General Information - VOLTCRAFT CC-2 Bedienungsanleitung

7. General information

Rechargeable batteries consist of two electrodes placed into an electrolyte; thus, a rechargeable
battery is a chemical element. Chemical processes take place inside this element. As these
processes are reversible, rechargeable batteries can be recharged.
A charge voltage is required to recharge batteries. This voltage must be higher than the cell
voltage. In addition, the energy (mAh) supplied for the charging process must be higher than
the energy that can be drawn afterwards. This ratio of the energy supplied to the energy drawn
is called efficiency.
The capacity that can be taken mainly depends on the discharging current; it is decisive for the
condition of the battery. The supplied charge cannot be used as a measure, because a propor-
tion of it will be lost (for example converted into heat).
The capacity data given by the manufacturer is the maximum theoretic quantity of current which
can be delivered by the battery. That means that, for example, a battery of 2000 mAh can theo-
retically deliver a current of 1000 mA (= 1 A) for two hours. This value depends heavily on many
factors (condition of the battery, discharging current, temperature, etc.).
Selecting the charging current
The charger offers several practice-oriented charging currents (300 mA, 500 mA, 700 mA,
1000 mA).
The charging current must be selected according to the information on the rechargeable battery.
Example 1: T he label "Standard charge: 12 - 15 hours at xxx mA"
Example 2: The label "Fast charge: 4 - 5 hours at xxx mA"
Example 3: The label "Fast rechargeable" or "Quick charging possible"
The charger does not always offer precisely the right charging current. In such cases,
the next lower current range is the correct choice.
For rechargeable batteries without information on the charging current, a charging
current of approximately 1/10 of the battery capacity should be used (e.g. battery
capacity 2500 mAh, charging current 300 mA).
The discharging current in the "CHARGE TEST" operating mode is set automatically according
to the charging current:
• Charging current 300 mA or 500 mA: Discharging current 250 mA
• Charging current 700 mA or 1000 mA: Discharging current 500 mA
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