                              
             DECtalk Express battery care.

BATTERY Care and Feeding for DECtalk Express.

The Dectalk Express is provided with a Ni-Cad rechargeable
battery. You can expect to get 6-8 hours of operation per
full charge and a reasonable life if you follow the
following simple guidelines.

BREAK IN NEW BATTERIES.

New batteries are shipped uncharged. In order to break in
a new battery we suggest charging and then discharging
the battery 2 to 4 times so they can reach their full
rated capacity. You can discharge the the DECtalk Express
by unplugging the AC adapter and leaving it turned on
overnight.

ELIMINATE MEMORY EFFECTS.
  
NiCad batteries suffer from an affliction known as the
"memory effect".  The battery will only charge to the
level at which the battery was last discharged due to an
accumulation of gas bubbles on cell plates. If a battery
is discharged to 30% and then recharged, the battery will
only charge to 30% of its capacity thus shrinking the
battery's gas tank and decreasing the battery operating
time.

BURP YOUR BATTERY.

The best way to eliminate memory and remove the
accumulated gas bubbles on the cell plates is to "burp",
or condition it. This means draining the battery until
the DECtalk Express no longer speaks, and then recharging
it.

WORK 'EM OUT.

To increase the life of your batteries don't leave them
dormant for extended periods of time. Even if you use AC
power most of the time, use the battery periodically to keep
it fresh and healthy.

STORING.

If you plan to not use the DECtalk Express for an extended
period of time make sure that it is fully charged before
doing so. Store the DECtalk Express  in a cool, dry place
away from heat and metal objects. Batteries left idle for
extended periods of time will self-discharge.  Be sure the
unit is fully discharged (it doesn't speak) and recharge it
again before use.

TIME TO REPLACE.

If you have followed the above guidelines for discharging 
fully and recharging, and the battery used to last 4
hours and now only lasts 30 minutes it's probably time
for a new battery.
  
NiCad batteries last approximately 700 charge/discharge
cycles, or about one and a half years of daily battery-
only use on average.
                              


