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General Rechargeable Battery Guidelines

Contents:

Storage
Care and Handling
Disposal
Battery Chemistry Guidelines
	NiCd (Nickel Cadmium)
	NiMH (Nickel Metal Hydride)
	Li-Ion (Lithium-Ion)
	Lead Acid (Starved Electrolyte, Gel Cell)

The following general guidelines have been designed to help you get the most out of your battery purchase.

Storage:

Attention must be paid to the charge-state of the battery. Essentially all rechargeable battery cells gradually discharge over time, whether they are used or not. This capacity loss is typically due to slow, natural reactions occurring within the cell. As such, the loss rate (self-discharge rate) is a function of the cell chemistry and the environmental temperatures experienced by the cell. Due to the temperature sensitivity of cells, relatively small differences in the storage temperature may result in large differences in the self-discharging rate.

Use of good inventory practices should be used (first in, first out) to reduce the amount of time that the battery spends in storage. Storage in a clean, dry, protected environment is strongly recommended to minimize physical damage to the battery.

Extended storage with a load connected not only speeds the discharge process, but may also cause chemical changes after the cell is discharged, which may be difficult or impossible to reverse.

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Care and Handling:

Care should be taken to prevent your batteries from being dropped. Although some manufacturers have designed strong ABS casings to help protect the cells from shock, a good fall onto a hard surface can damage the cells and shorten the battery life.

Battery contact terminals should be cleaned periodically to ensure continued reliable operation. Dirty terminals may cause the battery to lose contact with the charger or device that you are trying to power. Clean the terminals with a pencil eraser or lightly scrape the surface with a blunt instrument to help reduce residue build-up.

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Disposal:

In general, as a minimum, observe the following precautions:

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Battery Chemistry Guidelines:

NiCd (Nickel Cadmium) Battery Guidelines

reference source: Anton Bauer "Video Battery Handbook"

Keep cool or at room temperature - Elevated temperatures are the primary reason for premature failure.

1. Charging: Charge battery at room temperature. In warmer climates keep chargers in air-conditioned rooms that are maintained between 65°F to 80°F for best performance.
2. On Assignment: Do not leave battery in a hot vehicle or in direct sunlight.
3. Storage: If battery is not going to be used for several months, it should be fully discharged, sealed in a plastic bag and stored in a refrigerator or freezer.

Keep battery on the charger until just prior to being used.

Return battery to the charger as soon as possible after use, preferably within 48 hours.

Do not over-discharge the battery. The battery should be discharged until a low voltage warning is observed in the camcorder or VTR.

1. Never leave a battery-operated device unattended while it is running.
2. Particular caution should be taken if the battery is powering a portable light. At the very first sign of the light dimming or turning orange, the power should be turned off and the battery recharged.

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NiMH (Nickel Metal Hydride) Battery Guidelines:

reference source: Anton Bauer "Video Battery Handbook

Keep cool or at room temperature - Elevated temperatures are the primary reason for premature failure.

1. Charging: Charge battery at room temperature. In warmer climates keep chargers in air-conditioned rooms that are maintained between 65°F to 80°F for best performance.
2. On Assignment: Do not leave battery in a hot vehicle or in direct sunlight.
3. Storage: If battery is not going to be used for several months, it should be fully discharged, sealed in a plastic bag and stored in a refrigerator or freezer.

Keep battery on the charger until just prior to being used.

Return battery to the charger as soon as possible after use, preferably within 24 hours.

Do not over-discharge the battery. The battery should be discharged until a low voltage warning is observed in the camcorder or VTR.

Never leave a battery-operated device unattended while it is running.

Particular caution should be taken if the battery is powering a portable light. At the very first sign of the light dimming or turning orange, the power should be turned off and the battery recharged.

Do not leave a battery attached to a camcorder during transit or storage. "Keep warm" circuitry in the camera can over-discharge the battery.

Routine use of a battery at discharge rates greater than the batteries rating can reduce the overall life of the battery. Always select the proper battery rating for your application. (e.g. if the device has a 50W power consumption, the battery should have a rating greater than 50W).

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Li-Ion (Lithium-Ion) Battery Guidelines:

reference source: IDX

Top off or fully re-charge within 3-4 weeks of use.

Storage:

1. Short term storage: Store fully charged.
2. Long term storage: Charge to 20-40% of capacity approximately every three months.
   

Li-Ion offers a very low self-discharge rate. Ideal for long term storage.

No need to discharge to balance cells, ok to top off at any time.

On Assignment: Do not leave battery in a hot vehicle or in direct sunlight.

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Lead Acid (Starved Electrolyte, Gel Cell) Battery Guidelines:

reference source: Bescor

A long cycle life can be achieved when the battery is consistently fully discharged after each use.

Store the battery in a fully charged state.

Store in a cool, dry place, generally 0 to 30°C.

Recharge as soon as possible (within 24 hours). Discharged batteries that are left uncharged for more than 24 hours can become damaged, resulting in a loss of capacity.

Constant over-charging or under-charging can damage the battery and shorten the battery life. An automatic charger is highly recommended for applications that require unsupervised charging. An internal protection circuit can be found in automatic chargers. These circuits stop the charger at a pre-determined voltage, and prevent it from charging the battery any further.

Partially discharged batteries do not need to be recharged immediately, unless the battery will be stored for an extended period of time.

After six months, a fully charged battery should be "topped-off" to maintain a full charge.

If used with a light, remove the battery as soon as the light starts to dim. Failure to do so will significantly shorten the batteries potential capacity.

Lead Acid does not experience any memory effects.

 

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