Msg: 2692 *Conference*
06-10-92 08:24:55
From: TRACY ALLEN
To : RICK LOPES
Subj: REPLY TO MSG #2676 (LAPTOP NICAD BATTERY PACKS)
Dear Rick, That's a bundle of questions! I'm a lot more familiar with the technical side of gel-cells than I am with niCADs. But I'll give it a try. I think the modern generation of NiCADs are a lot more tolerant than the ones of just a couple of years ago when all the lore about charging and discharging built up. But it is still true, nicads do best in applications where they go through deep discharge cycles, because of the memory effect. They thrive in applications like cordless tools. But computers so often plugged run off the wall, so to speak, that the nicacs don't get the deep cycling. When you receive nicads, they are usually discharged and you have to charge them up. I'm not sure what is the best way to store them. Storing them completely dicharged goes against the grain for me, because that is the worst thing you could do for a gel-cell. I think that however you store them, charged or not, you should store them in a _cool, dry_ place. Not freezing, but the cooler the better. The charge will gradually leak off the battery. Then when you put the bazttery in service, run it through a couple of full cycles to restore its vigor. I think that nicads have a life of around 1000 full cycles. They give out gradually, although if they are mistreated (overcharged, stored at high temperat;ures) they can develop sudden pathologies due to internal short circuits or something. Radio Shack sells a nice little manual on care and feeding of batteries--you might find it an interesting browse when you're in a Shack--you might even buy it! On the Toshiba question, I'd follow the guidelines in the Toshiba manual to the letter. Sometimes the battery pack is used as electrical "filtering" and it could be harmful to the machine to run without it. The manual would say so if that's the case. -- Tracy