Switching
off the back-light of the iPAQ PDA will considerably lower battery
consumption. Make a habit of having the back-light turned off, using it
only when
necessary.
Make sure that Bluetooth and WiFi are switched off when not in use.
The internal battery will drain faster when cold; try to warm your PDA
batteries (and also your laptop, Sat phone and digital camera batteries) on your
body before use. Or, when in the tent, place them in a Ziplock bag and
clip them onto a dry line next to the burning stove for about 20
minutes.
If you are on a long-lasting expedition with serious power restraints (e.g.
unsupported North Pole), bring with you a pencil (not a ballpoint pen)
and paper (lightweight) to write down and plan your
dispatch before entering it into your PDA.
The Iridium battery performs poorly in very cold conditions. Build your
own alternative battery pack or use the Human Edge Tech external battery
pack. Make sure you have good satellite connection when sending
dispatches. Bad reception will add to transfer time and require more power
to go through.
If you use a laptop with Windows, open "power management" and check the
"portable/laptop" power scheme. In addition, go under settings to "display options" and choose screen-save
"blank screen".
Consult the laptop's manual for more power saving tips.
