ScoobyDooby Posted February 11, 2006 Report Share Posted February 11, 2006 Hey all.. had a quick question regarding the NH-14WM Stamina batteriesI bought myself an MZ-RH10, and so far the unit has been awesome!The only thing I'm noticing is that the gumstick batteries that I've got for it, seem to be very weak. I received one that came with the unit, and I've also purchased 2 more. I don't have a charger for them, so I've just been putting them into the MD and charging through the power adapter and serial cable. However, when I leave the battery to charge in this method for what seems like days, and I go to play a disc, the battery indicator is full until the disc starts up and locates the first track. As SOON as the screen comes up with name, album etc, the bar goes down to half full.. almost immediately. It does this with all three batteries. Which leads me to ask, is it possible these batteries aren't getting charged properly? or could it be that they just suck a$$ and can't hold a charge at all. I have to say I'm pretty dissappointed, cuz having to connect up the external AA battery makes the unit a fair amount larger, and bulkier. I'd much rather have the unit just run off of the gumstick battery, but it seems like its not going to happen. Anyone else have this experience? Is there any way around this??Thanks for any info!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrsoul Posted February 11, 2006 Report Share Posted February 11, 2006 Have you check to see if you have your unit in Quick mode? That's what it reads like to me. It makes the unit respond faster but also takes juice to keep it in that state. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScoobyDooby Posted February 11, 2006 Author Report Share Posted February 11, 2006 I did indeed have it in Quick Mode.. so I shut it off. I'm charging it again now, so I guess we'll see how it responds. Its odd though, because I hook up the adapter to charge it, and it will say "Charging" and show the battery indicator filling up ..Yet after a while, that little animation shuts off, and the screen is now blank. What would be a good amount of time to let it charge for?? I was under the impression that these types of batteries charge fairly quickly. at least I thought I read that somewhere. Thanks for your reply! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
metal Posted February 11, 2006 Report Share Posted February 11, 2006 I think you need to charge and discharge several times before it achieve its normal state.And be careful if you charge these batteries in a charger as the battery get swollen and now I have to dispose it.You may read more in a thread I started recently on this similar topic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScoobyDooby Posted February 12, 2006 Author Report Share Posted February 12, 2006 I actually did read that post.. sucks man.. I'm glad that I didn't get a charger now knowing the issues you had. I'll continue charging and hopefully I'll see some improvement Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Low Volta Posted February 12, 2006 Report Share Posted February 12, 2006 @ metal and scooby... I'm actually very glad he got a charger and the battery did swell in there and not in the recorder! It probably was a faulty batery and if it had swollen inside the recorder more damage could have been doneIMHO: do get a separate charger for the gumsticks...especially when upgrading to a higher mAh battery... a busted battery is €7 to replace, a new recorder is €170+ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScoobyDooby Posted February 14, 2006 Author Report Share Posted February 14, 2006 Well I've tried charging and charging over and over, and the battery still refuses to charge to full. I'm feeling pretty choked about this considering I spent the xtra money to get two more batteries. What's the point of even using the gumstick batteries if I could just throw on the AA and have it work fine?Seems ridiculous. Is there anything I'm missing here? The batteries appear fine.. they're not warping or anything. Is this all a hoax?????????? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xravexboix Posted February 15, 2006 Report Share Posted February 15, 2006 did you get the 1400 mah batteries? if so, i heard the md unit will limit it to charge to 370 mah (the battery that came w/ it) so that it doesnt overcharge. You need an external charger to get full usage of the 1400 mah battery. So it's logical if the 1400 mah is only being charged to about 400 mah (about 1/3) so it shows a lot battery. Is the battery life similar to a fully charged included battery (370 mah)? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScoobyDooby Posted February 15, 2006 Author Report Share Posted February 15, 2006 ahhh that makes some sense.. if that is the case, than I will try and get a charger and see if that helps. Cuz this seems a little too strange for these batteries to hold next to no charge at all. The battery life is similar, as you mentioned.. I would figure that with a fully charged 1400, I shouldn't have to use AA at all.. is that fair to assume??What kind of charger do I need also?Thanks a bunch guys Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pauljones52 Posted February 15, 2006 Report Share Posted February 15, 2006 (edited) RH10's come with a 1400mAh battery as standard, so it should charge them up fully. I have two and they both charge fine, and have no need for the AA at the moment.The lower end models come with a ~1000mAh battery, which should still give you some 8+ listening hours Edited February 15, 2006 by Matt J Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScoobyDooby Posted February 15, 2006 Author Report Share Posted February 15, 2006 Well the one that I bought I got off of Ebay, and the unit so far plays perfectly fine. I think that the battery that came with it though has been used for a while, so naturally it won't hold a charge for as long anymore. Which is why I went ahead and bought the two new batteries, but they appear to be even weaker than the one that came with it.. They say 1400mah stamina on them.. real stamina. The marlboro man has more stamina than these pieces of junk lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xravexboix Posted February 15, 2006 Report Share Posted February 15, 2006 oops... you're right. it does come w/ a 1350 mah battery... iono x_x i have 6 extra 1400 mah batteries sitting at my house lol... lol...I get about 28 hours playback using MP3s when I used the fully charged 1350 mah battery and 1 Sony Stamina Platinum AA battery (got those during a price glitch on amazon lol, 4 packs were only 70 cents each). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
metal Posted February 16, 2006 Report Share Posted February 16, 2006 (edited) RH10's come with a 1400mAh battery as standard, so it should charge them up fully.Really? But according to this threadhttp://forums.minidisc.org/index.php?showtopic=7423it should come with a 1000mAh or is yours a Japanese model? My RH910 comes only with a 1000mAH gumstick.I feel the battery quality of those acquired from eBay may not be consistent and it is likely that what ScoobyDooby got could be faulty explaining the weak battery life. Edited February 16, 2006 by metal Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScoobyDooby Posted February 18, 2006 Author Report Share Posted February 18, 2006 man I've looked high and low at where I can get those chargers from, and they seem ghostly. ANyone have any ideas as to where a guy could pick up one? Even the Sony Store doesn't have it listed *scratches head* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
viiv Posted February 18, 2006 Report Share Posted February 18, 2006 (edited) Careful, many of the Gumstick batteries off eBay are counterfeit. They are FAKE despite the packaging looking authentic and all. They are not Sony but rather made in factores in China that imitate stuff. It seems all of you with these issues have aquired FAKE batteries. If you get weak battery life on a new 14WM, weaker than your old 1000mah 9WM battery you have a FAKE. If the battery swells up/inflates you also have a FAKE.Moral of the story, DO NOT buy batteries or Memory Sticks off of eBay especially if the seller is located in China or Hong Kong. Edited February 18, 2006 by finalcoolman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pauljones52 Posted February 18, 2006 Report Share Posted February 18, 2006 (edited) Really? But according to this threadhttp://forums.minidisc.org/index.php?showtopic=7423it should come with a 1000mAh or is yours a Japanese model? My RH910 comes only with a 1000mAH gumstick.Hi metal, I have an European RH10 (not an RH910). I guess im lucky i got the better battery! Edited February 18, 2006 by Matt J Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScoobyDooby Posted February 19, 2006 Author Report Share Posted February 19, 2006 wish I would have known that before So if that is the case, where can you get reliable batteries? Do places like the source carry them? I haven't come across these types of batteries really..cept online Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maximumkk Posted February 20, 2006 Report Share Posted February 20, 2006 So if that is the case, where can you get reliable batteries? Do places like the source carry them? I haven't come across these types of batteries really..cept onlineI got a pair of Panasonic HHF-AZ01 gumsticks (1400 mAh, 1.2V) that match the Sony gumsticks, for $19 Cdn /ea from Future Shop (35% less than original Sonys). Not sure if available in the US though. Search around a couple of stores if interested. Works just like originals for charging, length of playback, etc. No problems yet for me, but only had them about 3 weeks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScoobyDooby Posted February 21, 2006 Author Report Share Posted February 21, 2006 interesting.. thanks for the reply.. and fear not, I'm canadian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lenny7 Posted March 13, 2006 Report Share Posted March 13, 2006 Careful, many of the Gumstick batteries off eBay are counterfeit. They are FAKE despite the packaging looking authentic and all. The deal was too good to pass up, but I should have. I bought two NH-14WM batteries off of Ebay from a dealer named "the-battery" that I now believe to be counterfeit. I suspected as much when I got them. The printing on the battery was not as sharp as the OEM battery and on the back the warning said they were for use only in charging systems designed "for NH-10WM", not NH-14WM.The first charge went find and they lasted quite a while, but I just charged one of them in my MZ-RH910 and when opened the battery door, it wouldn't come out. I rapped it a bit and it came out enough to grab and pull the rest of the way out. Sure enough, it had swelled up. I leaned my lesson....if the deal is too go to be true...Now I need to find a good price on a REAL sony NH-14NM. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Superbaldguy Posted March 14, 2006 Report Share Posted March 14, 2006 I my experience with using the NH-14WM for the past five years, it is somewhat overrated and doesn't last as long as Sony claims especially for MiniDisc recorders. I never use the in-unit charger nor the stand, opting for an external wall charger, but, a year or so is the max I can get from them. Fortunately, my legacy recorders all use the same AA cell pack add-on so I can get around a long recording session. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1kyle Posted March 14, 2006 Report Share Posted March 14, 2006 (edited) These are actually the SAME batteries that shipped with the old (but really GREAT) looking R90 which I've bought out of retirement and am using again regularly --love the "Tactile" feel of this unit.I had to charge and discharge the batttery 5 times before performance was restored (the unit hadn't been used previously for nearly 7 years --Works a treat now and I use it in places where I don't want to take the RH10).The OLDER versions of the batteries were made in Japan whilst the newer one's I believe (made in china) should actually be higher capacity --1400mah.Just charge and discharge --they should work.Another tip is that if you have any invisible grease etc on the contacts either on the battery or on the unit then you'll lose performance rapidly.Just scrape LIGHTLY the + end of the battery and VERY LIGHTLY scrape the battery connector on the RH10 --CAREFUL CAREFUL as the battery compartment hinge can easily break (unlike the R90 which is a bit more ruggedly built --although that still has one of those stupid hinge / lever systems as well). As your RH10 is new maybe just scrape the battery --should be enough.A tiny film of invisible grease on the battery contacts yielding poor electrical contact can reduce the performance of the battery by up to 80%.Like all rechargeable they have a finite number of Charge / Discharge cycles so it depends on how often you use your equipment.You should be able to get around 500 complete charge / discharge cycles with these.Also a tip --Never re-charge the battery until it is empty / nearly empty --wait until the "Low Battery" indicator flashes before re-charging.For recording take the external AA adapter --BTW re-chargeable AA's work with these too --recharge using a separate charger of course --the large capacity 2200 Mah one's are great for recording sessions and cheaper in the long run than buying dry cell (non rechargeable) AA's. --The R90 has a decent external adapter like the RH10 - no USB cradle needed unlike the NH1.Cheers-KCheers-K Edited March 14, 2006 by 1kyle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
metal Posted March 14, 2006 Report Share Posted March 14, 2006 (edited) The OLDER versions of the batteries were made in Japan whilst the newer one's I believe (made in china) should actually be higher capacity --1400mah.My experience -- if you RECENTLY purchased NH14WM battery and it is labelled 'Made in Japan', it is very likely a FAKE refurbished in China. If it is labelled 'Made in China', then it may be an 'official' SOny product. Edited March 14, 2006 by metal Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1kyle Posted March 14, 2006 Report Share Posted March 14, 2006 My experience -- if you RECENTLY purchased NH14WM battery and it is labelled 'Made in Japan', it is very likely a FAKE refurbished in China. If it is labelled 'Made in China', then it may be an 'official' SOny product.The Made in Japan battery was the original that came with the R90 unit --AT LEAST 7 years old so I doubt if it's counterfeit.In those days counterfeiting a gumstick battery would have been an expensive process making the copy more expensive than the original.Charging up with the R90 takes longer than using the RH10 and I think limits the charge to quite a bit less than the fully rated1400 / 1350 Mah but you can press Charge again immediately on the R90 to give the battery "another dose". I think the R90 limits the charge so you can't (without difficulty and considerable time) actually overcharge the battery.--This is not "Gospel" but from what I've assumed based on observation.An RH10 on the other hand won't overcharge a battery --when it thinks it's charged it won't charge any more even if you press charge again after completing a charging session.I don't like opening the battery door on the RH10 unless I really have to so I'm quite happy to use the R90 as "the charger" for spare batteries.Cheers-K Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minispecs Posted April 18, 2006 Report Share Posted April 18, 2006 http://www.budgetbatteries.com/cgi-bin/sto...0942&_pageid=16I purchased the above charger that comes with two 1450 batteries. It seems to work fine. I completely discharge (until the player beeps and goes dead) before recharging. I haven't had any swelling problems. I also don't like to charge in the machine for some reason. These don't seem to last as long as the 1400 that came with my RH10 (it wasn't a 10W), but I believe they will improve over time. I really like my charger and the company I purchased it from had it inexpensive and shipped I think I paid $25 for the charger and the two batts included. Any warnings on this brand of battery or charger? It's PowerBank Audio.minispecs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MDX-400 Posted April 19, 2006 Report Share Posted April 19, 2006 I really like my charger and the company I purchased it from had it inexpensive and shipped I think I paid $25 for the charger and the two batts included. Any warnings on this brand of battery or charger? It's PowerBank Audio.minispecsNope, no warnings it's good stuff. Manufacturer is actually GP (Gold Peak) one of the few good non-Japanese cell manufacturers, IMO. Not a bad price you got either Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minispecs Posted April 19, 2006 Report Share Posted April 19, 2006 Nope, no warnings it's good stuff. Manufacturer is actually GP (Gold Peak) one of the few good non-Japanese cell manufacturers, IMO. Thanks for the confirmation on quality, I feel better now that I've actually lost my Sony battery , and duh-me, I put the model name rather than manufacturer for Gold Peak minispecs (who notes that it's still around $26 for the charger and two batteries shipped from that site!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.