With so many batteries to choose from for so many different portable devices it is easy to understand how purchasing one could be overwhelming. At PartStore, you can buy your replacement battery with confidence, knowing that we have armed you with the knowledge you need to make the best purchase.
There are two main things you need to ask yourself before making your battery purchase for your portable device: what type of battery technology does your portable device run on and what is the milliamp rating for the battery you are looking to purchase.
There are three types of battery technologies: Nickel Cadmium (NiCad), Nickel Metal Huride (NiMH) and Lithium-ion ( Li-Ion). It is important to know which technology your portable device requires because they are not interchangeable.
NiCad batteries are known for their “memory affect”. If your portable device uses this type of battery, it is very important that you let the battery fully discharge (run low or completely out) before you charge the battery again. If you have this type of battery and you charge it when it is only half empty, the battery will “learn” this setting and think that this is the fullest capacity it can charge to. In essence, you are training the battery to believe that what is really half full is completely full. Doing this sentences you to using a battery with only 50% of the memory capacity until you purchase a new battery. Therefore, it is recommended that at least once every two weeks to three weeks you fully discharge and then fully charge this type of battery so it can “learn” the full memory capacity it actually has, giving you full usage of the battery’s storage power.
NiMH batteries are higher density batteries than NiCad batteries. This means that you will get a much longer run time without having to purchase a bulkier battery. These types of batteries do no suffer as harshly from the “memory affect”, therefore requiring less maintenance. Since they do not contain heavy metals, they are more environmentally friendly as well.
Li-Ion batteries produce the same energy as NiMH batteries but weigh about 35% less and you do not have to worry about the memory affect at all. They do not contain Cadmium or Mercury and are therefore more environmentally friendly than their earlier counterparts.
Milliamps are the battery’s rating that will indicate how long a battery will last before it needs to be charged. On the back of the battery you will see the abbreviation mAH. The higher the number that follows the mAH, the longer the battery should last. However the battery lasting power is also determined by the demands of the device that it is being used with. The more features your portable device offers, the more battery power it takes to run, causing you to charge the battery more often.
Once you buy your battery, you will need to charge it before it can be used because it will come fully discharged. Before your battery is completely ready to use, you will need to charge and discharge it about 4 times before you will be able to get the most capacity out of the usage. It is also recommended that NiCad and NiMH batteries be fully discharged and then charged up once every three weeks. This process is known as conditioning. This will train the battery to know just how much capacity it actually has and help to keep the life of battery lasting longer.
Most people do not realize that they should clean their batteries. This will enable the battery to connect more clearly with circuits in the portable device. Cleaning your battery is easy. Simply use a cotton swab and a small amount of rubbing alcohol.
Generally, a battery will last between 500-800 charges. This translates roughly to 1.5 – 3 years. Once a battery is no longer good and you have to replace it you will need to dispose of the old battery. Do not throw your portable device batteries in the garbage. They will need to be recycled. You can find out where the local facility in your area is by calling the Portable Rechargeable Battery Association at 1-800-822-8837 .
When you are not using the battery put the battery in a clean, dry place away from heat sources and metal objects.
If you need a battery for your desktop computer you will need to purchase either a CMOS or Resume battery.
CMOS batteries work by keeping the correct time/date and clock settings when the computer is turned off.
The Resume battery, also known as a bridge battery or RAM battery, turns on when you are replacing the main computer battery, so that you will not loose the RAM settings on the computer while making this needed replacement. This process is known as a “ hot swap”. The Resume battery is usually made with NiCad technology and lasts about two to three years.
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