Posts: 130
Threads: 36
Joined: Jan 1970
Well Trent,
The way the woodstocks were designed, the battery pack acts as the voltage regulator for the charging circuit, imposing sufficient load to bring the voltage output of the internal rectifier down to about 2.5 to 3VDC. The kicker is that the no load (i.e., battery removed) output of the rectifier is in the area of 16VDC, which can damage the calculator circuitry. If your battery pack develops a bad contact, or has a bad (open) cell, or loses continuity in any other way while your calc is connected to the AC adapter, you now have a no load situation, and 16VDC is being applied to the calculator, which will almost certainly damage it. In my humble opinion, betting that your battery pack is always going to have good contact is not worth the risk. That's why I charge externally.
Best regards, Hal