Different
Types of Rechargeable Batteries
Nickel
Metal Hydride (NiMH)
Nickel Metal Hydride batteries replaced NiCad (Nickel
Cadmium) which were the first common type of rechargeable
batteries in early domestic camcorders and mobile phones.
Ni-Mh batteries are superior to NiCd not only because
they don't contain cadmium which is environmentally
unfriendly in terms of disposal at the end of its life
and is now obsolete. They are also are less prone to
the "memory effect" problem, and a discharge
every week or so is ample, unlike NiCd which need to
be run down every other charge to retain their capacity.
They also have a higher capacity in relation to their
size and weight
Lithium
Ion (Li-Ion)
The majority of batteries in modern camcorders, digital
camera and mobile phones are Li-ion. Li-Ion gives exceptional
capacity for its size and weight, hence batteries have
become smaller and lighter than early NiMh batteries
without compromising their capacity. Li-ion does not
suffer from "memory effect". This means that
you can top up the charge whenever it is convenient.
One disadvantage with Li-ion batteries which is particularly
relevant to camera and camcorder batteries is that they
self discharge in storage. By nature of the way in which
they are used (i.e. Christmas and summer holidays) it
is common to dicover that a battery which has had relatively
little use will not work after several months of storage.
If the battery charge is low when it is stored it could
quite feasibly discharge to a level from which it cannot
then be re-charged and is therefore useless. The best
way to overcome this problem is to fully charge the
battery before storage, therefore allowing for the inevitable
self discharge and preventing the battery from running
completely flat.
Lithium
Polymer (Li-Poly)
There are also Lithium Polymer batteries, but these
are very similar to Lithium Ion, except that they can
be moulded into more varied shapes, and so be squeezed
into smaller phone casings. They can also be lighter
still.
Looking
after rechargeable batteries for mobile phones, digital
cameras and camcorders. Maximising battery life.
Looking
after your battery.
Initial
Charge Cycle: New batteries should be charged for 14-16
hours continuously. All batteries require a "break-in"
period, so don't be alarmed if your battery doesn't
hold a full charge right away. A new battery may show
false full charge as indicated on your phone or charger
after a short charging period, if this happens ignore
the charging indicator and leave the battery charging
for the recommended period. Also the battery may not
power up the phone when brand new because of low voltage,
it is not unusual for the phone to require several minutes
charge before it begins to show that it is charging.
For the first 3 - 5 cycles, please be sure to charge
the battery fully and drain it fully before recharging.
This will properly condition the battery and will ensure
that it will operate at its maximum capacity.
Memory
Effect: If you have a NiMh battery that is only usually
discharged to 50% of its capacity, it will eventually
not run below that 50% and in effect will lose the part
of its capacity which is not used. Therefore it is advisable
to allow a NiMh battery to discharge occasionally.
How
to maximize the life of your Battery: Don’t leave
your rechargeable batteries dormant for extended periods.
Camcorder and Digital Camera batteries in particular
are often left unused for months at a time, and if left
in a discharged state for a long period will sometimes
not then accept a charge, it is advisable to charge
them before storage. Batteries that sit idle for extended
periods of time without charging begin to lose their
ability to hold a charge and will self-discharge, so
remember to charge them again before use. Always store
batteries in a cool, dry place away from metal objects.
Li-ion batteries will deteriorate if store in a warm
environment.
Mobile
Phone Battery, Camcorder and Digital Camera Battery
Charging Information.
Mobile
Phone Batteries should be charged fully before use,
please allow 16 hours for an initial charge. Subsequently
batteries should take up to 2 hours for a full charge.
Camcorder
& Digital Camera Batteries should initially be charged
for 12-16 hours and subsequently according to the instructions
supplied with the machine as charging times vary according
to the type of charger used.
Cordless
Phone Batteries should be fully charged on receipt for
16 hours, subsequently they will last longer if the
handset is not left charging on the base permanently.
Please
note: All rechargeable batteries have a residual charge
when they are new and therefore need to be fully charged
before use. When you start to charge the battery for
the first time it may show that it is fully charged
after only 5 to 10 minutes but it isn’t. Leave
the battery charging for the period suggested above.
This is normal behaviour for new rechargeable batteries
but does not persist.
JVC
BN-VF808, VF815 and VF823 Replacement Batteries
The
latest JVC series of camcorder batteries (JVC BN-VF808,
VF815 and VF823) are in stock. These batteries are supplied
with a short wire which must be connected from a socket
on the rear of the battery to the DC input of the camcorder
when the battery is in use. You can charge these batteries
using the original JVC charger but the battery must
be removed from the camcorder in order to do so. The
socket on the rear of the battery is designed so as
the original manufaturers charger will plug directly
into the battery.
Panasonic
VW-VBG130, VW-VBG260 Batteries
After
a long wait we finally have a replacement battery solution
for the Panasonic
VW-VBG130 range of batteries. The original Panasonic
VW-VBG series batteries include a patented data chip
which enables the original batteries to communicate
information such as remaining battery time to the camcorder.
These replacement batteries DO NOT have this data chip
technology as this chip cannot be replicated. As a consequence
there are a number of differences between these replacement
batteries and the original Panasonic batteries. These
batteries cannot be charged with the original Panasonic
charger, to do so will damage the battery beyond repair.
Therefore the battery must be bought as a package with
the charger which can also be used to charge the original
Panasonic VW-VBG batteries. Also in order to use these
replacement batteries it is necessary to insert a small
plastic attachment (supplied with the battery) over
a contact in the battery compartment, this is the contact
by which the camcorder connects to the terminal which
provides the data information on the original batteries.
Canon
BP-809 Compatible Batteries
PLEASE
NOTE: These batteries can only be charged with our charger
(see below for battery and charger package) and will
not show remaining battery time on the display.
There
is an issue with charging non-original batteries with
the original charger, it is necessary to purchase an
additional charger which can charge the battery independently.
