[NTLK] Are we on for Newton Saturday #2 ?

[Grant Hutchinson]

> On Jun 15, 2020, at 10:24 AM, Morgan Aldridge <morgant at makkintosshu.com> wrote:
> 
>>> - Discussion of Motorola Marco battery troubles (Marcos only run when
>>> a charged battery is connected and the batteries are difficult to
>>> disassemble)
>> 
>> Ok, I’m very interested in this discussion. (Sorry I missed the gathering.)
>> 
>> I have several Marco devices with unchargeable batteries and was wondering why none of them will boot up anymore. Believe it or not, I have one new-in-the-box Marco battery that I purchased on eBay last year. I have yet to attempt charging it, as I don’t really want to accidentally risk damaging it.
> 
> I think this discussion was before Pawel started recording, but
> hopefully I'm wrong. A more detailed summary:

Thank you for this.

> Sir iZaac showed off a Marco battery that can maintain about a 1
> minute charge and can boot his Marco, also confirming that a charged
> battery is required. Pawel has several Marcos, at least one of which
> is supposed to have been in working order, but none boot with his
> batteries despite attempts at reconditioning them.

Hmmm. This might be something I can try. I need to evaluate each of my existing Marco batteries and see if any of them can hold a charge for any length of time. It might be time to try charging that NIB battery after all.

> Pawel did have an extra battery that he once attempted to disassemble,
> but found it impossible to do so without destroying the battery pack
> due to the strength of the glue. He has to find the disassembled
> battery to document, but postulates that maybe a similar method to
> Frank's for MessagePad 2x00 (carefully sawing the pack open) might be
> possible. He that there is charge circuitry in the Marco battery pack,
> so there was further discussion about whether a dummy pack could be
> made or maybe a 3D printed pack for AA batteries.

Well, I have several apparently “dead” Marco batteries that could be candidates for “surgery”.

g.


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Grant Hutchinson
NewtonTalk List Dad & Interweb Custodian