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#26 2005-03-27 1:44 am
- reece_james
- TheLAD
- From: Wollongong, Australia.
- Registered: 2001-12-01
- Posts: 3790
- Website
Re: Hacking the Pismo's Battery.
reset-all actually reboots the Pismo where you hold command-option-o-f to go back into firmware. mac-boot will continue it booting. If that's not the case, there is something wrong...
Basically this 'hack' works by tricking the battery into ignoring the safety and charges until full. If after this it fails or returns to the same level then it can be assumed that Lithium metal has started to crystalise and thus the safety has kicked in. If it works, something must have tripped the safety by accident and thus resetting it gives you back the battery time.
Reece [/IMHO]
"All posts on the internet are postfixed by an invisible 'IMHO'", tito
Intel iMac CD 1.83Ghz, 2GB RAM, 17" + 20", 1160GB HD, 10.5.2.
MacBook CD 1.83Ghz, 2GB RAM, 60GB HD, 10.5.2.
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#27 2005-11-10 6:53 am
Re: Hacking the Pismo's Battery.
sorry for bringing this old thread up, but i just got a pismo with dead battery. Previous owner said it worked OK last time the computer was used, then he left it in a closet for a few months and now its dead.
Is there any way to trick this completly dead battery to start working again ? I tried this open firmware trick, but computer dies at step 3, when i unplug it.
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#28 2005-11-10 7:36 am
- Fracai
- Evacipate
- From: St. Elsewhere
- Registered: 2000-05-25
- Posts: 2835
Re: Hacking the Pismo's Battery.
(this one time while I was working at camp...) I left my Pismo off for a few months over the summer and the battery died. I tried leaving it plugged in for days (on, off, sleeping) and nothing worked. I ended up buying one on eBay.
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#29 2005-11-10 12:07 pm
- reece_james
- TheLAD
- From: Wollongong, Australia.
- Registered: 2001-12-01
- Posts: 3790
- Website
Re: Hacking the Pismo's Battery.
Lithium batteries need to be stored with a 70% charge and in reasonably cool temperatures to survive a few months of in-operation. Sounds like the battery doesn't hold any charge whatsoever. 
Reece [/IMHO]
"All posts on the internet are postfixed by an invisible 'IMHO'", tito
Intel iMac CD 1.83Ghz, 2GB RAM, 17" + 20", 1160GB HD, 10.5.2.
MacBook CD 1.83Ghz, 2GB RAM, 60GB HD, 10.5.2.
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#31 2005-11-10 5:00 pm
- reece_james
- TheLAD
- From: Wollongong, Australia.
- Registered: 2001-12-01
- Posts: 3790
- Website
Re: Hacking the Pismo's Battery.
Not really. A repack or replacement are the only options. Unfortunately, once they are dead they are dead. The firmware method will only recover a battery that 'thinks' it's dead.
Reece [/IMHO]
"All posts on the internet are postfixed by an invisible 'IMHO'", tito
Intel iMac CD 1.83Ghz, 2GB RAM, 17" + 20", 1160GB HD, 10.5.2.
MacBook CD 1.83Ghz, 2GB RAM, 60GB HD, 10.5.2.
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#32 2006-10-17 3:30 pm
- cyclops
- Member
- Registered: 2006-10-17
- Posts: 1
Re: Hacking the Pismo's Battery.
I stumbled onto a few rechargable L-ion battery packs for JVC video cameras at Goodwill for $1 each. Opened each one up and found 4 nice Panasonic cells just a bit smaller than the OEM Apple cell. The shorter length left room for my hand-soldered wiring and I get about 3 hours on the rebuilt pack, not bad for $3 worth of materials.
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#33 2006-10-18 12:07 am
- paxswill
- Mmmmm...
- From: Where the "N" is for knowledge
- Registered: 2001-12-05
- Posts: 432
Re: Hacking the Pismo's Battery.
if you have a wallstreet, apple has a utility for OS 9 that eeked another 2 hours out of my hours, although it might be the same as the OF reset
iMac: 500MHz G3, headless mod, 20GB main, 60GB media, 320MB RAM, Tiger (server)
MacBook Pro: 2.5GHz C2D, 250GB (160 for OS X, 60 for Vista, 15 for Ubuntu), 4GB RAM, Leopard (main)
20GB 4G iPod, Apple OS
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