HC-2 and HC-2b revision 2.09 released

[G8B4Life]

Thanks Jacob. I had been particularly wondering how the HC would handle the charging of the new batteries as each of the new batteries could have had a significantly different charge right out of the packet. Looks like that might not a problem for the HC.

- Tim

[TwinStar]

I replaced the batteries in my second HC-2 today and removed 1500 mAh batteries. Now, I bought this unit second hand off a guy who had bought an estate sale. I THINK they're the original batteries but I cannot be certain. Same as before, this unit fired up and performed flawlessly with no lost data.

[G8B4Life]

That's a good outcome. Two for two. At 1500 mAH I'd hope those batteries were not the originals but ones the previous owner had put in, the run time would be shorter by a fair margin with that low capacity.

Now just to wait and see what Bill receives when he gets his gets back.

- Tim

[faithie999]

last winter I tried to fire up my HC-2b which had been sitting for months.  black screen, and it wouldn't take a charge.  I didn't search to find the toothpick-for-an-hour trick.  I opened up the HC, removed the batteries (sorry, I didn't note the MAH capacity) and put them into a NiMH charger for a couple of hours.  put them back in the HC and it fired right up.  now I make sure I charge it every now and then when it's not being used (like most of the summer while there is yard and garden work to do!)

[JRad]

I have a question on determining the software version currently installed in an HC-2b.

I have two HC-2b-SUN controllers. One belongs to a friend who loaned it to me for evaluation of RP and a second that I recently purchased.

The older unit (my friend's) under Adjust Settings listed the version as 2.09 BEFORE the update.  I went ahead and installed the latest 2.09 update and it loaded with no issue. Still reads as 2.09.

My unit, about a year newer, reads program version 2.21!!  Both units have the same Program numbers SW1045 on that screen to the left of the version number.

I'm hesitant to load 2.09 on my HC-2b.  Anyone have any idea what's going on here?

[nodcc4me]

Version 2.21 is not listed in RPA. I wonder if you got a beta version? I would call Tim Ring. He should have an answer.

[G8B4Life]

That's definitely odd. We've never had that one here before. Al may be correct that somehow you got a HC with a beta version of the software on it. A call or email to Ring Engineering should sort out if that's the case or not. In any event if it's not beta I don't know if it's possible to downgrade the software to a previous version anyway.

I'll be splitting this topic to it's own thread as some point.

- Tim

[JRad]

Thanks Tim & Al.

I emailed Tim Ring. I'll report back what I hear.

[JRad]

I received a very quick, if not very personable reply....

IMPORTANT: You only update a handheld if the online version is a higher number then the one you already have.
Please do not update your handheld that 2.21 until you see an online revision that is higher than 2.21.
The Rev 2.21 accommodates for different hardware in the handhelds revisions in the handhelds and no there is no significant functionality difference in an handheld with older hardware at 2.09 and a handheld with newer hardware one at 2.21.

Please do not update a handheld that has the same version as on the internet site.  There is no reason to update a handheld that has rev 2.09 with 2.09. 

So, I was correct that I am already ahead of the updates on my newer controller.  I assume the reason that my HC has such a high version number is that the 12 revisions allow for breathing room when updating older hardware.

[nodcc4me]

Good to know since we have never heard of that before. Thanks, JRad.

[William Brillinger]

More about replacing batteries can be found here: https://rpug.pdc.ca/index.php/topic,1445