NEWS 

Tejera Microsystems Engineering, Inc. announces the CHARGEminder TM 

Keeps battery powered equipment charged and ready to go 

Tampa , FL August 12, 1997 -  Today Tejera Microsystems Engineering, Inc. (TME) unveiled its latest offering to NiCd battery users everywhere. The new CHARGEminder is a clever device that makes all kinds of dumb  battery chargers smart! Aimed at ending the hassle of keeping your batteries charged when you need them vs. the fear of overcharging. The CHARGEminder simply plugs in between your charger and the wall outlet providing a timed charge and automatic trickle conversion. Taking from the proven technology of its predecessor, the Auto-Trickle Adapter, the new CHARGEminder has all of the same great qualities along with several new enhancements to make it compatible with a wide variety of chargers. Cell phones, cordless tools, radios, TV's, toys and gadgets that have simple plug in the wall chargers can now be left on indefinitely. What's more, the gentle pulse trickle action actually helps eliminate memory before it forms. The CHARGEminder, keeping batteries charged and ready to go. 

Operation is Simple 

All you have to do is plug the adapter into the wall and plug your charger(s) into it. Then at the push of a button, you can command a timed charge or a trickle charge for your batteries. Selectable times program the CHARGEminder to handle most chargers. Compatible chargers include those designed to take between 3 to 16 hours to fully charge. Plug them in, push a button and forget about batteries and chargers. The CHARGEminder takes care of bringing them up to full charge and automatically converts your charger to a pulse trickle charger.  Batteries can be left on indefinitely. All this without the expense of modifying or replacing existing chargers. 

Not only safe but good for your batteries 

In trickle charging batteries with the Auto-Trickle Adapter (predecessor to the CHARGEminder) for over six years, TME has NOT observed batteries developing a memory at ALL.  Nor have they observed short failures due to long term charging. 

This is perhaps because a pulse charge method has been shown to be better for your batteries than a steady current trickle charge. Cadmium migration, a chemical phenomena that leads to failure involving shorts, is directly dependent on the cumulative time the current is flowing in the battery rather than the magnitude of the current. (This is substantiated by lab testing). Since TME is pulse charging, cumulative charge time is greatly reduced thereby increasing the usable life of the cell while on trickle. 

Technical Note: 
Cadmium migration is the molecular migration of metallic cadmium from the negative to the positive battery plate that can lead to the ultimate failure of the cell. Cadmium deposited in the separator bridges the plates and causes soft shorts contributing significantly to self discharge or shunting charge current so that the battery does not become fully charged in the normal time.  

New case, new functionality, and new technology too... 

More than just a simple timer, the CHARGEminder  provides a full charge timer that automatically goes to a pulse trickle adapter under full microprocessor control. Users can switch back and forth between charge and trickle at the push of a button.  The new model features a  plug in the wall case, a flat panel touch switch, and  indicator lights. Stylish and attractive, the CHARGEminder has a 3 prong grounded and fused outlet. This allows you to easily plug in a grounded power strip. The 120 watts of power still allow you to control dozens of  chargers from a single device. (Power strip  not included)  TME  stands behind this product with an impressive two year warranty. 

For more information contact TME at 813-968-9510 or visit their web site for the latest information and specifications at http://www.TMEnet.com /CHARGEminder