April 30th, 2007, Kerry
With the world running on batteries (literally, from your laptops, cellphones, PDA’s, MP3 players, digital cameras and camcorders and even your toothbrush) there is a huge demand for aftermarket batteries – buying an original brand each time you need replacement batteries is a huge cost – and a big chunk of these batteries are being supplied on the web. The low entry barriers in setting up an online business coupled with the bursting demand for replacement batteries has therefore, inevitably, also given rise to companies with varying degrees of authenticity – this is the Internet and a scam is always just around the corner!
How does one, then, in a minefield like this, decide who is a reputable aftermarket battery supplier? Is it the one whose banner ads you see everywhere or the one hailed as the best choice for aftermarket barcode scanner batteries by a comparison website?
When looking for a reputable aftermarket battery supplier it makes sense to pay attention to some of these points:
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March 30th, 2007, Jay
The term ‘memory effect’ may sound like a problem of the nervous system to many but regular used of rechargeable batteries may know what we are referring to. It is a common problem that afflicts nickel-cadmium and the nickel–metal hydride rechargeable batteries. Only the most advanced cell chemistry– the Lithium Ion and the Lithium-Ion polymer cells are completely free of memory effect.
The worst hit of all rechargeable batteries is of course, the nickel cadmium battery. The Nickel Metal Hydride or Ni-MH rechargeable batteries hold up much better to the memory effect and this counts as one of its biggest advantages when compared to the NiCad batteries. That coupled with the fact that the Ni-MH battery is non toxic unlike the NiCad which is an environmental risk with Cadmium toxicity makes Ni-MH more popular. But for now, let’s examine and understand what the term ‘Memory effect’ means.
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February 19th, 2007, Kerry
Here’s the big question you hear often in the replacement battery business – what makes a good battery pack? Every merchant can be expected to claim that the battery packs they sell are good, high quality batteries - but as with everything there a few quick things that can help you distinguish a good battery from the rest.
It is important to note that all batteries are not created equal. There are stark differences between high quality, high performance, sorted, graded and tested battery packs and those that don’t utilize some of the components and practices discussed below. It is also a myth that the original manufacturer of the equipment (OEM) offer the best quality battery pack for the device they manufacture. For most OEM’s, batteries are a profit center as that is where they enjoy their greatest margins. History has documented several instances in which OEM’s cut corners to put together relatively poor quality batteries, that under perform high quality aftermarket alternatives.
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January 31st, 2007, Mike
In today’s world there are few things that function unaided by a battery of some kind. Be it a digital camera, a flashlight, a two-way radio or even a car - batteries are a ubiquitous component of contemporary life. Over the past few decades batteries have become even more prevalent in business, medical, government and military applications. So much so that many businesses spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on battery purchases for the wide variety of portable equipment their workforce may use. Even the average individual relies on battery power for a significant part of their daily routine. However most of us underestimate the importance of a battery till a situation turns desperate. Many of us have experienced the frustrations of a cell phone or laptop or even ipod battery dying at the wrong time! As very few of us actually understand the technology and chemistries behind portable power or how batteries work, here’s a brief introduction for battery buyers.
Though we call all of them batteries, there are two distinct types that exist : “Disposable” batteries (the AA or AAA cells that power your TV remote) and “Re-chargeable” batteries (the batteries that power most portable devices like laptops, cell phones, two-way radios etc.). While disposable or primary batteries cannot be recharged and used again, the secondary or rechargeable batteries by definition can be resurrected to life once their power has been depleted. Rechargeable batteries are widely used in portable devices of all sizes and shapes by individuals, businesses and government agencies world-wide.
Rechargeable or ‘storage’ or ‘secondary’ batteries are an attractive option to disposable batteries because of the the return on investment they offer by virtue of their longevity.
Since rechargeable batteries seem to be all-pervading in modern life, let’s take a deeper look into what makes them tick…literally! We’ll start by understanding what enables them to be reused. Rechargeable batteries are basically ‘electrolytic cells’ – that use an electrolyte, a cathode and anode and make your portable device come alive by producing energy through an electrochemical reaction. The reason this battery can be recharged emerges from the fact that this electrochemical reaction can be reversed with the help of an external electrical source. This external power supply replaces the load in the external circuit and forces the reactions in the cell to run in the opposite direction. With the result the initial reaction is replayed and the cell gets recharged.
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