| Author |
Tips to care for your battery |
orang3
Joined: Mar 28, 2002
Posts: > 500
From: Never_never_Land
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For many users, recharging their phone batteries consists of the daily routine of plugging in the charger, and then leaving it on for a couple of hours to juice up. However, depending on your battery type, overcharging or undercharging it could result in a shorter life.
You should also understand that due to the chemical processes involved, batteries deteriorate over time. After a certain number of cycles, the battery's maximum charge capacity drops to below 80 percent of its original capacity.
Battery type Number of charging cycles
Nickel cadmium (NiCd) 1,500
Nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) 300-500
Lithium-ion (Li-ion) 500-1,000
Lithium-polymer (Li-Po) 300-500
Therefore, heavy users who recharge frequently may have to purchase new batteries after a short time compared to light users. However, not every battery will reach this number of cycles before starting to lose charge. For a battery to reach its natural life, proper maintenance is necessary. Batteries may look tough, but they can be inadvertently damaged.
There are several things you can do to maximize the useful life of your battery.
Breaking in
When you first get your battery or phone, you will need to break it in. It may be necessary to fully charge and discharge the battery three to four times before it will be able to make use of its maximum capacity. This is for all battery types.
The first time you charge the battery, the phone may indicate a false full charge after 10 to 15 minutes. This is normal. Unplug and plug the charger to "restart" the charging process.
If you wish to keep your batteries aside for a period, store them in a dry and cool place. Heat and nearby metallic objects can spoil the battery. As the batteries will self-discharge after prolonged storage, you will have to break the batteries in again before use. Having said that, don't leave your rechargeable batteries dormant for extended periods. Cycle them for a full charge and discharge every so often to keep it fresh. Batteries that sit idle for extended periods of time without charging begin tend to lose their ability to hold a charge and will self-discharge.
That thing called "memory effect"
If you do not fully discharge the battery before recharging it, gradually the capacity of the battery will be reduced. This is called the memory effect, and is due to the accumulation of gas bubbles on the cell plates.
NiCad batteries are especially prone to this problem. Therefore users should try to discharge the battery fully after each use, a process called conditioning. NiMH batteries are less susceptible to the memory effect, but even then you should condition them once every one or two weeks. Li-ion and Li-Po batteries are immune from the memory effect.
For optimal talk and standby time in the long run, it is recommended that you use original batteries with your mobile phones.
Most phones beep or display a "Battery Low" message to remind you that the battery will soon need to be charged or replaced with a charged one. If you are desperate to have the phone last just that extra minute longer, you can consider immediately switching to zero ring volume, zero backlight, non-vibration mode, etc. Switching off the phone for a short while can also prolong the remaining standby time when you next switch the phone on.
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Wings_Talons
Joined: Mar 21, 2002
Posts: 242
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Thanks a lot Orang for the information. Very helpful. But I did read in a magazine that most of the chargers have a capacity to check when the battery is full and immediately stop charging once the capacity is reached. So I guess the question of over/under charging doesn't arise. Then again I don't know if all chargers have that function!  |
jorg47
Joined: May 02, 2002
Posts: 54
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ThankX!
[ This Message was edited by: jorg47 on 2002-05-24 16:48 ] |
orang3
Joined: Mar 28, 2002
Posts: > 500
From: Never_never_Land
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it is noting ... we share our knowledge here ... |
Brimme
Joined: May 18, 2002
Posts: > 500
From: Netherlands Amsterdam
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Yeah Thanks man very helpfull.
 P900 + P800 + K700i + T68i+ HBH-60 + ms duo128 |
rudeboymcc
Joined: May 25, 2002
Posts: 287
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well i just piurchased a t68i and i charged it over night. the next day i pressed the volume key up and it said i had 189hours of standby time. what happened to the 390 hours?? and the next day, the phone was already on 100hours. all i did was playu one or two games na dtxt a few people. is the 390hours a lie?? |
way2funky
Joined: May 16, 2002
Posts: 5
From: London
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I had the same problem- got my phone a few weeks back- let the battery die before charging it and after teh first few charges you should be better- mine is at 320 hours after a full charge now. |
stlblues
Joined: May 21, 2002
Posts: 92
PM |
On average the battery indicator should show around 250 hrs standby time and 5-6 hrs talk time. |
pfontes
Joined: Jun 10, 2002
Posts: 3
From: Portugal
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I bought a t65 a week ago and i let the batery die every time, but the maxtime i've seen in the standby tima is 180 hours, is this normal?Do you think it's because the batery is new?
(I've already charged it 3 times) |
FaithFree
Joined: Jun 22, 2002
Posts: 40
From: England
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Yeah, I noticed that when you buy it new (T68i and in fact most phones) you are advised to charge it for 16 hours solid... but it ceases charging automatically after a few hours.
It doesn't seem to have adversely effected mine so far.
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decoy7
Joined: Feb 06, 2002
Posts: > 500
From: NW London
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most phones dont cease charging after a few hours....they stop fast charging and start slow(trickle) charging. |
FaithFree
Joined: Jun 22, 2002
Posts: 40
From: England
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Ooooooh.... pretty......
--Chris--
(Seen the light) |
GRIFTER
Joined: Feb 23, 2002
Posts: 89
From:
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Very useful and helpful, thanks a lot! |
wapchimp
Joined: Jun 09, 2002
Posts: > 500
From: Land of the chimps
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using different things on the phone will obviously drain batt life more - like IR, Bluetooth & GPRS etc - so 2-3 days (maybe less if ure female & talk alot) is about right for T68mie etc |
orang3
Joined: Mar 28, 2002
Posts: > 500
From: Never_never_Land
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i talk alot on my hp too ... my service provider provides free incoming calls ..
Sex is like hacking. You get in, you get out, and you hope you didn't leave something behind that can be traced back to you |
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Posted: 2002-05-20 12:09
P900 + 
