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Tips for Battery Care

Overlooked and underappreciated until they fail, batteries supply the lifeblood of portable test equipment. Proper care of rechargeable batteries can extend service life and maximize run time.

Current choices in rechargeable battery types sound like a recipe for alphabet soup: NiCd, NiMH, and Li-Ion. Advancements in technology have made portable batteries more reliable while reducing required care. Safely obtaining optimum battery performance and longevity is easy if you observe the following:

• Never use batteries for anything other than intended use
• Discharge batteries fully before recharging
• Charge batteries only with the appropriate charger in a well-ventilated area
• Disconnect batteries from charger when charging is complete
• Assign batteries to a specific charger to allow for easier troubleshooting should charger fail
• Inspect charger cables and connections for cleanliness and integrity on a regular basis
• Periodically exercise batteries by discharging and recharging

Lastly, batteries are not immortal. Following the above can help to extend battery life; however, one should plan to replace rechargeable batteries at regular intervals or when run times shorten appreciably. Always dispose of defective batteries properly and recycle whenever possible.