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Keith Kyker and Christopher Curchy
Keeping Your Batteries Charged!
Each school year media specialists return from a long and restful summer, their energy and enthusiasm recharged. It’s amazing what a few weeks at the beach, mountains, islands, and other vacation hideaways can do to recharge and revitalize our minds and bodies. They are ready to dust and shelve the books, order the software, boot up the computers, and take on the challenges of the media world. These extended vacation days, however, have just the opposite effect on our camcorder batteries. After lying on our shelves, hidden away in our closets and desk drawers, or placed in labeled boxes and stored away for the summer vacation, these staples of video production lack the energy they need to begin the new school year. Even after hours of charging, they provide lackluster power and energy. What’s the problem? What’s the solution?
Solving your dilemma is easy once you know the type of battery your camcorder uses for power. Most full-size VHS and S-VHS camcorders use a lead acid battery. Take out your battery and look at it. All batteries contain language indicating the type of chemical used for providing power. Lead acid batteries will state that they contain lead acid. This is very similar to a standard automobile battery that you have in your car. If you leave your car stored in a garage or driveway for an extended length of time, you will have difficulty starting the engine because the battery will be very weak or dead. Lead acid batteries have a distinctive characteristic that slowly discharges the battery while it is stored. If you fully charge a lead acid battery, and then leave it on a shelf for several weeks, you will return to find it completely discharged. This is normal. However, leaving uncharged or only partially charged batteries on shelves during the summer or holiday vacations can actually damage the battery and essentially render it unusable for production purposes. How do I know if your camcorder battery is damaged or ready to be sent to the battery "graveyard"? Here are some simple signs:
- The camcorder battery will not charge at all when placed on a charger. This is the most obvious of all dead battery situations. Perform a quick burial rite, then dispose of this item immediately.
- The camcorder battery fully charges when placed on a charger. Once inserted into the camcorder, however, the battery discharges very quickly. You can almost watch the battery’s display bars disappear one-by-one in the viewfinder.
- The battery only allows the camcorder to function for short periods of time. Time for a new battery!
- The camcorder battery displays "full" when placed on a charger. When inserted into the camcorder, the battery does not even have enough power to turn on the camera. Another quick burial rite, then disposal.
If your camcorder battery is displaying these signs, it is obvious that you must order some new batteries quickly. Our friend owns a video production retail store and he makes sure he has plenty of new lead acid batteries in stock for the school year. He has seen the "signs" each and every year as media specialists return to school after their summer vacation. Take heart that you are not alone.
Lead acid batteries are damaged by being left for long periods of time partially or totally discharged. Next year, take your camcorder batteries and charger home for the vacation or holidays. Periodically connect the batteries to the charger and charge them until they are fully charged. After a few weeks the batteries will discharge, so repeat this process. There are usually some colored lights to indicate when a battery is charging or when it has been fully charged.
Lead acid batteries cost between $50 - $70, provide from 60-150 minutes of operating time, and have no memory effect. Remember that lead acid batteries are similar to your car battery. They should be recharged immediately after use. You do not need to fully discharge a lead acid battery before you begin charging it. However, lead acid batteries do not last forever! They can be used/charged about 200 times before needing replacement. If you are noticing that your battery is only providing short periods of power, it is probably time to replace it with a new one.
Do not buy more batteries than you really need. Leaving them in storage for long periods of time is harmful to their health. Also, be a friend of the Earth and dispose of your batteries properly. Any battery dealer, video retail store, or even some automotive shops will take your dead batteries in for proper disposal. Lead acid is harmful to the environment, so do not just throw them in the trash can.
Nickel Cadmium batteries are also popular. Nickel Cadmium, or NiCad batteries are most often used in smaller format camcorders: VHS-C and 8mm formats. Because they are smaller and lightweight, they have become very popular for consumer oriented camcorders. They require a different approach to charging and care than lead acid batteries. NiCad batteries must be used/discharged completely before you begin re-charging them. If you do not fully discharge the battery before charging it again, a NiCad battery can develop a "memory" effect and never provide full power and charging capabilities. (If your NiCad battery is not fully discharged, you can place a videotape in the camcorder and simply "play" the tape in the camera’s VCR mode until the battery is completely discharged.) Some NiCad battery chargers contain a mechanism that discharges the battery completely before it begins charging. If you are not sure if your charger contains this mechanism, be sure you are discharging your batteries completely before charging them. Rechargeable nickel cadmium batteries provide 6.0V power and 60-150 minutes of operating time. If you are not sure if your battery is a nickel cadmium or lead acid battery, once again, carefully read the battery label to verify what type of battery your camcorder uses. There is a newer version of nickel cadmium batteries available on the market that advertises "no memory effect." The authors have no personal experience with these newer versions of NiCad batteries, so it is impossible to accept or refute these claims.
Finally, the newest type of battery available for today’s camcorders is a Lithium Ion battery. These new batteries are being used on some of the new digital camcorders, and smaller format cameras. Lithium batteries provide 7.2 volts of power and up to 120 minutes of operating time. They are supposedly more durable and provide longer lasting power. Panasonic’s new lithium battery has a suggested retail price of $100. Lithium batteries are also marketed as "Earth friendly," meaning they do not need any special disposal requirements, and do not damage the environment.
If you would like to see more information about camcorder batteries, check out the Panasonic web page at www.panasonic.com or any other of the many web sites about batteries and camcorder accessories. By following a few simple guidelines, your camcorder batteries will last longer and provide more hours of operating time. Keeping your batteries charged is good for you and your students!
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