New spare battery- Al MacBook

[indoodles]

I got a spare battery for my Al. MacBook (see sig) when I bought it a month ago thinking I'd be using it in addition to the included one as I have a lot of field work to do.

The included one, as I see now, gives me enough juice for my five hours of work without a power supply.

My question is: How do I store the spare battery so that I can use it a year or so from now, when this one loses capacity. Currently I have it on 40% charge in the opened box inside of my computer desk. Will it last a year? Do I take it out to calibrate it and push it up to 40% each month?

Thanks

 

[Solemony]

http://www.apple.com/batteries/notebooks.html < this'll give you some ideas how to store your spare battery. But I think storing your battery at around 40% charge it should be fine but be sure to store it in a cool enviroment.

 

[indoodles]

http://www.apple.com/batteries/notebooks.html < this'll give you some ideas how to store your spare battery. But I think storing your battery at around 40% charge it should be fine but be sure to store it in a cool enviroment.

Thanks for the link, just one more question. How much percent of charge does the battery lose in a month? Like, if you have experience with this thing.

 

[mynameisadam]

Thanks for the link, just one more question. How much percent of charge does the battery lose in a month? Like, if you have experience with this thing.

If your not using the Spare battery for a While this is what's recommended by apple (a while meaning 6 months or more btw)

Set your battery Charge at %50 than take it out and put it in a room with room temperature but a little cooler and you will not lose any if at most very little.

 

[indoodles]

If your not using the Spare battery for a While this is what's recommended by apple (a while meaning 6 months or more btw)

Set your battery Charge at %50 than take it out and put it in a room with room temperature but a little cooler and you will not lose any if at most very little.

Done! Thanks.

Close the thread please

 

[alphaod]

Well you need to store it at 60% because between the range of 40% to 60%, the decrease capacity is slowest, so it will slowly creep lower. Sure you can do 40% or 50% but again, your charge will only go down, so might as well have it decrease and still be in the safe range. If you take it out to calibrate to 40% each month, you will only make the cells die faster. So calibrate the battery, and discharge the charge to 60% and store it like that. Next time you use it, make sure you charge it to full.

That said, if you don't use a spare battery often, it may be a bad investment considering the battery will die no matter how you store it.

And if you have FoodSaver bags, you can use the vacuum seal and put the battery in your freezer.

 

[Moriarty]

Well you need to store it at 60% because between the range of 40% to 60%, the decrease capacity is slowest, so it will slowly creep lower. Sure you can do 40% or 50% but again, your charge will only go down, so might as well have it decrease and still be in the safe range. If you take it out to calibrate to 40% each month, you will only make the cells die faster. So calibrate the battery, and discharge the charge to 60% and store it like that. Next time you use it, make sure you charge it to full.

That said, if you don't use a spare battery often, it may be a bad investment considering the battery will die no matter how you store it.

And if you have FoodSaver bags, you can use the vacuum seal and put the battery in your freezer.

As long as you can find a way to thaw it without condensation forming inside the battery...

 

[Tinknock71]

Or sell it on craislist and buy a new one in a few years from now. What I use to do with my Dell is switch batteries every month or so. Got about 4 years out of the batteries swithing back and forth.

 

[mlts22]

Batteries are expiring items. If you could sell the battery, then pick up one when you need it, that would be the idea.

Barring that, you could just keep it with your MB, because you might find a time that you run out of juice with your original battery, and there isn't a plug in sight.

 

[UltraNEO*]

Well you need to store it at 60% because between the range of 40% to 60%, the decrease capacity is slowest, so it will slowly creep lower. Sure you can do 40% or 50% but again, your charge will only go down, so might as well have it decrease and still be in the safe range. If you take it out to calibrate to 40% each month, you will only make the cells die faster. So calibrate the battery, and discharge the charge to 60% and store it like that. Next time you use it, make sure you charge it to full.

That said, if you don't use a spare battery often, it may be a bad investment considering the battery will die no matter how you store it.

And if you have FoodSaver bags, you can use the vacuum seal and put the battery in your freezer.

Curious.

What happens if a new battery that's never been used was stored? Would it automatically expire too?

 

[indoodles]

Or sell it on craislist and buy a new one in a few years from now. What I use to do with my Dell is switch batteries every month or so. Got about 4 years out of the batteries swithing back and forth.

That's what I'd been thinking too. Get minimal number if cycles on a battery. I read that these're the Li-Polymer kind, which go kaput after a specified number of cycles and that's prolly 300 or so, I guess. I use it quite a lot so I know I'll get at least 25-30 cycles on a month of usage.

 

[indoodles]

Curious.

What happens if a new battery that's never been used was stored? Would it automatically expire too?

Shelf life?

My battery has 0 cycles on it but it's inside of an open box. I don't trust craigslist.

 

[Tinknock71]

Shelf life?

My battery has 0 cycles on it but it's inside of an open box. I don't trust craigslist.

I have never heard of shelf life for a computer battery maybe someone could enlighten me on that one also?

I have had very good experience with Craglist, just have to be careful who you deal with, I Got my new Alum. Macbook 2.4 for a 1000.00 bucks brand new with receipt, bought it for his wife for Christmas and ended up getting in a car wreck and need the money for his deductible. And I have sold a lot on Craigslist, Powerbook, used cellphones, tools etc.

 

[mynameisadam]

Shelf life?

My battery has 0 cycles on it but it's inside of an open box. I don't trust craigslist.

this is what iv read up to answer the ( no use no drain?) the battery or most batteries dont get drained easily, but this is one of the ways how it drains fast,
While using your notebook if its on full charge Dont Plug and Charge this way the battery will drain Much faster, so if its on full charge or near there than wait it out for it to drain use it than charge it. also most batteries do not lose there charge if it is never been used because the chemicals within dont even activate.

 

[alphaod]

As long as you can find a way to thaw it without condensation forming inside the battery...

I've done it before; just thaw it with the FoodSaver still on it; then let it dry for a day, just in case.

Curious.

What happens if a new battery that's never been used was stored? Would it automatically expire too?

Yes it will. Why I no longer buy rechargeable lithium batteries and store til later use.

 

[indoodles]

I have never heard of shelf life for a computer battery maybe someone could enlighten me on that one also?

I have had very good experience with Craglist, just have to be careful who you deal with, I Got my new Alum. Macbook 2.4 for a 1000.00 bucks brand new with receipt, bought it for his wife for Christmas and ended up getting in a car wreck and need the money for his deductible. And I have sold a lot on Craigslist, Powerbook, used cellphones, tools etc.

lol what I meant to say is, that I don't trust craigslist India. I'm here on a scholarship program and I never used it back home in Boston.

 

[indoodles]

this is what iv read up to answer the ( no use no drain?) the battery or most batteries dont get drained easily, but this is one of the ways how it drains fast,
While using your notebook if its on full charge Dont Plug and Charge this way the battery will drain Much faster, so if its on full charge or near there than wait it out for it to drain use it than charge it. also most batteries do not lose there charge if it is never been used because the chemicals within dont even activate.

Okay, it was 46% when I bought it and it was 40% when I stored it and never used it again. Cycles were still zero. That means I activated the chemical flow, right?

 

[mynameisadam]

Okay, it was 46% when I bought it and it was 40% when I stored it and never used it again. Cycles were still zero. That means I activated the chemical flow, right?

when you say 46% than 40% im guessing you inserted it into the notebook and used it in that case even using the battery Once activates it so once you activate it i would suggest recharging it to 50% than storing it in a cool place that way you wont lose any battery if at most very little, or at 40% just put it somewhere cool.

also something recently i found out was (which is interesting) someone put a dead battery in his fridge not freezing it* and Apparently he got back Some of the charges and got about 30 Mins out of it.

that wasnt done with a mac battery but still fascinating