There is apparently no difference between the old PA and the charger always used with the new model. Both charge, neither runs (true) PA.
You're memory is off some, the old model does not charge and heat at the same time. Ever. The voltage determines if it runs PA (if between 6.9 and 9.0 Volts) or charges (if between 10.1 and 15 Volts). If it's say 9.5 Volts you get the 'light show' (random flashing of lights) with neither PA nor charging going on.
A way of looking at it is the old one could never charge (high voltage) and run (PA mode, lower voltage) and that charging locked out heating. The new one has no PA mode (really), will
run if the battery is charged enough (the old one will run without a battery at all) no matter what the input voltage is and will charge if the voltage is high enough (over 8 Volts?) no matter if it heating or not. The new one works like a cell phone for the most part? The old one had to modes (PA and battery), the new one only one (on battery, but could be charging or not).
I think you're right, you need sufficient charge on the battery to heat, plugged in or not. Anyone find it different?
You might rethink that charging scheme. Discharging down to zero LEDs (even running only
one more session after the last LED is dark) probably doesn't hurt the battery a significant amount (there are still several sessions before lock out), however routinely charging to 'full' definitely does. Simply storing such batteries fully charged will degrade them seriously in a year or so (just sitting, not being used at all) which is why they come shipped to you 'half charged'. If you simply stop the charging after the top LED lights but before the charge cycle stops (meaning you can't leave it plugged in 'all the time so it's ready to go') you can easily double the service life of the battery, even more. Used 'normally' you can expect about 300 "cycles" (recharges) from the battery (no matter how much you discharge it between provided you don't deeply discharge). If you stop at 4.1 Volts per battery rather than the 4.2 the Solo stops at that cycle number is 600. This is basically 90% capacity, one less session per charge? Drop that to 4.0 (about the point the last LED lights) and you double that again, 1200 cycles (each with 2 less potential sessions). Right now you're 'throwing away' the lower sessions in each charge cycle. You'll get many less sessions before wearing the battery out.
The more hours they spend above 4 Volts the faster the battery dies from that alone.
Check out the stuff around Chart 4:
http://batteryuniversity.com/learn/article/how_to_prolong_lithium_based_batteries
It's not like topping up your car's gas tank. It's more like 'you only get to unlock the gas cap (and fill the car) XXX times before the cap won't come off'. If you run each tankfull down more the car goes more miles before it's useless. More so, if you don't fill up the last 1/5 of the tank, the cap unlocks a much larger number of times?
I think the flashing charge light while heating has nothing to do with the heating, the light would flash (because it's charging) no matter? I think this may be "masked" if the battery is nearly full, new owners would be freaking out with 'my unit was fully charged, I ran it in PA mode and now it's charging again....'?
I think we all know cell phones or laptops that are kept 'always plugged in and fully charged ready to go' that now have pathetic battery life? That, I think, will also happen to the Solo in the new scheme. Until we know more, I can't recommend leaving them plugged in and I've never recommended fully charging if you can help it (which will automatically happen if you leave it plugged in too long....).
However, even if abused in the worst way by charging Solo is still an outstanding performer. The battery will die eventually if you use it enough. Batteries are cheap, relatively, enjoy the Solo however you can?
OF
. Not heating up. Heat light is blinking but no heat.
