NewRPL announciator question

[Claudio L.]

Let me explain:

newRPL has 2 thresholds for battery level:

a) The first level is intended to be a long warning, you know your batteries are getting low but there's no need for you to run and change them yet. This is when the indicator is constant, either all the time or just when the high clock kicks in (at the beginning you'll see it pop up whenever you do an extended calculation that takes more than a couple of seconds and the 192 MHz mode kicks in, later you'll see it all the time, even in idle mode).
b) The critical level is when the indicator is blinking. Once it's blinking you know you have critically low voltage and batteries need to be replaced.

Ant that's it. newRPL does NOT turn itself off like the normal operating system. It will try to run until the battery dies completely (that's also why you are thinking the warnings come out too early)

Why 2 levels? Because it depends on how you use the calculator and how good or bad your batteries are (and the type, alkalines are 1.5V, while NiMH are only 1.2V). When you run programs that do "heavy" calculations that make the high clock kick in, some battery brands will drop the voltage too much and the CPU may crash. That's when the "critical" warning is blinking.

So, when the indicator is constant you have low voltage but still OK to keep the batteries. When you tax the CPU you might see it start blinking temporarily and back to steady on when it's idle. You should replace your batteries if you need to keep using the high clock.
When the indicator is blinking in idle, it's very late in the game, don't try to run in high clock unless you have very good brand batteries (for example, NiMH high-demand batteries can deliver high currents with little voltage drop, even when they are close to depleted and you'll likely be OK, but a non-brand standard alkaline might crash the CPU if you push it).

Summarizing:
If the indicator blinks in idle = replace me now, better safe than sorry.
Solid indicator in idle = keep a set of batteries handy, especially if you need to push the calculator to its limits. If it turns to blinking while the calc is being taxed... go ahead and replace, or stop making it work too hard if you want to keep the batteries.

I use NiMH and because of the low voltage the steady indicator comes in early, but I know these are rock solid and can deliver a punch without dropping the voltage too much, so I pretty much ignore the solid one. However, when the voltage drops and it starts blinking, I need to replace the same day because this type of batteries hold the voltage very well, then they drop dead quickly with little warning.
Regular alkalines have higher voltage, but also drop the voltage much more when pushed, so when you see the steady warning on idle you need to keep an eye when you tax it to see if it doesn't start blinking. If it blinks in high load, it's time to replace them, if you wait for blinking in idle you risk crashing the CPU under high load (some brands might still work well though, your mileage might vary).
If you want to squeeze the last bit of your batteries, then buy always the same brand and type, and run some tests to see how long it lasts when it's blinking, and whether you can run the CPU in high clock when blinking or if it makes it crash. Know your battery to know your limits.