Battery Management for your Barcode Mobile Computer
Posted by Kate Sparks
To avoid downtime, you want to keep your devices charged and ready. After all, what good is your mobile computer if the battery is dead? In this article, we’ve pulled together some suggestions and guidelines for the proper care of mobile computer batteries.
Mobile Computer Battery Usage Guidelines:
1. Track the purchase date and age of each battery. Mark your batteries with color coded stickers, based on purchase dates, to help determine how long a battery has been in use and when it’s time to replace it.
2. Assign each battery to a specific mobile computer. Label each device and corresponding battery with its own unique number. Label the device’s charger and charging slot with the same number.
3. Plan on replacing your battery every 18 months for average use (8 hour shift in a retail environment) or every 12 months for moderate to high use (24x7 warehouse environment).
4. Always have a spare battery, fully charged and ready to use. Make sure spare batteries are also assigned to a specific mobile computer.
5. Keep your battery’s contact surfaces clean. Dirty contact points can cause charging problems. Gently clean your battery’s contact surface with a soft cloth on a regular basis.
6. Store your batteries in a dry location with low humidity and no corrosive gases. The recommended storage temperature for most batteries is 15° C (59° F).
7. When charging batteries for the first time, charge overnight before initial use. Charge times may vary depending upon capacity and charger.
Please recycle your batteries:
When your rechargeable batteries are no longer able to provide the appropriate charge, it is critical that you dispose of them properly (Nickel Cadmium (Ni-Cd), Nickel Metal Hydride (Ni-MH) or Lithium Ion (Li-ion),).
Click here to recycle a Honeywell rechargeable battery. Don’t have a Honeywell battery? Contact RMS Omega for details on recycling equipment.