Any way to minimize Battery Drain?

[Kipu2021]

I read in my incredibly helpful "Missing Manual: iPod Video" that despite what you do, it will eventually drain itself completely after a period of 14 days has passed, whether or not you use it. Is there a hotfix/mod/crack/hack/patch that disables whatever process is slowly leeching its battery power?

Also, is there a way to replace its inner battery with a higher-end, more powerful and long-lasting battery?

Thanks.

[funkycfunkydo]

You can replace the battery pretty easily. I'm not so sure about the capacity of 3rd party batteries out there right, now. When I replaced my 3rd gen battery, i ordered it from OWC. Looking at their site, their replacement battery claims about 25% more power than the standard battery. its $20 for a 30Gb, $28 for the 60/80Gb. here is a link to the page (http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/ipod/batteryreplacement/#1299)

[jonathanjong]

If you leave your iPod fully charged and unused, it'll discharge because of the nature of the Li-ion batteries. Some websites suggest leaving the batteries at 40-50% if you're not going to use your iPod for long periods of time. There's not much you can do to stop this "leakage" because that's how Li-ion batteries are.

[styrafome]

it'll discharge because of the nature of the Li-ion batteries...40-50%...There's not much you can do to stop this "leakage" because that's how Li-ion batteries are.

That's not really true.
I think you are confusing discharge (consumption) with capacity loss. The guidelines you are describing are what is known to avoid capacity loss over the 3-4 year life of the battery. This question is different. It is about discharge over a single charge. A Li-ion battery can hold a constant charge for a very long time, if you take it out of a device. This is true of my Li-ion phone, laptop, camera, and video camera batteries. If a Li-ion battery is discharging, it is because there is circuitry using it. There must be a small current drain all the time on an iPod even when it is off. And of course, Apple does not allow an iPod battery to be removed (normally).

[jonathanjong]

Well, according to the Wikipedia entry on Li-ion batteries, "smart" batteries do self-discharged as I claimed. Maybe this is what the Apple site was talking about? It is true though, as you say styrafome, that the guidelines to which I alluded are more about protecting the battery in the long term. But then, a diminished battery capacity certainly "looks like" a self-discharge, albeit a permanent one. :D Oh yea, it might not just be the iPod circuitry using it. I've read (from Battery University maybe?) that the Li-ion battery's circuitry (?) causes this discharge as well. In any case, it remains true that if you're not going to use your iPod for long periods of time, don't leave it fully charged.

[Jay Carr]

Wouldn't the battery always have to be running in order to detect when you click the center of the wheel to turn the thing on?

[jonathanjong]

Hmmm....good question. Unless that's the power button. But ipods turn on if you hit any button right?

[funkycfunkydo]

I assume that button in current generation iPods completes a circuit, so there would be no current flowing before the button is pressed. That doen't explain 3rd gen iPods, though

[styrafome]

Well, according to the Wikipedia entry on Li-ion batteries, "smart" batteries do self-discharged as I claimed.

I didn't account for that, so you're probably right on that point.

But my point was based on the fact that an Apple laptop can stay in sleep mode for a week with a new battery, and so can many cell phones. The Apple laptop definitely has an intelligent battery with a meter and sophisticated charging circuitry. Now, if you fully shut down the PowerBook or fully turn off the cell phone, both will definitely have a lot of charge after 14 days.

But the iPod will be dead.

Therefore, I guess there is a different power design for the iPod, that uses a lot more power in the "off" position than some of these other portable devices.

[Turn&Arc]

The re-chargable Li-Ion batteries I have for my digital camera came with paperwork that said they will lose a charge at the rate of 1% a day after they are removed from the charger and not in use.

I would hardly think of my Li-Ion AA batteries as "smart" though...

[Kipu2021]

The re-chargable Li-Ion batteries I have for my digital camera came with paperwork that said they will lose a charge at the rate of 1% a day after they are removed from the charger and not in use.

I would hardly think of my Li-Ion AA batteries as "smart" though...

Not to mention that the batteries are next to never removed from the iPod itself, unless undergoing surgery.

Next, I'm sure you all aware of the dynamic and well-built Clock system in the iPod, where it can keep track of times in pretty much any timezone. I only have one Clock set up, for the California timezone. Would disabling this clock drop the battery drain?

[styrafome]

You could try, but again, cell phones and laptops also have time-zone-aware clocks that stay accurate when powered off, so again the iPod should be able to match that with no additional battery drain over those other devices.