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F.A.Q & Tips

1. What is a battery?
Battery can be any device that stores energy for later use. The word battery is limited to an electrochemical device that converts chemical energy into electricity, by use of a galvanic cell. A galvanic cell is a fairly simple device consisting of two electrodes (an anode and a cathode) and an electrolyte solution. Batteries consist of one or more galvanic cells.
A battery is an electrical storage device. Batteries do not make electricity, they store it. As chemicals in the battery change, electrical energy is stored or released. In rechargeable batteries this process can be repeated many times. Batteries are not 100% efficient - some energy is lost as heat and chemical reactions when charging and discharging. If you use 1000 watts from a battery, it might take 1200 watts or more to fully recharge it. Slower charging and discharging rates are more efficient. A battery rated at 180 amp-hours over 6 hours might be rated at 220 AH at the 20-hour rate, and 260 AH at the 48-hour rate. Typical efficiency in a lead-acid battery is 85-95%, in alkaline and Ni-Cd battery it is about 65%.
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2. How do I identify my battery?
The first information to provide would be the make and model of the equipment that you require the battery for e.g. Toshiba Satellite Pro 400, or Compaq Presario 1283. There is also usually a label on the battery, and some of this information on the label will help our sales team to identify your battery quickly.

This information includes the voltage of the battery pack (note: this is not the same as the voltage on the power supply), the capacity of the battery pack and the chemical construction of the battery pack e.g. Li-ion, Ni-MH or Ni-Cd. This information can be used to ensure the information you have provided matches the information we have about your battery. Many battery packs also have part numbers on the label; this can sometimes be used to help identify the battery. We would suggest that it is best to have all this information written down or close to hand before you call our sales team. This will help us deal with your call in an efficient manner.(Return to Top)

3. What is the difference between Ni-Cd,Ni-MH,and Li-ion?
Li-ion (Lithium Ion). This is one of the newest cell types available. It is also the lightest battery type currently available on a commercial basis and can provide more power than the other main cell types. There are no known problems of memory effect with this battery type and it is the easiest battery type to care for. The downside of this battery is that it has the highest engineering costs and therefore the price is usually considerably higher than other cell types.

Ni-MH (Nickel Metal Hydride). This cell type is the most common cell type currently available for laptop computers, (although Li-ion is rapidly becoming the most popular) This battery type is relatively cheap to manufacture and therefore tends to be cheaper than Li-ion. This cell type is prone to ??memory effect? so it is important to take good care of your Ni-MH battery to ensure that you obtain the best runtimes.

Ni-Cd (Nickel Cadmium). This is one of the older cell types and is generally only found in older laptops. The main pro for this cell type is its ability to handle higher loads, and therefore is more commonly found in portable power tools or devices that need a lot of power to work efficiently. The main downside of this cell type is that it is notorious for suffering with memory effect so good care must be taken with this battery to ensure most effective use of battery.(Return to Top)

4. how long will the new main battery power the laptop?
Battery run-time on a laptop is difficult to determine. Actual battery running time depends upon the power demands made by the equipment. The use of the screen, the hard drive and other accessories results in an additional drain upon the battery, effectively reducing its running time. The total run-time of the battery is also dependent upon the design of the equipment. Generally, a new Hi-Capacity battery will run 30% to 50% longer than the old battery did when it was new.(Return to Top)

5. How to maximize and battery performance?
It is recommended to condition(fully charge and discharge) the new battery few times to allow it to reach its maximum rated capacity.

Condition the Ni-MH and Ni-CD battery at least once a month.It will reduce the memory effect.

Use the battery at least once a month even it is kept in a dry and cool storage.

Clean the metal connector(the contact to the notebook,usually in Colour of gold or silver)by alcohol or Electronics Cleaner Degreaser.It will maintain the good conductivity.which improves the power conduction from battery to Notebook.

Fully optimize the Power Management features the provides in system BIOS and Operating System will also impove the battery performance.Consult the user's manual to fully understand the useage of these features.(Return to Top)

6. How long do batteries last?
The life of a notebook battery is about 1.5 to 3 years operating under normal conditions.As the rechargeable battery begins to die,the user will notice a decline in the running time of the battery.(Return to Top)

7. How can batteries be connected?
Note: When interconnecting batteries (cells), they must be identical in voltage and amp rating!
Batteries may be connected in series. The positive terminal of the first battery is connected to the negative terminal of the second battery; the positive terminal of the second is connected to the negative of the third, and so on. The voltage of the assembled battery is the sum of the individual batteries. The batteries are connected: + to - to + to - to + to -, etc. The capacity of the battery is unchanged.
Batteries may also be connected in parallel. The positive terminal of the first battery is connected to the positive terminal of the second battery, the positive terminal of the second is connected to the positive of the third; the negative terminal of the first battery is connected to the negative terminal of the second battery, the negative terminal of the second is connected to the negative of the third and so on. The batteries are connected: + to + to + and - to - to -. In this configuration, the capacity is the sum of the individual batteries and voltage is unchanged.
For example, (5) 6V 10AH batteries connected in series produces a battery array that is 30 Volts and 10AH. Connecting the batteries in parallel produces a battery array that is 6 Volts and 50AH. Ordinary auto batteries are designed in the same fashion. Six 2-volt cells are arranged in series to produce a 12v battery. Many Ni-Cd batteries are arranged in the same way.(Return to Top)

8. The rating for battery
V(olts):The voltage of the new battery should always match the voltage of the original.
mAh:It standards for milli-Amp hours(1 mAh=0.001Ah),Hight amp-hour ratings means a longer run-time and will not cause incompatibilities.(Return to Top)

9. How do I charge my batteries ?
Our Ni-MH chargers are fully automatic. Plug your charger into an A/C (or D/C power source for the Powerex MH-C204F-DC) and place your batteries into the charger in matched pairs of two or four batteries to begin charging. Red lights indicate charging in progress. The lights will turn green when charging is complete and the charger will automatically switch to a trickle charge. The trickle charge will keep your batteries fully charged and ready for use. Refer to our charger manuals page for more detailed operating instructions for your model charger. (Return to Top)

10. What is the "Memory Effect"?
Ni-Cd batteries, and to a lesser extent Ni-MH batteries, suffer from what's called the "memory effect". What this means is that if a battery is repeatedly only partially discharged before recharging, the battery "forgets" that it has the capacity to further discharge all the way down. To illustrate: If you, on a regular basis, fully charge your battery and then use only 50% of its capacity before the next recharge, eventually the battery will become unaware of its extra 50% capacity which has remained unused. The battery will remain functional, but only at 50% of its original capacity. The way to avoid the dreaded "memory effect" is to fully cycle (fully charge and then fully discharge) the battery at least once every two to three weeks. Batteries can be discharged by unplugging the device's AC adapter and letting the device run on the battery until it ceases to function. This will insure your battery remains healthy.(Return to Top)

11. What is a battery cycle?
Cycle life is measured by the amount of times a battery may be charged and discharged. Every time a battery is charged and discharged, it uses one cycle. Cycle life is very important in battery applications such as laptop batteries and emergency light batteries. A Ni-Cd battery has a cycle life of 500-1000 or more cycles. (Return to Top)

12. Does it really help to store batteries in the refrigerator?
Yes, but only if they can be kept dry as well. The higher the temperature, the more the free flow of ions or self-discharge from the battery. Storing primary batteries (D's, C's, AA's, AAA's, 9 volt, etc.) in a cooler environment slows down this rate of discharge that all batteries experience even when not in use, hence a longer shelf life. However, if this is done, it is important that the batteries be kept as dry as possible by keeping them in an airtight container in the driest part of the refrigerator, the door for example. Long term exposure to moisture inside the refrigerator can cause internal corrosion to the battery. When removing batteries from the refrigerator, allow them to warm up to room temperature before using them in your device. (Return to Top)

13. Can I use my older Ni-Cd battery charger to charge my Ni-MH batteries?
No, you can use a newer Ni-MH charger to charge your old Ni-CD batteries but you should not try to charge Ni-MH batteries with a Ni-CD charger. Here's why: Ni-MH and Ni-CD batteries are chemically very similar and when both are fully charged the battery voltage will start to drop. The Ni-MH voltage drop is much more subtle and more difficult to detect. Ni-MH chargers usually have an over temperature sensor and shutoff to prevent overcharge as well as a more sensitive voltage drop detector where Ni-CD chargers usually only use the voltage drop to determine when to stop charging. If you charge Ni-MH batteries in a Ni-CD charger it will probably miss the voltage drop and keep right on charging causing the batteries to overheat. Overcharge and overheating Ni-MH batteries can damage them internally and reduce battery life.(Return to Top)

14. Where can I find more information on charging batteries for my notebook Computer, Digital Camera, Camcorder or others?
Try the following links for a more detailed batteries selection for Laptop,Digital Camera,Camcorder and Battery Chargers.
For a cheap notebook battery, try www.camcorder-battery.org/laptop-battery.htm
Buy cheap camcorder battery, try www.camcorder-battery.org
For the best digital camera battery, try www.camcorder-battery.org/CATALOG.HTM
For power tools battery, try www.camcorder-battery.org/Power-Tools-Batteries.htm

15. Extend your mobile phone's battery life

Tip 1: Features and settings


Nowadays phones have a tonne of functions and all of them drain battery power, so if you don't need something, switch it off. Some phones provide ways of saving energy by putting the phone in standby mode or turning off non-essential features when idle. You can usually make any changes to your phone's features via the 'Settings' or 'Tools' section in the menu. Almost every modern feature on a mobile phone puts a strain on the battery and while batteries are improving, they're still not good enough to support all the features available on modern mobile phones for long periods of time.
 
Turn off your Bluetooth when you're not using it
One of the most infamous battery-draining culprits is Bluetooth, which can be left on unintentionally. Bluetooth is a radio standard that can receive and transmit information, but to do this it consumes battery power. Unless you're using a Bluetooth headset, transferring files or sending information to someone, then you should turn it off and only use it when you need to.
 
 
Lower your screen's brightness
Another feature that you should keep an eye on is your screen's brightness. Some phones adjust the display's brightness automatically according to the ambient light, but most don't. The majority of mobile phone displays will be set to full brightness when you first switch them on and, unless you change it manually, they will stay on that setting.
 
You don't usually need full brightness to view the screen properly and setting it as low as possible will save plenty of energy. Some phones also have an option letting you adjust how long the backlight stays on for. It's best to keep the backlight on for as short an amount of time as possible, so turn it down to around 15 seconds, or less if possible.
 
 
Keep it plain and keep it quiet
Screensavers and moving wallpapers may look pretty but they use up battery power, so turn them off. A loud ring and the vibrate mode also use up a lot of power, so turn down the volume and turn off the vibrate mode if you don't need it.
 
Watch out for GPRS, 3G and Wi-Fi
Other features that drain power but aren't featured on every phone are 3G connectivity and Wi-Fi adaptors. You should be able to turn off a Wi-Fi adaptor and switch from 3G to GSM in the 'Connectivity' section of your mobile's menu. If you enjoy browsing the Web on a GPRS connection, make sure you set the GPRS connection to 'only when needed' so that it turns itself off when you stop using it.
 
Use your phone sparingly and turn it off when you don't need it
If you restrict your phone usage to text messaging or phone calls and turn it off when you don't need it, your battery will last much longer. It may be fun playing games or browsing the Web at the bus stop, but your battery will have run out by the time you get to work.
 

Tip 2: Signal strength
 
If your phone is constantly straining to find a network signal it will use more power than if it's not. When your phone is in an area with poor network coverage it will use more power to force a connection with the nearest mobile mast base station. Because of this, it's best not to leave your phone in areas of the office or house where the signal is poor. Also, when you make a call, try to make sure that you have three or more bars of signal on your phone.
 
If you're underground or in another area with no signal, turn your phone off. Turn it on again when you know you'll have a signal, or turn it on every now and then to check.
 
In summary:
 
• Make sure your phone has a good signal even when you're not using it
 
• If you need to make a call, try and find an area with as strong a signal as possible
 
• Turn your phone off if you're in an area with no signal for a long period of time
 
Tip 3: Understand your battery
 
Most mobile phone batteries these days are lithium-based rather than nickel-based. While nickel batteries had to be charged for over 10 hours before first use (to prime the battery), lithium batteries only need to be charged until the mobile phone says the battery is full.
 
Don't let the battery run flat too often and apply regular charges
Another advantage of using a lithium battery is that it doesn't suffer from 'memory' -- a charging issue that affects nickel batteries. If nickel batteries are charged randomly and aren't fully discharged regularly, then large crystals will form on the internal cell plates, which causes it to underperform.
 
A lithium battery can be charged whenever it needs it. Full discharges are not needed -- indeed, they are inadvisable. Instead, let the battery run down to around a third of its capacity and charge it on a regular basis rather than running the battery completely flat.
 
If your phone is not displaying the correct amount of energy left in your battery, then let it run completely flat and this should solve the problem.
 
Keep the battery cool and don't leave it in the sun
Lithium batteries come with built-in circuitry that protects them from overheating, so leaving a phone to charge overnight or over a couple of days won't damage it. However, if a lithium battery is over-charged for too long (eg a week) it will start to heat up. Overheating is a lithium battery's main enemy and could result in permanent damage to the battery. The battery can also get overheated if your mobile phone is left in the sun or near a radiator, so avoid doing this as well.
 
After about two years buy a new battery for your mobile phone
A lithium battery only lasts for around 300 to 500 charges, so if you have been using the same battery for more than a couple of years you may need a new battery. Buying a spare battery is not advisable unless you use it on a regular basis because lithium batteries deteriorate even when they're not being used.

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