Hey folks, I've got about 400 Apple iPods that I need to refurbish, and a significant part of that process is checking their battery health. Previously, my method was simple: I loaded around 100 songs onto each iPod, turned on the display, and let them play throughout the day until they died. I recorded the start and shutdown times, and if an iPod lasted 5-6 hours or more, I'd keep the battery as is; if it died sooner, I'd replace it. However, now that I've started a full-time job, I can't dedicate 6+ hours during the week to monitor them. I can only work on this over the weekend. I'm looking for ways to optimize or automate this battery testing process. Are there any tools or methods I might be missing? Thanks!
5 Answers
If your main goal is battery measurement, try testing a known good battery's drain over a week on standby. This might not be as thorough as your usual test, but it skips the music loading and saves you time!
Another option could be to just line them up on the floor, numbered, and have a low-resolution camera overhead capturing the playback. It may not be the most practical, but it could work!
One simple approach is to set up a video recording while they play. This way, you can just fast-forward to the 6-hour mark later and see which screens are off without having to watch them all day. For a more high-tech solution, you could use photodiodes with a microcontroller to monitor battery output.
Totally! You could run a batch every day and be super organized by barcoding each iPod. Just track the results in a database!
If you're getting more comfortable opening them up, you could automate some tests by connecting the batteries to an automated battery tester. It would take just a few minutes to set up and then run unattended.
I’m not there yet, though; I prefer avoiding opening them unless necessary. There’s a 50/50 chance for battery health and I’d like to keep them intact!
It might help to know which iPod models you're working with. Some have a diagnostic mode that could simplify testing. For instance, the iPod Video and Classics can access it, which might give you a clearer insight into battery health without extensive testing.
Yeah, those models definitely have that mode. Really worth checking out!
That’s a clever idea, but keep in mind that loading music onto them takes a bit of time too. Still, it sounds way better than my current method!