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Battery Care for Trimble Receivers, Scanning Stations, & 3D Laser Scanners

Published Date
Author Chantal Jorawsky

 

Trimble® GNSS receivers, total stations, and laser scanners all utilize Lithium ion (Li-ion) batteries. Li-ion batteries provide 300-500 discharge/charge cycles, which equals a life expectancy of 2-3 years, depending on temperature exposure and severity of use. 

 To get the most out of your Trimble Li-ion batteries, follow these tips:  

  1. Fully charge the battery before use. 
  2. Recharge the battery as soon as possible after a full discharge. 
    • Trimble's products will turn off when the battery is fully discharged, but will continue to draw a small amount of current if left in the instrument, which will deep-discharge the battery over time. 
  3. Avoid frequent deep-discharges. 
    • Deep discharges will put an additional strain on the battery. Partial discharges with frequent recharges are better for the battery. 
  4. Calibrate the battery occasionally to make sure it is correctly reporting how full/empty it is.
    • Have you ever had a battery tell you there’s still 5% charge remaining and suddenly shut off? Or have you ever seen the opposite, where the battery reports 1% remaining but continues to work for a long time? If you have, you likely need to calibrate the fuel gauge in your battery.
    • Batteries have an internal “fuel gauge” that reports how full/empty it is. 
    • Over time, the fuel gauge needs to be calibrated to ensure it is reporting accurately. Applying a deliberate full discharge once every 30 charges will calibrate the batteries, synchronizing the fuel gauge with the battery's state of charge. Ignoring this will cause the fuel gauge to become increasingly less accurate. 
    • Battery life is not affected by the fuel gauge.
  5. Use only Trimble-supplied chargers for the Trimble battery packs and follow the directions supplied with the charging equipment. 

6. Store batteries with care:

  • Store batteries at a temperature of 15-20°C (59 - 68°F).
  • Avoid prolonged exposure to direct sunlight.
  • Store batteries on the charger whenever they are not in use. All Trimble chargers will maintain the batteries at peak charge without damage to the battery or charger. 
  • For long-term storage, keep the battery at approximately 40% charged. Trimble delivers the Li-ion battery with approximately this charge.