Spare power bricks?

[Ebag333]

I've disassembled my Redfly. (Shhhh!)

The battery would be extremely easy to swap out. I do however have a beta unit and not a final one.

I disassembled it because the screws holding the bracket that attaches the monitor to the body were coming loose. A tiny bit of locktite now holds them in place.

I disassembled it a second time because in those same brackets is an "insert" that holds everything together nice and tight. The inserts shift as you open/close it a tiny amount and eventually come loose.

It's actually quite easy to do.

 

[MAgentieri]

Pics.
Please?

 

[Ebag333]

Pics.
Please?

Ask and ye shall receive.

http://picasaweb.google.com/ebagola/Redfly#

 

[sixftunda]

Kudos on the pics. My Redfly is a prototype also and just started yesterday doing a small popping sound when opening the screen. I knew they widened the area around the USB ports for the final model but I am glad to hear they also beefed up the hinging area also.

 

[Ebag333]

Kudos on the pics. My Redfly is a prototype also and just started yesterday doing a small popping sound when opening the screen. I knew they widened the area around the USB ports for the final model but I am glad to hear they also beefed up the hinging area also.

You probably need to tighten down the same screws. Very easy to access, just remove the 4 screws off the back.

 

[ckj]

I'll check on the battery specs and get back to you. It has a life expectancy based on number of charge cycles. The battery is not user replaceable, but we?ll have a replacement program similar in cost and structure to the iPhone battery replacement program but you?ll have to send the unit back in for replacement.

 

[ckj]

Maybe we can certify Ebag333 as an authorized battery replacement technician? He seems to have it down

 

[ckj]

A quick note back to Me2 regarding the topic of this thread. Despite all of my comments trying to justify the power brick, I want to make it clear that you are correct and we have no excuse. We realize the PSU needs a redesign (especially for UK and EU users). It?s on the drawing board but sadly isn?t quick and easy to fix and may take a product iteration or two for us to get a better solution.

When the REDFLY was first designed, we needed a PSU that was a) safe; b) could charge that big battery in 3-4 hours minimum; c) met the power requirements; and d) wouldn?t add a huge amount of money to the costs. Frankly, the options were few given those needs.

Bottom line, we?re a young startup without the manufacturing relationships or large volume of ASUS, Dell, Apple etc. At this stage, a world-class PSU that satisfies the REDFLY?s needs would be very cost prohibitive and could add a substantial amount of money to the retail price. As we get down the road with our product design, build better long-term trust with manufacturers (already happening) and increase our sales volume (already happening), then a better PSU will happen.

Keep the comments coming as your comments most certainly influence future design.

 

[Ebag333]

Maybe we can certify Ebag333 as an authorized battery replacement technician? He seems to have it down

Sure. If the final version is anything like my pre-production one, these are an absolute pleasure to work on.

I never understood laptops that have 15 screws (why an uneven number?) with three different lengths (again, why?) just to get off the case. Then you get to spend the next three hours disassembling three different boards. All to access the $15 keyboard to replace after someone dumped soda on it.

Oooh, wait, if I'm an authorized technician can you make it more complex so I can charge by the hour?


(Seriously, it's a 15 minute job, and that's if you have no opposable thumbs.)


That being said, I'd be pretty disappointed if you made it a return only in order to swap the battery. Then again, I'd be very disappointed if the battery only lasted 2 years like the iPod's average life. Judging by the "lost" life on mine, I'll probably get my battery replaced by buying the Redfly II/Pro/3G.

 

[flyemhighrockets]

Yes the plug is very lose in the back of the redfly and comes out very easily. Ther has been a couple of times i thought I was charging the unit but was not.

 

[MAgentieri]

Looks like things are pretty easily replaceable. Cool.
Also doesn't look like there's as much room on either side of the screen.
Plenty of room under the keyboard though.
hmmmmmm.

 

[Ebag333]

Plenty of room under the keyboard though.
hmmmmmm.

Most of that room is taken up by the battery. There is some in there, but not much.

 

[sixftunda]

I have not had these problems with mine at all. I really have to push the cord in, and it definitely stays.

 

[anon159272]

I shaved a couple of millimeters off the plastic plug barrel and it made a huge difference. Now it actually snaps into place. I guess there are just some slight variations in the units. <--tip came from user Me2 earlier in this thread. Thanks!!

I've noticed that the plastic housing on mine seems like it's slightly bent and under pressure in the back; not sure if anyone else has that. Noticeably in the seam on the bottom rear, between the USB ports and the big label on the bottom, the gap on mine is wider in the middle than at the ends. Perhaps some of these slight variations account for the fact that the power plugs fit differently.

Maybe that's what I get for the $199 special.

 

[WinTakeAll]

E.g. compare the Redfly's brick with the EeePC 900 PSU (made by Delta Electronics, who also supply chargers for many of HTC's mobile devices):-

Output:
Redfly 9V@2.5A (22.5W); Asus 12V@3.0A (36W)
Size:
Redfly 85x55x40mm (187cc); Asus 85x35x25mm (74cc)
Weight:
Redfly 190/240g (without/with UK adapter); Asus 150/260g (without/with UK mains lead)

So the Asus gives 60% more power than your TMC behemoth, in a package with 2.5 times less volume, and, excluding trimmings, less weight!

A me-too for Me2's post. The included power supply is the wartiest wall-wart I own, huge for a 23W device. Product management at Celio should know that for consumers of portable devices the look and feel of a power supply does make a difference, and the cheapo one you're currently including is giving a very poor first impression to anyone unpacking their Redfly for the first time.

If you don't want to spend the extra buck on including higher-end power supply, at least give yourself the chance to make a buck by selling an optional "travel charger" on your web site. That should be a supply that's half the size or less compared to the current one, have a longer barrel connector that connects more securely (no end-user plastic shaving please) and it should have fold-in US prongs.

 

[WinTakeAll]

I'd say a ...

laptop-style design with an AC power cord that plugs into the adapter instead of a wall wart, allowing for use with power strips, etc

... is on balance a disadvantage compared to wall-warts. I can see that laptop makers with heavy 60+ Watt power bricks must do this, because such a device cannot just hang by its prongs. But for a travel-oriented device that extra cable is undesirable.

 

[Me2]

I'd say a ... ... is on balance a disadvantage compared to wall-warts. I can see that laptop makers with heavy 60+ Watt power bricks must do this, because such a device cannot just hang by its prongs. But for a travel-oriented device that extra cable is undesirable.

There are agruments for both methods. The Asus 900 "brick", for example, is miniscule compared to the Redfly's, but even then some bloggers were calling it "huge!
http://asuseeehacks.blogspot.com/2008/03/asus-eee-pc-900-has-huge-power-supply.html

The advantage of the "standard" mains connection is that, should you find yourself without the right adapter, you can scrounge or buy a lead almost anywhere that will fit without relying on proprietary adapters. The use of a standard plug also makes it easier to use extension strips or "hidden" desk or floor power distrubution sockets found in many offices, which are sometimes either too constricted or dangerous to use with wall-marts and adapters. It's also fair to say that the current UK/EU adapter solution would be prohibited from use in many corporate environments due to it being considered unsafe.

Even if we discount the laptop style of adapter in preference to mobile-phone type all-in-ones, the Asus 700 PSU shows how small these can be, even with clip-on "world" adapters, while still providing more current than the huge one shipped with the Redfly (and thus meeting the 3-4 hour charge requirement).
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tnkgrl/1846886631/in/set-72157602884837446/

I'm not too convinced by the small-is-expensive argument either - don't forget that unlike the Redfly, the Asus Eee PC is a low end, budget product(especially with the 700), where cost means everything. Replacement PSU's for those can be had for as little as 8 GBP retail.

Kudos to Colin though for acknowledging the TMC psu's shortcomings and for taking these criticisms on board. Let's hope we see an alternative soon.

 

[anon159272]

I'd say a ... ... is on balance a disadvantage compared to wall-warts. I can see that laptop makers with heavy 60+ Watt power bricks must do this, because such a device cannot just hang by its prongs. But for a travel-oriented device that extra cable is undesirable.

That's fair. Which is why I also proposed (at least I was thinking about - maybe I forgot to mention it) the "dell" model that has the optional quick-plug that turns the adapter into a form of wall wart (albeit a big one, but I'm talking about the C/D latitude series adapter here so it won't be an issue for the redfly).

If you went modular, you could have the option of a longer AC cable and offer a shorter version too (even just a few inches). The DC portion of the cable is so thin that I wouldn't mind having the option of an AC length as well. To me, having prongs that aren't either removable or foldable on the wall wart is sort of a toss up compared to having an AC cable. Those prongs will destroy things in your bag and eat through the bag itself, a potentially significant drawback to that design. They also increase the travel storage requirements of the wall wart somewhat needlessly when so many are designed with folding prongs these days. And some electric razors use the same style AC cables, so you might be able to share one.

Obviously there will be as many opinions as there are people posting (maybe more!). We all have our favorite things, depending on how we use and charge our devices. At the *very* least, I'd like to see folding plugs on that adapter so it could more easily fit into a thin laptop bag. Then the raw size wouldn't be as much of an issue, since it would compartmentalize pretty easily.

 

[EdFrmBrighthand]

If you don't want to spend the extra buck on including higher-end power supply, at least give yourself the chance to make a buck by selling an optional "travel charger" on your web site. That should be a supply that's half the size or less compared to the current one, have a longer barrel connector that connects more securely (no end-user plastic shaving please) and it should have fold-in US prongs.

Hear, hear!!

-

 

[wodin]

If you don't want to spend the extra buck on including higher-end power supply, at least give yourself the chance to make a buck by selling an optional "travel charger" on your web site. That should be a supply that's half the size or less compared to the current one, have a longer barrel connector that connects more securely (no end-user plastic shaving please) and it should have fold-in US prongs.

I'd buy one of those!