Rondo 3 battery life POLL

[Andrew42]

2 hours ago, Mary Beth said:

@Lauren

Rondo 3 seems much more sensitive to its position on the charging pad than Rondo 2.  Quite a few people are reporting charging issues with Rondo 3.  Some people are purchasing and using the USB charger plug at night instead of the charging pad.  (In some countries that USB charging plug comes in the kit and in other countries it does not.)

Our local rep recommends USB charging as being quicker. I know I’ve had one instance of my Rondo getting off centre on the pad and not charging. Since then I’ve been very careful and not had further charging issues. 

[Mary Beth]

@Jason77

Let us know what your battery life with Rondo 3 is like

[Jason77]

2 hours ago, Mary Beth said:

@Jason77

Let us know what your battery life with Rondo 3 is like

I will. Not sure if battery life will change as my maps change. I’m only a week into this adventure with the sonnet 2.

[Mary Beth]

@Jason77

I have read posts from people who state that MAPs do not impact battery life on Med-El processors but I know that when I was activated with OPUS2 and using dacapo rechargeable batteries, my activation MAPs got much longer battery life than my subsequent stable MAPs.

[Lauren]

Interesting. Just home from work and doing the normal switch to the Rondo and have this as my battery life:

 

Editing to add remaining battery after about 5 hours of streaming:

[Mary Beth]

@Lauren

yes the battery life indicator is for normal Rondo 3 use without the AudioLink streaming.  Thanks for posting your real life battery results.

[Andrew42]

@Mary Beth. Went to Bern today and am back with my original Rondo 3 processor and a new Audiolink. I also learned that the second processor, unlike the original one I was given, was an earlier model of the Rondo 3 and not the current specification.. I was offered the choice of going back to my original Rondo 3 where I had adequate battery performance or getting a brand new one with the same spec as my original. I have opted to go back to my original processor where the main issue was occasional electronic distortion and get a brand new Audiolink. We will see how that goes. it seems not a very scientific approach to me: more suck it and see: but anyway......

From the perspective of the Rondo 3 pole, I have had two very different experiences. Which do you suggest I use for the pole or would you prefer me to enter both? If the latter which seems more logical, I will wait a few days and confirm that I still have the battery life I was getting two weeks ago.

[Mary Beth]

@Andrew42

I believe the poll will only accept one value per person.  Maybe give it a few days and then enter your value.

[Andrew42]

I became curious about my Rondo 3 Battery performance and so, several weeks ago, I created a spreadhsheet and track the daily peformance of my processor. The key measurements are:

Turn On time

Audiolink app calculated battery life expectancy on turn on

Turn Off time

Audiolink app calculated battery life remaining on turn off

I charge the processor every night overnight.

Conclusions so far:

1. The system on a day to day basis is pretty inaccurate.

          The range over the current five weeks on turn on goes from a low of 15 hours to a high just over 19

2. The monthly average log on daily expectancy compared to the average actual daily performance is pretty close, so the daily measurement differentials seem to even out over time.

3. My average daily battery performance is ± 17 hours with Audiolink and Audio2Ear running.

 

 

 

[Mary Beth]

@Andrew42

+/-17 hours is high battery life for Rondo 3 from the reports I have seen so far.  You are fortunate.  What magnet strength do you use in your Rondo 3?  Lower magnet strengths tend to equate to longer battery life.

[Andrew42]

@Mary Beth. Currently I'm on magnet #2. A month after activation I was switched to a different processor that had truly bad daily performance, less than 14 hours on average. When I complained I found out that this second processor was an older iteration of Rondo 3 and not the the current specs and, worse, from my point of view, an earlier spec than my original. When I learned that I sort of lost my sense of humour and so was switched back to the current spec. which I was assured was the latest and greatest, but who knows. These statistics I quoted today are from my current processor. The average is OK for my lifestyle but I have to say that the daily performance is not consistent. I have had my processor run out of juice at about 15 hours and I have also had it running happily at 18 with still time in the tank. I am going to continue to compile the data as running the spreadhseet takes no effort at all. I just had to work out how to get Excel to convert the Med-El app's decimal numbers, (15.3)  to hours and minutes (15:18').

The ouput on the work sheet looks like this: I input only the numbers that are bold/italic. The rest is automatic. as are all the summary numbers that come from analysing the daily data.

March	Predicted					Calculated
Date	Total	On	Off	Elapsed	Remaining	Total	Delta
01/03/2022	18:19	08:05	21:40	13:35	03:21	16:56	-01:23

 

The columns aren' quite aligned correctly so you have:

Date    App predicted life 18:19   Time On 08:05   Time Off 21:40     Time between on and off,13.35     Remaining life per the app on switch off, 3:21 This generates a calualted daily performance 16:56 (=13:35+3:21) and finaly the delta -01:23 between the morning indication 18:19 and the final calculated total 16:56 

My daily task is to input the four bold italic numbers, all the rest is generated by the spreadsheet. There is a summary section, totally automated that gives me concise daily perfornance and monthly averages,

[Mary Beth]

@Andrew42

thanks for sharing your battery life data.  The reports of Rondo 3 battery life hours in user’s real lives is why I am not choosing Rondo 3.

I need long, reliable, consistent battery life over 5 years.  

[Jason77]

I have yet to actually kill the battery on my Rondo. Typically its on from 5:40 am until 10:30-11pm. I believe my magnet strength is 3. 

[Mary Beth]

@Jason77

That is terrific!  Do you have Rondo 2 or Rondo 3?

[Jason77]

9 hours ago, Mary Beth said:

@Jason77

That is terrific!  Do you have Rondo 2 or Rondo 3?

Rondo 3. These numbers are without streaming.

[Andrew42]

At the recent March Google Meet, @Mary Beth suggested I share some results from a study I am running on Rondo 3 battery performance. I am only six weeks into this analysis so I hesitate to say that I have firm conclusions. However certain things are starting to emerge.

A little background: I have a Rondo 3 processor with rechargeable batteries. I recharge the batteries each night using the Med-El supplied Aircharge pad. I am aware that charging the batteries is quicker using the provided USB cable. I do not know if that method changes the amount of charge the battery will hold.

On start up each morning I measure the anticipated battery life using Audiolink Direct. On shut down in the evening I measure the remaining battery life using the same method. I calculate the performance actually achieved, (difference between On and Off time) and the calculated performance using time that number and the remaining life as calculated using Audiolink Direct. Finally, I compare that last calculated number with the original anticipated life on upon switch on.

I run Audiokey 2 and Audio2Ear most of every day while the Rondo is switched on.

Preliminary findings:

The average daily battery life is about 17 hours.

The anticipated performance upon switch on in the morning is not very accurate.

The difference between the anticipated performance and the actual performance on a given day can vary quite wildly but measured over a month evens out.

Most interestingly and still needing to be confirmed: if I turn on the Rondo 3 in the morning, run it for about 10 minutes and then put it back on the charger until either the charging stops or for about 10 minutes the expected daily life increases by up to 10%. I do not have enough data at the moment to make any real judgement.

I will keep running this set of statistics and will update you in a month or so.

[Jimit]

I was using Rondo 3 since a month now and getting consistently 16+ hours of battery life except one day it started beeping due to low battery couple of hours before I go to bed. 

Yesterday I charged it from different socket than usual and it is now started beeping before 4 hours than usual. It could be the new socket but I have confirmed this morning it's fully charged so it's seems odd. Will charge it from same old socket and see if that makes any difference.

[Mary Beth]

@Jimit

If you have the cable that charges Rondo 3 (Rondo 3 to USB) try charging unit that way and see if you return to normal hours again.

[Jimit]

Hi @Mary Beth

No cable provided in the box. It needs to be purchased separately. Will buy if the wireless charger keeps downplaying. Thanks for the suggestion.

[Mary Beth]

@Jimit

Others have experienced the Rondo3 not charging correctly on the wireless charging pad.  It seems very sensitive to its position on the pad.  The same reports have not been posted about the Rondo2 and the charging pad as far as I know.

Seems like charging with the cable for Rondo 3 might be more consistent.  Let us know your experience.

[Jimit]

@Mary Beth

I switched back to old socket from last two days and the charge is now last 16+ hours like usual. I was able to drag the hours to 18+ yesterday it was still on when I went to bed at 2am in morning today. 😛 But yeah wireless charging seems less stable compare to the wired one for the obvious reasons. Anyways, I am happy I don't need to rush and order the cable now.  

 

[Andrew42]

Very interesting. I now have daily data on my Rondo 3 battery performance starting in the first week of February. Out of sheer laziness I use the charging pad. I measure the battery life expectancy when I first switch it on in the morning and I measure it at night when I switch it off. Both times I use the app on my iPhone. Recently the morning reading after a night on the charging pad is only between 16 and 17 hours. The actual calculated life when I switch it off is averaging close to 18 hours. However, over the course of 8 months the average for the morning is 17 hours 28 minutes and the calculated number at the end of the day is 17 hours 27 minutes- what a difference!!!

I agree with those who believe charging via USB and cable delivers longer expectancy. I intend to test this theory for the next few weeks. I am interested to learn whether charging by USB and cable actually delivers a longer day expectancy or whether it just affects what shows in the app in the morning.

[Lauren]

Never noticed this before but scrutinized the charging cable after my rondo died in the middle of the workday for the first time ever. When I plugged it into the charging cable upon getting home and later at bedtime, I noticed it turned itself on. I made sure it was off. Never noticed it before. 

I have a wireless Qi charging pad for my phone at work so just placed the rondo on it for a while and got a sufficient charge on it so I was ok for the remainder of the day. 

[Mary Beth]

@Lauren

That is probably because that charging cable can be plugged into a small power pack and we can still use the Rondo3 .  It’s a way to have back up power on the go with Rondo 3

[Lauren]

Ah, that makes sense and explains it. I guess I just never noticed before now. Ironically this happened after I ordered the battery pack. It was supposed to be delivered today but recent weather has delayed it til Saturday.