During my training as a land surveyor my professor and I discussed how our work in the field can be hampered by a simple small device that controls every piece of vital equipment we use. Wow to think that a flipping battery reigns supreme over how long I can work and what I can accomplish. So he told me if you could create a battery that does not have a “memory,” and recharges in minutes, you’d be set for life. What did you think I’d give you a million dollar idea that would take no effort on your behalf? Come'on Pffft :)
Lithium at a Glance Lithium ion batteries (Li-Ion) are a type of rechargeable battery commonly used in digital cameras, laptops, GPS devices, and other consumer electronics. Currently Li-Ion batteries are one of the most popular in use today, with an excellent energy to weight ratio, a slow loss of charge when not in use, and no memory effect. However they can be dangerous if not cared for properly, and unless care is taken they may have a shorter lifespan compared to other battery types.
When storing a Li-ion battery, one must take care in correctly monitoring the temperature & charge, which can make the difference in maintaining storage capacity. A slightly different drawback with Li-ion is that the life space is dependent upon aging from the time it is manufactured, regardless of whether or not it was charged upon creation. Along with the time when it was manufactured, the number of charge/discharge cycles also decreases the batteries capability to maintain a healthy charge. Lithium Batteries are very popular in respect to their unique ability to be formed into a wide variety of sizes & shape, as to fill available space in the devices they power efficiently.
Storing a Li-ion battery at the correct temperature and charge makes all the difference in maintaining its storage capacity. A unique drawback of the Li-ion battery is that its life span is dependent upon aging from time of manufacturing (shelf life) regardless of whether it was charged, and not just on the number of charge/discharge cycles
Lithium ion batteries can be formed into a wide variety of shapes and sizes, so as to efficiently fill available space in the devices they power.
Personal Experience I use the Sony NP-BG1 battery at work with the Sony digital camera, actually we have several of them and we use them extensively in the field for recording pictures and data. Not only have these batteries given us a good amount of life in the field, but they are reliable in different weather conditions. Basically when the weather gets extremely hot or cold the battery life is usually affected, but these batteries seem to hold up fairly well during periods of extreme heat or cold.
Recharging the batteries seems to be something that works out well, from dead to full within 2.5 hours which is fairly impressive and in the field we get a solid 2-3 hours of use out of them which is like a 1:1 ratio. (Time on charge and time in use) I like the life, and improvements on these batteries, as it makes my job less stressful and easier in the field not having to worry about when and if my batteries are going to die. Also due to the low cost of replacement it makes perfect sense to use this rechargeable battery rather than purchasing separate AA’s all the time which are wasteful and costly.
Overall The Sony NP-BG1 Lithium Ion Battery has proven quite effective at not only lasting more than a few hours during usage, but recharges at a considerable rate, and the memory seems to be stronger than the average Lithium Ion Battery. I recommend this battery and replacements should not ding you for too much in the future, heck grab an extra one right when you get the camera or device just to have as a backup. Make sure you give them a full charge when you first purchase them.
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