Vision Program

The Braille 'n Speak Classic, some 640 models and the Type 'n Speak use
a relatively small nine volt charger/power supply. Braille 'n Speak Scholars and 2000s use a 12 volt charger as do Braille Lites.

If you have a 640 and are not sure which kind of charger to use, look at the serial number on the bottom of the case. If it begins with a
"5-" it takes a 12 volt (larger) charger. Otherwise, the smaller nine volt charger is the one to use.

Those units that use the small charger require eight to ten hours of charging time. The units that use the 12 volt charger can be charged in three to four hours.

Within the Braille 'n Speak, there is a battery use timer. When the battery has been charged, the timer should be set to zero. Then, each time the unit is turned on, the timer keeps track of the amount of time
power is being used. When you decide it is time to recharge a battery, it is possible to check the timer to find out how much operating time you experienced on that charge.

To access the battery timer, first, enter the status menu by pressing dots 3-4-chord. Then, press the "th" sign, dots 1-4-5-6, not a chord. You will hear "Battery Used xxx hours xxx minutes". If you press the space key, you will be asked "Reset Battery Timer y/n" (or something like that). Answer by pressing y and you will have set the timer to zero. Exit the status menu with e-chord dots 1-5-space.

If the Braille 'n Speak is used for printing, more power will be taken from the battery than if it is not connected to other devices.

Some Braille 'n Speaks have a "gas gauge" that supposedly tells you how much battery life remains "in the tank". Actually, it is about as accurate as the gas gauge on a '57 Chevy, but some people take it very seriously. When their unit shows ten percent they start charging. I would not do this. I would prefer to let the thing run down until you get a battery low indication. Ignore, but note it, the first time. When the warning comes fairly frequently, say every thirty seconds or so, then it is time to charge.

For top maintenance, it is good from time to time to let the battery run all the way down. That is, leave it turned on. Possible have it
read the help file or some other ling file over and over. When it has died, charge it up fully. This "exercises" the battery and it may help
prolong battery use.

After repeated chargings the amount of life per charging will fall off. There is no precise measure and the way a battery is used will
influence this, but you should get several hundred charge/discharge cycles on a battery.