Conditioning a new battery

Hi all

I've just taken delivery of a new Dell M2400 laptop (max spec!) and I was wondering what the best strategy for the battery is? (a Li 'PT434' I think it is)

Should I charge/discharge the battery a few times first before using it in earnest? If so, what's the best method of discharging it?

 

Battery Guide >> http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=91846

I have read that its better to 'break it in' by charging fully and discharging fully by use, something like 3 or 4 times...

But I also remember reading that the Li-ion batteries do not need this 'break in' thing!!!

Some general tips >> http://www.laptop-battery.org/batterytips.html

 

Lithium ion batteries don't need conditioned. Just don't fully drain it.

 

There aren't any rules that you need to follow with lithium ion batteries. They do lose their capacity gradually after a couple of years of use, but not because of any routine that you do or didn't follow.

 

You should allow the battery to drain completely once or twice, and then charge it overnight. There is in fact a 'learning' process that can sometimes effect the computers ability to correctly interpret a full or depleted charge. Once you have done that, you can use it normally. A full discharge once every couple of months is not a bad idea.

 

This is incorrect. The only reason you should even close to completely drain an lithum ion battery is to measure its capacity. Lithium ions have no memory so require no conditioning or seasoning. If you drain your battery past a certain point, you may lose some capcity.

When storing these batteries, try not to store them on a full charge (30%-40%) and try to use / charge them every 4 - 5 months.

L.

 

Thanks all.