In that case, I could just short it out. makes life simpler.

That would make some sense, just trying to stop charging of non-rechargeable batteries. Its also lops off about 0.2v from the battery voltage.

I just opened the Pronto up. It does indeed look like just a diode, I'm going to just short it out. To make life easy there are a couple of vias (solder pads) next to it, shorting those should be easy and do the job. (I'll find out tomorrow, I left my sodring iron at work.)

Works here too. I've just installed it - battery indicator went from "Low" to 3 bars and main the indicator in the Settings page has gone to 6 bars. The batteries were last charged 6 days ago.

Daniel, I used a WOL connector, but it needed the sides shaved down to fit comfortably.

I'd like to try bypassing the diode as suggested above, but after removing the 4 screws from the case, it still seemed something was holding it together. Any tips on opening the case?

Regards,
Phil

Not sure what you folks are thinking WRT shorting out the diode. As I said earlier, it's the LACK OF VOLTAGE on the battery coil connection that tells the Pronto that you're using lower-voltage batteries. Shorting out the diode will never achieve that effect.

If you're talking about buying another 0.2 volts by shorting it out...that's not significant and won't make up for the improved power management features that the new firmware has for rechargeables. If you're still using regular alkalines, then sure, I guess you want that extra 0.2 volts. Is that worth voiding your warranty for?

Barry

Good job you mentioned that, I missed that bit in your post and wasn't thinking of it as a control signal. Good job I left my soldering iron at work.

I just bodged up a different plan. I made a new positive battery terminal from some thin sheet metal (actually the cup from a tealight candle), with a lead soldered on it. I insulated the spring battery terminal (with selotape) and mounted the plate on it. I soldered the other end of the lead to the rechargeable side of the diode.

Voided the warranty I'm sure, but I'm not expecting it to expire anytime soon. (Even despite my bodging.) I think its worth it, my rechargeables which were expiring are now giving 3 bars.

To access the case you need to remove 4 screw, they have small torx heads. Then you need to pull the top lip of the bottom case away from the top case, by inserting a thin object between the two. (My thumbnail worked quite well.) There are plastic snaps you have to disengage.

Any one doing any of this should do it at their own risk, I take no responsibility, you could kill your pronto doing this, and will void the warranty.

I don't know how to do it. Is there any pictures of what to do to achieve the rechargeable battery mode?

I'd like to second the request for some sort of pictures or guide to doing this for the layman that still uses his tongue to test if a 9-volt is good or not. :-)

Thanks!

.

Hi all,

Having become tired of charging and replacing NiMH batteries for the Pronto NG, I started looking for alternatives and as usual this forum has provided an answer. Thanks to all for the info.

Now, I'm also of the tongue and 9V class of electronics engineer, and would appreciate a little more coaching…

So I put the Pronto NG face down with the docking station charging socket closest to me.

With the clip-in battery compartment removed, I need to blank off (with plastic) the left-most and closest to me + (positive) terminal of the Pronto.

With the battery compartment back in place and loaded with batteries, I need to run a wire from the left most battery + terminal to the top pin, the one farthest away, in the block of three pins that the ‘proper’ battery pack would plug into.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Nice fix.

This message was edited by dorian on 12/02/03 13:39.

I hope the next firmware will dramatically improve the battery life. It is not even close to what Philips stated it would be. I believe they state 4 months. I printed it out in the event I decided to 'request' Philips pay for my recharger due to false advertising. I pretty much had to buy a recharging unit since standard batteries lasted so short a time.

Pauley

:)

This message was edited by Wheelie4 on 12/02/03 16:32.

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This message was edited by dorian on 12/02/03 13:07.

On this site I posted my pictures of how me and my coworker did our modification of our TSU3000.
Hope you find it useful
[Link: prisjakt.nu]