19
SECTION C
HOW TO EXTEND
THE LIFE OF YOUR
BATTERY
You can extend the life of the batteries if you follow
these tips:
Tip 1: The first charge is critical. Make sure that the bat
tery is fully charged before first use.
Tip 2: Exploit the power of the battery. Use all the power
the battery has until it is depleted. This maintains
the charge potential of the battery.
Tip 3: Do not charge the battery when it still has power.
If you charge the battery too often, the so-called
memory effect develops. This means the battery
"knows" that not much power is used and will .
only provide as much power as is needed.
Tip 4: Completely discharge the battery once every . . .
week. This is very useful: Fully discharge and then
charge the battery.
Tip 5:. If the battery has little "stamina", several comple
te discharges and recharges will help.
Tip 6: Do not overcharge! Make sure to charge the bat
tery for as long as it needs. Frequent overcharging
in the quick charger causes early ageing and redu
ces the battery capacity.
Tip 7: Charge the battery at room temperature. Do not
charge the battery when it is cold. This damages
the cells.
Tip 8: Store the battery in a cool place. Batteries will . .
loose charge (about 20 % per month) even when
not used. If you want to store your battery for a
long time, put it in the fridge.
