Hacking Battery Usage

[AlexMoron]

This may have started before this, but around Tuesday, I noticed my battery life diminished significantly than before using the R4. I was playing Nervous Breakdown (awesome game, by the way) and it seemed to only last 4 or so hours (I never timed it) on the 3rd brightest setting.

What can cause this drastic reduction in battery capacity? I've been using this DS Lite since June of this year so it's fairly new. Does turning it on and off frequently cause the battery to drain faster? Does frequently changing games do this? Maybe it's just psychological but it seems really short now much like my old DS is like now.

 

[4saken]

Yes turning it on and off does drain battery more than if you were playing continuously.

And the R4 itself uses more battery than a regular game, so that may also explain the diminishing life.

 

[AlexMoron]

Wow. Quick and helpful reply! Thanks a ton!

 

[Deleted User]

It doesn't use loads more battery though (in game). Look at the R4 review for more details.

 

[4saken]

It doesn't use loads more battery though (in game). Look at the R4 review for more details.

It's that that great, but it's something like 1/6th the total battery time, so it should be taken into consideration

 

[AlexMoron]

Maybe I'll do some tests then. I don't remember the battery being that small before so I just thought it had to be the R4. Hopefully it didn't screw up my battery.

 

[Retal]

Batteries have to be trained. If you decided to start playing with your DS when you first got it, instead of charging the battery like it tells you to do in the instruction manual, then you will have permanently reduced its capacity right at the start.

But who the FUCK reads instruction manuals, right? lolololololololol
Idiots.

 

[superrob]

Punnish that Battery and get a 2000mAh one from dealextreme

Its only 6$ for about dubble life time

 

[4saken]

Punnish that Battery and get a 2000mAh one from dealextreme

Its only 6$ for about dubble life time

Chances are it'll last half the time

 

[superrob]

Well it doesn't

 

[leetdude_007]

I'm still wondering about the R4/M3DSS and sleep mode. I haven't tried, but I think it drains more power than a normal cart.

 

[JacobReaper]

ya, i think your right^

 

[Zombie_Mario]

The R4 runs games through the MicroSD instead of the on-board memory in regular cartridges. I guess it makes sense that the R4 will drain the battery more. Don't quote me though.

 

[AlexMoron]

Well, I did a test almost identical to the review on the R4. Haven't had the time to perform the same test with the legit game but I don't think I need to given the outcome of this one.

4 hours 29 minutes. 3 hours 37 minutes on green and 52 minutes on red (I'm actually surprised it lasts that long on red).

I plan on doing a test for the 3rd brightest setting just to see how different it is. I guess it WAS psychological because it lasted even longer than it did for the review.

 

[Ph1l0z0ph3r]

Hmm my DS usually last around 10 hours on the R4 before dying out. Maybe its because i charged the DS when i first got it instead of playing it because i assumed it was dead lol.

 

[AlexMoron]

Hmm my DS usually last around 10 hours on the R4 before dying out. Maybe its because i charged the DS when i first got it instead of playing it because i assumed it was dead lol.

I used the same test GBAtemp used for the R4 so I used the brightest setting and volume on max and got 7 minutes more than them. I'll try 3rd brightest setting sometime which normally guarantees around 10 hours which I assume you use.

 

[Magnifico]

Batteries have to be trained. If you decided to start playing with your DS when you first got it, instead of charging the battery like it tells you to do in the instruction manual, then you will have permanently reduced its capacity right at the start.

But who the FUCK reads instruction manuals, right? lolololololololol
Idiots.

huh? i specifically looked in the instruction manual for something like this, because i know most things say to charge first. didnt find anything that said to charge first

 

[CannonBallZ]

I think Retal is wrong, the battery is lithium ion.
you do not need to discharge/charge to full to keep the levels high. In the link it states that one of the drawbacks is that
the battery life may reduce drastically within a year or two though

 

[KaliKot]

yeah i'd say approx 8-10 hours

 

[AlexMoron]

yeah i'd say approx 8-10 hours

On 3 or 4?