In order to make Chronomix equipment as portable as possible, it is designed to operate with small lightweight batteries that provide a full day's operation but do not increase the weight of the unit unreasonably. This is done by using an assembly of rechargeable electrochemical (NiCd) cells. Note that the life of a NiCd battery depends largely on the recharging techniques employed. Current Chronomix equipment includes a state of the art fast charging circuit that provides closely controlled recharging. The following suggestions relate to the recharging of Chronomix equipment.

General Recommendations
Battery cells vary and their response to careful or rough treatment is not uniform. However, Chronomix considers the following suggestions to be good practice.

• Always charge the unit before use. Do not expect the battery to hold a charge for days before an event. NiCd batteries will naturally discharge to some intermediate level while in storage. Hot temperatures will accelerate the rate of discharge.
• Keep the power switch off when not in use because the circuit board uses power even when the timer is not running. If the power switch remains on for days, the batteries will discharge to an extremely low level and the batteries can be permanently damaged.
• NiCd batteries need to be cycled occasionally to keep the chemical reaction active. Cycling refers to charging and discharging the battery through it's entire normal operating range. Occasionally let the unit run until it stops operating, then recharge. It is not necessary to cycle the battery with every use but if it has been in storage for several months, it should be cycled just to verify how long it runs. If it does not seem to run long enough then you should cycle it two or three times to recondition the battery. After a few cycles, it should return to a more normal operating pattern.
• Overcharging will eventually damage NiCd cells. A few hours on trickle charge at the end of the charging cycle will improve the charge level slightly. However, leaving the battery on the charger for many days is not recommended. This does not apply to units that are being run continuously on the charger because they are using power at the same time they are charging.

Display Series CC3000 andCC7300
In order to provide an optimum charging rate, the charging circuit monitors voltage and temperature, both values and rate of change, and charging time. Charging a fully discharged battery normally takes about two hours and forty minutes with the red light on. A partially discharged battery will take less time. The red light indicates a full charging current. The green light indicates a trickle charge current. The green light normally indicates that the battery is fully charged, however readings outside the limits will also cause the circuit to go to a trickle charge. If the green light comes on in a short time, unplug the charger and plug it in again to start the charging cycle again. Batteries that have become hard to charge often can be recovered to work normally after a few cycles.

Display Series CC2000 and CC1000
The charging circuit is set to simply cut off at a set voltage level. Battery charging may take up to eight hours depending on the discharge state. The green light will come on when the preset voltage is reached. The preset voltage is set each time a new battery is installed. This is not a smart charging system so there are no limiting conditions. Batteries that are not in good condition may fail to reach a sufficient voltage to turn on the green light. Running the display until it stops and then recharging it once or twice may recondition the battery and restore its charging pattern.

Know your battery
Test your battery occasionally by seeing how long the unit will run. By verifying the battery after long storage or occasionally during the year, you should avoid being surprised in the middle of an event.

NiCd batteries are expected to have a life of about 500 charges or more. This would indicate a life of approximately 10 years if the battery is recharged once a week. Chronomix actual repair experience indicates that batteries typically last between 5 and 10 years.