Ansmann Tips

Digital cameras and flash units require large amounts of current in short intervals. This occurs when the digital camera has to process the data after the shot whilst the flash is reloading and the screen is switched on. During this time, the camera requires very high currents that the battery has to provide. Compared with a set of high performance alkaline batteries, you can achieve a higher number of shots when using our rechargeable batteries, e. g. Mignon AA size 2,200 mAh.
Over a number of years you can save a considerable amount of money and contribute to protect our environment. A set of rechargeable batteries replaces numerous sets of primary cells.

Batteries are used everywhere, in almost every toy, in walkmans, discmans, flash units, digital cameras, gameboys etc. On average 60 batteries are used per year in every household which costs around 75 – 80 $ per year. A more intelligent solution is to use rechargeable batteries wherever possible! For most applications where disposable batteries are used, you can use rechargeable batteries instead. The cost saving is enormous when using rechargeable cells instead of disposable batteries. It only makes a sense to use a disposable battery in units with a slow current consumption, e.g. wall clocks.
1 NiMH rechargeable cell 2000 mAh replaces up to 500 alkaline batteries!

Rechargeable batteries are an excellent alternative to disposable batteries. For example Germans buy around 900 million non-rechargeable batteries every year which are thrown out after use – an incredible waste of raw material and energy. Batteries are the most expensive kind of energy of all. They need around 50 to 500 times more energy to be produced than they actually provide when in use. Another real disadvantage of primary batteries is that they cannot be recycled for technical and economic reasons. Common nickel-cadmium rechargeable batteries, however, can be fully recycled and their raw material can be used for the production of new cells. The all-important advantage of rechargeable batteries for the environment – their long life – can only be obtained when they are handled in the right manner. A good charger is, therefore, the prerequisite for the effective use of rechargeable cells. (Source: Federal Environment Agency)

The capacity of a rechargeable battery is determined according to the IEC standard worldwide. However, the capacity printed on the battery label is not always in conformity with the actual capacity as some tests have proven.
We are proud that our products are repeatedly winning top
position in independent consumer tests. Quality does pay off.
Another important issue is the service life. A new high capacity rechargeable battery is not worth the expense if its capacity decreases after only 50 or 60 charging cycles. Traditionally battery labels do not indicate anything about this feature so that the user “is kept in the dark”. We, as a market leader in this sector, see our task to provide full transparency for our customers.

Rechargeable cells use different quantities of energy. Therefore they require different charging currents or supervision during the charging process. Most of the low-priced chargers do not have a reverse-connect protection. This means that the battery can be damaged when it is inserted in the wrong way. Moreover, these chargers cannot recognize the charging current required by the rechargeable battery, or they are not equipped with a charging control. At best the cell is charged badly, at worst it is damaged. Rechargeable batteries that are charged in poor quality chargers may only be able to be charged 25 to 50 times instead of 1000 times. That’s why those chargers are sheer battery killers. Good chargers are always equipped with a reverse-connect protection, adjust to the requirements of the cells and provide them with the right charging current automatically. Professional chargers are fast chargers – they charge even half-filled batteries and avoid the memory effect of NiCd cells by featuring a refresh/discharge function. They save time and are simple to use. Even if cells are inserted at different times, there are no problems charging. These chargers signal when the cell is fully charged and even detect and identify faulty cells. The trickle charge allows the user to leave the batteries inserted in the charger until they are needed, so that they are always topped up ready for use without being overcharged or losing capacity (E.g. ANSMANN Energy series).

• Batteries should be charged before first use.
• Do not incinerate, short-circuit or open by force.
• Always pay attention to the correct polarity when inserting the batteries. The symbols on the cells for positive and negative polarity must always conform to the marking on the compartment of the charger.
• Principally both types of rechargeable batteries (NiCd or NiMH cells) can be used. However you should always use the same type of cells (NiCd or NiMH) with the same capacity (e.g. 600 mAh) in an appliance.
• To avoid a loss in capacity of the NiCd batteries (the so-called memory effect) the batteries should be discharged completey every 10 charging cycles.
• The charging time of the batteries depends on the nominal capacity (printed on the cell in mAh) and on the value of the charging current. The charging time can be determined as follows: Charging time (h) = battery capacity (mAh) x 1.4 (charging factor) charging current of the charger (mA)
• For your information a table is printed on the rear of all ANSMANN chargers to show the user the charging time in relation to the charging current and the capacity of the cell. The range of ANSMANN chargers offers an optimum solution for every type of application.