What new things have you learned lately ?

[Life Ranger]

everyone kindly share any new thing/knowledge/info you learned and think is worth telling somebody. Let me start 1st...

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Last week I read a Hong Kong paper introducing a new generation of Projector using LED. It can operate on batteries and is compact in size. Perhaps one day this is to be integrated into digital camera/handphone ya :p .

[Firefly]

Heard that Olympus gonna change the whole camera line. The Prosumer range will be dropped!!!. Then the dSLR range will consist of cheaper entry level units with 3 digit numbers, the mid range will come with 2 digit and the high end ones with a single digit. The capturing unit (CCD or CMOS) will have a minimum of 8mp. All will have the Live View!!!

What has this gotta do with firefly is !!!!!!!!!!!!! :WWwwwaaahhhhhh!!!!!!!!! Firefly just got the E-500 less than 2 months ago!!!!!!!! :mad:

[Life Ranger]

don't know if anyone notice, last month there is a new Canon camera with zero-distance shooting capability. meaning you can focus a object at 0mm distance. and the movie clip is 60fps. mine becomes out-of-date within 7 months.. :(

[Firefly]

Most electronic stuff are out-of-date the moment you pay. :o

[Teeque]

Today, I learned that I kenot tok kok sing song on the Internet nemore.

Last mth, I discovered dat if saya tak tulis and cakap in bahasa melayu yang betul, i can go to penjara. :eek:

[Firefly]

.... can go to penjara...
Betul ke..:eek:...firefly can't even speak bahasa pasar!!!!

[AllUrban]

I learned how to say "stupid" (or close to it) in bahasa malaysia

:p

Cheers, m

[Teeque]

aisay firefly...read this lah (http://www.usj.com.my/bulletin/upload/showthread.php?t=13593). i dun wanna lawat u in jail satu hari nanti... :D

[Teeque]

I learned how to say "stupid" (or close to it) in bahasa malaysia

:p

Cheers, m
hehe...just dun say 'stupid pig' in the same breath. u know lah, sensitive.... :p

[AllUrban]

hehe...just dun say 'stupid pig' in the same breath. u know lah, sensitive.... :pyeah, I dont like that word anyways....

Hmmmm....will make sure I never learn the bm for "pig"

:) But I will have to learn some other cuss words :eek: :p

Cheers, m

[Teeque]

OK, we'll teach u some on Fri nite... :D

[chin_wan]

I just found out that I can drink 4 litres of water a day! Wow!

[Life Ranger]

1. What are the different types of batteries available in the market and their applications?

Batteries available in the market are usually classified as primary batteries and rechargeable batteries.

Primary batteries are sometimes called "throw-away" batteries because they will be discarded when they are flat, as they cannot be recharged for reuse. Common types of primary batteries include alkaline, zinc carbon, lithium, silver oxide and zinc air batteries.

Rechargeable batteries can be recharged and reused for up to 1000 times depending on usage conditions. Common types of rechargeable batteries include Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH), Nickel Cadmium (NiCd) and Lithium Ion (Li-ion) batteries.

Battery types Voltage (V) Common usages
Primary
Alkaline 1.5 CD/MD/MP3 players, toys, cameras, remote controls
Carbon zinc 1.5 Clocks, radios, smoke alarm
Lithium coin 3.0 Calculators, electronic organizers
Lithium photo 3.0 / 6.0 Cameras
Silver oxide 1.55 Watches
Zinc air 1.4 Hearing aids
Rechargeable
NiMH 1.2 Digital cameras, portable CD, MD, MP3 players, remote controlled racing toy cars
NiCd 1.2 Portable CD, MD, MP3 players, remote controlled racing toy cars
Li-ion 3.6-3.7 Notebook computers, PDAs, mobile phones, camcorders, digital cameras


2. How do different batteries rank in terms of performance and cost?

You may have come across terms like "heavy duty", "super heavy duty", and "longer lasting". However, they do not necessarily reflect the service time of batteries, as battery performance depends very much on intrinsic qualities.

Despite the higher initial cost, alkaline batteries last five to ten times longer than zinc carbon batteries on higher current drains, making it more economical when the current drain is high.

Rechargeable batteries are more expensive than alkaline batteries especially when you include the upfront cost of the charger. However do not forget that they can be recharged up to 1000 times. Hence they end up much more economical in the long run.

NiCd and NiMH batteries display similar characteristics, but for the same size, NiMH batteries can double the run time compared with NiCd batteries per charge.


3. How should I strike a good balance between performance and cost when selecting batteries?

To be a smart consumer, you have to understand the power consumption requirement of your electronic device before deciding on which battery to go for. Generally speaking, high power consumption electronic devices operate under high current condition.

NiMH batteries will provide the longest operating time. Besides, they can be recharged up to 1000 times. Hence the cost per unit energy is much lower than alkaline and carbon zinc batteries.

Alkaline batteries are best used for moderate power consumption electronic devices.

Zinc carbon batteries are the best choice for extremely low power consumption electronic devices.


4. What is the voltage of a rechargeable battery?

NiMH & NiCd batteries share the same nominal voltage of 1.2V per cell, whereas batteries using a different type of chemistry system: Lithium ion batteries provide a voltage of 3.6 - 3.7V.


5. Are primary batteries fully replaceable by rechargeable batteries even though they are 1.2 volts?

Yes, NiMH batteries are ideal substitutes in most cases, especially in high power consumption electronic devices.

Although alkaline batteries are rated at a nominal voltage of 1.5 volts, as they begin discharging, their voltage continuously drops. Over the course of discharge, the average voltage of alkaline batteries is in fact about 1.2 volts, very close to NiMH batteries. The main difference is that an alkaline battery starts at 1.5 volts and gradually drops to less than 1.0 volt, while NiMH batteries stay at about 1.2 volts for most of the service time.


6. What are the advantages of using rechargeable NiMH batteries?

Performance - NiMH batteries can be more than three times longer lasting than alkaline batteries in high power consumption electronics devices.

Savings - They can be recharged for up to 1000 cycles, giving you tremendous savings in the long run.

Environmentally friendly - They do not contain hazardous materials, such as cadmium or mercury, and therefore are more environmentally friendly.


7. What are the factors affecting the performance of NiMH batteries?

Short service time of NiMH batteries is very often the result of consumers' lack of understanding and knowledge of the importance of proper charging on battery performance.

Both overcharging and over discharging the batteries will result in poor battery performance.

Improper charging can also reduce the cycle life (the number of times the batteries can be recharged) of NiMH batteries. In addition, avoid using NiMH batteries at high temperatures, as their service time will be reduced.


8. What is short circuit and what are its consequences?

A short circuit occurs if the positive and negative terminals of the battery are bridged by any kind of conducting materials e.g. key chains, paper clips. Short circuits may have serious consequences. For example, the battery temperature will rise, causing internal gas pressure to build up and eventually resulting in battery leakage.

To avoid short circuits, do not carry charged or fresh batteries in the same pocket with coins or bunches of keys.


9. What is the difference between rechargeable battery chemistries?

Lithium Ion (Li-ion) batteries have increased capacity and are very lightweight. Their nominal voltage is 3.7V.

Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH) batteries offer high capacity (over twice the amount of Nickel Cadmium (NiCd) batteries), quick charging capabilities and great reliability. They are especially good for high drain applications like digital cameras and motor toys. They are also suitable for CD players, MD players, and MP3 players etc. The nominal voltage of NiMH batteries is 1.2V.

Nickel Cadmium (NiCd) batteries have a longer cycle life, though shorter run-time than NiMH batteries. They are the most cost effective rechargeable batteries and can last up to 1000 charges. They are hardy and can withstand very low temperatures and rough use. Like all rechargeable batteries, NiCd batteries need to be completely charged before their first use. The nominal voltage of NiCd batteries is 1.2V


10. Fast charging vs slow charging, which is better?

Fast charging employs a high charging current which enables you to charge up a NiMH battery in a relatively shorter time, ranging from five hours to even half an hour.

Using a low charging current, slow charging often refers to overnight charging, which normally takes over 12 hours to charge up a NiMH battery.
However, the time it takes to fully charge a battery depends on the charging current of the charger and the capacity of the battery.

Imagine filling up a bucket under a running water tap. The bigger the bucket, the longer it takes to fill it up. You can also increase the rate of filling the bucket by turning up the tap a bit more.

more....

[Life Ranger]

11. What is trickle charge?

Trickle charge refers to an extremely low charging current that is enough to keep the batteries in fully charged condition but without overcharging the battery.


12. How do we select a charger?

Fast chargers and slow chargers have their respective merits and demerits. You should choose a charger that meets your performance and cost requirements.

A fast charger delivers speed, but its design is more complicated, and therefore is usually more expensive than a slow charger.

Overcharging can shorten a NiMH battery's cycle life. Hence a well-designed fast charger has to incorporate certain protection mechanisms that prevent the batteries from being overcharged.

These protection mechanisms, ranging from sophisticated voltage detection to temperature monitoring and timer control, can be expensive. Normally a fast charger has to incorporate at least one of these mechanisms. The more mechanisms it has, the better the protection and thus the higher the price.

Therefore, when charging speed is not a priority, it would be more cost effective to select a slow charger, which also gives longer battery service life and enables fuller charge of a battery compared with a fast charger.

However, for applications that require fast charging speed, e.g. remote control racing toy car and digital cameras, it would be worthwhile to invest more for a fast charger to ensure continuous supply of energy.


13. How long will it take to charge up my batteries?

This depends on two factors: the charging current, which is measured in milli-ampere (mA) and the capacity (mAh) of your battery.

Assuming that the charging current is the driving speed and the capacity of the battery is the total distance you have to travel. Then the time required to charge up your battery would be Capacity of battery / charging current X 120%. Usually you inflate the charging time by about 20% for any efficiency loss during charging.


14. Can we charge batteries continuously?

Yes, depending on the design of the charger. Theoretically a NiMH battery can be charged continuously in a charger at 0.1C, which is a very low rate of charging.


15. The batteries get warm during charging, is there something wrong?

No, it is normal for batteries to get warm during charging.


16. What is memory effect?

Memory effect occurs when the battery is charged before its energy is fully consumed. The battery will remember its last residual capacity before it is recharged. Hence if you keep on charging the batteries before you have used up the energy, the service time of each cycle will get shorter and shorter.


17. Does NiMH batteries have memory effect?

The present day technology enables NiMH to have either no or negligible memory effect.


18. What is the self-discharge rate of NiMH batteries?

If a NiMH battery is left idle after being fully charged, it will gradually loses its energy. This is called self-discharge. In general, the rate of self-discharge ranges from 15% to 20% per month at room temperature.


19. What is cycle life?

Cycle life is the number of charge and discharge cycles a battery can achieve before the discharged capacity drops to end of life. The cycle life is generally considered to terminate when the capacity is less than 60 - 80% of the nominal capacity, depending on the specific charge / discharge conditions.


20. What affects cycle life performance?

The following factors may affect a battery's cycle life:

1) Charge:

You are recommended to charge the batteries with appropriate chargers equipped with correct charge termination methods (such as timer, negative delta voltage and temperature cut-off), so as to avoid the possibility of shortened cycle life resulted from overcharging. Generally speaking, slow charging would lead to longer cycle life than high rate charging.

2) Discharge:

The dominant variable affecting cycle life is the depth of discharge. The deeper the depth of discharge, the shorter the cycle life. By decreasing the depth of discharge, the cycle life of a battery will be significantly increased. For this reason, it is necessary to avoid over-discharging of batteries to a very low voltage. Depending on different discharge currents, 0.8-1.0V per cell is the generally acceptable end point voltage. Discharging battery at high temperatures will reduce the cycle life. Batteries can sometimes be drained excessively by small residual currents in idle equipment left for extended periods, if the design of the equipment does not shut down all currents completely. Using battery with different capacities, chemistries, charge levels or using old and new batteries together can also cause over-discharge.

3) Storage:

If a battery is stored for a long time at a high temperature, the electrode will deteriorate, reducing the cycle life. Avoid leaving a battery in a charger for an extended period.


21. How do we maximize battery service life?

To maximize the cycle life of batteries, the user should:

Store the battery in a cool, dry and well ventilated place out of direct sunlight. The ambient temperature should be kept below 30degC for long-term storage. Prevent charging or using batteries in extreme temperatures.

Charge the batteries with correct chargers to minimize the chance of overcharging. Choose charger with appropriate charge control. It is recommended to purchase batteries plus charger bundle packs.

Charge and discharge the battery occasionally to prevent the battery voltage from dropping down to 0.8V.

Remove batteries from an equipment or turn off the equipment if it is not to be used for a period of time.

Avoid overcharging the battery by exceeding the predetermined charging period specified by battery manufacturer.

Avoid mixing batteries of different chemistries, capacities and state of charge in the same devices.


22. How should we store NiMH batteries?

In general, the higher the storage temperature, the worse the capacity retention of NiMH batteries.


23. Do warm and cold temperatures affect batteries?

Extreme heat or cold reduces battery performance. Avoid putting battery-powered devices in very warm places. In addition, refrigeration is not necessary or recommended. Store batteries at room temperature in dry environment.

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[Firefly]

Ranger..Firefly read somewhere that LI-ion battries should be stored at 70% full. Is that true? If so, what about other NiCD or NiHM or even the Alkaline Rechargable (GrandCell). And How do you know if the battery is 70% full??

[Life Ranger]

Dear Firefly, this is just a "new thing" that I have just learned :o , I am not a battery expert yet :p

[Teeque]

Just a sidenote: Dell batteries got big problems. Read all abt it and take action if you own one. (http://www.usj.com.my/bulletin/upload/showthread.php?p=167535#post167535)

[evecyanide]

I learnt 'Why wedding ring should put on the fourth finger??' Very interesting. :)

Please follow the below step, really god make this a miracle (this is from a Chinese excerpt)

Firstly, show your palm, centre finger bend and put together back to back
Secondly, the rest 4 fingers tips to tips
Games begin, follow the below arrangement, 5 finger but only 1 pair can split.

Try to open your thumb, the thumb represent parents, it can be open because all human does go thru sick and dead. Which are our parents will leave us one day
Please close up your thumb, then open your second finger, the finger represent brothers and sisters, they do have their own family which is too they will leave us too
Now close up your second finger, open up your little finer, this represent your children. Sooner or later they too will leave us for they got they own living to live
Nevertheless, close up your little finer, try to open your fourth finger which we put our wedding ring; you will be surprise to find that it cannot be open at all. Because it represent husband and wife, this whole life you will be attach to each other

Real love will stick together ever and forever

(Please see attachment). Have a pleasant day everyone.

[Firefly]

WOW!!!..:eek:

[evecyanide]

Firefly. Amazed leh? ;)

[Firefly]

yeah loh...like how the firefly tail/butt blinks...firefly till today is still no sure how it happends.. :D

[ericchan]

Ya i have learnt that everyting said in the forum should be taken it a pinch of salt...some can really buul**** :p ha ha ha anyway i still enjoy the humour of it otherwise i too wont participate in it.

[ghj]

I learnt that you will never have enough cameras ~~~

[sherrygin]

I have learned today that people can be very judgmental.

[Life Ranger]

I read this report in Nanyang last night. Astronomers want to add three planets to solar system. So there will be 12 instead of 9. A committee of the International Astronomical Union, which decides such matters, voted unanimously Tuesday to add three worlds to our solar system's planetary population. More planets will be added later, astronomers said.

Thus the new roll call of planets, starting closest to the sun, would be: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Ceres, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto, Charon and Xena. (Xena is officially known as UB313 until the IAU gets around to formally naming it.)

What interesting is, UB313 has been predicted and written in his Dr. thesis by a Chinese Professor 刘子华, using the theory of I-Ching 易经 some 65 years ago, while he was studying in a college in Paris, France. http://news.xinhuanet.com/newscenter/2005-08/02/content_3300173.htm

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[achee]

A...ha....

Now Pluto get striked off from the solar system. So 9+3-1=11 planets..

When I was in std 5, sitting for the assessment exam, I can't arrange planets to its order, and, I got a B for science. Possibly I had answered questions of such wrongly. Therefore, it maybe worth for me to write to Minitry of Education to review and re-mark my 1976 Std5 assessment paper, and for that matter, I can get an A.

What say u?

[KelvC]

What have i learned lately?

Why are some minister (or not minister level yet) with different portfolio commenting on issues which is not relevant to their duties; i.e. river polution, air flight delay, 30%-allocation-or-get-out, international level corruption, etc?

Because the grass is always greener on the other side of the....fence, river, hill, mountain, whatever-you-want-to-call-it.

[mimosa]

I learned today that 3 days 2 nights stay in Penang is not enough to sample all the famous food outlets. :( :D

[Flynn]

I learnt 'Why wedding ring should put on the fourth finger??' ...
Firstly, show your palm, centre finger bend and put together back to back ...
Nevertheless, close up your little finer, try to open your fourth finger which we put our wedding ring; you will be surprise to find that it cannot be open at all. Because it represent husband and wife, this whole life you will be attach to each other
Sorry to go back a few steps, but why choose to bend the middle fingers? If the index fingers are bent, the ring fingers can easily be separated and the middle fingers are harder to separate. Now if toes are used, the results would be interesting! :D

Back to this thread:
I learnt that the show Prison Break is filmed in a real formerly operational prison in an Illinois town named Joliet. http://www.answers.com/topic/joliet-prison

[romi_o]

Ranger..Firefly read somewhere that LI-ion battries should be stored at 70% full. Is that true? If so, what about other NiCD or NiHM or even the Alkaline Rechargable (GrandCell). And How do you know if the battery is 70% full??

sorry for the late reply, just saw this thread...
but if i'm not mistaken, i think no rechargeable batteries can be 100% charged :p
after you used it for a few times, the charging capability will drop, hence the 1000 times rechargeable life-cycle... you will find that your battery will be dead faster and faster each time you used it.

normally the fast charger will have instruction on it, saying it will reach 80% or above in the first 1~2 hours (depending on your charger), so you can either stop there or continue to let it slowly charges to about 98% (i think that is the limit, because after that, the battery will discharge itself through the charger if possible to prevent overcharging)...

just my 2 cents, as i think there is no way to tell exactly how many % the battery has charged...

[iml109]

i learnt today that some ppl can sleep without closing their eyelids... how do they do that??? :eek:

[evecyanide]

i learnt today that some ppl can sleep without closing their eyelids... how do they do that??? :eek:

iml. Half closed right? I know a lot of kids do that but dunno how wor...

Anyway, I recently learnt the hard way, to always check the label on any medication before you consume them. :o

[aRwEn]

i learnt whc foodz hav d most cholesterol, whc hav sum cholesterol, n whc hav d least.... c d attachd file.... ;)

[twohands]

i learned the hard way that pensonic aircond remote has to be "shorted" after changing the batteries before it can function again :confused: :mad:

[Flynn]

I learnt that the word "interleave" means "to arrange in or as if in alternate layers".

[castlegard]

I learnt that loving someone is all about acceptance. No matter what happens.

[aRwEn]

i learnt dat 4 every product there iz a buyer.... even d most quirky productz.... hehehe.... ;)

[chin_wan]

I learned that if I Google my name and press the "I'm Feeling Lucky" button, I will get to http://www.informatik.uni-trier.de/~ley/db/indices/a-tree/c/Chung:Chin=Wan.html

[castlegard]

I learnt that there is a v6 with turbo.

[CutieKitty]

I learnt that i can go on without food for a whole day, when i am emotionally sad. Did it yesterday... no appetite at all.... :eek:

[iml109]

I learn today that for all plastic containers:

look at the bottom of ur plastic container/bottles.

in the triangle, u will see a series of numbers

number 1-4 are not meant for re-use (e.g. mineral bottles). u can use these bottles only once and to be recycled.

number 5-7 can be re-used (e.g. the heat resistant bottles everyone's using now?? hehe)

where I learn this from? a primary 5 kid who went to Sirim edu-trip.. hehehe

[aRwEn]

i learnt dat even tho my name iznt dat common.... there r at least 2 other ppl wit exactly d same 1st name n surname as i hav.... hehehe.... cuz i met 1 of tm..... n d othr wun, i found wn i googled my name!! :D

[Firefly]

Found out the firefly is hopeless using a computer to do color correction. And not 2 computer monitors are the same.

[aRwEn]

Found out the firefly is hopeless using a computer to do color correction. And not 2 computer monitors are the same.

mayb unca'z monitor iznt color calibrated lorrr.... can ask unca chen in LM 2 help unca calibrate it lorrr....

check out these threadz:

monitor calibratn tool (http://www.lensamalaysia.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1854&highlight=Monitor+Color+Calibration)

monitor calibratn session (http://www.lensamalaysia.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1857&highlight=monitor+calibration+session)

sori 4 OT ya...