Estimated read time: 4 min.
All our devices are battery-powered, and, already a while ago, we settled on making those battery packs ourselves.
There are two main reasons for this: consumer safety and smooth operation of the devices. But why are our battery packs safer than some conventional, store-bought ones? Let’s find out.
Battery or B-pack?
You may have noticed the phrase B-pack floating around in our communication, and there’s a reason for this. You see, B-pack isn’t just an odd name our marketing team decided to give for our batteries. There’s an actual difference between a battery and a B-pack.
Essentially, a battery is a cell (or a few of them) that acts as a source of power. A B-pack, meanwhile, is a special container for those cells that, in our case, are also rechargeable. This container isn’t just a plastic case – it also has a microcontroller that controls the charging and discharging processes, monitors the temperature, and protects the battery against external damage.
Battery packs vs. Conventional batteries: a short overview
Why are some batteries dangerous?
Recently, there have been lots of stories about self-igniting conventional Lithium-Ion batteries causing fires, explosions, and sometimes even fatal incidents. But that does not mean we should stay away from battery-powered devices altogether. In practice, this simply means using batteries from trusted manufacturers – and only in the way they were intended to be used.
The risk of fire increases greatly if battery cells don’t have special protection that prevents short circuits and overheating.
Risks also come during transportation, as well as using safe batteries with unsafe devices.
The final risk is sourcing batteries from manufacturers that aren’t properly regulated and can therefore forgo some essential safety measures. This is especially important for people who go straight to the cheapest option – you have to remember that the low price has to come at the cost of something, and that is often safety.
Why should you trust Pulsar then?
Now, with some much risk at play, why would you trust us to make battery packs for your devices? Well, first of all, your Pulsar device will only show the battery level if it is powered by a B-pack, which is crucial when out in the field.
Then, it’s just as important that our production is based in Europe, which means strict regulations and adhering to the highest standards. But we don’t stop here.
As we’ve established in the beginning, we don’t just make batteries, we make B-packs. And this means integrated protection from temperature fluctuations during discharge and charging, overheat protection, short circuit protection, and over discharge protection.
The casing adds an additional layer of protection by sheltering the battery cells from mechanical damage. And you sure want that, as if you probe the casing of a lithium battery, the fire is unavoidable: a short circuit will occur inside the cell and it will start burning.
Inside the B-pack, there are also soft dampers that protect cells from the recoil impact during the shots. It’s vital for riflescopes, but it also acts as cushioning during transportation.
Because each B-pack has its own microcontroller, you can charge it in the device or outside of it using any USB Type-C charger. And when we say any, we still recommend purchasing them from reliable manufacturers only.
This microcontroller also has an additional benefit: it makes the operation of the device more stable. In other words, the device will behave predictably, won’t shut down unexpectedly, and perform well in extreme conditions, especially cold weather.
Can you put another battery in a Pulsar device?
At Pulsar, we always listen to the suggestions and requests from users of our devices. One of the more common ones is to start making devices that could be powered by batteries by other manufacturers. But we aren’t ignoring it just to make your life harder.
Our primary goal is to ensure your safety, and, as you’ve already seen, there are numerous safety concerns when it comes to conventional batteries. So, our B-pack design is unique by choice.
By making it virtually impossible for you to add a non-original battery to our devices, we minimize the risks of explosions, fire, and possible damage to the device itself.
We hope this explains why we’ve got such a particular power system for our devices. And we also hope that from now on, whatever battery-powered devices you use, you’ll always follow the manufacturers’ advice and only stick to high-quality, protected, and reliable batteries and battery packs.
Before purchasing any night or thermal vision device, please make sure you adhere to the local legislation and only use it when it is allowed. Our ambassadors come from various countries and travel a lot, which allows them to test different devices. We do not encourage or support the illegal use of our devices in any events. If you wish to learn more about export and sales restriction policy, please visit the following link: Export and Sales Restriction Policy.