I’ve already run the battery down(twice), although it was before I upgraded the firmware. I’ll try that & see what happens. It’s not that it bothers me, I was just concerned there might be a problem…
Click, I just tried your suggestion at the link you posted. So far so good 
Question: Has anyone found a true solution for the problem yet, cause I’ve read al the way through this post and the one about the discharge-rate and haven’t really found any other “solution” than going back to the store and exchanging it for a new one.
The problem with my case is that I’ve tried returning it to the store, but they won’t take it back because I don’t have a prove of garantee (the ticket you should receive after having paid for the device). I’m absolutely certain that I haven’t received any but they don’t believe me, so…
So if there is any other solution (firmware-updates or if there’s no other way opening the device and changing something in the hardware), please let me know, I’m quiet desperate at the moment, I can’t possibly recharge the device every evening since that’s not good for the battery either.
I’ve just downloaded the latest version 1.1.20, but since there was no info on the problem being resolved in the thread about the firmware-update, I don’t think it does. I’ll recharge the Clip this evening and check the battery status in the morning.
Firmware update is not going to help units with the self-discharge problem- if the problem were a firmware issue, all the units would have the same problem. Anyone who has a self-discharging unit should just exchange it.
Keep in mind that (and I just discovered this myself) when in Radio mode, the Clip NEVER enters auto shutdown. Even if the radio is “paused” (muted, actually).
The display backlight will turn OFF, but the device remains powered up, consuming additional power.
I assume this has to do with the fact that the FM receiver is external to the SoC and this also explains why the EQ and spectrum display don’t function in radio mode - it’s not integrated with the SoC signal chain or power management blocks.
If use the power switch religiously, just ignore this.
Just for the record, my battery meter now shows 2 (or 3?) pixels less than full. I think it previously showed 1 pixel less… At least I know it’s working, & I didn’t have to run the battery down to recalibrate it Great job, Sandisk!
Can anyone tell if playing FM radio eats more battery than playing MP3?
I would say no radio uses less power. Radio is typically a low drain function on most players.
Need to power the receiver, but don’t need to access the flash?
The one thing both playing MP3’s and listening to the radio have in common is the amplifier. I was trained in electronics before the transistor, but I can tell you that I’m 90% sure that the amplifier draws more current than anything else in the clip. It boils down to the receiver vs the media player and you can probably flip a coin.
To get back on topic, I have used my clip for 5 hrs over 3 days and the power is at 85%. I listen to podcasts in bed at a very low volume, so your mileage may vary.
Jack
Message Edited by irs009 on 02-02-2008 09:52 AM
I originally posted on this thread back in December (3rd thread post). I just had a revelation. When I am done using it, I’ve been turning it off and putting it on ‘hold’. I’ve had no battery drain. Yesterday, I sync’ed some music on it. Listened to it for a bit. The battery still was completely full. I forgot to actively turn it off and put on ‘hold’. [auto shutoff is set to 1 minute]
This morning, I turned it on. The battery was almost all drained.
My wife’s 2Gb Clip doesn’t have this issue. Both bought at same time. Both have same firmware.
Message Edited by peacedog on 03-01-2008 07:03 AM
This is an interesting find!
Are there others out there who can try the “lock position” change, after manual shutoff?
Hopefully, we can get a little feedback… This is a simple way to have a happy Clip in the morning…
Bob 
Miikerman wrote:
I’m not sure I understand the issue–with my player in non-hold off, it doesn’t drain the battery (or it’s generally imperceptible on a daily basis).
Ditto. I never use “hold”(although it is a nice option to have) and I’ve [thankfully] had no battery drain issues.
Here is what I have noticed.
I have my clip for about a month now and at the beginning after reading this and other posts about the battery
issue I left if for a week with a full battery and everything was fine (battery stayed full)
In the last few days I suddenly found that the battery is draining without usage and I tried to think what was different.
I suspect that when I shut off the unit with the power button it was in FM mode, for sure I didn’t only “paused”
in this mode.
I will experiment with it some more, but maybe people with battery problem can try and make sure they go to Music
and actually selecting and playing a song (otherwise it will go back to FM) and then shut off the device and see
what happens.
Well, I wasn’t paying close attention to my battery meter(distracted with something else), & my music stopped, & the low battery message was displayed, then the Clip shut off. Is that how it normally works? I thought I’d still have maybe 2 hrs of play when the meter is empty? It went from roughly 35%(give or take) to empty in less than an hr. That seemed rather fast to me… is that normal? I don’t recall it dropping that fast before, unless I’m mistaken. I hope my Clip hasn’t gone bad on me!
Sasafrass452 wrote:
Well, I wasn’t paying close attention to my battery meter(distracted with something else), & my music stopped, & the low battery message was displayed, then the Clip shut off. Is that how it normally works? I thought I’d still have maybe 2 hrs of play when the meter is empty? It went from roughly 35%(give or take) to empty in less than an hr. That seemed rather fast to me… is that normal? I don’t recall it dropping that fast before, unless I’m mistaken. I hope my Clip hasn’t gone bad on me!
Ya know? The last time I looked at the meter on mine, it was near 50%…and after a while, as I’m listening, it just went dead! It didn’t do this with the older firmware…I’m wondering if the .20A FW that is supposed to make the meter more accurate, has a bug…or if this is another defect, that is just starting to manifest itself now, after a couple of months of very light occasional use?
I think the Clip is an awesome player…it has just the features I want and GREAT sound quality…but I’m getting to the point where I don’t know if I’ll keep recommending them to people- as between the quality-control issues and the various FW bugs…it’s beginning to seem to me that this is a product that will never be 100% functional. They fix one problem and another appears. (Getting really annoyed with the shuffle option defect too).
Miikerman wrote:
IMHO, ya’all need to focus on enjoying your music and just ignore the small things and make the best of the player. All players have their things. Turn off your computers and cellphones and Blackberries and pagers, and grab some sun and some music.
Aw, c’mon, you’ve done quite a few technophile-posts in your day. Remember, never post while drunk!
Well, if it didn’t happen with the previous firmware, I’d say that’s where the problem lies. So, I wouldn’t worry about it unless it’s confirmed to be an actual defect of the unit(such as rapid discharge). After all, firmware bugs can be easily fixed… I hope Sansafix sees our posts about this, so he can report it to the necessary people! I think I’ll repost my message as a new thread to draw more attention, since this issue should be addressed!
@cllipman wrote:
Ya know? The last time I looked at the meter on mine, it was near 50%…and after a while, as I’m listening, it just went dead! It didn’t do this with the older firmware…I’m wondering if the .20A FW that is supposed to make the meter more accurate, has a bug…or if this is another defect, that is just starting to manifest itself now, after a couple of months of very light occasional use?
I think the Clip is an awesome player…it has just the features I want and GREAT sound quality…but I’m getting to the point where I don’t know if I’ll keep recommending them to people- as between the quality-control issues and the various FW bugs…it’s beginning to seem to me that this is a product that will never be 100% functional. They fix one problem and another appears. (Getting really annoyed with the shuffle option defect too).
Sasafrass452 wrote:
Well, if it didn’t happen with the previous firmware, I’d say that’s where the problem lies.
I did see this behavior with the previous firmware. My assumption was that it was due to some bug in MediaMonkey, though really I have no idea.
