Seven battery-saving tips

Probably the largest ongoing expense you will ever occur for your HP 100/200LX is the cost of batteries. Here are some ways that you can extend your battery life, both the AA main batteries and the coin or Backup battery, and save a little money in the process.

• Quit DataComm and the Filer when you're not using them. These applications use the serial port and therefore require slightly more power than the other applications.
• When you see a low battery warning message, replace or recharge your batteries as soon as possible. This will keep your Palmtop from having to fall back on the backup battery, which will have to take over when the main batteries fall below the minimum power threshold.
• Always install fresh, high quality batteries of the same brand, since different brands of batteries have different performance characteristics (rates of voltage drop, etc.).
• Remove high-current plug-in cards when you're not using them (this does not include memory cards). For example, plug-in modem cards are notorious for draining batteries quickly, even when you're not using the modem. Therefore, be sure to take out a modem card when you're not using it, and when you are using it, use the AC adapter if possible.
• Use rechargeable batteries as described in appendix B of the 200LX owners manual. Get into a routine of regularly recharging or "topping off" the rechargeable batteries.
• Use the AC adapter (HP F1011A) whenever possible. When the 100/200LX is plugged into the AC adapter, the batteries are not being used at all, and therefore the life of the batteries is extended.
• Make an appointment at least yearly to change your backup battery. If you normally run the main batteries below 2.3 volts, or receive a lot of "Main Battery Low" messages, you will want to change your backup battery more often, maybe every six months.