- Tips for using Ni-MH's
1.Buy two sets of Ni-MH's - (ie 4 AAA cells) so that you can have
one set in use and one set ready to go!
2.Form pairs and keep them together - It seems to work best to
pair off the Ni-MH's when you first get them, and then don't mix
them up. When you first get them, test their strength with a battery
tester before charging them. Group cells that have about the same
amount of power before the first charge. Label them with a marker
to keep the sets together. Appearantly, if one Ni-MH is stronger
than the other, they sort of trade power when using or charging
them, which can decrease their useful life.
3.Keep in mind - The AAA Ni-MH batteries are rated at 1.2 volts
while Alkalines are rated at 1.5. Don't worry, the Pilot works
with voltage all the way down to 2.0 volts so a fully-charged
pair of Ni-MH's will run the Pilot for quite a while, but you will
never see the battery gauge at 100% (3.0 volts).
Warning: Becareful not to let the Ni-MH's run down too low. The
Ni-MH batteries seem to give out very quickly when they get down
to about 2.3 volts on the Pilot, sometimes before the warning
dialog box appears ! Replace them we the voltage gets down to
the 2.3 - 2.4 range.
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- Can I upgrade my device's battery to a newer chemistry?
Ni-Cd, Ni-MH and Li-ion are all fundamentally different from one
another and cannot be substituted unless the device has been pre-configured
from the factory to accept more than one type of rechargeable battery.
The difference between them stems from the fact that each type requires
a different charging pattern to be properly recharged. Therefore,
the portable device's charger must be properly configured to handle
a given type of rechargeable battery.
Please refer to your owner's manual to find out which rechargeable
battery types your particular device supports, or simply use our
search engine to find your device. It will automatically list
all of the battery types particular device supports.
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- How long will the new battery power
my laptop?
That is difficult to determine. Actual Laptop
battery running time depends upon the power demands made by
the equipment. The use of the monitor, the hard drive and other
accessories results in an additional drain upon the battery, effectively
reducing its running time. The total running time of the battery
is also dependent upon the design of the equipment. Generally, a
new battery will run at least as long (and usually- longer) as your
old battery did when it was new.
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- How can I maximize battery performance?
- There are several steps you can take to insure that you get maximum
performance from your battery:
- Breaking In New Batteries - new batteries come in a discharged
condition and must be fully charged before use. It is recommended
that you fully charge and discharge your new battery two to four
times to allow it to reach its maximum rated capacity.
- Preventing the Memory Effect - Keep your battery healthy by
fully charging and then fully discharging it at least once every
two to three weeks. Exceptions to the rule are Li-Ion batteries
which do not suffer from the Memory Effect.
- Keep Your Batteries Clean - It's a good idea to clean dirty
battery contacts with a cotton swab and alcohol. This helps maintain
a good connection between the battery and your portable device.
- Exercise Your Battery - Do not leave your battery dormant for
long periods of time. We recommend using the battery at least
once every two to three weeks. If a battery has not been used
for a long period of time, perform the new battery break in procedure
described above.
- Battery Storage - If you don't plan on using the battery for
a month or more, we recommend storing it in a clean, dry, cool
place away from heat and metal objects. Ni-Cd, Ni-MH and Li-Ion
batteries will self-discharge during storage; remember to break
them in before use.
- For Notebook Users - To get maximum performance from your battery,
fully optimize the notebook's power management features prior
to use. Power management is a trade off: better power conservation
in exchange for lesser computer performance. The power management
system conserves battery power by setting the processor to run
at a slower speed, dimming the screen, spinning down the hard
drive when it's not in use and causing the machine to go into
sleep mode when inactive. Your notebook user's guide will provide
information relating to specific power management features.
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- How to make my digital camera batteries
last longer?
1) Turn off your digital camera when not in use. If you are in a
situation where you must snap pictures quickly, this may not apply
as turning digital cameras on and off take a few seconds, and may
cause you to miss a picture-taking opportunity. However, if you
are taking a leisurely stroll and can afford a couple of seconds
before snapping a still subject, by all means, conserve your digital
camera's energy!
2) Many digital cameras have a regular viewfinder and an LCD
viewfinder. While the digital LCD viewfinder has its benefits,
it can drain battery power. Turn it off when applicable and use
your regular viewfinder for taking pictures.
3) Don't stop after taking every photo and look at the picture
in your digital camera's playback mode. Granted, you sometimes
need to look at photos immediately after shooting them in order
to make sure your exposure is correct, the lighting is ok, etc.,
but doing this does use up your digital camera's battery power.
4) If you are using MicroDrive media, be forewarned that these
miniature hard drives may take up quite more power than Compact
Flash cards.
Use these tips and you'll save some digital camera battery power
for when you want to take that perfect picture. But, of course,
the best tip to make sure that you don't run out of power is .
. . take some extra charged batteries with you on trips!
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- Quick battery care tips- battery
Do's & Battery don'ts
Battery do's:
- Fully charge/discharge battery up to 4 cycles before achieving
full capacity of a new battery.
- Fully discharge and then fully charge the battery every two to
three weeks for battery conditions.
- Run the device under the battery's power until it shuts down or
until you get a low battery warning. Then recharge the battery as
instructed in the user's manual.
Remove from the device and stored in a cool, dry, clean place if
the battery will not be in use for a month or longer.
- Recharge the battery after a storage period.
- Ensure maximum performance of the battery by optimizing the device's
power management features. Refer to the manual for further instructions.
Battery don'ts:
- Do not short-circuit. A short-circuit may cause severe damage
to the battery.
- Do not drop, hit or otherwise abuse the battery as this may
result in the exposure of the cell contents, which are corrosive.
- Do not expose the battery to moisture or rain.Keep battery away
from fite or other sources of extreme heat.
- Do not incinerate. Exposure of battery to extreme heat may result
in an explosion.
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- Never get batteries wet
Water can corrode batteries, damaging them and possibly your digital
camera.
If it is raining, or if you are near an area of running water such
as a waterfall, be extremely careful when changing out your digital
camera battery or batteries. Get a safe distance away from the water
or water vapor before you do so. Water can corrode your battery
or batteries, possibly causing leakage, and this can damage your
digital camera as well if you insert the wet batteries.
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