FAQ
TC400/TC200/TC40 Battery Charger
Q. Does the charger charge the batteries all at the same time?
A. Yes
Q. Is it safe to leave a battery on the charger?
A. The charger terminates the charge process once the battery is fully charged. After that the battery can remain on the charger indefinitely.
Q. I placed a battery on the charger, the charger doesn't acknowledge it?
A. If the battery is fully charged, the charger will attempt to charge it for up to 1 min., after that time the charger will report "Channel #XX Ready"(TC400) and illuminate the Green LED.
Q. I have several different batteries - Panasonic DVX100 and Sony PD170 style. Can they all be charged at the same time?
A. Yes, you need to order a "custom configuration " version of the charger so it will come equipped with the correct matching plates.
Batteries
Q. How do I relate the amp-hour rating, say 6,000 mAh, to the battery's
capacity in Wh in the case of a Panasonic DVX100 battery?
A.
You need to multiply the Ah number by the battery voltage (7.2V nominal
for the Panasonic DVX100 camera).
In this example 6 * 7.2 = 43.2 Wh
Q. How much run time can I expect to get from a battery?
A. Run time is calculated by dividing the Wh rating of the battery by the camera power consumption. In the case of a DVX100, its power consumption is about 8W. Dividing 43.2 Wh by 8W we get about 5.5 h calculated run time. In real life not all batteries deliver their rated capacity due to manufacturing variations and aging. Your mileage may vary.
Q. Do I need to discharge my Li-Ion battery before charging?
A. Li-Ion chemistry does not benefit from discharging.
Doing so does not make it last longer, actually deep discharge shortens
its cycle life.
Deep discharge vs. shallow
discharge
Discharge at different current
rates
Interpreting "C" : While discharging at 1C, it takes a battery 1 hour to fully discharge; discharging at 1/2C takes 2 hours; discharging at 2C takes 1/2 hour.
Q. Do the Li-Ion batteries have "memory"?
A. Li-Ion chemistry is inherently memory free
Q. What is "battery memory"
A. The effect was first discovered in the early days of Ni-Cad chemistry,
since then was greatly misunderstood and exaggerated. Please refer to
the article
Q. My battery started to expand, the plastic case is expanding on top or bottom, can I still use it?
A. We recommend to dispose of it ASAP as it might be a sign of a catastrophic failure in the works.
Q. My battery does not last more than a few minutes. Can it be fixed?
A. Li-Ion batteries can not be rejuvenated by charging/discharging
them, or using any other "tricks". Expect 2-3 years of service
before run time deteriorates.
