Page 4 - battery

If you’ve popped your hood and taken a close look at your car’s sealed lead acid battery lately, chances are you’ve noticed a build-up (unless your battery is new) of corrosion caused by acid condensation. The crusty-looking whitish or greenish appearance is actually easy to clean, and most likely you already have everything you need. But while it is easy enough to accomplish, you’ll need to make sure you keep safety protocols in mind so that you don’t hurt yourself—or your car—in the process.

While some batteries may be so corroded that they require disconnection of the cable clamps or terminals, we’re not recommending that and instead talking about general maintenance and cleaning that you can do while keeping your car’s battery still in place. A severely corroded battery may require additional maintenance and cleaning beyond what we are discussing here today.

Supplies:

• Safety goggles/protective glasses
• Box of baking soda
• An old toothbrush or similar bristled brush
• Cleaning rags or sponges

Why is it that batteries to motorcycles, ATVs and even boats don’t seem to last? This is a very common complaint we hear, and one of the most obvious culprits seems to be sporadic use of the battery. Many pleasure boaters, for example, haven’t even taken their boat out since the last days of summer last year. Yet they get into the boat when warm weather arrives and are seemingly surprised that their battery isn’t quite as ready for boating action as the passengers.

Batteries will discharge at a rate of approximately 2-5 percent each month while not being used. While use does indeed keep a battery operating at peak capacity more consistently, a low battery can’t be fully charged by simply being cranked up on occasion—no matter the distance or length of time.

If a motorcycle or equipment is not going to be used for a period of 30 days or longer, consider placing the battery on a 2 amp or less smart maintenance charger for 24-48 hours every month (even better leave it connected indefinitely).

Why do batteries get old and fail, and is there any way to avoid this? While it would be amazing to have a battery that will last the lifetime of your device or equipment, the truth is that no battery lasts forever. The key cause is sulfation.

Sulfation occurs when the electrolyte solution begins to break down. Sulfur in the solution essentially leaches from the electrolyte and sticks to the lead plates as converted lead sulfuric crystals. These crystals coat the plates and prevent them from doing their job the next time you power up. At the same time, the electrolyte solution becomes weaker because it then lacks the sulfuric acid that has converted to crystals, which then interferes with the ability of the battery to accept, hold and deliver a charge.

Stage One of sulfation may be an initial form that reduces quick starting but will be absorbed back into the electrolyte when charged. With more time, sulfation progresses and a battery may require a greater charge. The final stage is when

It’s far from being on the marketplace, but Science News is reporting that a battery is being tested with a three-dimensional nano-structure for battery cathodes that allows for dramatically faster charging and discharging without sacrificing energy storage capacity.

Batteries that can store significant energy and release it fast and then recharge quickly are desirable for the up-and-coming electric vehicles. In addition, they are sought after in the medical field for equipment, lasers and in military applications.

The performance of traditional lithium-ion (Li-ion) or nickel metal hydride (NiMH) rechargeable batteries degrades significantly when they are rapidly charged or discharged. Making the active material in the battery a thin film allows for very fast charging and discharging, but reduces the capacity to nearly zero because the active material lacks volume to store energy.

The test design essentially wraps a thin film into three-dimensional structure, achieving both high active

There have been numerous reports about the battery market and how the tragic earthquake that has devastated parts of Japan could lead to a shortage. While it is true that Japan is home to numerous production sites, for not just batteries, but components for computers, cars and other technology, analysts are saying that consumers should not be adversely affected.

Most companies have a supply buffer already in place, and other plants throughout the world are stepping up production efforts to meet continued demand for Lithium-ion batteries especially, which are used to power a wide variety of consumer devices including smart phones and laptops. Battery manufacturers are also turning to alternative components sources besides those in the devastated parts of Japan to ensure supply remains constant.

The Japanese company Kureha, for one, which supplies a critical component that is used in lithium-ion batteries and in batteries used for electric vehicles, previously held over 70 percent of the

Researchers looking for ways to power our country more efficiently have developed a battery that takes advantage of using river water and salty. Stanford scientists have calculated that if all the world’s rivers were put to use, about 2 terawatts of electricity could be produced annually—roughly 13 percent of the world’s current energy consumption.

While the tests are a long way from actual production, the concept of using existing water from the planet is promising and environmentally exciting. A power plant could be potentially placed anywhere freshwater enters the sea, such as a river mouth. In addition, the battery would not require the water to be extremely clean—storm runoff and gray water could potentially be used as could treated sewage water. Because the water would be “borrowed” and then “returned” back to the source in the same condition, there should have little environmental impact. The discharge water would be a mixture of fresh and sweater, released into an area where the

In today’s technological society, hardly a day goes by when we’re not charging one device or replacing batteries in another. Studies show that our love of electronics and battery-powered equipment means we will only become more—and not less—dependent on items that need to be powered up.

At Impact Battery, we recognize that there is a battery and a charger for many of the necessities and extravagances that are part of more and more people’s lifestyles. Whether you’re searching for a charger for your golf cart, a replacement battery for your motorcycle, or a solar panel, we’re your source.

We are constantly evaluating our inventory of batteries and related equipment to keep up with technological trends and consumer preferences so that we can meet your needs. Whatever your gadget or gizmo is that needs a battery and/or charger, chances are we have what you’re looking for. For added convenience, we provide listings of batteries by brand and type and include a battery selector guide and a tutorial

In the past few weeks, we have been talking about replacement batteries for your current equipment. With temperatures starting to welcome in springtime, people are bringing out their golf carts, motorcycles, scooters and boats. With this blog, however, we want to talk about battery chargers and related equipment, rather than the batteries themselves.

At Impact Battery, we stock a wide variety of battery chargers and conveniently list them by both battery charger types as well as by brand. That way, you can find what you’re looking for in the most convenient way possible.

All of our battery chargers are “Smart Chargers," meaning they are microprocessor controlled and can be left connected to your batteries indefinitely. As with any equipment, you may want to review whether your charger is performing the task it is supposed to be doing and in accordance with the time you expect a charge to occur.

We stock 6-, 12-, 24-, 36- and 48-volt chargers, solar panel chargers, chargers for your golf

Recent arctic blasts and frigid weather events have put snowmobiles to the test—and winter is far from over, depending on where you live. Chances are, if you live in a climate where you own a snowmobile, you’ve been using it a lot since the first of the year. If you’ve noticed that battery performance is starting to decline or isn’t keeping the charge for as long as it should, it may be time for a new battery.

Impact Battery carries snowmobile batteries in popular brands of Arctic Cat, BRP Ski Doo, Kawasaki, Polaris and Yamaha. Our user friendly website lets consumers click on the brand of their snowmobile and then identify the specifics, such as model name, year, CCs, and specific type of battery, so you feel confident that you are looking up correct information and are choosing the right style. You’ll be able to review detailed product information, an image of the battery, features and specifications, part reference numbers, and warranty information as well. If you still have a question,

Use the couple codes below for extra savings at Impact Battery.

All Motorcycle Batteries – “Spring2011” save 8% - Power sport batteries, atv’s, gas scooters, quads, snowmobiles, jet ski, personal watercraft

CTEK battery chargers – “CTEK2011” save 5.5%

Noco Genius Chargers – “Noco2011” save 5.5%

MotoBatt AGM Batteries – “QuadFlex” save 7.3%

Odyssey AGM Batteries – “ODY2011” save 8%

Peg Perego toy batteries – “Perego” save 5%