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Millsaps Makes Podium in Indy; JGR Struggles in Bristol

March 19th, 2012 by

Team Interstate wrap-up for March 17-18, 2012

Millsaps (left) grabs 2nd straight podium

Team Interstate's Davi Millsaps (left, in blue) grabbed his second straight podium with Saturday's third-place finish in Indianapolis. Ryan Villopoto (center) won the event, while former JGRMX rider Justin Brayton finished second. (image via vitalmx.com)

JGRMX rider Davi Millsaps scored his second straight podium Saturday, a lone bright spot in an otherwise dismal weekend for Team Interstate. Teammate James Stewart, coming off a win in Daytona last weekend, encountered difficulty on the first lap of the first heat race. He fell down hard and was run into by two competitors’ motorcycles. Medical personnel evaluated Stewart, and the team decided to keep him out of the last-chance qualifier.  His condition will be thoroughly evaluated this week.

Millsaps, who earned his first podium of the 2012 season last Saturday at Daytona, qualified for the main event without incident in the second heat race. Unfortunately, Millsaps found himself mid-pack at the start of the main event. Charging forward, Millsaps began steadily moving through the field. By the halfway mark, Millsaps was in the top five, and with four laps remaining he took over third place.
 
“It’s amazing, I can’t thank my team enough,” Millsaps said to the SPEED live broadcast audience. “Toyota, Yamaha, JGR, my trainer, everyone who has been behind me, my mechanic Ben, all my sponsors, FMF, Feld, O’Neal, SIDI, I just can’t thank them enough, you know, pushing me and pushing me getting me up here (on the podium). It was really slick in a lot of sections, pretty much everywhere it was really slick. Pirelli has been working really hard for us, and we had the tires really down tonight. I’m just pumped to be up here.”
 
Stewart and Millsaps sit third and fourth respectively in series points.
 
Kyle Busch and the 18 team tried the open-wheel look at Bristol.

Kyle Busch and the 18 team tried the open-wheel look at Bristol. Copyright 2012 AutoStock Images

Sprint Cup: Busch Collected in Early Accident

Kyle Busch’s bid to win a sixth career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway barely lasted five minutes Sunday after he was caught in a lap-23 incident during the Food City 500 that heavily damaged the No. 18 Doublemint Toyota Camry for Team Interstate/Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR).

BRISTOL, TN - MARCH 18:  Carl Edwards, driver ...

Image by Getty Images via @daylife

Busch and the rest of the 43-car field were just getting settled in for 500 laps of racing around the 0.533-mile, high-banked concrete oval when, while running 12th, he and Marcos Ambrose were collected by the No. 5 racecar of Kasey Kahne and the No. 78 of Regan Smith, who were stopped sideways against the outside SAFER Barrier entering turn one. Busch limped his No. 18 Toyota back to the garage with heavy front-end damage. The crew worked fast and furiously to cut away bent sheet metal and replace key front-end components and got Busch back on track 72 laps later, in 39th place, without a hood and front fenders.

From there, Busch made up seven positions and brought his wounded racecar home in 32nd place, 77 laps down.

“What happened today was really nobody’s fault,” said Crew Chief Dave Rogers, who guided Busch to his last two Bristol victories in back-to-back fashion in August 2010 and March 2011. “It’s just a product of racing here. Nobody did anything wrong. But I’m really proud of our guys today. A lot of really good teams were involved in that early wreck, and we were the first ones back out there on the track and we were running pretty competitive laps the rest of the way, all things considered. We picked up seven points by getting back out there and finishing the race the way we did.”

Busch’s Team Interstate companions – Joey Logano, driver of the No. 20 Toyota Camry, and Denny Hamlin, driver of the No. 11 Toyota Camry – finished 16th and 20th, respectively.

Brad Keselowski won the Food City 500 to score his fifth career Sprint Cup victory, his first of the season and his second consecutive victory at Bristol.

Next week: NASCAR heads to Auto Club Speedway in California, where Kyle Busch returns to the No. 18 Interstate Batteries Camry. AMA Supercross goes to Toronto and NHRA drag racing hits the strip at Las Vegas.

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Surprise! It’s Spring — Mild Winter Means Go Fishing

March 16th, 2012 by

Interstate Batteries Fishing Boat

Shauna Simons Cannon uploaded this picture of her family's Interstate Batteries boat to our Facebook page.

Remember staying inside, sipping hot chocolate and watching the snow fall outside your window this winter? Yeah, we don’t either – and it wasn’t because we didn’t have any hot chocolate.

The winter of 2011-2012 just never came. In fact, January was the fourth warmest in 117 years, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Most people’s reaction is mixed: sad to lose the snow and glad to skip the chills. For anglers, the news couldn’t be clearer: Time to go fishing.

Admittedly, it’s always time to go fishing.

Even so, natural resource and fish and game departments across the nation are bumping up their 2012 fishing schedules to match the warm weather on lakes, rivers and shores. In fact, fishing starts in Ohio in less than two weeks after the state’s Department of Natural Resources releases rainbow trout.

Before you start counting tackle and rescheduling your usual May fishing retreat, put a little TLC back into your marine batteries. After the overview from Battery Expert Gale Kimbrough in Boats.com, here are a few specific steps on how to de-winterize your marine batteries.

  • First thing, check the battery status. Pop open the vent caps and look at the liquid levels of each cell. If the liquid electrolyte is lower than the plates, refill the cell with distilled water. Next, use a hydrometer to check the specific gravities in each cell of every battery. If the state of charge is below 75%, move on to charging the battery.
  • Next, charge the battery. Battery chargers are specifically designed for certain battery types. For your cranking battery, get a cranking battery charger. Get a deep-cycle battery charger with an amp rating that matches the ampere hour rating on your deep-cycle battery’s label. (Divide the ampere hour rating by 10 to get the amp rating.) When charging your battery, be sure to set it to an automatic setting or constant voltage setting.
  • Once charged, clean the battery. Mix baking soda and water to create a toothpaste-like mixture for cleaning the terminals, connectors and the battery tops. Scrub the mixture around the terminals and then rinse and dry the mixture off.
  • Finally, reconnect your batteries to your boat. Don’t over-tighten the connections. Give the connected terminals and battery posts a spray of corrosion preventative to finish the job. Check your batteries’ state of charge the night before you head out. If they’re low, charge them up.

Like any good angler, you want to prepare for your trip. With your batteries properly de-winterized, you’re now a great angler, ready to get out there early in the year.

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Q&A With NASCAR No. 18 Car Chief Wesley Sherrill

March 15th, 2012 by

Next to the driver and the crew chief, one of the most important roles on a NASCAR team is that of car chief. The car chief must make sure all of the crew chief’s setups and adjustments are carried out. We caught up with Wesley Sherrill, car chief of the No. 18 Interstate Batteries/M&M’s Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing, who tells us more about his role and what exactly he’s doing with the car before each race.

 

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Eight Tips for a Better Road Trip

March 13th, 2012 by

Taking a road trip? Interstate Batteries offers a few tips.

Before your family heads out on a Spring-inspired road trip, make sure the car is in tip-top shape.

It was the esteemed American poet William Hugh Nelson who wrote, “I can’t wait to get on the road again.” If, like Willie, you and your band of gypsies plan to go down the highway this spring, here are a few tips to ensure your road trip is a successful and safe one:

1. Start with an oil change, a fluid check and a battery test. Nothing ruins a road trip like an unexpected breakdown. Minimize those chances with a quick trip to your friendly local mechanic. And don’t overlook that battery test — your road trip won’t start unless your car does.

2. Bring your license, registration and insurance information with you. This may sound obvious, police offers and state troopers say people tell them they forget these documents all the time.

3. Clean your car before and during the trip. Although that mountain of fast-food bags and napkins may muffle the sound of your daughter’s game system, she’ll be far more comfortable in a clean car. Keep a few plastic bags on hand for your garbage.

4. Get a good map or a trustworthy GPS. (hint: does that GPS need new batteries? Get ‘em here.)

5. Share the driving. On those really long trips, it’s nice to take a break from driving every once in a while. Your passengers might also enjoy a break from just watching out the window.

6. Keep the kids entertained. Make sure their portable music players and gaming systems have fresh batteries for the trip. Bring backup batteries just in case. And make sure to take time for cheesy family games of “I Spy” and the license plate game. Because the kids can’t tune you out forever.

7. Keep the cellphone charged up. Need a fresh cellphone battery? We’ve got you covered. Need a new car charger? We have those, too.

8. Plan time for unexpected stops. Sometimes the kids need a potty break. And you could use a few minutes to stretch your legs. There’s no trophy for “making good time,” so allow for some breaks along the way.

No matter what your plans are for Spring Break travel, InterstateBatteries.com wants you to stay safe while on the road.

Psst! Have you followed us on Twitter? We love to talk batteries, racing and special deals.

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JGRMX Dominates in Daytona; Mark Martin 2nd in Vegas

March 11th, 2012 by

Team Interstate Wrap-up for March 10-11, 2012

James Stewart won the Daytona Supercross on Saturday

James Stewart won a very muddy Daytona Supercross on Saturday, while teammate Davi Millsaps finished second. (courtesy js7.com)

Team Interstate/JGRMX teammates James “Bubba” Stewart and Davi Millsaps swept the podium at a very muddy Daytona Supercross on Saturday. It was the second win of the season for Stewart and the first podium finish of the year for Millsaps.

“I felt good all day,” said Stewart. “I was fast in practice and we got a start, those Pirelli tires were awesome out there. Once I got out front I pulled a lead and just tried to survive.”

James Stewart makes a splash in Daytona

James Stewart makes quite a splash in Daytona.

The Daytona Supercross is always a unique stop of the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Tour. The course, set up in the Daytona International Speedway infield, is more of a hybrid, part motocross and part supercross. It’s often the toughest track of the season, even in perfect weather. Mother nature made the track rival even the worst outdoor motocross conditions. Rain pounded the track early in the day delaying practice and turning the racing surface into a quagmire.

Despite the conditions, Stewart and Millsaps easily transferred directly to the main event from their respective heat races with Stewart winning his eighth heat race of the season. With the track a muddy mess the start was crucial for the main event. When the gate fell it was Millsaps leading the pack with Stewart in tow. On lap three of 16 (the normal 20-lap main was shortened due to the conditions), Stewart passed Millsaps and the JGRMX/Toyota/Yamaha Team riders maintained first and second to the checkers.

Mark Martin in the 18 Interstate Batteries Toyota, Las Vegas 2012

Mark Martin drove the No. 18 Interstate Batteries Toyota Camry to a solid second-place finish in Vegas. (Copyright 2012 AutoStock Images)

Martin Delivers Solid 2nd in Vegas

Veteran Mark Martin, winner of four NASCAR Nationwide Series races at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, came up one spot short of his fifth series win in Saturday’s Sam’s Town 300.

Mark Martin, Interstate Batteries

Before Saturday's race, Mark Martin's average finish in Las Vegas Nationwide races was 2nd. His finish Saturday? 2nd. (Copyright 2012 AutoStock Images)

The driver of the No. 18 Interstate Batteries Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) led once for a total of 44 laps, but after surrendering the lead coming off of pit road on lap 146, Martin couldn’t get around eventual race winner Ricky Stenhouse Jr., and brought the white-hot No. 18 Interstate Batteries Camry home in the runner-up spot.

“Thanks to Joe Gibbs and everybody at JGR and Interstate Batteries,” said Martin, who now has six top-two finishes in seven career Nationwide Series starts at Las Vegas. “This Toyota was awesome and they were awesome.”

Martin’s only finish outside the top-two at Las Vegas was a sixth-place effort in March 1998. “I have to admit, I almost wrecked the car five times trying to keep up with [Stenhouse] and finally just had to surrender. I just about wrecked it I don’t know how many times. He was just gone and we have to, unfortunately, settle for second place.”

Martin’s JGR teammate, Brian Scott, driver of the No. 11 Toyota Camry, finished 34th after making contact with the outside SAFER Barrier in turn four, thus ending his day just prior to the race’s halfway point.

Vegas Not Kind to JGR in Cup

A return to his hometown of Las Vegas did not generate the luck that Kyle Busch wanted during Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Kobalt Tools 400.

Busch, the driver of the No. 18 M&M’s Ms. Brown/Interstate Batteries Toyota Camry for JGR, suffered a mid-race scrape with the wall, coupled with handling and track position woes, that proved too much to overcome and resulted in a disappointing 23rd-place finish at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

“We started in the back, and we were able to move up through the field at the start with our M&M’s Ms. Brown Camry,” said Busch, who won a Sprint Cup race in 2009 at Las Vegas. “We ended up taking four tires on our second stop when everyone else took two and lost our track position. Then we got into the oil from the 93 car blowing up, and I got into the fence. Between that and not being able to keep up with the way the track changed, we just couldn’t end up recovering from losing the track position. It was just a long and frustrating day for us.”

Joey Logano, driver of the No. 20 Toyota Camry, led Team Interstate by finishing 16th. Denny Hamlin, driver of the No. 11 Toyota Camry, finished 20th.

Tony Stewart won the Kobalt Tools 400 to score his 45th NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victory, his first of the season and his first at Las Vegas.

Kyle Busch and Joey Logano in Las Vegas 2012

Kyle Busch and Joey Logano ran side-by-side early in Sunday's race. (Copyright 2012 AutoStock Images)

NHRA Gatornationals Postponed

Team Interstate’s Mike Edwards, driver of the Penhall/K&N/Interstate Batteries Pontiac Firebird, made it through the first two rounds of eliminations Sunday in the ProStock division at the NHRA Gatornationals in Gainesville, Fla. But rain moved in to postpone the final rounds until Monday.

UPDATE: Edwards won the Wally Monday in Gainesville with a 0.03-second reaction time in the finals. The story, from nhra.com:

In Pro Stock, Edwards used a holeshot start in his Penhall/Interstate Batteries Pontiac GXP to defeat Greg Anderson for his first win of the season and 33rd of his career. Edwards finished in 6.566 at 211.30 but his quicker reaction time allowed him to hold off the quicker but losing performance of Anderson’s Summit Racing Equipment GXP, which finished in 6.538 at 211.69.

“I won on a holeshot, but I really can’t explain it,” Edwards said. “Those guys [Summit teammates Anderson and Jason Line] have been to the final round in all three races, so I knew I had to do something. You can never be late against those guys. You’ve got to go on time. I was very concerned about not having lane choice in the final. I didn’t get down the track in that lane either time in qualifying, but I’m guessing maybe something about the rain helped us with our setup.”

Next week: NASCAR goes to the bullring at Bristol and AMA Supercross goes to Indianapolis. NHRA drag racing resumes March 30 in Las Vegas.

 

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Take Control of the Time Change Weekend

March 9th, 2012 by

Deutsch: Zeitumstellung zum Beginn der Sommerz...

Image via Wikipedia (because we overslept)

Prepare yourself for all the “spring forward” puns and “I overslept” excuses. This weekend marks the start of Daylight Saving time in most of the country and much of the world.That’s right; Daylight Saving Time isn’t observed everywhere in the United States. Arizona and Hawaii choose not to observe the time change, and neither do Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin Islands. Also, until 2006, only 15 counties in Indiana observed Daylight Saving Time, making a leisurely drive across the state a little more entertaining if not confusing.

Daylight Saving Time has an interesting history involving Benjamin Franklin and a humorous letter suggesting people should wake up earlier. The U.S. first adopted Daylight Saving Time during World War I, and it’s gone through several iterations since.

This Sunday, our clocks unceremoniously jump from 2 a.m. to 3 a.m. with no regard for our hectic lives. With 60 fewer minutes this weekend, there is even less time to tackle that honey-do list that has been building up all week.

Abstracts - a smoke detector

 

Good thing interstatebatteries.com has you covered. Get a jump on your spring forward by ordering the 10-year Ultralife smoke alarm battery, and don’t worry about changing your smoke alarm detectors until 2022. Assuming you replace your battery every six months, which of course you do, this one battery will replace your next 20 9-volts.

Get the 10-year Ultralife smoke alarm battery now through March 15 for $6.99, $2 off the normal price. (Offer valid only on interstatebatteries.com; discounted price will be reflected at checkout.)  And remember to set your clocks forward before you go to bed Saturday night. That is, unless you’re in Arizona, Hawaii or the U.S. territories. You folks can just go about your normal weekend routine.

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Mark Martin: Outrageously Dependable in Las Vegas

March 6th, 2012 by

Mark Martin drives the No. 18 Interstate Batteries Toyota in the Las Vegas Nationwide Race on Saturday.

Mark Martin drives the No. 18 Interstate Batteries Toyota in the Las Vegas Nationwide Race on Saturday.

One of Interstate Batteries’ slogans is that its products are “Outrageously Dependable®.” For this Saturday’s Sam’s Town 300 NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Interstate Batteries found a driver who is certainly Outrageously Dependable at the 1.5-mile oval.

NASCAR veteran Mark Martin will pilot the No. 18 Interstate Batteries Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing at Las Vegas and his record at the track north of the famous Las Vegas Strip is nothing short of incredible.

Martin has competed in six Nationwide Series races at Las Vegas and won four of them (1999, 2005, 2008 and 2011), while finishing second (2000) and sixth (1998) in the other two. Martin also captured the pole for the Las Vegas Nationwide Series races in 1998 and 1999.

He has led laps in all six races and led as many as 150 laps en route to victory as he did in 1999, or as few as just one lap when he won last year’s race there. Martin has led 333 total laps at Las Vegas (an average of 55.5 per race) and his average start is 8.5 while his average finish is 2.0.

While the pairing of Martin and Joe Gibbs Racing may certainly provide dividends on the track, it also provides a neat “trifecta” of sorts for Martin. He spent the majority of his NASCAR career driving for Roush Fenway Racing and then spent the last three years competing for Hendrick Motorsports. By driving for JGR at Las Vegas, Martin will have worked with three of the most iconic teams in NASCAR that have each been involved in the sport for at least 20 years.

As anyone who travels to Las Vegas knows, there is no such thing as a fail-safe bet. However, if any driver is close to a “sure thing,” it’s Mark Martin competing in a Nationwide race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

 

Mark Martin, Driver of the No. 18 Interstate Batteries NASCAR Nationwide Series Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing:

 What are your thoughts on competing for Joe Gibbs Racing and Interstate Batteries in the Sam’s Town 300 Nationwide Series race?

 “Their Nationwide Series program is one that has had everyone’s attention for years. They’ve won a lot of races and had great cars and they’ve been the premier Nationwide Series program for a few years. So, I couldn’t be more excited to get a chance to work with them.”

Why have you been so good at Vegas throughout the years?

“Some tracks you get around pretty well and others you just don’t. For some reason, Vegas has been a track that has been really good to us and things just work out.”

Talk about driving the Interstate Batteries car, which has been an iconic car in NASCAR for more than two decades.

 Dale Jarrett and Bobby Labonte obviously made the car pretty famous and now Kyle Busch is carrying that tradition on when he runs the Interstate Batteries Toyota. It’s neat for me to get to drive it and Interstate has been involved with JGR and NASCAR for a long time and that’s great for the sport. Norm Miller (chairman of Interstate) will be out there and hopefully we can put them in victory lane.”

 Adam Stevens, Crew Chief of the No. 18 Interstate Batteries NASCAR Nationwide Series Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing:

Adam Stevens, Crew Chief for Joe Gibbs Racing

Adam Stevens is a crew chief in the Nationwide Series for Joe Gibbs Racing. Stevens and the normal No. 20 crew will work the No. 18 car for Mark Martin in Las Vegas. Copyright 2011 AutoStock Images

You’ve worked with Tony Stewart and other great drivers throughout your career. Talk about working with Mark Martin.

“I have been fortunate to work with some great drivers, so it’s fun for me to get to work with Mark, a guy who has that much experience and is still excited about doing what he does. He came by the shop and he could talk racecars 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Having him get behind the wheel and get a read on where our intermediate program is will be huge for us. So, I’m excited about that.”

Mark’s record at Las Vegas is pretty incredible. Does that put any pressure on you?

 “You can only do what you can do so, no, not really. I’m glad we’re taking him to a place where we can cut our teeth with him, where he’s 100 percent confident he can get around there and that it’s right in his wheelhouse. If anything, that takes some pressure off.”

What are the challenges working with a driver for the first time?

 “Every driver is particular about something and I don’t know what that something is with Mark. I don’t know what buttons to push that are going to get a reaction and what buttons to push that aren’t going to move the needle. So, we have to learn that fast if we’re going to be good. I feel like our intermediate package has changed quite a bit from last year, so now we have more than one variable. It’s not just Mark and I working together for the first time, it’s Mark and I working together for the first time and trying to move our program forward.”

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Team Interstate’s Denny Hamlin wins in Phoenix

March 4th, 2012 by

 

Denny Hamlin celebrates his March 3 win in Phoenix

Denny Hamlin celebrates his March 4 win in Phoenix.

Team Interstate driver Denny Hamlin held off a late charge by Kevin Harvick to win the Subway Fresh Fit 500k Sprint Cup race in Phoenix on Sunday. The driver of the No. 11 FedEx Toyota Camry captured his 18th career Sprint Cup victory, his first of the season and his first win at Phoenix.

Hamlin’s Team Interstate/Joe Gibbs Racing teammates, Kyle Busch in the No. 18 M&M’s/Interstate Batteries Toyota Camry and Joey Logano in the No. 20 Home Depot/Dollar General Toyota, finished sixth and 10th, respectively. Busch led twice for a total of 52 laps. It was the first time that the Team Interstate trio all finished inside the top 10 since October 2010 at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway.

With round two of 36 complete, Hamlin leads the championship point standings with 89 points. Logano stands eigth, 19 points out of first, and Busch moved up to ninth, 23 points behind Hamlin.

JGRMX Lands Top 10 Finishes in St. Louis

James Stewart pilots the No. 7 Yamaha for JGRMX/Team Interstate

James Stewart pilots the No. 7 Yamaha for JGRMX/Team Interstate. Courtesy js7.com.

Team Interstate/JGRMX riders James “Bubba” Stewart and Davi Millsaps finished fifth and sixth, respectively, at the AMA Supercross event in St. Louis Saturday. Millsaps and Stewart both qualified for the main event from their heat races, with Stewart winning his. Millsaps grabbed the early lead in the main with Stewart mired at the rear of the field. Stewart fell briefly on the opening lap after colliding with a rider as he tried to charge to the front. Millsaps continued to lead the opening laps, settling into second place on lap three. Stewart broke into the top 10 by lap five and into the top-five on lap 18. Stewart currently sits third in series points with Millsaps ninth.

Next week: NASCAR heads to Las Vegas, where Mark Martin will drive the No. 20 Interstate Batteries Toyota Camry in the Nationwide Series race on Saturday. Supercross will visit Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla., and NHRA Drag Racing returns to Gainesville, Fla. Go Team Interstate!

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How a Race Car is Made

March 1st, 2012 by

Follow the skilled technicians from Joe Gibbs Racing and The Decal Source as they turn plain sheet metal into a high-performance racing machine. The car being made here went on to win the Michigan Sprint Cup race in August 2011.

 

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The “How-To” of Rechargeable Batteries: Part 2

February 29th, 2012 by

Interstate Rechargeable Batteries and Chargers

Interstate All Battery Center has a complete line of rechargeable batteries and chargers.

Second in an occasional series on rechargeable batteries

Choosing the Right Battery Charger

Trying to figure out which charger to purchase for your batteries can be a hassle. Often you’re the one needing to be recharged. Slow versus fast, rapid versus ultra-fast – what do those terms mean, anyway? In the “How-To” of Rechargeable Batteries: Part 1, we learned the difference between NiCd and NiMh batteries. Now let’s look at some different chargers. Just for fun, we’ll illustrate the differences with a few of our favorite primetime procedural dramas. Trust us; it’ll all make sense when we’re done.

Slow Chargers

Anthony DiNozzo

Special Agent DiNozzo waits for his battery to charge. (Image via Wikipedia)

The slow charger is like an NCIS marathon on cable. The average charge time for this most basic of chargers is between 14 and 16 hours, which explains why slow chargers are often called “overnight chargers.” If speed is a priority, this one’s not for you. The slow charger specializes in charging both NiCd and NiMh batteries. However, with no light to indicate a full charge and no automatic shut-off circuit once your battery is charged, slow chargers often overcharge batteries, and an overcharged battery can be as fried as your brain after too much TV. You’ll find these chargers for cordless phones, electric toothbrushes and children’s toys.

Rapid Chargers

English: Self made Law & Order logo

"Chun-chun." (Image via Wikipedia)

Think of the rapid charger as several episodes of Law and Order airing back to back. Its improved technology not only has a faster charge time, it also protects your battery from overheating. Don’t let the “rapid” name fool you, though: You might argue three to six hours is not rapid at all. Rapid chargers sense the charge of the battery by the voltage and currents and then indicate when the battery is completely charged, but they may still apply a constant charge, so take your device off when it’s full. The rapid charger services both kinds of nickel-based batteries and is generally inexpensive.

Fast Chargers

CSI: Trilogy

With a fast charger, you'll have time to watch an episode of CSI. (Image via Wikipedia)

Fast chargers typically take about an hour, giving you just enough time to catch a fresh episode of CSI. The fast charger accommodates both NiCd and NiMh batteries. When the battery is fully charged, the charger will enter trickle mode, keeping the battery topped off. Nickel-based batteries will slowly self-discharge when not in use, and the trickle mode keeps the self-discharge at bay while the battery awaits its turn in your power tool or walkie talkie. Typically, fast chargers are used for commercial purposes in medical, military, communication and construction fields.

Ultra-fast Chargers

David Caruso

Ultra-fast chargers deliver a charge faster than it takes David Caruso to remove his sunglasses. (Image via RottenTomatoes.com)

To continue our theme, think of ultra-fast chargers as the opening segment of CSI:Miami. They can recharge nickel-based batteries in about the time it takes for David Caruso to take off his sunglasses. Traditionally used on large batteries, ultra-fast chargers are the bullet trains of the battery world. And just as bullet trains need special tracks, ultra-fast chargers only work with batteries equipped to handle the ultra-fast charge. Make sure your battery can handle this bad boy, or you’ll be sorry. While your battery may not be blown to smithereens, it could be ruined if it’s placed in a charger it’s not suited for. Also, ultra-fast charging only applies up to about a 70% state of charge. Past that point, the ultra-fast charger lowers its current.

So let’s recap: Slow chargers = NCIS marathon. Rapid charger = an evening watching Law and Order. Fast charger = one episode of CSI. And ultra-fast charger = the opening scene of CSI:Miami. (It’s dramatic and effective, but you still need to watch the rest of the episode to fully absorb the charge, er, plot.).

The friendly team members at Interstate All Battery Center® know their stuff when it comes to battery chargers. Go to our Dealer Locator to find an Interstate All Battery Center near you.

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About The Outrageously Dependable Blog

Interstate Batteries® sells more than 16,000 kinds of batteries—from AA alkalines and automotive batteries to critical power solutions, and everything in between. Combine professional battery services, recycling programs and the largest battery distribution network in North America, and you’ll find Interstate has EVERY BATTERY FOR EVERY NEED®. Learn more about Interstate Batteries or shop online!