Battery Mart News Archives

Introducing the Most Advanced and Reliable Battery Fuel Gauge

New product from PRO Charging Systems:
The most innovative and advanced battery fuel gauge today!

Delta Volt

  • Accurately displays battery pack state
  • Utilizes Advanced Firmware
  • Intelligently Detects Battery Pack Charge Status
  • TROUBLE FREE, Easy Installation – Connect It and Forget It!
  • Advanced Microprocessor Constantly Evaluates Battery Pack State
  • Thin Design, Durable, Water Resistant – Made in the USA and Built To Last
  • Available for 12 Volt, 24 Volt, 36 Volt, and 48 Volt battery systems

Suitable for many different applications:
Golf Carts, Hunting Buggies Electric Utility Vehicles, LSVs, Aerial Lifts, Lift Trucks, Scrubbers, Lawn Equipment, Emergency Vehicles, Boats and More…

The battery fuel gauge solves one of the most common complaints about battery status indicators currently on the market today. Most battery status indicators are not accurate and many are not reliable. Many employ old technologies. The new Pro Charging Systems Battery Fuel Gauge changes the paradigm. Think the old “Motorola Brick Phone” from the late 1980’s versus today’s I-Phone. The new Pro Charging System (PCS) battery fuel gauge measures the battery’s energy state with precision and accurately displays the information more like a traditional fuel gauge. The display is easy to read and understand. In addition, the installation of the product is quite simple. Since the system utilizes intuitive technology, it fits and adapts to a wide range of applications. Great pride is taken in the performance, quality and versatility of this product and it is backed by exceptional customer service.

Features of the Battery Fuel Gauge:

  • Twelve LED array shows level of battery pack depletion
  • LED array displays the level of charging for the battery pack
  • Low Battery Voltage LED Indicator – Red indicator flashes warning and stays on when charging is required
  • An audible low battery voltage warning is optional
  • Status self-adjusts while charging is in progress
  • Rugged PC ABS polymer case/Water resistant design
  • For use with Lead Acid (Wet/AGM) batteries

Showcasing Some Hard-to-Find Batteries for Devices You Didn’t Know We Offered

If you spend some time just browsing through our battery store, I believe you’ll find that we carry replacement batteries for a wide array of applications and that we work diligently to ensure that our cross reference information is up-to-date and accurate. There are a few lookups that we are commonly associated with: motorcycle batteries, sealed lead acid batteries, cordless phone batteries, and battery chargers to name a few.

It’s easy, though, to miss out of some of the lesser known batteries we carry. These batteries are held up to the same high-quality standards that we strive for, without the brand-level pricing associated with OEM batteries. Below, you’ll find a few of our categories that you may not even be aware that we had.

Cordless Razor Batteries

Cordless Razor Battery
When a cordless razor battery begins to fail, it’s noticeable; shaves are never as close, and it’s just an uncomfortable experience. Sure, you can plug it into the wall, but that can be just as irritating. We carry replacement electric shaver batteries for many razors, including those by Norelco, Braun, and Remington. We even build cordless razor battery packs in-house to help keep the prices low.

Portable Reader Batteries

Portable Reader Battery

Even if you don’t already own one, chances are you’ve at least seen advertisements for the new Amazon Kindles. These innovative devices have set a new standard in how we purchase and read. But, like many other electronic devices, these run on lithium-based batteries. If you ever need a replacement battery for your e-book reader, we have you covered.

Key Fob Batteries

Keyless Entry Battery

Just about any vehicle you can buy now comes with one of these. These usually take lithium coin cell batteries. Usually, the battery number is printed right on the battery, so you can use that as a reference to find the right replacement. Fresh batteries will keep your range at maximum (or you can just hold the remote to your head).

Hand-held Video Game Batteries

Video Game Batteries

Back in the day, these used to run on AA batteries. The original Nintendo Game Boy took four and Sega’s Game Gear took a whopping six batteries (the price of a color, back-lit screen). Nowadays, these come fitted with replaceable lithium-ion batteries. You can find replacement Nintendo DS batteries and Sony PSP batteries. For the older PSP system, we even have a larger, higher capacity PSP battery for extra runtime.

Medical Batteries

Otoscope Battery

We also carry replacement batteries for a wide array of Welch Allyn medical devices: otoscopes, diagnostic sets, thermometers, etc. Our replacement medical device batteries are guaranteed to provide reliable performance and be long lasting. All without the premium pricing that comes along with the name brand battery.

If you like this post and would be interested in seeing more like it, be sure to drop us a quick message our contact form and let us know. Or, if there’s a specific topic you’d like to know more about, feel free to let us know. Thank you!

Cell Phone Battery Tips: Prolong the Life of Your Cell Phone Battery

Many people are moving away from their landline phones in favor of cell phones. Even still, the primary benefit is still a cell phone’s portability. To get the most out of your phone, you’ll have to get the most out of your phone’s battery. When it comes to your battery, there are two things to consider: how to make it last longer between charges and how to prolong the life of the battery.

Increasing Runtime Between Charges

  • Turn the phone off. It may sound counter-intuitive at first, but this is the simplest and most effective way to conserving battery power. If you’re sleeping or just don’t want to take calls, just turn it off. Do the same if you’re in an area with no reception (like subways or remote areas) or in a roaming area. The phone will continuously search for service and this can drain the battery pretty quickly.
  • Disable vibrate. The vibrate function uses up significant amounts of battery power. Stick with using the ring tone, but keep the volume as low as possible.
  • Turn off the phone’s backlight. If you can get by without it, disabling the backlight will keep your phone running longer. Some phones this isn’t an option, though. For these, you can usually set the phone to dim the backlight after a set amount of time. One or two seconds should be sufficient.
  • Avoid unnecessary features. Features like the camera (especially flash) and Internet connection are good to avoid if it’s going to be a while before you can charge your phone again. The same goes for WIFI, GPS, and infrared.
  • Turn off Bluetooth. This can drain your battery fast, and having it on can cause problems near virus-infected smart phones.
  • Keep a spare. Much like we had recommended with laptops, keeping a spare battery to swap in is a great idea for long trips where you won’t have access to a charger. Just remember to keep that spare charged itself before you leave!

Prolong the Life of Your Battery

  • Initialize a new battery. New batteries should be 100% charged before their first use. For Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH) and Nickel Cadmium (NiCd) this is about 16 hours initial with two to four full charge/discharge cycles. Lithium Ion (Li-Ion) should be charged 5 or 6 hours. But do not fully discharge the Li-Ion battery! Make a habit of recharging it when you have one bar left.
  • Keep the battery cool. The battery will last longest the closer it stays to room temperature. None of us can control the weather, of course, but you can avoid leaving the phone in a hot car or in direct sunlight. Even keeping it in your pocket can raise its temperature, due to body heat. If the battery is excessively hot, your charger may be malfunctioning.
  • Clean the battery contacts on the battery and on the phone. Over time, the contacts can accumulate dirt. You can clean them with a cotton swab and some rubbing alcohol. If the contacts are two different metals (such as gold and tin), accelerated corrosion may occur. This often requires solvents, such as acetone or nail polish remover. These solvents dissolve plastic, so use a Q-Tip to avoid damaging the phone or battery housing.
  • You should refrain from charging your phone’s battery through a car’s cigarette outlet on a continuous basis. This charging method does a fast charge and is best for emergency charges only but should never be used to always charge the battery. The best way to charge the battery is by using your AC charger plugged into a wall outlet.

Extend Your Laptop’s Battery Life with Windows 7’s Power Efficiency Report

Last month, we talked about how Microsoft and Intel engineers worked on improving laptop battery life with Windows 7. Beyond simply improving the efficiency of the Operating System, Microsoft has also introduced energy-saving applications.

One of the cool new features of Windows 7 is the Energy Efficiency Report. Basically, this will find out what’s eating up your laptop battery power and analyze the efficiency of your computer.

How do you run this report? Just follow these steps:

  1. Go to your start menu, type in “cmd” and right-click on the Command Prompt result to “Run as Administrator.”
  2. From there, type in “powercfg -ENERGY“.
  3. Your computer will run a report, which you can access by typing “energy-report.html” and you’ll see all the efficiencies and settings changes that Microsoft recommended implementing in your browser.

Windows 7 Power Efficiency Report Example

In this report, all the items in pink are Errors, items in yellow are Warnings, and white items are Informational. You can go through these items and correct as many issues as you can.

This excellent report is only available in Windows 7 and can significantly extend your battery lifetime. If there is something in the report you don’t understand, Microsoft provides documentation on their website.

So, if you are having problems with laptop battery life or just want to get some more run time, give the power efficiency report a whirl!

Note: Some builds on Windows 7 can have difficulty opening the energy-report.html file. You should be able to fix this by copying the file from the C:\Windows\System32 folder to another location (your desktop, for example).

Deep Cycle Battery Care and Maintenance

For more information on maintaining your batteries when they are not in use, you can also read our article on winter battery maintenance.

  • New batteries should be given a full charge before use.
  • New batteries need to be cycled several times before reaching full capacity (20 – 50 cycles, depending on type). Usage should be limited during this period.
  • Battery cables should be intact, and the connectors kept tight at all times. Systematic inspection is recommended.
  • Vent caps should be kept in place and tight during vehicle operation and battery charging.
  • Batteries should be kept clean, free of dirt and corrosion at all times.
  • Batteries should be watered after charging unless plates are exposed before charging. If exposed, plates should be covered by approximately 1/8″ of acid.
  • Check acid level after charge. The acid level should be kept 1/4″ below the bottom of the fill well in the cell cover.
  • Water used to replenish batteries should be distilled or treated not to exceed 200 T.D.S. (total dissolved solids…parts per million). Particular care should be taken to avoid metallic contamination(iron).
  • For best battery life, batteries should not be discharged below 80% of their rated capacity. Proper battery sizing will help avoid excessive discharge.
  • Battery chargers should be matched to fully charge batteries in an eight hour period. Defective chargers will damage batteries or severely reduce their performance.
  • As batteries age, their maintenance requirements change. This means longer charging time and/or higher finish rate (higher amperage at the end of the charge). Usually older batteries need to be watered more often. And, their capacity decreases.
  • Avoid charging at temperatures above 120°F or ambient whichever is higher.
  • Deep cycle batteries need to be equalized periodically. Equalizing is an extended, low current charge performed after the normal charge cycle. This extra charge helps keep all cells in balance. Actively used batteries should be equalized once per week. Manually timed charges should have the charge time extended approximately 3 hours. Automatically controlled chargers should be unplugged and reconnected after completing a charge.
  • In situations where multiple batteries are connected in series, parallel or series/parallel, replacement battery(s) should be of the same size, age and usage level as the companion batteries. Do not put a new battery in a pack which has 50 or more cycles. Either replace with all new or use a good used battery(s).
  • Periodic battery testing is an important preventative maintenance procedure. Hydrometer readings of each cell (fully charged) gives an indication of balance and true charge level. Imbalance could mean the need for equalizing, is often a sign of improper charging or a bad cell. Voltage checks (open circuit, charged and discharged) can locate a bad battery or weak battery. Load testing will pick out a bad battery when other methods fail. A weak battery will cause premature failure of companion batteries.
  • Always use a matched voltage charger and battery pack system. An undersized charger will never get the job done, no matter how long you let it run. An oversized charger will cause excess gassing and heat; this situation could cause explosions or other damage.

Battery Safety Tips for Travelers

PHMSA Launches SafeTravel Initiative

Yes, it’s safe to bring batteries and battery-powered devices on board passenger aircraft, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) – as long as you take a few simple precautions. DOT’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) wants to let everyone know what those precautions are.

“Americans increasingly own – and travel with – portable telephones, computers, cameras, camcorders, entertainment devices, and medical equipment – even cordless power tools,” stated PHMSA Chief Safety Officer Stacey Gerard.

“Batteries are becoming more and more powerful, using more and more varied technologies, to provide longer life for the devices an ordinary traveler may carry today. Laptop computers, camcorders, DVD players, and other modern conveniences demand that battery power, but the extra power means potential risk,” Gerard said.

“Portable battery-powered devices and batteries are safe for transportation when packed properly. But they must be handled and packaged appropriately.”

PHMSA is bringing this message to travelers through a coordinated media and stakeholder outreach campaign called SafeTravel, which aims to raise battery safety awareness among travelers nationwide.

“PHMSA doesn’t want to ban your MP3-player, video camera or laptop from commercial flights. We want you to understand how to carry your battery-powered devices, and your spare batteries, safely,” Gerard said.

Working with a broad coalition of other government agencies, individual companies, trade associations, and other stakeholders, PHMSA has developed a variety of educational SafeTravel materials. Printed guides explain safe travel with batteries. A web page, https://phmsa.dot.gov/safetravel, presents tips to the traveler describing a variety of battery safety solutions, covering everything from safely packaging batteries (do keep them in a device, don’t put them in checked baggage,) to what to do about loose batteries (protect the battery’s metallic connections, or terminals.)

PHMSA recommends the following steps to minimize the hazards of flying with batteries and battery-powered
devices:

Keep batteries in devices

  • Leave batteries in your equipment – it is the safest place. Batteries pose little risk when contained in the devices they power.

Pack for safety

  • Keep spare batteries in the store packaging they came in. If you do not have the store packaging, tape across the battery’s metal parts (terminals), or place each battery in its own protective case, plastic bag, or package.
  • Be sure to keep all loose batteries away from metal objects, such as coins, keys, or jewelry.
  • If you must carry a battery-powered device in any baggage, package it to prevent inadvertent activation. For instance, you should pack a cordless power tool in a protective case, with a trigger lock engaged.

Carry them with you

  • Carry your laptop, cell phone, electronic devices, and spare batteries with you. Do not put them in checked luggage if it can be avoided.
  • Battery-related incidents are more easily detected and handled by the flight crew if the battery is located within the passenger cabin.

Handle with care

  • Never use or carry damaged or recalled batteries or devices. Check battery recall information at the manufacturer’s website, or at the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s website (www.cpsc.gov.)
  • Prevent crushing, puncturing, or putting a high degree of pressure on any battery.
  • Avoid dropping laptop computers or other devices to prevent battery damage.

Ensure quality and compatibility

  • Purchase batteries only from reliable sources.
  • Use only chargers designed for your type of batteries. If unsure about compatibility, contact the manufacturer. Don’t mix and match!
  • Never try to charge non-rechargeable batteries.

“We’re trying to reach the traveler to help prevent a fire or other incident from happening either in the air, or on the ground, either awaiting takeoff or after touchdown.”

And if an incident does occur?

“Immediately alert the flight crew. Let the flight crew handle the incident.”

PHMSA is joined in the SafeTravel campaign by the Federal Aviation Administration, the Transportation Security Administration of the Department of Homeland Security, the National Transportation Safety Board, the Portable Rechargeable Battery Association, the National Electronics Manufacturers Association, Underwriters Laboratories, Air Transport Association, Air Line Pilots Association, U.S. Postal Service, and the National Association of State Fire Marshals. Manufacturers of battery-powered devices are also partnering with PHMSA in the effort, including Panasonic, IBM, Hewlett Packard, and Black and Decker.

For more information, visit the SafeTravel website at //SafeTravel.dot.gov, or call PHMSA’s Hazardous Materials Info-Line at 1-800-467-4922.

SafeTravel

 

Short Battery Life Tech Alert

Short Service Life Experience with Batteries

It has come to our attention that two dominant powersport vehicles are sometimes experiencing short battery life. These are V-Twin large cubic-inch custom motorcycles and SeaDoo personal watercraft

V-Twin Custom Motorcycles

With the introduction of large cubic-inch engines, i.e., 108-120+, required starting energy is at minimum double that of stock smaller cubic-inch V-twin engines. The old rule of thumb is that it takes 20 minutes of highway riding to recharge the battery for a single start. These larger engines require at least 40 minutes. These custom bikes generally are ridden more in town, short distances and don’t receive the required ride time to get a full recharge on the battery. This sets up the scenario for the battery to be discharged more than it is charged and after a short time, sometimes-just days, the battery no longer starts the bike. Typical run-down battery voltages are less than 12 volts. Full charge battery voltage is 12.84 volts.

Solution

Purchase a Deltran Power Tender Plus 12 Volt 5 Amp Waterproof Battery Charger P/N 022-0157-1. A quick disconnect wire harness capable of carrying 6 amps could be installed for easy connect/disconnect. Always disconnect the charger AC power before connecting or disconnecting from the battery. Use the charger at the end of the riding day and it can be left connected and operating until the next ride.

SeaDoo Personal Watercraft

Most models of this brand of watercraft experience an electrical load on the battery during storage, caused by a control module monitoring the lanyard socket. If the lanyard is left installed the electrical drain is 18 ma after 10 minutes of shutting down the engine. If the lanyard is removed, the electrical drain is 7 ma. These electrical loads are continuous and can accumulate to be significant over time. At 18 milli amps, the battery will lose 1 amp/hour of capacity in 55.5 hours or 10 amp/hours (Ah) in 23 days. On a PC 625, 10 Ah is 59% of battery capacity.

Solution

For Sea-Doo watercraft always disconnect the lanyard from its socket when not riding the watercraft. Disconnect the negative battery cable from the battery when the watercraft will not be used for 3 weeks or more. A simplified method of disconnect is to install waterproof battery switch. In both cases, check battery voltage periodically for full charge which is 12.84V. Batteries with voltages less than 12.6V need to be recharged per procedure.

Warranty

Batteries that are deeply discharged and not fully recharged or batteries that are stored with an electrical load applied with a resultant loss in delivered capacity are not covered by warranty.

Send Questions to: [email protected] or call 800-405-2121.

How a Battery Works

To help illustrate how a battery works, let’s begin by using a more simple battery like the alkaline. All batteries have a cathode (positive) and an anode (negative) portion of the battery.

How batteries work

The alkaline cathode is a mixture of manganese dioxide, graphite and an electrolyte. This mixture is granulated, aged in storage and then compacted into hollow cylinders called preforms. These preforms are inserted into a steel can. The steel can and mixture now become the cathode, or the positive charge of the alkaline. To keep the material from leaking, an indentation and sealant are used.

The cathode and anode can not come into contact. Therefore, a separator is placed in between the cathode and anode. This separator is soaked with an electrolyte that aids in ionic or electrolytic conductivity once the battery is in use.

The anode (negative) is made of mostly zinc powder and several other material. This is in the form of a gel. This gel is inserted into the steel can against the separator. At this point, the battery could give off a charge. However, the battery would not be able to work for long because it is not sealed.

The seal is made up of a brass nail (the nail acts as the current collector), a plastic seal and metal end cap. The three items are inserted into the steel can against the indentation formed earlier.

What Is The Shelf Life Of A Battery?
Silver Oxide: 2-3 years
Alkaline: 4-5 years
Lithium: 5-7 years
NiCad/NiMh: Will self-discharge 1% – 2% per day, but will fully recover after few charge cycles. Practical shelf life: 5 years.
Sealed Lead Acid (SLA): 1 year without charging. Charging every 90 days will extend shelf life to 1.5 – 2 years.
Automotive: 6 months without charging. Charging every 90 days will extend shelf life to 1 – 1.5 years.

Battery Terms and Definitions

Last updated: 7/6/2021

Active MaterialThe chemically reactive material at the positive or negative electrode that engages in the charge and discharge reactions.
Ampere Hours (Ah)The number of minutes a battery can maintain a useful voltage under a specified load.
AnodeAn electrode through which electric current flows into a polarized electrical device.
BatteryOne or more cells connected to form one unit supplying voltage and having provisions for external connections. Batteries produce electrons through chemical reactions.
CapacityThe ability of the battery or cell to supply current.
CathodeAn electrode through which electric current flows out of a polarized electrical device.
CellElectrochemical device capable of storing electrical energy.
Cell Jar / Cell CaseThe vessel holding the cell components.
Charge CollectorThe structure within the electrode that provides a current path to/from the active material.
Cold Cranking Amp (CCA)The rating used in the battery industry to define a battery’s ability to start an engine in cold temperatures. It is the number of amps a new, fully maintained and charged battery can deliver at 0°F for 30 seconds, while holding a voltage of at least 7.2 volts for a 12 volt battery. The higher the CCA, the more higher the starting power of the battery
Continuous Discharge Rating (CDR)Also known as an amp limit, this is the maximum amount of current (amps) that you can continuously draw before the battery heats up to unsafe levels (typically 75&degC / 167°F).
CycleIn a rechargeable battery a cycle consists of a charge followed by a discharge.
Dry Cell BatteryBatteries that can be mounted in any position because they are completely sealed & won’t leak acid. Most of these bare either AGM (absorbed glass mat) or Gel type batteries.
Duty CycleThe use pattern for a battery including charge, overcharge, rest and discharge.
ElectrodesAn electrical conductor used to make contact with a nonmetallic part of a circuit (e.g. a semiconductor, an electrolyte or a vacuum.
ElectrolyteAny substance containing free ions that behaves as an electrically conductive medium, usually when in a solution. Because they generally consist of ions in solution, electrolytes are also known as ionic solutions, but molten electrolytes and solid electrolytes are also possible.
Energy DensityA term used for the amount of energy stored in a given system or region of space per unit, volume, or mass.
FloatMaintaining a battery on a continuous, long-term charge, normally for batteries that sit unused for longer periods.
Flooded CellA cell where the electrodes are immersed in a pool of electrolyte.
Gas RecombinationRecycling gases formed within the cell rather then venting them to the atmosphere. This mainly pertains to sealed lead acid battery.
Leclanché CellA French electrical engineer chiefly remembered for his invention of the Leclanché cell, one of the first modern electrical batteries and the forerunner of the modern dry cell battery.
LifeThe length of acceptable performance received from a battery, measured in years or in charge/discharge cycles.
Maintenance-Free BatteryA battery that where no electrolytes can be added.
Open-Circuit VoltageVoltage of a battery with no load applied to it.
Operating VoltageVoltage of a battery under load.
OverchargeThe application of charge current after the battery has reached full charge.
OxidationDescribes the loss of electrons or an increase in oxidation state by a molecule, atom or ion.
ParallelInterconnecting cells or batteries by joining all like terminals which doubles battery amp hours/run time & cca (cold cranking amps).
PlatesLead plates used within a battery to hold a charge.
Primary CellIs any kind of electrochemical cell in which the electrochemical reaction is not reversible. A common example of a primary cell is the disposable battery.
ReductionPart of a reduction-oxidation (redox) reaction in which atoms have their oxidation number (oxidation state) changed.
Reserve CapacityThe capacity of a battery, measured in minutes, to keep a vehicle operating if the charging system fails.
Sealed CellA cell where all reactants are retained within the container. May contain a vent for release during abusive overcharge.
Secondary BatteryA backup or spare battery used to replace the primary battery when discharged.
Self-DischargeIs a phenomenon in batteries in which internal chemical reactions reduce the stored charge of the battery without any connection between the electrodes. Self-discharge decreases the shelf-life of batteries and causes them to have less charge than expected when actually put to use.
SeparatorMaterial which provides separation and electrical insulation between plates of opposite polarity.
SeriesInterconnecting cells or batteries by connecting the positive terminal of one unit to the negative terminal of the next, which doubles the battery voltage.
WoundInterior cell construction in which plates are coiled inside.