OESF Portables Forum

Model Specific Forums => Gemini PDA => Gemini PDA - Hardware => Topic started by: ali1234 on June 05, 2019, 05:01:39 pm

Title: Swollen battery
Post by: ali1234 on June 05, 2019, 05:01:39 pm

Today I was looking at my Gemini and I noticed that the battery has swollen to the point where the back cover is bulging out and it won't close properly because the keyboard can't move down. It closes if I take the back cover off. The battery has also become partially unstuck due to now being round instead of flat.

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Title: Swollen battery
Post by: jakfish on June 05, 2019, 05:04:46 pm

Ouch. If I'm not mistaken, I think the battery is easily replaceable. Pretty sure that Planet would mail you one, given your dramatic evidence

Jake

Title: Swollen battery
Post by: gidds on June 05, 2019, 06:34:01 pm

Yes, talk to Planet ASAP.

Lithium batteries can be extremely dangerous, so have many built-in safeguards.  As I understand it, swelling is one of them; when the battery degrades and releases gas, the battery swells to contain it as an alternative to exploding or venting the dangerous gases to the air.

The battery has reached the end of its life, and should be treated with great care:

• Do not charge it.
• Try not to use the device.
• Do not let the battery get punctured or put under mechanical stress.
• Remove the battery if easy to do so, and put it somewhere like a plastic box that would contain any leak or explosion.
• Contact Planet for a replacement.
• If Planet don't take the existing battery, dispose of it appropriately at your local recycling centre.  (Do not put it the household trash!)

Sorry if that sounds scary!  Chances are, it'll behave itself fine; but there's always a risk with lithium batteries, so it's worth taking some care.

More general info e.g. here (https://www.tekrevue.com/swollen-battery/) and here (https://www.howtogeek.com/244846/what-to-do-when-your-phone-or-laptop-has-a-swollen-battery/).

Title: Swollen battery
Post by: DJO on June 18, 2019, 01:00:54 pm

Quote from: ali1234

Today I was looking at my Gemini and I noticed that the battery has swollen...

Hi, I'd be interested in your charging regime - do you leave the device on charge when full or disconnect power before it's full? Do you let it run out fully? Or do you just top it up as necessary?

Whatever you did I want to do the opposite :-)

BTW have you contacted Planet yet, if you are in the EU the battery should still be under warranty.

Title: Swollen battery
Post by: Dixit on June 20, 2019, 02:06:28 am

On the battery issue in general: I notice since about 2 weeks that my Gemini uses more battery than wanted. It only runs on one charge some 20 to 24 hours and I thus need to plug it in every evening.

I am not a heavy user of the Gemini.

It might be that some parasite process is running. I also note - for example - that Bluetooth is suddenly on. No idea why. The Gemini is sometimes warm without an apparent reason.

On the other hand: this thread talks about a swollen battery.
Is the battery of my Gemini also on the way out, after only one year ?