Rechargeable Battery Tips - Wireless Mics
Achieving the Most from Your Rechargeable Batteries
Success using your system revolves around three basic principles:
1. Using the right batteries for your wireless units.
2. Using the right charger for your batteries.
3. Understanding your run-time requirements.
If you've purchased Ansmann chargers and rechargeable batteries, you've already taken care of the first two.
Run-time
You need to have a good handle on how long you will need to use the wireless unit. Depending on your set-up and run-time requirements, use these recommendations as a starting point:
9V Wireless Systems:
| Run-time | Product | Charges | Discharge |
| Up to 5.5 hours | Ansmann 9V 300 mah | Up to 300 recycles | About 2% per month |
AA Wireless Systems
| Run-time | Product | Charges | Discharge |
| Up to 8 hours | Ansmann AA 2500mah Max-E Plus | up to 300 recycles | No self-discharge only 2% per month |
| Up to 6 hours | Fujitsu 2000 mah LSD | up to 2000 recycles |
No self-discharge only 1% per month |
| Up to 14 hours | 500 + | 5% per month | |
| Up to 12 hours | Ansmann 2850 slimline | up to 500 | 2% per day |
The efficiency of the wireless unit and how hard you drive it, will determine actual run-time with high-capacity cells. For example, Shure ULX wireless units were tested with the Ansmann 250mah 9V cell and found to deliver 4 hours continuous use. (Since then, we've introduced our 300 mah with over 5 hours of run-time.
Discharge Curve
There has been much discussion regarding the differences in discharge curve between alkaline cells and NiMH rechargeable cells. Much of the concern is placed on the fact that with an alkaline battery there is a gradual decrease in voltage drop as opposed to a dramatic cut-off with the NiMH cells. A common mis-statement is "There is no warning signal with a rechargeable battery, so therefore a rechargeable cannot be trusted."
Simply not true.
In actuality, the reverse is true. A rechargeable battery's run-time is quite predictable. Once you determine the length of your run-time application, you can determine how much "spare time" you have with a rechargeable. With an alkaline, you're guessing or hoping the gradual voltage decrease still has enough juice to power the wireless. Or, if you're smart, you stop using the alkaline once it reaches a voltage of 8.8 or less on a 9V, or 2.1 V on a AA system.
Stretching the 1x use.
We've been trained to squeeze the most use of of each alkaline battery, but this is NOT the way to approach rechargeable usage. Because there is no memory effect with the Ansmann rechargeable, it does not matter if you use a 9V for 1 hour or 6 hours. When your church services are over, the use of the rechargeable is too. Do not try to use the same rechargeable for Sunday and then again on Wednesday, like you would normally try to acheive with an alkaine.
Fail-safe procedure.
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Charge the batteries in the appropriate charger to full charge. The charger will automatically switch to trickle charge and keep the batteries topped off.
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Leave the batteries in the charger until ready to use, unless using Max E batteries. Max-E's can be stored charged in stand-by up to one year.
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Just before use, check the voltage under load in the battery utilizing the Energy Check
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Load the batteries into the wireless units.
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After use, remove batteries from wireless unit, and return to the charger until ready for the next use.
Spare Rechargeable Batteries
What about Refresh -Reconditioning?
Ansmann rechargeable batteries are designed for high recycles. To achieve the most recycles from your batteries, we highly recommend refreshing your cells. If you purchase an Energy Series charger - (Energy 8 or 16) the charger will automatically analyze each cell and perform refresh on it as needed. This becomes important as the battery ages -- particularly after 250-300 uses. Over time, the cell's chemistry can become imbalanced and crystal formation can occur. This will diminish run-time of the battery and additional recycles. Refreshing the cells periodically helps to restore chemistry to a balanced state. The refresh function is a proprietary algorithm of charge and discharge cycles at various voltage levels. Only Ansmann Energy Series chargers have this function. The comfort Series have a pre-charge and advanced top-off feature. The Horizon 10-bay 9V does not. The Powerline 8 charger has a manual discharge feature which will also increase battery life but not to the extent as refreshing. The Fischer Amps rack mounts do not have a refresh function, but they do have deep pulse charging cycles which help to optimize battery life as well.
Many facilities, particularly those who utilize the 10-bay and 12-bay units also purchase an Energy Series charger and cycle the batteries through this charger about once every 1-2 months to increase their recycles. Over seven years, the cost of this additional charger is money well spent.
If you're still not sure about rechargeables, we can help. If you would like a FREE evaluation of your needs, click here.
For specific questions concerning your rechargeable system call us at 800-648-7239 We are available Monday thru Friday from 9AM to 5PM EST. If you'd rather email. send your questions to sales@horizonbattery.com