Category: Guide

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Guide

A Huge Guide to Improve Battery Life

Smartphones continue to get faster, and every update comes with a host of new features that promise to make your life easier. But this technology can also sap your battery life, causing you frustration.

Battery life is going to massively differ between people due to what apps are being used – something as simple as browsing the internet can hit the battery more than video consumption, and any kind of gaming will kill the battery even quicker. 

If your Android is draining faster than normal, don’t panic.This post is here giving a detailed list of what can be changed to improve battery life. 

Software Updates

Keeping up-to-date is always a good idea for features, security fixes and bug fixes, and if you’re having battery problems, it could be because you’re on an older firmware. To see if you have the latest version:

  1. TapSettings > Software update > Check for new update(on some Android devices, this will appear asSettings > System > System update > Check for update).
  2. TapOK.
  3. If your operating system is up to date, “Current software is up to date” will display. If a new update is available, follow the instructions to install.

Settings to Help Battery Life

All of these settings can be found in the Settings app (from app draw or from notifications panel). Disabling these settings helps battery life unless stated otherwise.

Switch to mobile data 

Your device periodically checks if Wi-Fi can be found, and if it can’t, mobile data is turned on. With this disabled, mobile data will need to be manually turned on when your Wi-Fi slows/drops.

Wi-Fi power saving mode

Looks for patterns in Wi-Fi usage to learn when it’s best to turn on Wi-Fi power saving. I’d suggest trying this yourself and seeing if it affects your everday usage (as it can in some cases).

Bluetooth 

Bluetooth can use a large amount of energy, especially when it’s constantly syncing to devices like watches, earphones and speakers that trade large amounts of data. Disable this if you don’t use Bluetooth devices, and if you do, it isn’t a large enough battery sink to worry about.

NFC 

This will check for NFC/contactless payment points whenever the screen is on. Leaving this turned off, and simply turning it on when needed is simple and can save a tiny amount of energy.

5G

5G can be very power-hungry – under the right circumstances it can drain 20% more than other bands. Below is a detailed explanation of 5G and why it can be a battery drain under certain conditions. If you do not use 5G at all, disable it – set your network mode to LTE/3G/2G if possible – this will not change your data speeds and may help with battery life. If you do use 5G, please read below!

  1. There are two deployment types of 5G – Stand Alone (SA) and Non-Stand Alone (NSA). SA deployments handle calls, texts and data single-handedly without needing any other network band active. NSA deployments cannot handle calls, texts and data without another network band being active at the same time. NSA 5G therefore needs to maintain a 4G/LTE/3G connection alongside the 5G connection for higher data speeds. As of writing, there are no large-scale SA deployments. The vast, vast majority of currently avalaible 5G is NSA. In use, this will drain your battery ~20% faster than when just using 4G/LTE/3G.
  2. Connection strength and reliability also play a large role with battery life. As 5G is still an emerging technology, overall coverage is far worse than other bands, which can cause your data connection to constantly switch between multiple bands while also always seeking 4G/LTE/3G for a stronger connection. This can play a large role in 5G killing your battery quicker.

Wireless emergency alerts 

These are sent out about severe weather warnings and amber alerts, as well as also being used to send location information to emergency services. This is an important service that should be left on if supported in your area. If it isn’t used in your country, or your country uses SMS instead, you can disable this feature for an imperceptible battery save.

Dark mode

Dark mode changes all Android menus and supporting apps to a dark version – meaning mostly white backgrounds change to black/grey backgrounds. OLED screens turn off pixels completely when black – meaning little to no power draw from these pixels – whereas pixels showing white is a large battery draw over the same period of time.

Additionally:Most browsers support a dark mode independently of OS settings and therefore need changing in their respective settings to be turned on/off. Browser dark modes can save massive amounts of battery at the cost of making most webpages look… strange.

Motion Smoothness and Eye Comfort Shield

Motion smoothness:Most Smartphones supports 120Hz displays which can be a large battery drainer. Although it’s adaptive (meaning it can change based on what is needed – from 120Hz all the way down to 10Hz), it still drains more power than in standard mode (60Hz). I spoke earlier about striking a good balance between battery and features – and in my opinion, 120Hz is well worth the extra battery usage.

Eye comfort shield:Eye Comfort Shield isn’t for everyone as it both limits blue light and uses warmer colours. Setting this can make things look yellow-tinted, but can help with eye fatigue, sleep, and most importantly for this list, battery life.

Power saving mode

As mentioned above, this is the power saving mode that often gets confused with adaptive power saving. This will automatically be turned on and off when adaptive power saving finds it best, or this setting instead can be left on at all times if preferred.

Protect your phone from extreme temperatures

Whether you’re on the go or staying in, make sure to avoid leaving your phone in very hot or cold environments. Being in extreme temperatures can not only drain your phone battery but also cause it to overheat and explode, putting your safety at risk. Try to store your phone in an area between 68° and 86° Fahrenheit.

Make sure your phone has service

While this may seem like a no-brainer, double-check to make sure your phone has service. If your Android is constantly searching for a signal, it can drain your battery quickly. 

Check whether your battery is at the end of its life cycle

If none of the above steps works, it could be because your Android phone’s battery is on its way out. Get the best batteries for your business and professional needs here atBatteryone.co. Get in touch with us today for all your battery needs. 

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Guide

How to Keep Your AED Properly Maintained

Unlike most products, AEDs may be unused for long periods of time before they are needed during an emergency. And, when an AED needs to be used, it is usually during a life-or-death situation that happens suddenly and without warning!

If an AED isn’t properly maintained, the consequences can be tragic. Without receiving ongoing maintenance, AEDs may not be working correctly or their disposable parts (like electrode pads and batteries) may expire. As a result, someone could die when they could have otherwise been saved by the AED.

How Do You Maintain an AED?

One of the biggest challenges with maintaining an AED is that there isn’t a standard maintenance protocol for all devices. Maintenance requirements and processes vary from one AED model to another. Not to mention, the maintenance requirements can often be time-consuming, expensive, and burdensome.

While specific requirements vary by manufacturer, here are some basic procedures for an inspection that can keep your AED ready to respond in a heartbeat.

Daily:Some units have a status indicator light you can check daily as you walk by the AED. Green indicates readiness; red indicates a problem.

Monthly or Annually:

  • Visually inspect your AED.Look for dirt, damage, or contamination.
  • Inspect electrodes.All electrodes (sticky pads) should be unexpired and in their original, sealed packages. It’s good to have at least two sets for adults and one set for children.
  • Test primary battery.Some models feature a “test” button. On models without one, push the “on” button. If the unit prompts you to attach the electrodes, the battery’s working properly.
  • Test backup battery.Make sure a backup battery is stored with the AED. This is crucial, because defibrillation can deplete the primary battery. Test the secondary battery by removing the primary battery and following the same process as you did with the first one.
  • Keep it charged.Keeping an AED plugged into the wall when it’s not being used helps keep the primary battery from losing its charge over time. It’s especially important for devices that sit idle for long periods.
  • Check data card.Some models record information about the cardiac arrest on a removable computer data card. Make sure a functioning card is installed.
  • Stock secondary supplies.Some items that are helpful to stock in your AED kit include alcohol prep pads, razors, gloves, scissors, and a small towel or cloth. Electrodes require a good connection to function, so you may need to clean the person’s skin or trim thick chest hair.
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Guide

Precautions for Drone Flying in Winter

As weather conditions change with the approach of winter, drone enthusiasts are presented with unique challenges when taking to the skies. As winter blankets the landscape with its icy embrace, The cold temperatures, snow, and icy conditions can pose significant risks to the drone and the operator.

Although it’s not advisable to fly in extreme winter weather conditions, we understand many drone pilots won’t run inside at the first sight of snow. When you need to collect critical information, like topographical surveys, waiting for a more placid day might not be an option.

To help you overcome the elements and keep your drone flying in winter, we’ve put together some best practices and tried-and-true advice.

Keeping an eye on your battery life

The greatest inconvenience to flying a drone in winter is the cold temperatures’ effect on your drone’s lithium polymer (LiPo) batteries.

Cold temperatures reduce chemical activity in Lipo batteries used in drones. This causes your drone to lose power faster — 50% faster in some cases. In extreme cold conditions, your drone might even shut down mid-flight.

Here’s what to know if you plan on flying in cold weather:

  • Turn your drone on and let it warm up for a couple of minutes before launching.
  • Begin with fully-charged batteries and check your battery life more than usual mid-flight. If you track the rate your drone is using power, you can plan when it’s time to bring the drone back to home base, averting a crash.
  • Bring extra, fully charged, LiPo batteries if you plan to fly for a while. Taking extra time to swap out a drone battery is preferable to your drone losing power and crashing.
  • Consider where you store your drone and LiPo batteries when you’re not flying. If the space is significantly cooler during cold weather, move them somewhere warmer.
  • Keep your extra batteries inside your vehicle while you’re flying. It’s not just your drone that you have to worry about. The batteries in your controller will also use power faster in cold weather. Don’t leave your controller exposed to extreme cold more than necessary.
  • If you’re working in especially frigid weather conditions, consider investing in a battery warmer.

Monitor Weather Conditions

Stay informed about the weather conditions before heading out to fly. Strong winds, snow, and low temperatures can all impact the stability and performance of your drone.

Flying in windy, blustery weather conditions

Unless you’re a seasoned drone pilot and comfortable flying manually, you should not fly your drone when the surface wind speed is above 15 mph. Flying in anything stronger than that jeopardizes a safe flight, and you risk a crash.

In addition to the cold temperatures, strong winds will negatively affect battery life, sacrificing flight performance. Your drone will have to work harder to fly against the wind to overcome the turbulence. So, even if your drone is able to handle the high winds, you still risk a crash if you let your LiPo battery levels drop too low.

If you must fly in windy conditions, follow this advice to ensure a safe flight:

  • Fly perpendicular to the wind. If you can’t, fly upwind first and then downwind, back toward you.
  • Be more attentive to your drone than normal, especially when flying with the wind. If you notice that it’s having a hard time staying level, bring it home immediately.
  • Be careful during your takeoffs and landings. Though winds are more powerful the higher the altitude, your drone can veer off course more easily when it’s just getting off the ground or decelerating during landing.

Coping with flight performance issues caused condensation

In many areas, cold weather also means increased condensation. Too much moisture in the air can cause a number of issues with your drone’s ability to operate properly. With enough exposure, moisture can ruin the drone’s propeller motors, camera, and internal systems. If you’re using a GPS-enabled drone, condensation can also disrupt those signals, distorting your geotags.

Here are a few things to keep in mind:

  • Although it may seem obvious that you should skip flying in the rainy or snowy weather conditions, flying a drone in fog is not a good idea, either. Fog can trigger the drone’s obstacle avoidance sensors, making it think something is in front of it and thereby stopping the flight mid-mission.
  • Choose a drone with high-visibility lights on the body of the craft, so you can spot it in the sky in extreme weather conditions.
  • Not only do you need to account for the moisture in the air, you should avoid contact with snow on the ground, too, as moisture can damage your drone’s motors. Use a pad or another elevated surface for launching and landing your drone.

Cold weather

As we have mentioned, when the temperature decreases, the performance of your drone’s batteries deteriorates. This situation will most likely occur when weather conditions approach or drop below 0 °C or 32 °F. Aside from battery life, here are other specifications you should review for your drone to determine if yours is suitable for flying in cold weather:

  • Maximum wind speed your drone can fly
  • Range of optimal operating temperatures
  • Maximum flight altitude
  • To combat moisture and freezing precipitation, ensure your drone has an IP rating of at least IP43 to fly during winter.

Choose the Right Gear

As the drone operator, you have to remain in the cold temperatures for the entire flight time. Dress accordingly. Bundle up, and choose gloves that won’t prevent you from operating your mobile device or the drone controller. Numb, frostbitten fingers aren’t just uncomfortable — they make operating a touchscreen almost impossible.

Plan your mission before flying your drone

Preparing for your flight before you travel to the site makes good sense. It can help minimize the time you’re out in the cold. Only plan to survey the areas of your worksite where you need new, up-to-date data. And when possible, choose the best camera to minimize your drone payload weight, which will help to maximize your LiPo batteries’ life in cold weather.

Ultimately, if you think the cold or inclement weather will be too much to handle — move your flight to another day. Keep up with the seven-day forecast so you can reschedule your flight as soon as you know you’ll be facing poor weather conditions.