1. cgnovelo's Avatar
    I started using a radio app which drains the battery very quickly and I would like to use the ac power but I'm wondering if keeping the charger connected to the phone will damage the battery or some other negative effect... Would I need to remove the battery to use the phone this way? I will appreciate your opinions. Thanks
    02-25-11 05:29 PM
  2. Thud Hardsmack's Avatar
    I started using a radio app which drains the battery very quickly and I would like to use the ac power but I'm wondering if keeping the charger connected to the phone will damage the battery or some other negative effect... Would I need to remove the battery to use the phone this way? I will appreciate your opinions. Thanks
    Might degrade battery performance earlier than it would normally, but not much of a choice - without the battery the phone stays off.

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    02-25-11 07:10 PM
  3. joeldf's Avatar
    Leaving the phone plugged in won't hurt anything. In fact, for current rechargeable batteries, it's actually better to leave it charging as much as possible to help for those times when you do need it to last a while.

    Constantly letting current li-ion batteries drain before recharging can hurt the lifespan of such batteries.

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    02-25-11 07:12 PM
  4. joeldf's Avatar
    Might degrade battery performance earlier than it would normally...
    Not true with current li-ion battery technology. Maybe that was the case 10 years ago.

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    02-25-11 07:15 PM
  5. sedalia066's Avatar
    In my 9000 days we spent many a fine day streaming like you suggest. Never noticed any issues. Never pulled the battery out.

    If or not there is an issue may depend on some technical details that are out of my realm. If the phoone runs on AC without touching the battery there should be no concern. If the battery is steadily draining and then recharging (which I suspect is not the case) there may be some degradation.

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    02-25-11 07:16 PM
  6. pmccartney's Avatar
    Think of it this way - when you use a laptop do you ever use it plugged in?
    I frequently use the radio while on the charging dock.
    It will be fine.
    02-25-11 07:23 PM
  7. Thud Hardsmack's Avatar
    Not true with current li-ion battery technology. Maybe that was the case 10 years ago.

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    If he's always leaving it plugged in? That's going to keep it constantly charging while he's using it. It'll degrade it quicker.

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    02-25-11 07:30 PM
  8. Thud Hardsmack's Avatar
    Think of it this way - when you use a laptop do you ever use it plugged in?
    If I'm using it for an extended period of time near an outlet, it gets plugged in with the battery sitting in the laptop case. Battery gets used when I'm on the go.

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    02-25-11 07:32 PM
  9. Pete6's Avatar
    No harm will come to the charger (which will probably get and stay warm), the battery (which will become fully charged and may also become slightly warm) or, the phone which has a charguing circuit that will stop the battery from charging beyond a safe maximum.

    You can test this little circuit by cgarging whith the phone Off. The LED will now flash every 2 seconds when charging and will go solid green when full charge is achieved.

    The only real danger is heat. If you feel the phone getting hot (beyond warm) unplug the charger and power off the phone till things cool down.

    Make sure that you use only the original BlackBerry wall charger since this was specifically designed to charge your phone.

    Common sense is your friend here.
    02-25-11 07:39 PM
  10. joeldf's Avatar
    If he's always leaving it plugged in? That's going to keep it constantly charging while he's using it. It'll degrade it quicker.

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    Not these days. And that's not been the case for a while. The phone knows when the battery's fully charged and automatically goes into "trickle mode".

    I had a Pearl 8100 for 4 years, and I'd leave it plugged in overnight and most of that day in my computer while at work. But, when I had to use it out and about with no plug or PC nearby, it would still last a whole day - which was what I got out of when it was new.

    As I said, leaving current li-ion type rechargeable batteries plugged in won't hurt a thing. That's a myth left over from the early days of older lithium batteries.

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    02-25-11 07:52 PM
  11. Thud Hardsmack's Avatar
    The only real danger is heat. If you feel the phone getting hot (beyond warm) unplug the charger and power off the phone till things cool down.
    This is what I had in mind, I recall using my device for navigation and having it plugged in or else risk a dead battery in a matter of hours, and wow did it get hot. I'd recommend getting a spare battery instead; that way having an outlet handy isn't a requirement for streaming and just swap the used one out for the fresh one afterwards, and it'll keep things far cooler. Li-ion battery or not, heat will shorten its life.

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    02-25-11 07:59 PM
  12. Thud Hardsmack's Avatar
    Not these days. And that's not been the case for a while. The phone knows when the battery's fully charged and automatically goes into "trickle mode".

    I had a Pearl 8100 for 4 years, and I'd leave it plugged in overnight and most of that day in my computer while at work. But, when I had to use it out and about with no plug or PC nearby, it would still last a whole day - which was what I got out of when it was new.

    As I said, leaving current li-ion type rechargeable batteries plugged in won't hurt a thing. That's a myth left over from the early days of older lithium batteries.

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    I think we're referencing different aspects - I'm talking about the action of keeping it plugged in while constantly streaming music - this will, for all intents and purposes, cook the battery and the phone. It'll turn into a mini-handwarmer. And, shorten the battery's life by keeping it hot.

    I understand what you're saying though, as I've left most of my electronics plugged in for varying lengths of time with no severe impact on the battery. I've noticed that it's how it's used, if it's used, while plugged in that affects things down the road.

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    02-25-11 08:08 PM
  13. Pete6's Avatar
    This is what I had in mind, I recall using my device for navigation and having it plugged in or else risk a dead battery in a matter of hours, and wow did it get hot. I'd recommend getting a spare battery instead; that way having an outlet handy isn't a requirement for streaming and just swap the used one out for the fresh one afterwards, and it'll keep things far cooler. Li-ion battery or not, heat will shorten its life.

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    For sure. Heat is the battery's enemy. A spare is a good idea.

    The equation is simple. Watts (Volts * Amps) in vs. Watts (radiated from the case). What is left in the case, gets warm.
    02-25-11 08:52 PM
  14. pmccartney's Avatar
    If I'm using it for an extended period of time near an outlet, it gets plugged in with the battery sitting in the laptop case. Battery gets used when I'm on the go.

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    There is no need to remove the battery unless the heat or weight bothers you.
    I work in a company of 3000 where >25% have laptops and >15% have blackberries. We never request our laptop users remove the batteries when plugged in as most of them have docks. And we never request the BB users not run apps while the phone is plugged in.
    It's unnecessary.
    02-25-11 09:10 PM
  15. cgnovelo's Avatar
    Thanks for your comments, the phone does get hot and I was actually wondering if besides the charging, the constant streaming causes it too, not sure if the cpu of a phone gets hot when it's working, like a computer, or even the wifi component. I think I have felt it get hot unplugged, so I wasn't sure if the heat is caused by the charger, which should stop working (?) when it's fully charged. I don't use it for very long because of these concerns, maybe a couple of hours a day. And if you use the usb cable will it receive the same amount of power, as in getting equally hot?
    02-25-11 11:47 PM
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