Charging Units

PLEASE READ THIS EMAIL REGARDING YOUR BLADEZ BALANCE BOARD

Hello,

We have recently been advised to share with you the knowledge we have found out about charging units that are similar to ours. Other units similar to ours have been tested to be inadequate, therefore we are taking the necessary precautions just in case a similar problem arises with ours. We will be sending out new charging units to anyone who has bought a boards in the next couple of weeks. To understand the problem found with other units in the UK we have included some information below. If you are not going to read this please skip to the summary at the bottom.

Here is some information about Lithium ion batteries that can be found in every mini segway on the maket. The batteries are incredibly popular these days. You can find them in electrical equipment such as: laptops, phones, tablets and ipods. They're so common because they are some of the most energetic rechargeable batteries available, which is of course why you have to look after them.

Lithium-ion batteries are popular because they have a number of important advantages over competing technologies:

·         They're generally much lighter than other types of rechargeable batteries of the same size. The electrodes of a lithium-ion battery are made of lightweight lithium and carbon. Lithium is also a highly reactive element, meaning that a lot of energy can be stored in its atomic bonds. This translates into a very high energy density for lithium-ion batteries. Here is a way to get a perspective on the energy density. A typical lithium-ion battery can store 150 watt-hours of electricity in 1 kilogram of battery. A NiMH (nickel-metal hydride) battery pack can store perhaps 100 watt-hours per kilogram. A lead-acid battery can store only 25 watt-hours per kilogram. Using lead-acid technology, it takes 6 kilograms to store the same amount of energy that a 1 kilogram lithium-ion battery can handle. That's a huge difference.

·         They hold their charge. A lithium-ion battery pack loses only about 5 percent of its charge per month, compared to a 20 percent loss per month for NiMH batteries.

·         They have no memory effect, which means that you do not have to completely discharge them before recharging, as with some other battery chemistries.

·         Lithium-ion batteries can handle hundreds of charge/discharge cycles.

That is not to say that lithium-ion batteries are flawless. They have a few disadvantages as well:

·         They start degrading as soon as they leave the factory.

·         They are extremely sensitive to high temperatures. Heat causes lithium-ion battery packs to degrade much faster than they normally would.

·         If you completely discharge a lithium-ion battery, it is ruined.

·         A lithium-ion battery pack must have an on-board computer to manage the battery. This makes them even more expensive than they already are.

·         There is a small chance that, if a lithium-ion battery pack fails, it will burst into flame.

Therefore to summarise:

·         To use properly please only charge when needed, DO NOT leave charging for longer than 2-3 hours or when fully charged! Therefore never leave charging over night.

·         If you have not used it for 6 months (we recommend 2-3 months) please charge the battery to make sure you do not ruin it.

·         Never open your board and attempt to fix the battery as it could short the external contacts.

·         If you are not going to use your board for even just a few days, and the battery is stored or otherwise unused for an extended period, please charge or discharge the battery to approximately 50% of capacity before storage. Charge the battery to approximately 50% of capacity at least once every six months. Store the battery at temperatures between 5 °C and 20 °C (41 °F and 68 °F). If you do not follow the instructions, and the battery has no charge remaining when you check it, consider it to be damaged. Do not attempt to recharge it or to use it. Replace it with a new battery.

All of our boards are equipped with either a top quality Samsung or LG battery, therefore have minimal risk factor. However we are still taking precautions.