"IDX started selling lithium-ion batteries eight years ago," Rubin recalls. Although it took a long time to get the technology widely accepted." The reason is that some companies discarded this type of technology because of safety objections (it was argued, for example, that certain batteries could start fires). "With eight years of experience, IDX has proven that, if applied appropriately, it is actually the safest of all the technologies with which batteries are made for our industry." According to this, lithium-ion will be the predominant trend for a long time.
The benefits of lithium-ion over nickel-cadmium (Ni-Cd) and NiMH are, according to Rubin, the following:
- Weight-to-power ratio. Ni-Cd produces 164 Wh in about 3 pounds while NiMH produces 100 Wh with a weight of about 7 pounds.
- There is no memory effect.
- Low self-download rate.
- Long live.
- Environmental safety.
Rubin claims that few manufacturers produce lithium-ion for the professional market. "No one has produced and shipped lithium-ion longer than IDX." There are "clones" of uncertain origin but these products lack the reliability of the original products.
Another trend that can be seen in terms of obtaining energy sources for television production in the field is the use of a single system for all production equipment. "Diverse equipment that requires different voltages has always needed independent battery and recharging systems," says Rubin. IDX has paid attention to the needs of the market and therefore offers a line of accessories that meets these demands. Users can use all IDX Endura system batteries in 12, 24 and 7.2 V applications."
Some concerns have been raised lately regarding the air transport of lithium-based batteries. As of 1 January 2003, the air regulatory agencies adopted the recommendations of the United Nations regarding the transport of these products on commercial flights. This means that a lithium battery pack cannot contain more than 8 grams of lithium-ion. This specification implies that to meet this standard, lithium-ion batteries should have a maximum power of about 90 Wh. IDX packages meet these requirements and for this the manufacturer provides a certification that can be downloaded from its website.
Regarding the development of new technologies, such as "fuel cells", Rubin acknowledged that these have great potential for the future but that most of the present developments have concentrated on military applications. "The automotive industry is looking at this technology and I have heard that there are developments for cell phones and laptops. However, I believe that we are still a few years away from having this technology available to consumers, due to price and product safety considerations. When this technology is viable, we can be sure that IDX will be a competitor in it."
