Re: What UPS to buy: a MGE Evolution 850 or an APC Smart-UPS 750?

[Paul Johnson <baloo@ursine.ca>]

Douglas Allan Tutty wrote:

> The deeper and faster you discharge a battery, the 1) less juice you get 
> out of it before it needs recharging and 2) the fewer cycles you get 
> before it needs replacing.  

One thing to add, and note that this *only* applies to improperly charged
NiCd battery:  You should never, ever trickle charge a NiCd, only burp
charge.  Trickle charging a NiCd battery damages the battery and creates
the dreaded "memory effect."  Unfortunately, most chargers supplied to
charge a NiCd are the wrong, trickle charge variety.  NiCd is the cheapest
battery option around, but one that should be avoided entirely unless you
know you have/will be purchasing equipment to burp charge the battery.

Discharging a battery completely damages any battery.  Avoid running it
completely flat if you can.  Doing so with NiCds will exacerbate any damage
to the battery creating the dreaded "memory effect" improperly charged
NiCds are prone to.

Any battery loses capacity over time, though you can reduce these effects
through proper care.