Laptop and scanner battery, extending the life and reliability of them
Hello DN folks,
I am sure many out there use mobile laptops and scanners on a frequent basis like I do. One thing I have been doing for the past year or so is removing the battery out of them if they are left plugged in (or not in use) at the shop most of the time. By doing this I learned that my ability to use them when mobile greatly extended there on time.
Laptop/ scanner batteries tend to develop a ‘charge memory’ after just a few months if left pugged in all the time, so it is best to cycle them down or discharge them fully on occasion.
There is nothing more frustrating (for me anyway) than being in the middle of a remote diagnostics on location and the battery quickly drawing down. Usually, I have a spare battery for backup, but there is delay involved when you have to restart.
Even though I carry a power invertor in my truck, it is not always practical to run a drop cord unless it turns into a drawn out lengthy troubleshooting event.
Lithium batteries should be between 40% and 80% for maximum life. (Or that’s what the internet tells me) so I try not to charge my scanners if they above 40%. Seems to working pretty well so far.
Glenn, We have all or our battery powered scan tools, & laptops on timers to charge them a couple of hours in the am before work, & a couple of hours midday. Seems to be lengthening their battery life for us, not to mention the fire hazard from them being plugged in all the time. A friends shop burned to the ground a few years ago from a laptop battery left plugged in all the time.
Some laptops like my ASUS have no battery access so I usually keep it unplugged and only plug it in to charge it then once fully charged unplug it but these days it only really gets used tuning a car at the track not used for work anymore like it did when I was still at a dealership.