Safely charging my 65

[Les Bell]

(03-21-2015 03:05 AM)Don Shepherd Wrote:  Brad, you could try this.

I have never used one, but it sounds like it lets you charge your 65 battery outside of the calculator. I have always charged my 65 battery in the calculator using the standard AC adapter, and have never experienced a problem. I think the key is to never operate your 65 from the AC adapter with no battery being present in the calculator. I think that's the situation that will ruin your calculator.

That gadget isn't really a charger - it's a battery holder with the same socket as the calculator, allowing a spare battery to be recharged while another battery is in use in the calculator. It relies on the original charger to power it.

As far as I'm aware, the Classic chargers provided a regulated supply for the calculator in addition to a second connection to charge the battery. That's why the Classic battery socket has three pins plus a spring strip to reconnect the calculator circuitry to the battery when the charger is unplugged. So there really shouldn't be a risk to the calculator from charging the battery while it's in it. It was only the Woodstock series that applied a high voltage from the charger and required the battery to be present and connected in order to provide a load and drop the voltage. That's why the Woodstocks have so many problems with fried ACT chips - people plug them in and fire them up with the battery pack removed and blam!

Of course, as machines like the 65 get rarer and rarer, I'm of the opinion that any owner should do whatever makes them feel comfortable about keeping the units safe. Also, I'm going on memory here - my 65 was stolen in 1978 - so anyone with more recent experience with the Classics is welcome to step in and correct me.