PS Magazine - TB 43-PS-716
PS, The Preventative Maintenance Monthly
ISSUE 716
JULY 2012
53
PS 716
JUL 12
•
Stay out of the heat.
High
temperatures drain the life
out of batteries. They cause
the loss of capacity. Capacity
is
the
amount
of
energy
a battery can deliver in a
single
discharge
(normally
expressed in ampere hours).
Most
commo
batteries
can
withstand
110°F
for
a few days without harm.
But when the temperature
reaches 130°F for more than
a few days, any battery can be
seriously degraded.
So, keep batteries cool during storage to preserve their shelf-life. Never store them
in direct sunlight during hot weather. Never store them in a closed, unventilated
shelter, CONEX or MILVAN in the summer. That’s when temperatures soar inside
these containers.
For ideas on how to keep batteries cool, read SB 11-6,
Communications-
Electronics Batteries Supply and Management Data
(Feb 10). You’ll ±nd it on the
USAMC Logistics Support Activity (LOGSA) Electronic Technical Manuals Online
website:
•
Don’t hoard batteries.
If you’re the kind who usually stockpiles supplies, change
your ways: Set a limit to the number of batteries you order. Have enough on hand to
±ll your unit’s battery needs—no more, no less.
You see, batteries need to be used in equipment. Left lying around too long, they
begin to lose their power. So, rotate your stock. First in, ±rst out.
•
Determine your unit’s battery needs.
Use CECOM-LCMC’s Power Optimizer
for the War±ghter’s Energy Requirements (POWER). It’s a Microsoft® Excel-based
application that helps you manage battery supplies. Here’s what POWER can do:
3
present battery options for your equipment
3
figure out a battery’s run time based on surrounding temperature
3
estimate how many batteries you need to support your mission
Get POWER by emailing Ari Herman at CECOM-LCMC:
ari.c.herman.civ@mail.mil
•
Keep batteries in their original
packaging while in storage.
The packaging:
Take rechargeable batteries out of
their original packaging and charge
them. Return them to their original
packaging
for
long-term
storage.
Charge the batteries at least once a year
from then on.
✔
identifies batteries by stock number,
lot number, manufacturer and type
✔
helps prevent damage from high
humidity or dryness
✔
protects against crushing,
puncturing and shorting
✔
contains battery leaks
Commo
Batteries…
don’t
store batteries in
unventilated containers
during summer!
Report battery failures—
cracks,
stains, bulges, odors or leaks
—on
a Standard Form 368,
Product
Quality Deficiency Report.
without batteries to power
them, many of your radios
and electronics are just
lifeless heaps of metal,
plastic and wire.
that’s why
it pays to be
battery smart.
man…I could
use a
power drink
right about now!
What Will
You
Do
With This
Power?
here are a
few points
to ponder…
716 52-53.indd
1-2
5/21/12
10:59 AM
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