#274-1569) for three bucks. While a tad bit longer than it needs to be, it works fine. I soldered the connector to some power cable I already had (middle is +, outside is ground), and connected the Chumby to my 12 volt system in the "ham shack." Works great!
- Rich, N5CSU
Dallas TX

Dallas TX
Chumby1 Birthday 11/1/07

Re: Rechargable Battery

Are there any problems with a third party selling chumby products like batteries or other housings?

Re: Rechargable Battery

ncoop23 wrote:

Are there any problems with a third party selling chumby products like batteries or other housings?

No - one reason we make things like the schematics available is so folks will be able to make accessories without having to reverse-engineer the product.