What is a battery?
 Battery can be any device that stores energy for later use. The word battery is limited to an electrochemical device that converts chemical energy into electricity, by use of a galvanic cell.A galvanic cell is a fairly simple device consisting of two electrodes and an electrolyte solution. Batteries consist of one or more galvanic cells. A battery is an electrical storage device. Batteries do not make electricity they store it. As chemicals in the battery change, electrical energy is stored or released. In rechargeable batteries this process can be repeated many times.

How do I identify my battery?
The first information to provide would be the make and model of the equipment that you require the battery for e.g. Toshiba Satellite Pro 400 laptop battery or Compaq Presario 1283 laptop battery. There is also usually a label on the battery, and some of this information on the label will help our sales team to identify your battery quickly. This information includes the voltage of the battery pack, the capacity of the battery pack and the chemical construction of the battery pack eg.Li-ion, Ni-MH or Ni-Cd. This information can be used to ensure the information you have provided matches the information we have about your battery. Many battery packs also have part numbers on the label; this can sometimes be used to help identify the battery. We would suggest that it is best to have all this information written down or close to hand before you call our sales team. This will help us deal with your call in an efficient manner.

What is the difference between Ni-Cd, Ni-MH and Li-ion?
Li-ion (Lithium Ion battery). This is one of the newest cell types available. It is also the lightest battery type currently available on a commercial basis and can provide more power than the other main cell types. There are no known problems of memory effect with this battery type and it is the easiest battery type to care for. The downside of this battery is that it has the highest engineering costs and therefore the price is usually considerably higher than other cell types. Ni-MH (Nickel Metal Hydride). This cell type is the most common cell type currently available for laptop computers (although Li-ion is rapidly becoming the most popular) Li-ion battery type is relatively cheap to manufacture and therefore tends to be cheaper than Li-ion. This cell type is prone to memory effect? so it is important to take good care of your Ni-MH battery to ensure that you obtain the best runtimes. Ni-Cd (Nickel Cadmium). This is one of the older cell types and is generally only found in older laptops. The main pro for this cell type is its ability to handle higher loads, and therefore is more commonly found in portable power tools or devices that need a lot of power to work efficiently. The main downside of this cell type is that it is notorious for suffering with memory effect so good care must be taken with this battery to ensure most effective use of battery.

How long will the new main battery power the laptop?
Battery run-time on a laptop is difficult to determine. Actual battery running time depends upon the power demands made by the equipment. The use of the screen, the hard drive and other accessories results in an additional drain upon the battery, effectively reducing its running time. The total run-time of the battery is also dependent upon the design of the equipment. Generally, a new Hi-Capacity battery will run 30% to 50% longer than the old battery did when it was new.

How to maximize and battery performance?
It is recommended to condition (fully charge and discharge) the new battery few times to allow it to reach its maximum rated capacity. Condition the Ni-MH and Ni-Cd battery at least once a month. It will reduce the memory effect. Use the battery at least once a month even it was kept in a dry and cool storage. Clean the metal connector (the contact to the notebook, usually in color of gold or silver) by alcohol or Electronics Cleaner Degreaser. It will maintain the good conductivity. Which improves the power conduction from battery to notebook. Fully optimize the Power Management features the provided in system BIOS and Operating System will also improve the battery performance. Consult the user's manual to fully understand the usages of these features.

How long does a battery last?
The life of a notebook battery is about 1.5 to 3 years operating under normal conditions. As the rechargeable battery begins to die, the user will notice a decline in the running time of the battery.

How can batteries be connected?
Note: When interconnecting batteries (cells), they must be identical in voltage and amp rating! Batteries may be connected in series. The positive terminal of the first battery is connected to the negative terminal of the second battery; the positive terminal of the second is connected to the negative of the third, and so on. The voltage of the assembled battery is the sum of the individual batteries. The batteries are connected: + to - to + to - to + to -, etc. The capacity of the battery is unchanged. o Batteries may also be connected in parallel. The positive terminal of the first battery is connected to the positive terminal of the second battery, the positive terminal of the second is connected to the positive of the third; the negative terminal of the first battery is connected to the negative terminal of the second battery, the negative terminal of thesecond is connected to the negative of the third and so on. The batteries are connected: + to +to + and - to - to -. In this configuration, the capacity is the sum of the individual batteries and voltage is unchanged. For example, (5) 6V 10AH batteries connected in series produces a battery array that is 30 Volts and 10AH. Connecting the batteries in parallel produces a battery array that is 6 Volts and 50AH. Ordinary auto batteries are designed in the same fashion. Six 2-volt cells are arranged in series to produce a 12v battery. Many Ni-Cd batteries are arranged in the same way.

What is a battery cycle?
Cycle life is measured by the amount of times a battery may be charged and discharged. Every time a battery is charged and discharged, it uses one cycle. Cycle life is very important in battery applications such as laptop batteries and emergency light batteries. A Ni-Cd battery has a cycle life of 500-1000 or more cycles.

Does it really help to store batteries in the refrigerator?
Yes, but only if they can be kept dry as well. The higher the temperature, the more the free flow of ions or self-discharge from the battery. Storing primary batteries (D's, C's, AA's, AAA's, 9 volt, etc.) in a cooler environment slows down this rate of discharge that all batteries experience even when not in use, hence a longer shelf life. However, if this is done, it is important that the batteries be kept as dry as possible by keeping them in an airtight container in the driest part of the refrigerator, the door for example. Long-term exposure to moisture inside the refrigerator can cause internal corrosion to the battery. When removing batteries from the refrigerator, allow them to warm up to room temperature before using them in your device.

Can I use my older Ni-Cd battery charger to charge my Ni-MH batteries?
No, you can use a newer Ni-MH charger to charge your old Ni-Cd batteries but you should not try to charge Ni-MH batteries with a Ni-Cd charger. Here's why: Ni-MH and Ni-Cd batteries are chemically very similar and when both are fully charged the battery voltage will start to drop. The Ni-MH voltage drop is much more subtle and more difficult to detect. Ni-MH chargers usually have an over temperature sensor and shutoff to prevent overcharge as well as a more sensitive voltage drop detector where Ni- Cd chargers usually only use the voltage drop to determine when to stop charging. If you charge Ni-MH batteries in a Ni-Cd charger it will probably miss the voltage drop and keep right on charging causing the batteries to overheat. Overcharge and overheating Ni-MH batteries can damage them internally and reduce battery life.

What is the ambient temperature affects the battery performance?
Low temperatures (e.g. -15 degrees) will obviously reduce Ni-Cd and Ni-MH battery discharge rate. At -20 degrees electrolyte is at its freezing point, charge speed will greatly slow down. At low temperature (under -15 degrees) charge will raise the internal gas pressure and probably unseal the safety vent. Ambient temperature of 5 degrees to 30 degrees is the best range to get effective charge. Generally with temperature rising charge efficiency will become higher. But when the temperature rises to 45 degrees or higher, the materials performance in the battery will be degenerated and battery service life will be shorten greatly.

What is the Over charge affects the battery performance?
The continual charge action after fully charged with certain charge approach is overcharge. the positive capacity is higher than the negative on design, the generated oxygen in positive can composite, through separator, with Cd generated in negative. In general condition the internal pressure will not rise obviously, but if the charge current is so heavy or the charge time is so long, and the generated oxygen can not be used up in time, there will be some quality defect risen such as internal pressure rising, battery distortion, leakage and so on. Meanwhile its performance will decline.