Any
battery
or accessory you purchase from DuracellDirect.com is guaranteed!
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100% Original Manufacturer Compatible
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Guaranteed to Meet or Exceed Original Specifications
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Minimum one year warranty
Duracell and Hi-Capacity batteries are made using the highest quality cells
available and utilize all of the proper logic boards, thermal protectors,
thermistors and circuit breakers to ensure the highest levels of battery
safety, reliability and efficiency.
In order to guarantee optimal battery performance and life we recommend that
you read the answers to common battery-related questions below.
What Are The Different Types of Rechargeable Battery Chemistries?
Batteries in portable consumer devices (
laptop batteries,
notebook batteries,
camcorder batteries,
cell phone batteries,
digital camera batteries,
cordless phone batteries, etc.)
are principally made using either
Nickel Cadmium (NiCad), Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH), Lithium Ion (Li-Ion) or
Lithium Polymer (Li-Polymer) technologies. Each type of rechargeable battery
technology has its own unique characteristics:
NiCad and NiMH: The main difference
between these chemistries is that NiMH batteries (the newer of the two
technologies) offer higher energy densities than NiCad batteries. In other
words, pound for pound, NiMH delivers approximately 100% more capacity than
its NiCad counterpart. What this translates into is increased run-time from
the battery with no additional bulk to weigh down your portable device. NiMH
batteries also offer another major advantage- NiMH batteries are less prone
to develop the memory effect and thus require less maintenance and care.
NiMH batteries are also more environmentally friendly than their NiCad
counterparts, since they do not contain heavy metals.
Li-Ion: Li-Ion has quickly become the
emerging standard for portable power in consumer devices. Li-Ion batteries
produce the same energy as NiMH batteries but weigh approximately 35% less.
This is crucial in applications such as camcorders or notebook computers,
where the battery makes up a significant portion of the device's weight.
Another reason Li-Ion batteries have become so popular is that they do not
suffer from the memory effect at all. They are also better for the
environment because they do not contain toxic materials such as Cadmium or
Mercury.
Li-Polymer: This is a newer type of
Li-Ion battery. It uses a solid polymer electrolyte that looks like a
plastic film. It contains a gelled electrolyte which is less susceptible to
leaking and uses a bag type enclosure rather than a rigid metal case. This
leads to a lighter and thinner battery and it is considered safer because
the gelled electrolyte is less likely to leak. It is also more resistant to
overcharge.
Is it possible to upgrade the device's battery to a newer chemistry?
NiCad, NiMH 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 technology.
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 internal charger must be properly configured to handle a given type
of rechargeable battery.
Refer to the owners manual to find out which rechargeable battery types the
particular device supports or use our search engine to find the device in
our database. It will automatically list all of the battery types supported
by the machine.
What is the "Memory Effect"?
NiCad batteries, and to a lesser extent NiMH batteries, suffer from what's
called the "memory effect". What this means is that if a battery is
repeatedly only partially discharged before recharging, the battery
"forgets" that it has the capacity to further discharge all the way down.
To illustrate: If you, on a regular basis, fully charge your battery and
then use only 50% of its capacity before the next recharge, eventually the
battery will become unaware of its extra 50% capacity which has remained
unused. The battery will remain functional, but only at 50% of its original
capacity. The way to avoid the dreaded "memory effect" is to fully cycle
(fully charge and then fully discharge) the battery at least once every two
to three weeks. Batteries can be discharged by unplugging the device's AC
adapter and letting the device run on the battery until it ceases to
function. This will ensure your battery remains healthy.
Why isn’t the new battery charging?
New batteries are shipped in a discharged condition and must be charged
before use. We generally recommend an overnight charge (approximately
twelve hours). Refer to the user's manual for charging instructions.
Rechargeable batteries should be cycled - fully charged and then fully
discharged - two to four times initially to allow them to reach their full
capacity. (Note: it is normal for a battery to become warm to the touch
during charging and discharging).New batteries are hard for the device to
charge; they have never been fully charged and are therefore "unformed".
Sometimes the device's charger will stop charging a new battery before it
is fully charged. If this happens, remove the battery from the device and
then reinsert it. The charge cycle should begin again. This may happen
several times during the first battery charge. Don't worry; it's perfectly
normal.
How can I maximize battery performance?
There are several steps you can take to insure that you get maximum
performance from the battery:
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Break In New Batteries
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New batteries come in a discharged condition and
must be fully charged before use. It is recommended
that you fully charge and discharge the new battery
two to four times to allow it to reach its maximum
rated capacity.
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Prevent the Memory Effect
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Keep the 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.
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Keep the Batteries Clean
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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 the
portable device.
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Exercise the Battery
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Do not leave the 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.
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Battery Storage
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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. NiCad,
NiMH and Li-Ion batteries will self-discharge
during storage; remember to break them in before
use. Sealed Lead Acid (SLA) batteries must be kept
at full charge during storage. This is usually
achieved by using special trickle chargers. If you
do not have a trickle charger, do not attempt to
store SLA batteries for more than three months.
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For Laptop Users
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To get maximum performance from your laptop battery,
fully optimize the notebooks 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. The notebook users guide will
provide information relating to specific power
management features.
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How are batteries rated? What are volts and amps?
There are two ratings on every battery: volts and amp-hours (Ah). The Ah
rating may also be given as milliamp-hours (mAh), which are one-thousandth
of an amp-hour (for example, a 1Ah battery is 1000mAh). Amp-hours are a
rating of the amount of energy that a battery can store. Another way of
looking at it is to say that the higher a battery's amp-hour rating is, the
longer the battery's run-time will be. Some of our batteries will have
higher amp-hour ratings than the original battery found in your device and
will not cause any incompatibilities.
On the other hand, while the voltage of the Duracell or Hi-Capacity battery
may not be identical to the original battery, the voltages must be within a
reasonable range. In order to rate the voltage of the cell, a voltage value
between 3.0 and 4.2 must be picked. The voltage that is picked is called
the "nominal" voltage, which means that it is for naming purposes only,
whereas the actual voltage of the cell depends on the state of charge.
Historically some manufacturers picked 3.6V while others picked 3.7V to
name the cell. The functionality and performance of either cell is
identical and cannot be differentiated by the device.
The explanation above applies to a single Li-Ion cell in series. When a
battery has two or more Li-Ion cells in series, the voltage is multiplied
by the number of cells in series, as in the table below:
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Number of Li-Ion cells in series
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Nominal voltage
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Type of device
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1
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3.6V or 3.7V
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Cell phones and Digital cameras
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2
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7.2V or 7.4V
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Digital cameras and camcorders
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3
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10.8V or 11.1V
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Laptops
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4
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14.4V or 14.8V
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Laptops
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Thus,
A Li-Ion battery labeled 3.6V is the same as a Li-Ion
battery labeled 3.7V.
A Li-Ion battery labeled 7.2V is the same as a Li-Ion
battery labeled 7.4V.
A Li-Ion battery labeled 10.8V is the same as a Li-Ion
battery labeled 11.1V.
A Li-Ion battery labeled 14.4V is the same as a Li-Ion
battery labeled 14.8V.
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How long do batteries last?
The life of a rechargeable battery operating under normal conditions is
generally between 500 to 800 charge-discharge cycles. This translates into
one and a half to three years of battery life for the average user. As the
rechargeable battery begins to die, the user will notice a decline in the
running time of the battery. When a battery that originally operated the
notebook for two hours is only supplying the user with an hour's worth of
use, it's time for a new one.
How can I recycle the old battery?
NiCad, NiMH and Li-Ion batteries should be recycled. Be environmentally
conscious - do NOT throw these batteries in the trash.
If you don't know where your local recycling facility is, call the Portable
Rechargeable Battery Association at 800-822-8837. They will provide you
with the address of the recycling center nearest to you. If there is no
local recycling facility, send the old batteries to us at the following
address:
DuracellDirect.com
Attn.: Recycling Dept.
1380 Flynn Road
Camarillo, CA 93012
Any statements and data in this file are for general information
purposes. They represent the latest technical status at the time
of publishing. We reserve the right to change the data in this
file without prior notice. The technical information is given in
a descriptive way and does not guarantee any properties or enlarge
any warranties given.
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