Battery
Charging Information
Battery Types, Performance, and Charging Tips
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If you need battery care information or Mobile phone battery tips,
or want to learn how to improve battery performance, see below:
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Mobile Phone Battery Tips:
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Lithium-ion
Batteries
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It is
important to learn battery care information for Lithium-ion
batteries to enhance the performance and extend the useful life of
the battery. Because they are the newest technology batteries, they
offer several advantages over NiMH and NiCd batteries.
Lithium-ion batteries are preferred for their lighter weight and
higher performance. Lithium-ion batteries are typically 20-35%
lighter and will provide 10-20% better performance than a NiMH
battery of equivalent mAh rating. Lithium-ion batteries are
also unique in that they are not susceptible to the "memory
effect".
A new Lithium-ion battery will benefit from an initial
"conditioning" of the battery. For the first 3
charge cycles, fully charge the battery overnight and allow it to
fully discharge before recharging. Once conditioned,
Lithium-ion batteries will perform best when charged at a rate
somewhere between a conventional slow charge and a rapid charge.
When rapid charging, Lithium-ion batteries require a charger
designed to charge Lithium batteries. To achieve a true full
charge when rapid charging, the battery needs to be slow charged the
last 10-15% of its charge cycle. Most "intelligent"
desktop and Lithium-battery rapid chargers provide this capability.
A Lithium-ion battery may be damaged by extensive overcharging
(continuously on a charger for more than 24 hours).
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NiMH
batteries typically provide at least 30% more talk time than NiCd
batteries. While still susceptible to the "memory
effect," NiMH batteries are much less prone to this condition
than the older technology NiCd batteries. Proper conditioning
of a NiMH battery over it's lifetime will greatly reduce the
potential negative impacts of "memory effect." This
can be done by ensuring the battery is fully discharged before
recharging at least once in every 3-5 charge cycles.
It is very important to properly "condition" a new NiMH
battery. For the first 3 charge cycles, fully charge the
battery overnight (preferably on a conventional slow charger) and
allow it to fully discharge before recharging.
Over its lifetime, a NiMH battery will perform best if it is
regularly charged on a charger/conditioner type charger. A
NiMH battery may be damaged by extensive overcharging (continuously
on a charger for more than 24 hours). Back
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NiCd
batteries are the oldest technology batteries. While they
offer good performance, NiCd batteries are highly susceptible to the
"memory effect." Due to the overall superior
performance of Lithium-ion and NiMH batteries and the additional
negative environmental impact of NiCd battery disposal, .
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"Memory
Effect" is a condition of reduced battery performance (and
eventual failure) due to a battery only using those cells that are
fully discharged and charged on a regular basis. In other
words, if on a regular basis a NiCd or NiMH battery is only
partially discharged before being recharged, it " forgets"
that it has usable capacity to further discharge all the way down.
The result is degraded battery performance and shorter battery life
because the battery is using less than it's true full capacity.
Lithium-ion batteries do not develop the "memory effect".
NiMH batteries, while considerably better than their NiCd
counterparts, are prone to developing "memory effect."
However, proper care and conditioning over the life of a NiMH
battery will significantly reduce the potential negative impacts.
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Battery
Do's & Don'ts (to maximize performance)
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Do's:
Don'ts:
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