Frequently Asked Questions

What does CCA stand for?

Cold Cranking Amps is a rating used to give an approximation of a battery’s ability to start an engine in cold temperatures. The higher the CCA rating, the greater the potential starting power of the battery in colder weather. Braille Battery’s are tested using conductance testing which is an approximation of BCI testing. The BCI rating is the number of amps a new, fully charged battery can deliver at 0° Farenheit for 30 seconds, while maintaining a voltage of at least 7.2 volts, for a 12 volt battery using a draw down test. Since this type of testing can shorten the life of a battery, Braille’s batteries are individually tested prior to shipping using the conductance method. This method is much faster and less destructive to batteries.

What is reverse capacity (RC)?

Reserve Capacity, (RC) is a battery industry rating, defining a battery’s ability to power a vehicle with an inoperative alternator or fan belt. The rating is the number of minutes a battery at 80 degrees F can be discharged at 25 amps and maintain a voltage of 10.5 volts for a 12 volt battery. The higher the reserve rating, the longer your vehicle can operate should your alternator or fan belt fail.

What are Marine Cranking Amps (MCA)?

This is a rating used to describe the discharge load in amperes which a new, fully charged battery at 32 degrees F (0C), can continuously deliver for 30 seconds and maintain a terminal voltage equal or greater than 1.2 volts per cell. It is sometimes referred to as Marine Cranking Amps or Cranking Amps.

BCI has established testing proceedures for battery specifications of CCA (Cold Cranking Amps) and CA (Cranking Amps).

At this time all of Braille’s ratings are determined by using a conductance tester and not the draw down method used by the BCI.

Why use AGM (Absorbed Glass Mat) Battery?

An AGM battery utilizes a fine fiber glass material separator between the lead plates within the battery. The AGM design is also highly resistant to vibration deterioration. AGM batteries, are also called starved electrolyte they operate with no maintenance and can be installed in various ways (except upside down) without spill and provide outstanding power per dollar invested. AGM batteries are commonly interchanged with traditional flooded lead acid batteries as the charge/discharge profile of these batteries are similar. AGM batteries have low internal resistance and a very low self-discharge rate (from 1% to 3% per month). So they can sit unused for much longer periods without charging.

What is Amp Hour or Ah?

If a battery was a motor, cranking amps refer to the horsepower of the engine, whereas AH (amp hours) are the amount of fuel in the tank. To test the amount of “fuel” in the tank, the battery is tested to determine the amount of amperage available when discharged evenly over a 20 hour period. The amp hour rating is cumulative, so in order to know how many constant amps the battery will output for 20 hours, you have to divide the amp hour rating by 20. Example: If a battery has an amp hour rating of 75, dividing by 20 equals 3.75. That battery can carry a 3.75 amp load for 20 hours before dropping to 10.5 volts. A battery with an amp hour rating of 55 will carry a 2.75 amp load for 20 hours before dropping to 10.5 volts.

Higher ratings do not necessarily reflect how fast current can be drawn, rather, how long a current can be drawn. For example a 20Ah battery will sustain a 1-amp draw for approximately 20 hours before dropping to a voltage level that is considered discharged. A 40Ah battery will sustain an 8-Amp draw (or load) for approximately five hours. Capacity is influenced by other factors such as temperature, depth of discharge and speed of discharge.

What does OEM stand for?

You will note that company mention that many companies choose Braille Battery's as OEM products for their cars. OEM stands for Original Equipment Manufacturer, referring to the particular maker of the battery. OEM batteries are often referred to as “original” batteries. Manufactures will chose batteries as OEM based on a variety of factors including cost, weight and performance.

What can excessive heat do to a battery?

Hot temperatures will deteriorate a battery's life quickly.

What is a Cycle?

A cycle is considered one discharge and one charge sequence for a rechargeable battery.

What is a Volt?

A volt is the unit of measure for electrical potential or pressure.

What is a Watt?

A watt is the unit for measuring electrical power (Watts = Amperes x Volts).

What is meant by Shelf Life?

The amount of time a battery will retain an operable percentage of its stated capacity (calculated under ambient temperature storage conditions) before having to recharge it.

How do I connect my batteries in 'Series'?

First, never connect batteries of different chemistries, voltage or capacity in series. The positive terminal of the first battery is connected to the negative terminal of the second battery; the positive terminal of the second is connected to the negative of the third, etc. The voltage of the assembled battery is the sum of the battery voltages of the individual batteries. So the batteries are connected: + to - to + to - to + to -, etc. The capacity of the battery is unchanged.

How do I connect my batteries in 'Parallel'?

First, never connect batteries of different chemistries, voltage or capacity in parallel. The positive terminal of the first battery is connected to the positive terminal of the second battery, the positive terminal of the second is connected to the positive of the third, etc. and The negative terminal of the first battery is connected to the negative terminal of the second battery, the negative terminal of the second is connected to the negative of the third, etc. So the batteries are connected: + to + to + and - to - to -. In this configuration, the capacity is the sum of the capacities of the individual batteries and voltage is unchanged.

What is BCI Group?

BCI is a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to promote the interests of the international lead-acid battery industry. With more than 175 members worldwide, BCI brings together representatives of many of the kinds of businesses that are involved in the lead-acid battery life cycle, including manufacturers and recyclers, marketers and retailers, suppliers of raw materials and equipment, and industry consultants.

BCI is the authoritative source of battery-related information in many areas. Through its committees and research arms, it researches, develops and publishes technical data, engineering standards, marketing practices, trade issues and governmental and legislative initiatives.

BCI has established testing proceedures for battery specifications of CCA (Cold Cranking Amps) and CA (Cranking Amps).

At this time all of Braille’s ratings are determined by using a conductance tester and not the draw down method used by the BCI.

What is a Lithium Amp Hour (LAH)?

When a battery is in a fully charged state it stores electrical energy. The amount of usable energy in this state to perform a function will vary greatly depending on factors such as load, time, and temperature.

In a lead-acid battery, the amount of the load will greatly affect the battery’s usable capacity, which is based on the Peukert equation. The ability for lead-acid batteries to sustain a load is relative to the specific battery’s capacity. A typical lead-acid battery will experience an extreme voltage drop when a heavy load is placed on the battery. Often, if the load exceeds the battery’s sustainable ability, the battery’s voltage will drop to an unusable level and the battery will fail.

Due to vast improvements in electrical ability found in Braille’s Lithium Battery Technology, the usable capacity of Braille’s lithium batteries are able to sustain over 10.2 volts under load. This is, on average, the same as lead-acid batteries with 3 times the standard capacity rating. This usable power rating, represented by voltage under load, is called a Lithium Amp Hour rating (LAH).

The Lithium Amp Hour rating can be used as a guide to help determine the correct battery when attempting to achieve premium weight and size benefits using Braille Lithium Batteries. For example, if a 30 AH, lead-acid battery is currently being used, it may be upgraded with a 30 LAH rating Braille Lithium Battery, which under equal loads, will deliver similar draw down performance. While the Lithium Amp Hour (LAH) rating is very useful for providing an insight into the advanced performance of Braille’s Lithium Batteries, it is not a replacement measurement for the traditional AH rating, which should be used to determine charging rates, total discharge performance, and long-term storage calculations.

The following graph depicts the way a Braille Lithium Battery will perform relative to its state of charge and load. The graph also illustrates the battery’s ability to deliver critical starting, lighting, or ignition (SLI) performance even while not fully charged. It is clear the advantages of Braille’s Lithium Battery technology over traditional lead-acid batteries and the use of LAH helps to determine the perfect lithium battery for specific needs.