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When asked about experiences
with rechargeable batteries most customers respond with having had
"mixed" or "unsatisfactory" results. Why is this?
Two differences between
rechargeable batteries and regular disposable alkaline batteries.
1) Self-discharge. Most rechargeable batteries (NiMH) can lose power in a
few week just sitting unused. Newer battery designs solve this with low
self-discharge features. Low self-discharge batteries can sit for a
year with only minimal loss of their power (outside of any device). The
majority of rechargeable NiMH batteries on the market are still the
self-discharging type. However, at Lampcraft we sell only low
self-discharge rechargeable batteries.
2) Deep discharge damage.
Draining down rechargeable batteries too deeply can cause immediate and
permanent loss of capacity. Up to 40% each time deep discharge occurs.
How can deep discharge
damage be avoided?
Change your batteries before
its absolutely necessary. FERMATA light has battery protection which warns you
when the batteries are low. The warning indicator is a fast flicker which lasts
between 1-12 seconds (visible only within 8ft). After the fast flicker, there is
still remaining time to finish you rehearsal or concert.~ hours of light on
high, 2 hours on medium, and 3 hours on low. After the remaining time, the
circuit will cut off the power before any battery damage occurs.
Chargers- The new smart
chargers are quite sophisticated and do all of the conditioning necessary. The
two most important features for rechargeable batteries are:
1. Speed of charging -
Recharging (4) AA batteries can take up to 16 hours. There is no industry
standard for the hours a company calims to be "fast charge". We
recommend full charging of (4) AA batteries in <8 hours.
2. Single-Cell battery
Charging and Regulation - Most chargers charge and regulate batteries in
pairs to save money. However, since cells do not discharge equally, charging
them in pairs doesn't consistently condition or recharge each cell. Over time
this may lead to shortened life. For the fullest battery charge and most number
if recharges, only use single-cell regulated battery chargers.
Paired Charging
Single-Cell Charging

Other useful Information-
To avoid accidentally deep
discharging just requires a little planning.
For musicians using their FERMATA lights 2 or more times a week, how
often to recharge your batteries will depend on what light setting you use.
A “High” setting will last about 5 – 6 hrs, so a conservative
recommended charging frequency would be each 1 or 2 sessions.
A “Medium” setting will last about 7 - 8 hrs, so recommended charging
would be each 2-3 sessions. A
“Low” setting will last about 11 - 13 hrs, so recommended charging would be
each 3 sessions. If you can
afford it, keeping a second set of batteries on the charger makes swapping them
out easy and a one-step task.
If you use your light less
often, (once or twice each month), you probably keep a light in your gig bag or
instrument case. Because of the long
periods between uses, you should only
use low self-discharge batteries
otherwise the batteries will self-discharge to the point of damaging their
capacity. For infrequent users, we
also advise that you remove batteries from the light between usages.
We’ve all experienced old and forgotten, leaky batteries.
Always keep batteries isolated from contact with instruments as batteries
contain acid and other chemicals, which if they leak or corrode, could cause
damage.
FERMATA light comes equipped
with battery protection which warns when batteries are low.
The warning indicator is a fast flicker which lasts between 1-12 seconds
(visible only within 8ft.). Then ~1 hour later (on high) the circuit will
cut off the power before permanent battery damage occurs.
If you need longer time after the warning flicker, simply switch the
setting to medium or low.
BATTERY LIFE, Savings and
Environment – These new low self-discharge batteries, together with smarter
chargers can be recharged over 1,000 times.
Our experience is that after about 500 recharges you will see some loss
in capacity (~15%) but they are still useable and provide substantial savings
over alkaline disposables. You
could easily avoid replacing batteries each week, at a cost of ~$1 per set of
(4). That’s $260 over the
anticipated 5 year life. And 5,000
batteries not thrown into the waste stream and landfills.
Getting the maximum
performance from your rechargeable batteries will help you get the most from
your music light, and add to your enjoyment of making music.
And the compelling economic and environmental impacts, should encourage
everyone to use them. We hope this
article will encourage you to use rechargeable batteries, or try them again, and
to have a positive experience with them. If
you have any questions regarding this article or batteries for music lights,
please contact us directly at info@lampcraft.com,
or (800) 277-5527.