Clear-Com AC850A - Manual (Page 2)

OPERATION
Place a room temperature BAT850 battery pack into a
charging port on the battery charger as shown in Figure 4,
with the + and − signs on the battery adjacent to the + and −
signs on the port.
• A steady amber CHARGE light should come on adjacent to
the charging port, indicating the battery pack is receiving
a fast charge.
• A blinking amber CHARGE light would indicate the battery
pack is receiving only a trickle charge. There are several
conditions that would limit the pack to this type of charge.
The first condition would be when the battery or charger
port is too warm, or if the battery or charger port is too
cold. The second condition is when the battery is below a
specified voltage, which can occur when a battery has been overly discharged. If this happens,
leave the battery pack in the charging port. When the correct temperature range is reached,
and/or the required voltage is reached, fast charging will begin and the amber CHARGE light
will remain steady.
Figure 4.
POWER
Red
CHARGE
Amber
READY
Green
• A steady green READY light will come on adjacent to the charging port when the battery pack is
fully charged.
In general, the capacity of an NiMH battery is dramatically affected by the battery temperature
during the charge and discharge cycles, and by the rate of discharge. The capacity is further
influenced by the age of the battery and overall usage and storage history.
The AC850 battery charger monitors and controls the charge of each battery in three different ways:
1) voltage sensing circuitry, 2) thermal cutout sensors and 3) maximum charge time of three hours.
Under varying conditions, any one of these control circuits could cause the battery charger to stop
charging prior to a full charge.
Depending on a battery’s state of health, it may require multiple charge cycles to reach a fully-
charged state. This is especially true with new batteries, or batteries under heavy usage. A new
battery could take as many as three separate charge cycles to reach full charge.
Under heavy-use conditions, it is strongly recommended that each battery be subjected to an
additional charge cycle at least once a week (twice a week if possible). After the charge cycle
terminates, the battery should be allowed to cool down for an hour and then put back into the
charger for another charge cycle. This will ensure that each battery is reaching full capacity and
the cells are balanced.
It is normal for Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH) batteries to become very hot toward the end of the
charging cycle. This is an integral requirement of the charging process.
Fully charged battery packs can be left in the charging port indefinitely without harm.
The green READY light will remain on until the battery pack is removed from the port.