I would like to learn more about large-scale UPS systems, particularly the battery strings used in traditional RBOC/Telco applications. These are the sort of beasts that use huge strings of 6V 220aH deep cycle batteries, or even large numbers of 2V 400aH batteries on very strong earthquake-resistant shelving wired up to create a 48V mega-battery. Can anyone point me to the most definitive reference materials on the subject?
posted by thewalrus on Dec 17, 2009 - 4 answers

Have you had any experience with in-car extra heaters like the ones on the linked page? example types [more inside]
posted by Eicats on Dec 16, 2009 - 6 answers

2004 Honda Civic Hybrid won't start, but battery isn't dead. [more inside]
posted by empath on Dec 14, 2009 - 12 answers

My 2004 Mazda3 hatchback with about 20,000 miles on it won't start. [more inside]
posted by misskaz on Nov 1, 2009 - 14 answers

iPhone battery life: I'm flying across the Pacific tomorrow with a 2 year old and a 5 year old. They are iPhone fiends (god help them), but I need to know if there is a huge difference in battery consumption between the education apps they usually play ("Find the sheep"..."Baaaa") and videos. I suspect that videos will use up battery life longer than these really simple apps, but I'm not sure. Anyone know?
posted by zachawry on Oct 26, 2009 - 15 answers

Would an embedded internal wireless 3G modem draw significantly less power from a laptop battery than an external USB wireless 3G modem? [more inside]
posted by gttommy on Oct 12, 2009 - 5 answers

How do I connect the replacement batteries in my UPS? [more inside]
posted by lockedroomguy on Oct 8, 2009 - 6 answers

What are my options for a cheap, small Mac laptop? [more inside]
posted by attercoppe on Oct 2, 2009 - 25 answers

Please educate me on car battery technology. [more inside]
posted by Solomon on Oct 2, 2009 - 14 answers

The corner of the plastic cover of the battery on my Macbook has broken off. [more inside]
posted by proj on Sep 21, 2009 - 3 answers

I have a Samsung TL320 digicam, but no battery charger. Where can I obtain a charger for it, ASAP, near Berkeley, CA?
posted by zevious on Sep 6, 2009 - 1 answer

How much will BitLocker eat my battery? [more inside]
posted by @homer on Aug 31, 2009 - 3 answers

Where can I find a 2/3a 700mAh 2.4v AC adapter? [more inside]
posted by brenton on Aug 28, 2009 - 6 answers

Can a Canon CB-2LV battery charger with output of 4.2v 0.65A safely charge a Canon Battery Pack NB-5L 3.7V 1120mAh(Li-ion) if I cut the little bits of plastic stopping me out of the way?
posted by CaptMcalister on Aug 27, 2009 - 2 answers

I just changed my car's old dead battery with a new, just purchased one following the directions here. Even though I clamped the connectors down hard enough that I can't move either of them, the car seems to be completely dead --- it doesn't appear to be getting any power whatsoever. Any ideas what could be wrong? [more inside]
posted by jacobm on Aug 19, 2009 - 23 answers

My dream device has only one function: you type on it, and it saves your text to be downloaded into a laptop later. It does this for a week without being plugged into the wall. Does it exist? [more inside]
posted by itstheclamsname on Aug 15, 2009 - 30 answers

Aging MacBook Pro not recognizing its battery. Not under warranty. Is resetting the PMU my next step? [more inside]
posted by kalapierson on Aug 6, 2009 - 12 answers

One battery, multiple tools: for what line of power tools did I see a commercial that featured one battery that you could switch out between the tools? [more inside]
posted by sjuhawk31 on Jul 31, 2009 - 12 answers

My 18 year old son went to Express Oil Change to have a new battery put in his 2004 Ford Explorer Sport Trac. His battery was dead and when jumped off, it would not hold a charge. They put an MTP-65 Interstate battery in and charged him $146 for the battery alone. With installation, charging system testing fee, and taxes, the total cost was $208.93. Does that sound high? I was expecting to pay half of that.
posted by Kam1761 on Jul 27, 2009 - 15 answers

My Aspire 3680 (crappy laptop PC) doesn't want to hold a charge anymore, with either battery. How do I determine if it's my laptop, my batteries, or my charger? (I have a VOM and know how to use it).
posted by Emera Gratia on Jul 12, 2009 - 3 answers

Will a Verizon brand car charger ruin the battery on my new Blackberry Curve? [more inside]
posted by crapples on Jul 10, 2009 - 7 answers

Small pump. For liquids. Battery powered. Inexpensive. Does such a thing exist? [more inside]
posted by kamelhoecker on Jul 2, 2009 - 17 answers

What is draining the battery in my 2001 Pontiac Aztek? [more inside]
posted by soelo on Jul 1, 2009 - 14 answers

I am in NYC and I need to buy a camcorder battery charger TODAY! The camcorder model is Panasonic PV GS320 and the battery pack number is PV DAC14D. This shouldn't be so hard, right? [more inside]
posted by MaddyRex on Jun 28, 2009 - 7 answers

Why did installing the iPhone OS 3.0 cause my battery to keep draining its charge? [more inside]
posted by jefficator on Jun 25, 2009 - 20 answers

How can I recharge my nearly-completely-drained car battery so that it will work long enough to drive it to get crushed? I'm hoping to avoid buying a brand new battery just to have it crushed. [more inside]
posted by brenton on Jun 8, 2009 - 30 answers

What would it take to print a few thousand sheets of paper every other day while completely off the grid? [more inside]
posted by croutonsupafreak on Jun 6, 2009 - 20 answers

Engine is turning over slowly and I think it might be the battery. Affordable way to check this myself or just take it into the garage? [more inside]
posted by scarello on May 29, 2009 - 31 answers

Car with a dead battery (sorta). I want to sell it immediately. Will I be better off selling it to a used car dealer or on Craigslist? If the former, can anyone recommend a dealer in Seattle? [more inside]
posted by carpyful on May 28, 2009 - 14 answers

Where can I read about exciting or revolutionary advances in battery or energy storage technology? What is on the horizon that might actually see the light of day? I'm interested in all applications, but most especially computers and cars.
posted by Crotalus on May 18, 2009 - 6 answers

Looking to power (light) a Himalayan Salt Lamp for about 48 hours, without using an outlet. [more inside]
posted by GJSchaller on Apr 25, 2009 - 12 answers

I have a 850va 425w UPS battery backup with only 2 outlets. There is a small server, speakers, home theater projecter, lcd monitor, and router connected to a power strip. The power strip and a desktop plug into the UPS. Is this setup safe? I am concerned about short 1-second interruptions caused by bad electrical connections rather than power outages.
posted by lpctstr; on Apr 25, 2009 - 8 answers

My HP Pavillion dv6000 laptop works fine...except for one little battery related thing. [more inside]
posted by Neonshock on Apr 11, 2009 - 4 answers

Has anyone replaced their ipod battery? [more inside]
posted by wayofthedodo on Apr 10, 2009 - 14 answers

Is my iBook G4 dying? [more inside]
posted by Brachiosaurus on Apr 2, 2009 - 7 answers

Are third party chargers and batteries OK for Canon digital cameras? [more inside]
posted by filthy light thief on Mar 2, 2009 - 9 answers

I have sulfuric acid, de-ionized water, and basic lab equipment. Can I revive my crappy car battery? [more inside]
posted by scose on Feb 23, 2009 - 18 answers

I'm about to purchase an aftermarket Li-ion laptop battery on eBay. However, I'm quite confused about the differences in specs for mAh and number of battery cells. Which is more important and how are they related? [more inside]
posted by iamisaid on Feb 16, 2009 - 7 answers

Battery For Aging Laptop: OEM or 3rd Party? I need a new battery for my four year old Mac powerbook (old one discharges within 60 mins). Like the original, it lost its endurance after 2 years and currently discharges after 60 mins of use. There are few OEM batteries still around for this thing (though I did find one on eBay). But it occurs to me that while no Apple battery could possibly be fresh at this point, the 3rd party replacement ones MIGHT be more recently made. Though I'd usually hesitate to go with a 3rd party manufacturer on something like this. Any advice? FWIW, it's a Powerbook G4 15", and battery is A1045/A1078/A1148
posted by jimmyjimjim on Feb 9, 2009 - 11 answers

How do I find out which battery is compatible with my laptop? (Toshiba Satellite L300-1A8) [more inside]
posted by bostonhill on Jan 12, 2009 - 2 answers

Pound for pound, megajoule for megajoule, why are nickel-iron (NiFe, Edison, etc) batteries so expensive as compared to others? [more inside]
posted by adipocere on Jan 8, 2009 - 6 answers

Where in Los Angeles (or within an hour's driving distance) can I get a whooooooooooole bunch of LR41 batteries on last-minute notice? [more inside]
posted by mykescipark on Dec 30, 2008 - 8 answers

Are there ever any other reputable vendors for laptop batteries other than the laptop manufacturer? [more inside]
posted by oflinkey on Dec 21, 2008 - 11 answers

I have some remote monitoring equipment out in the woods that runs on a single 12 volt deep cycle car battery. How do I keep my 12 volt battery charged using a solar panel? [more inside]
posted by jldindc on Dec 8, 2008 - 12 answers

Backing up an HP laptop for the ignorant. Halp? [more inside]
posted by CwgrlUp on Dec 6, 2008 - 7 answers

Sometimes, my iPhone 3G usage statistics are totally out of line with my actual usage and the battery is drained accordingly. This doesn't seem like a settings issue but rather some application or service getting "stuck" and not turning off when the phone is locked. Any ideas what I can do to address this? [more inside]
posted by Nelsormensch on Dec 5, 2008 - 7 answers

After many years, my Canon PowerShot S20 needs a new Ni-MH battery. Canon sells a replacement battery for $49. Amazon sells a third party replacement made by Hi Capacity for about half the price. There are no user reviews for the cheaper batteries. Is the $49 Canon battery a waste of money?
posted by R. Mutt on Nov 24, 2008 - 8 answers

Help me figure out this strange laptop battery behavior. [more inside]
posted by wfrgms on Nov 23, 2008 - 10 answers

My relatively new car battery (~1 yo) seems to be giving me some troubles. Is this a sign of a weak battery or something more serious? [more inside]
posted by pilibeen on Nov 19, 2008 - 10 answers

Should I buy a new laptop battery or a new laptop? [more inside]
posted by bluefly on Nov 15, 2008 - 15 answers