Translators - Electronic > Accessories > 900-Series Accessories

It doesn't have more capacity than a similarly-sized standard Li-Ion battery (it has actually a bit less). It just fits better into small portable devices.
One advantage of the Li-Ion and Li-Polymer battery is it can accept partial charges without degrading the battery or developing "memory." Because these batteries are sized very small to fit into very small devices, this is no small advantage. It's a crucial one (see the tips and a caution at the end of this article).
People want devices that have sound, color, fast processors, and other power-hungry features or components. They also want this device to fit into a pocket. To accommodate these requirements, something has to "give." And that is invariably the battery.

If you want whiz bang features and small size, you can't have super-long battery life. Period. We're up against the laws of physics. But you can have sufficient battery life. For example, properly charge an 900-series translator battery and the unit can run all day.

Facts about battery size vs. performance:

• The amount of energy a battery can store is a function of the physical size of certain battery components and thus of the battery itself. As you go up in battery capacity, you also go up in size and weight.
• Battery life is a function of how much energy a battery stores and the rate at which that energy is used. As you add power usage, you must also add size or reduce battery life.

Essentially, you are storing a charge in the physical materials of the battery. To store more charge, you need more material. And that material adds both size and weight. But nobody wants to carry a brick around. Do you?

The 900-series translator battery is a Lithium Polymer. We have had a few complaints that the battery doesn't seem to hold a charge. But we have evaluated several 900-series translator batteries and also compared them against the batteries in other devices and find the batteries hold a charge just fine.

When the user basically does everything possible to drain the battery as quickly as possible, then, yes, the battery is going to seem like it just doesn't last. There is no getting around this, because the battery has only so much capacity.

What you can do:

• Keep a spare battery or two with you, if you're going to be out for long.
• Buy a cradle charger and a car charger. Charge your 900-series translator frequently.
• Avoid power-hungry usage patterns if you won't be able to charge for a while.
• Charge the battery for 6 to 8 hours before first usage of the device. Six hours should give you a full charge. Additional charging won't add any runtime. A couple hours over won't hurt, but if you get to six you are done.
• Caution: Do not charge Li-Ion (or Li-Polymer) batteries longer than 24 hours. Think in terms of "sip" not "drown."