DIAD 4 Batteries

[brownracer]

Some good news--
A new software change was installed last week that increases the DIAD4 battery power by 20%. Also, remember that the keypad backlight keys (the light green lights around the keys) have been turned off to save additional battery power. But you can turn them back on and off by pressing the Alpha key twice and then the Cycle key twice.

[scratch]

We had this upgrade a couple of months ago, I had assumed it was nationwide. The one part of that upgrade I use a lot is the "Find BC" feature. You enter the stop, then any four digits of the barcode if it won't scan. My DIAD 3 Helper board has a scratch on the scanner cover and doesn't scan worth a flip. It slows me down, I'm glad I don't have to use that Shift Key and enter all eighteen characters.

[mattwtrs]

I had the opportunity to show my helper how to use the find barcode feature. She thought it was great! Too bad I did not think of it till it took her 5 minutes to DR a 3 pkg stop.

[big_arrow_up]

Leaving the backlight turned off really works. It saves allot of battery life. I turned mine on right after I got EDD one morning and didn't think about it again until about 6:15 when I started getting the message that says the battery has less than 20% of its charge left. The next day (same route, same DIAD, roughly the same stops) I waited until it started getting dark and there was plenty of juice left. More than 50% actually.

Another trick I discovered is that if you leave a package at a house and forget to scan it (I did it a couple times when we first got EDD) but don't realize it until you are driving away you can just hit "details" and look at the last four of the tracking number and then use the Find Barcode feature to driver release it.

[brownracer]

Well you are all partially right. The upgrade for turning off the backlight and finding the barcode was last month.

The latest upgrade was completed last week. This is the one that allows the D4 battery to charge longer. Between the two power saving changes there should be significant help this peak.

[looper804]

I find that if it isn't a multiple delivery stop the find barcode search won't work.I have tried it at single package deliveries stops when the PAS label is over the barcode (how many times a day do we see this) and I can't scan it.

[Jack4343]

Originally Posted by brownracer

Well you are all partially right. The upgrade for turning off the backlight and finding the barcode was last month.

The latest upgrade was completed last week. This is the one that allows the D4 battery to charge longer. Between the two power saving changes there should be significant help this peak.

I noticed that! No one mentioned this to me in my center but my battery has been having almost 1/2 battery left at the end of my route starting this week. Usually, it's almost out and has died on my a few times on the route. I figured they replaced the battery in my DIAD since I had trouble with it. I'm glad they did the upgrade. With peak coming, I was planning on taking 2 DIAD's out daily to complete my route. Of course, I'll have two anyway since one of them will be a helper board. I hope I get a good one! I'm crossing my fingers and toes!

[Johney]

Originally Posted by looper804

I find that if it isn't a multiple delivery stop the find barcode search won't work.I have tried it at single package deliveries stops when the PAS label is over the barcode (how many times a day do we see this) and I can't scan it.

You have to be in the correct address screen or pkg screen for it to work, not the EDD screen. If that make's any sense. Also I always put in the last 4 numbers to get the right pkg I'm looking for.

[govols019]

Originally Posted by looper804

I find that if it isn't a multiple delivery stop the find barcode search won't work.I have tried it at single package deliveries stops when the PAS label is over the barcode (how many times a day do we see this) and I can't scan it.

If it's a single package delivery then you just select the stop from EDD first and then you can use the FIND BC function.

Friday my DIAD quit scanning around 1:30PM. Having the FIND BC feature was a life saver. Typing in the DR notice barcodes in the dark sucked though.

[big_arrow_up]

Originally Posted by Johney

You have to be in the correct address screen or pkg screen for it to work, not the EDD screen. If that make's any sense. Also I always put in the last 4 numbers to get the right pkg I'm looking for.

And when that doesn't work you have to go back to EDD and go back into that stop again. Sometimes it takes two attempts. Goofy but true.

[looper804]

Originally Posted by Johney

You have to be in the correct address screen or pkg screen for it to work, not the EDD screen. If that make's any sense. Also I always put in the last 4 numbers to get the right pkg I'm looking for.

Thanks,tried it today and it worked fine.

[2Slow]

Originally Posted by Johney

You have to be in the correct address screen or pkg screen for it to work, not the EDD screen. If that make's any sense. Also I always put in the last 4 numbers to get the right pkg I'm looking for.

FYI; While the last 4 numbers of the barcode make sense, it only 'has' to be any 4 in a row except for the '1Z'.

[DiadDude]

Back to the original topic;

Is the additional battery life change working for you?

What kind of results are you seeing?

How many bars did you normally return to the center with, and how many do you have now?

[browned out]

Originally Posted by DiadDude

Back to the original topic;

Is the additional battery life change working for you?

What kind of results are you seeing?

How many bars did you normally return to the center with, and how many do you have now?

Yeah it is much better now. Returning after 180 stops and 11 hours with at least 60% instead of 20% or dead DIAD.

I still can't believe that these were not tested and engineered properly to begin with. They were not designed to deal with extreme heat or cold. What did they think... we deliver in a 68 degree farenheit environment year round?