Just recently, I bumped into a few "Deals of the Day" discount opportunities for a store I regularly buy products from.
The Deal was for 50% off. In one instance $15 for $30 and in the other $12 for $25...
I am never one to let a good deal go by, especially 50% off for a store I regularly shop from on-line...
I browsed the rules and regulations before purchase, just to know what I was getting into....
Terms and Conditions
Limit of 2 vouchers per person and an additional 2 may be purchased as gifts
Only 1 voucher may be used per order
Redeem online
A $4.95 shipping fee applies
Free shipping on orders $50 or more after discount
Offer does not apply to OEM or ON SALE products
Voucher expires June 11, 2012
See the details that apply to all offers
Looked standard enough....
All looked good.... I bought 2 vouchers...One from Red Flag Deals, the other from Kijiji deals....About a month later, the time to purchase rolled around.
I purchased products on 2 separate occasions, applying the vouchers accordingly. For each voucher applied I would see a pop up letting me know the unused amount against the voucher when the voucher was applied.
I after completing the purchases I went to my account to review my outstanding credits, only to find none available....!
What! That can't be...I said to myself....
Going back to review the terms and conditions again, there was a link to Global Terms.....
In this link it said.....
Global Terms
These terms apply to all our Deals unless a specific deal's details are different:
Cannot be combined with any other offer.
Does not include taxes or gratuity. Click here for more information.
Voucher has no cash value or cash back.
Entire voucher must be used in one visit.
Vouchers are non-transferable
Only valid for name printed on voucher
Sale, trade or duplication of voucher is prohibited
Yup, there was that killer, Rip-off line....
Entire voucher must be used in one Visit....
I am sure I read this when I purchased the coupons, as I am a stickler for details. But alas my memory sometimes gets the better of me...and let me down this time....
So, yet once again the devil is in the details.....
Now, I don`t want to pick on Just Redflag Deals, or Kijiji Deals for that matter...
This spurred me to review the details for Groupon and SwarmJam....
Same clause...
So first time buyers beware, these deals, unless applied in one single purchase can be too good to be true...
The devil is in the details....(Terms and Conditions)
Thursday, February 02, 2012
Thursday, January 05, 2012
Earthquake Insurance in Canada
What you need to know....
What is covered ?
Fire, Wind, and Explosive damage as a result of an Earthquake are covered under all policies.
What is not Covered ?
Something called shake damage. This is damage resulting from the shaking of a building that can cause a building to collapse..
A Special option must be selected on your policy to protect against Shake Damage.
It ALWAYS has a DEDUCTABLE that is different from your main policy.
It will be one of the following 10%, 5%, or 4% of the total (Summed) amount of all the insurance claimable on your policy....I.E. If your house is covered for 400,000 and your internal valuables are insured for $200,000 then the deductible will be a percentage of the $600,000 total....OUCH !!
What are the ODDS that you will have an earthquake and how big will it be..... ?
You can enter your Lat and Long into this NRC Web Site....
Hazard Calculator
Select the .2 SA Option as this is the frequency that most affects a 1 or 2 story home....
It will provide you with what the Building Code Standard is for the Potential Size of a 2% chance in 50 Year Earthquake.....WOW What the hell does that mean......
In effect the .2 SA # is the # of Gs you can expect to see on one of those rare Earthquakes for your area....
If you want to compare it with a high risk zone compare it to Richmond, Fraser Delta in Vancouver...It has the highest Risk in Canada at this time..
If you want to see how large previous earthquakes have been in the past 350 years....
Important Canadian Earthquakes
Anything higher than a 5, means you can expect to see increasing damage in the local area (Starting with Brick Chimney Damage 80% ), its only when you get to sizes of 7 and 7.5 where we are talking the size seen in Haiti etc....
Areas in Canada that have a significant chance of major damage (Total) for homes are
Charlevoix-Kamouraska Region 1663
Cascadia Subduction Zone
Atlantic Ocean, south of Newfoundland
and any other identified on the map 7 or higher....
For those regions it is worthwhile to get Earthquake insurance as a option in my opinion.
Now if you can deal with reading more detailed data on how insurance companies determine the potential damages and how much money they need to keep reads this
Earthquake Exposure Sound Practices
Office of the Superintendent Bureau du surintendant
of Financial Institutions Canada des institutions financières Canada
The easiest way to determine your potential Damages for your area is to use the Default Loss Estimate Factors that can be found in the appendix, and use your local Postal Code (BC and Quebec) in Canada....
What is important to understand is that the money estimated in this document is calculated as the losses that the insurance company will be responsible to pay out (Above the deductible limit)
For Example in the Montreal region the PLM is 3.11 %
This means that the insurance company would be estimated to be required to pay out 3% of your policy value (Average) to cover the damages to a claim resulting from the largest 250 year event caused by shaking. Keep in mind your deductible is 5%
So that means that the damage that could be estimated on average for a 250 year event would be about equivalent to 8% of the value of your home.....In reality it could mean a total loss of 8% of the homes in that area (and No other homes damaged significantly)
In Quebec depending on the region, the values range from 5% to 15% (Highest Risk Regions) and in BC from about 5% TO 30%.
Problems with Canada's Earthquake insurance system....
The Fraser institute did a wonderful study detailing many of the shortcomings of the current Canadian system of insurance.
preventing-disaster-after-a-disaster
Insurance Premiums
I contacted 5 companies and asked for their Costs for Earthquake insurance for the same house and same location.
The Lowest cost was $92 for a 5 % deductible
The Highest deductible was $261 for a 10% deductible
The Highest cost was $ 446 for a 4% deductible
So if you feel you need Earthquake insurance, and can not sleep at night without it, make sure you shop around as the rates are all over the place...
Bottom Line
Review all the sites/link posted, review for your area, and make a "Judgement Call" that you can live with. If you are in a high risk zone be on the safe side if you can afford to purchase the insurance.
Also, remember if there is a BIG ONE and you lose everything and have insurance, the deductible is significant and you can expect not to be able to recoup your entire investment in you home.
Note: I am not a scientist,statistical analyst, or insurance expert, so consult an appropriately qualified specialist before making your decision. I take no responsibility for any decision you may make as a result of this document or my personal recommendations made herein. This Blog is for informational purposes only, and represents the personal options of myself, and should be taken as only one small part (If at all) in any decision you choose to make in this regard.
What is covered ?
Fire, Wind, and Explosive damage as a result of an Earthquake are covered under all policies.
What is not Covered ?
Something called shake damage. This is damage resulting from the shaking of a building that can cause a building to collapse..
A Special option must be selected on your policy to protect against Shake Damage.
It ALWAYS has a DEDUCTABLE that is different from your main policy.
It will be one of the following 10%, 5%, or 4% of the total (Summed) amount of all the insurance claimable on your policy....I.E. If your house is covered for 400,000 and your internal valuables are insured for $200,000 then the deductible will be a percentage of the $600,000 total....OUCH !!
What are the ODDS that you will have an earthquake and how big will it be..... ?
You can enter your Lat and Long into this NRC Web Site....
Hazard Calculator
Select the .2 SA Option as this is the frequency that most affects a 1 or 2 story home....
It will provide you with what the Building Code Standard is for the Potential Size of a 2% chance in 50 Year Earthquake.....WOW What the hell does that mean......
In effect the .2 SA # is the # of Gs you can expect to see on one of those rare Earthquakes for your area....
If you want to compare it with a high risk zone compare it to Richmond, Fraser Delta in Vancouver...It has the highest Risk in Canada at this time..
If you want to see how large previous earthquakes have been in the past 350 years....
Important Canadian Earthquakes
Anything higher than a 5, means you can expect to see increasing damage in the local area (Starting with Brick Chimney Damage 80% ), its only when you get to sizes of 7 and 7.5 where we are talking the size seen in Haiti etc....
Areas in Canada that have a significant chance of major damage (Total) for homes are
Charlevoix-Kamouraska Region 1663
Cascadia Subduction Zone
Atlantic Ocean, south of Newfoundland
and any other identified on the map 7 or higher....
For those regions it is worthwhile to get Earthquake insurance as a option in my opinion.
Now if you can deal with reading more detailed data on how insurance companies determine the potential damages and how much money they need to keep reads this
Earthquake Exposure Sound Practices
Office of the Superintendent Bureau du surintendant
of Financial Institutions Canada des institutions financières Canada
The easiest way to determine your potential Damages for your area is to use the Default Loss Estimate Factors that can be found in the appendix, and use your local Postal Code (BC and Quebec) in Canada....
What is important to understand is that the money estimated in this document is calculated as the losses that the insurance company will be responsible to pay out (Above the deductible limit)
For Example in the Montreal region the PLM is 3.11 %
This means that the insurance company would be estimated to be required to pay out 3% of your policy value (Average) to cover the damages to a claim resulting from the largest 250 year event caused by shaking. Keep in mind your deductible is 5%
So that means that the damage that could be estimated on average for a 250 year event would be about equivalent to 8% of the value of your home.....In reality it could mean a total loss of 8% of the homes in that area (and No other homes damaged significantly)
In Quebec depending on the region, the values range from 5% to 15% (Highest Risk Regions) and in BC from about 5% TO 30%.
Problems with Canada's Earthquake insurance system....
The Fraser institute did a wonderful study detailing many of the shortcomings of the current Canadian system of insurance.
preventing-disaster-after-a-disaster
Insurance Premiums
I contacted 5 companies and asked for their Costs for Earthquake insurance for the same house and same location.
The Lowest cost was $92 for a 5 % deductible
The Highest deductible was $261 for a 10% deductible
The Highest cost was $ 446 for a 4% deductible
So if you feel you need Earthquake insurance, and can not sleep at night without it, make sure you shop around as the rates are all over the place...
Bottom Line
Review all the sites/link posted, review for your area, and make a "Judgement Call" that you can live with. If you are in a high risk zone be on the safe side if you can afford to purchase the insurance.
Also, remember if there is a BIG ONE and you lose everything and have insurance, the deductible is significant and you can expect not to be able to recoup your entire investment in you home.
Note: I am not a scientist,statistical analyst, or insurance expert, so consult an appropriately qualified specialist before making your decision. I take no responsibility for any decision you may make as a result of this document or my personal recommendations made herein. This Blog is for informational purposes only, and represents the personal options of myself, and should be taken as only one small part (If at all) in any decision you choose to make in this regard.
Monday, January 11, 2010
Roomba Affiliate Program
Effective today I am an affiliate for Roomba Vacuum Products.
By selecting the links above you will receive 10% off all i-robot products until the end of January. In addtion you will also receive free shiping for all orders over $59.00 U.S.
Why am I supporting a product such as Roomba you ask ?
For those of you that know me, I am extreemly leery about any product and I perform considerable due dilligence before taking a step forward. This has been the case and continues to be the case. Nothing has changed...
I am supporting Roomba at this time as it is a mature product, & extraorinarily designed for the task at hand. i-Robot, the manufacturer of Roomba is now in its 5th generation of builing these product and has sold millions worldwide.
Many itterations have been designed and the limitations of previous design(s), as well as its weakest link (Humans) have been taken into consideration with their latest 500 series products.
It has also been designed to be home maintained and virtually all parts likely to wear out have been specifically designed in a modular fashion to be easily changed by the home owner.Parts an be purchased directly from i-robot for ongoing support past the 1 year warranty stage.
It does require ongoing maintenance, and if you want to get the best possible life out of the unit and minimize wear, you need to clean the unit after EACH use. You must be meticulous in cleaning the hair that tends to tangle around the "bushings" as this can casue undue wear and heat build-up if not cleaned properly.
This is no longer just a toy to be shown to your friends, but a fully functional, intelligent robot specifically designed to work in virtually any home layout.
It's limitations are it doesn't do stairs, shag carpet, and its best to pick up your drop rugs (Just link you do for regular vacuuming)before using the roomba.
The Roombas come in many flavours to suit all families and their needs....
The lowest cost Roomba the 510 series has a smaller batery capacity than the larger models providing about 1 hours use on a charge. About enough to cover 2 rooms.. It does not have an auto dock feature, so it is your responsibility to pick it up after its finshed its job and plug it back in to recharge the batteries. It also doesn't support lighthouse technologies (Effectivley a device to separate your home into rooms that can be vacuumed one after the other)so this means you have to take it to each room to clean separately and use a "Virtual Wall" (Included) to keep it in that room until cleaning has finished...There is also no scheduling option availalbe for the 510 series so you have to push the start button yourself....
The 530 series is the same as the 510 series with these additional functions...
Self Chargeing Dock Support
Bigger Battery (Up to 3 rooms)
The 560 series is the same as the 530 series with these additional functions...
Scheduling Supported
Bigger Battery (Up to 4 rooms)
The 570 series is the same as the 560 series with these additional functions...
Room to Room Navigation...(Supports Lighthouses)
In addition to the above Roomba has designed a Pet Series of models specifically for Pet Owners...
The 532 and 562 series.....
Specially designed for these models Roomba has added a different brush (Easy Clean), and has also added a High Capacity Bin for Pet hair.... It replaces the lower capacity Vacuum bin....
Of Special Note: The high capacity Bin does not have a motor like the smaller bin normally used to pick up small particles.
If you want all the functions of the 570 and the extra cleaning option for the pet series you can purchase the easy clean brush and High capacity bin separately to upgrade your 570 to have the same additional features as the pet series.
Wednesday, April 01, 2009
FREE Photo Stitching Software (Panorama)
Well, for years I have been workingwith various programs to stitch photo's together, and have had many hours lost with merging and color matching photo's.
Stop, right now and download this free program for your PC.
Hugin
Hugin is an opensource graphical user interface (GUI) for Panorama tools.
Its absolutely fantastic and absolutely free....
No more looking for 'Control Points" on your photos to match them up....
THIS PROGRAM DOES IT AUTOMATICALLY....
No More Exposure matching
THIS PROGRAM DOES IT AUTOMATICALLY....
No More adjustments to me made for the Camera and Lens
THIS PROGRAM DOES IT AUTOMATICALLY....
Details
Like other GUI front-ends, hugin provides an easy-to-use unified point-and-click interface to a whole range of other command-line tools including:
autopano-sift, autopano-sift-C, panomatic or autopano for automatic creation of control points.
nona for remapping input images and rendering output images.
enblend and enfuse for seamless blending of output images.
The Hugin project's mission is not only to provide a powerful GUI, but also to provide opensource replacements for the small number of closed source components of Panorama tools, especially PTStitcher.
A PTStitcher replacement, called nona has been developed, supporting its most important features.
Among the many flexible Hugin workflow options, it is possible to correct exposure, Vignetting and White balance between photos; generate HDR or exposure blended output from bracketed photos; or use 16bit and HDR input data natively.
Supported operating systems
Windows
Linux and Unix
Mac OS X
Retrieved from "http://wiki.panotools.org/Hugin"
Stop, right now and download this free program for your PC.
Hugin
Hugin is an opensource graphical user interface (GUI) for Panorama tools.
Its absolutely fantastic and absolutely free....
No more looking for 'Control Points" on your photos to match them up....
THIS PROGRAM DOES IT AUTOMATICALLY....
No More Exposure matching
THIS PROGRAM DOES IT AUTOMATICALLY....
No More adjustments to me made for the Camera and Lens
THIS PROGRAM DOES IT AUTOMATICALLY....
Details
Like other GUI front-ends, hugin provides an easy-to-use unified point-and-click interface to a whole range of other command-line tools including:
autopano-sift, autopano-sift-C, panomatic or autopano for automatic creation of control points.
nona for remapping input images and rendering output images.
enblend and enfuse for seamless blending of output images.
The Hugin project's mission is not only to provide a powerful GUI, but also to provide opensource replacements for the small number of closed source components of Panorama tools, especially PTStitcher.
A PTStitcher replacement, called nona has been developed, supporting its most important features.
Among the many flexible Hugin workflow options, it is possible to correct exposure, Vignetting and White balance between photos; generate HDR or exposure blended output from bracketed photos; or use 16bit and HDR input data natively.
Supported operating systems
Windows
Linux and Unix
Mac OS X
Retrieved from "http://wiki.panotools.org/Hugin"
Monday, January 12, 2009
Plastic Logic Electronic-Reading Device
We have all heard of kindle but now here is something really special.
The plastic reader uses wi-fi to download files.
The battery lasts for days...
It will support DRM media types
Is 8.5x11 inches !
Available Mid 2009 (Limited) 2010 main release.....
Check out the video at Plastic Logic Web Site
FAQs
General Questions
When will the product be available?
Our two-phased entry into the market will begin in the second half of 2009 with pilots and trials with key partners. We expect to accelerate the momentum of our sales in 2010. In order to receive product information and News Alerts, click here.
What is the price?
Product pricing will be announced in early 2010. If you have already signed-up to receive product updates, this information will be sent via email as soon as it is announced.
When will additional features be available?
Our full feature set will be announced in early 2010.
Does your device support any DRM methods, such as Adobe's DRM?Plastic Logic understands that customers have acquired content from a variety of sources, some of which has digital rights management applied to it. We will support digital rights managed content, the specific formats will be announced as we approach the product launch date.
What operating system is your ereader using?
The ereader uses a version of Win CE from Microsoft, but the features of the operating system are not directly visible to the user.
Does my PC need a specific operating system to use your ereader? The ereader comes with supporting software that runs on Windows XP, Windows Vista and Mac OS X. We'll provide the detailed compatibility requirements as we approach the product launch date.
How can I buy your stock / Are you listed on the NYSE?
Plastic Logic is currently a privately held company.
What events does Plastic Logic plan on attending?Please visit our News Page for a list of all upcoming Plastic Logic events.
Where can I use my Plastic Logic eReader?
With wireless capability, a long-lasting battery, and a large thin display, the Plastic Logic eReader is designed to be used virtually anywhere.
Do we have other products?The Plastic Logic e-reader is the first product we are announcing.
Can I get a demo/test unit?
Demo / Test units are not available at this time.
Can I sign up to be a beta tester?
Although we do not have any immediate plans for beta testing, we know you must be a die hard tech fan if you're asking. We welcome you to sign up to receive News Alerts that will keep you up to date with all of our latest information.
Product Features/Specifications Questions
What are the current features?
• Thin (<7mm), lightweight (<16 oz), form factor of 8.5" x 11”
• Long lasting battery life: measured in days not hours.
• Support for a wide range of document types: PDF, Microsoft Word, Excel & PowerPoint, and others.
• E Ink Active Matrix Display
• Touchscreen interface
• Tools for acquiring, organizing and managing information• Wireless and wired access to content
Can I markup and annotate my documents?
Proofreading and comments are easy with the markup and annotation function.
When will a color version be available?The Plastic Logic e-reader will initially be available with a grey scale screen. We are working to make color a reality in the future. In order to receive product information and News Alerts, click here.
What’s behind the technology?
We use flexible plastic substrates to manufacture our displays. This is dramatically different because it produces active matrix displays that are thinner, lighter and more robust than the conventional glass silicon displays. In September, we opened the world’s first state-of-the-art, commercial scale plastic electronics manufacturing facility, further shaping the landscape of this industry.
The plastic reader uses wi-fi to download files.
The battery lasts for days...
It will support DRM media types
Is 8.5x11 inches !
Available Mid 2009 (Limited) 2010 main release.....
Check out the video at Plastic Logic Web Site
FAQs
General Questions
When will the product be available?
Our two-phased entry into the market will begin in the second half of 2009 with pilots and trials with key partners. We expect to accelerate the momentum of our sales in 2010. In order to receive product information and News Alerts, click here.
What is the price?
Product pricing will be announced in early 2010. If you have already signed-up to receive product updates, this information will be sent via email as soon as it is announced.
When will additional features be available?
Our full feature set will be announced in early 2010.
Does your device support any DRM methods, such as Adobe's DRM?Plastic Logic understands that customers have acquired content from a variety of sources, some of which has digital rights management applied to it. We will support digital rights managed content, the specific formats will be announced as we approach the product launch date.
What operating system is your ereader using?
The ereader uses a version of Win CE from Microsoft, but the features of the operating system are not directly visible to the user.
Does my PC need a specific operating system to use your ereader? The ereader comes with supporting software that runs on Windows XP, Windows Vista and Mac OS X. We'll provide the detailed compatibility requirements as we approach the product launch date.
How can I buy your stock / Are you listed on the NYSE?
Plastic Logic is currently a privately held company.
What events does Plastic Logic plan on attending?Please visit our News Page for a list of all upcoming Plastic Logic events.
Where can I use my Plastic Logic eReader?
With wireless capability, a long-lasting battery, and a large thin display, the Plastic Logic eReader is designed to be used virtually anywhere.
Do we have other products?The Plastic Logic e-reader is the first product we are announcing.
Can I get a demo/test unit?
Demo / Test units are not available at this time.
Can I sign up to be a beta tester?
Although we do not have any immediate plans for beta testing, we know you must be a die hard tech fan if you're asking. We welcome you to sign up to receive News Alerts that will keep you up to date with all of our latest information.
Product Features/Specifications Questions
What are the current features?
• Thin (<7mm), lightweight (<16 oz), form factor of 8.5" x 11”
• Long lasting battery life: measured in days not hours.
• Support for a wide range of document types: PDF, Microsoft Word, Excel & PowerPoint, and others.
• E Ink Active Matrix Display
• Touchscreen interface
• Tools for acquiring, organizing and managing information• Wireless and wired access to content
Can I markup and annotate my documents?
Proofreading and comments are easy with the markup and annotation function.
When will a color version be available?The Plastic Logic e-reader will initially be available with a grey scale screen. We are working to make color a reality in the future. In order to receive product information and News Alerts, click here.
What’s behind the technology?
We use flexible plastic substrates to manufacture our displays. This is dramatically different because it produces active matrix displays that are thinner, lighter and more robust than the conventional glass silicon displays. In September, we opened the world’s first state-of-the-art, commercial scale plastic electronics manufacturing facility, further shaping the landscape of this industry.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Instructables
Well I am certain that virtually everyone, at some time thought of building or doing something unique.
Well here is a site where people not only show off their fares but provide a detailed, step by step set of instructions enabling you to construct one of the same for yourself.
Instructables
They have divided the site into a plethora of areas where anyone, of any interest can find something to their liking.
I submitted my home built lawn mower generator to the site and it was made one of their Featured Items.
Wonderful site, that I will spend countless hours exploring projects and creating ideas.
Well here is a site where people not only show off their fares but provide a detailed, step by step set of instructions enabling you to construct one of the same for yourself.
Instructables
They have divided the site into a plethora of areas where anyone, of any interest can find something to their liking.
I submitted my home built lawn mower generator to the site and it was made one of their Featured Items.
Wonderful site, that I will spend countless hours exploring projects and creating ideas.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Sealed Battery Performance
Todays modern sealed batteries (Valve Regulated Rechargeable Battery) display operational characteristics somewhat different from those that I have expected from a battery.
Namely that their performance is directly related to the current being drawn from the battery rather than the total power drain.
What does this mean ?
Well a picture is worth a thousand words.
The above example is for a 4.5 Ahr battery
That's right, power drain has a non linear relationship on the total battery time available.
If we take for example from the graph (9 A) the battery in this instance will last approx 15 minutes.
On the other hand if we draw .9 A (one tenth the power drain) we will get in return 4 hours of battery life. (Or 16 times the power output at one tenth the current draw)
It all has to do with the capacity of the battery fluid to produce the energy being used.
In reality the batteries capability varies directly with load...
Nominal Capacity
0.05C (0.225A to 10.50V) -> 4.5 AHr
0.1C (0.45A to 10.50V) -> 4.05 AHr
0.2C (0.90A to 10.20V) -> 3.51 AHr
1C (4.50A to 9.00V) -> 2.34 AHr
e.g. So when purchasing a 4.5 ah battery you can expect to get 4.5ah fom the battery ONLY if you draw .05 x C (where C= the battery AH rating) maximum from the battery.i.e (.225 amp)
If you draw 4.5 amps from a 4.5ah battery you can expect to get only 2.34 AHr of power total (and your voltage will drop to 9.0V from 12.78), in this instance about 30 minutes of use
(See Graph. Also note if you are using it in a UPS thay will normally switch off at 10V)
Also the slelf life of a battery is mostly determined by the Storage Temperature
See Graph
Rule of thumb, store your battery as close to 0 deg as possible, and keep it fullycharged.
Once the battery goes below 80% charge it may not be able to be recharged to full values any more.
Oh yea, one more thing
There is a limit to the lifespan of the battery versus the numbers and level of discharges.
So much to learn.....
All this to check out the new battery I just bought for my UPS....
Result....my new battery is only providing 1/8 the expected output power capacity.
OK, now to return it to the store and xplain to them how I tested the battery and why it needs replacing.
Namely that their performance is directly related to the current being drawn from the battery rather than the total power drain.
What does this mean ?
Well a picture is worth a thousand words.
The above example is for a 4.5 Ahr battery
That's right, power drain has a non linear relationship on the total battery time available.
If we take for example from the graph (9 A) the battery in this instance will last approx 15 minutes.
On the other hand if we draw .9 A (one tenth the power drain) we will get in return 4 hours of battery life. (Or 16 times the power output at one tenth the current draw)
It all has to do with the capacity of the battery fluid to produce the energy being used.
In reality the batteries capability varies directly with load...
Nominal Capacity
0.05C (0.225A to 10.50V) -> 4.5 AHr
0.1C (0.45A to 10.50V) -> 4.05 AHr
0.2C (0.90A to 10.20V) -> 3.51 AHr
1C (4.50A to 9.00V) -> 2.34 AHr
e.g. So when purchasing a 4.5 ah battery you can expect to get 4.5ah fom the battery ONLY if you draw .05 x C (where C= the battery AH rating) maximum from the battery.i.e (.225 amp)
If you draw 4.5 amps from a 4.5ah battery you can expect to get only 2.34 AHr of power total (and your voltage will drop to 9.0V from 12.78), in this instance about 30 minutes of use
(See Graph. Also note if you are using it in a UPS thay will normally switch off at 10V)
Also the slelf life of a battery is mostly determined by the Storage Temperature
See Graph
Rule of thumb, store your battery as close to 0 deg as possible, and keep it fullycharged.
Once the battery goes below 80% charge it may not be able to be recharged to full values any more.
Oh yea, one more thing
There is a limit to the lifespan of the battery versus the numbers and level of discharges.
So much to learn.....
All this to check out the new battery I just bought for my UPS....
Result....my new battery is only providing 1/8 the expected output power capacity.
OK, now to return it to the store and xplain to them how I tested the battery and why it needs replacing.
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