🚀 go-pugleaf

> Excerpts from netnews.comp.sys.zenith: 26-Mar-91 Re: Questions on
> Zenith-183.. Ron McCarty@psuvm.psu.ed (1512)

> I don't understand. My 183-92s batteries have been dead for almost a
> year now but it hasn't prevented me from using the machine. I simply
>  removed the battery pack and use it exclusively on ac with the
> powerpack. I have had no problems doing this.

Thats strange.  I wonder if we have different editions.  My system has a
diode network that prevents me from doing this.  It looks like this: 
(This is a little simplified, there are other components, but this is
the basic problem.)

                  To low-power warning and auto-system shutoff.
                      ||
                      ||                 
battery positive -----++-------Diode-- To rest of system power supply.


Basically, this diode prevent me from doing just that -- running solely
off AC.  And because of the way the charger circuit works, the battery
gets trashed really easily.  My basic question is how to get around the
problem without destroying the computer.  Is it possible to hook up a
external battery or DC power supply without connecting up the charger
circuit AND without destroying/damaging the computer?  I know that the
zenith battery-pack contains several solid-state devices.  Does anyone
know what they do?  I am assuming that they are either part of the
charging circuit, or some sort of overload device.  (I'm guessing.)

Does anyone out there know how to do this (hook up a home-made external
DC power system (ie either a battery or a DC power supply) to the
computer's battery connections) SAFELY?  Does anyone have any clues as
to how this system works?  Or should I just try it and hope/pray for the
best?

		Thanks,
			-David Apfelbaum.


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David Apfelbaum              Student (mostly Math/CS) at Carnegie Mellon.
5266 Beeler St.              INTERNET, BITNET, etc: da0g+@andrew.cmu.edu
Pittsburgh PA 15217                      Alternate: da0g%andrew@CMCCVB
(412) 683-7216               UUCP:   ...!harvard!andrew.cmu.edu!da0g
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