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Rechargeable Batteries - How long do they last and tell tale signs
wazza
Posts: 2,595 Forumite
in Techie Stuff
Have AAA rechargeable batteries in my cordless digital home phone. They came with the product and is roughly 3 years old. Since it is in daily use they are charged every day or every two days depending on usage and battery charge sign. When it is low then i put it on the charger.
Also have old AA and AAA rechargeable batteries in my draw which must be at least 6 years old.
How can you tell if they need replacing. The only way i know is that if they don't hold their charge anymore.
I know rechargeable batteries can only be recharged so many times in their life.
Just wondering if there is another way of checking.
Also have old AA and AAA rechargeable batteries in my draw which must be at least 6 years old.
How can you tell if they need replacing. The only way i know is that if they don't hold their charge anymore.
I know rechargeable batteries can only be recharged so many times in their life.
Just wondering if there is another way of checking.
Problem with having access to internet is that i get asked by many to solve their problems 
Well at least i learn something on the way 
Well at least i learn something on the way 0
Comments
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Generally, rechargable batteries only last for around 1000 charges. The only way of telling is if you notice a rapid decrease in the life of the batteries, then it's time to get a new set. Or they leak!
Northern Ireland club member No 382 :j0 -
Firstly don't use NiCads, they are old tech and if you have some that are 6 years old, get rid of them and switch to quality high-capactity NiMH. You should be able to charge 1000 times, and say you charge once a week, they'll last for 19 years!
Secondly use a top quality delta-V charger. Try: http://www.tantronics.co.uk/index.htm
A cheap charger won't monitor the battery health and you'll never get a proper charge.
Been using some Ansmann 2700mAh batteries in pro flashes and they last weeks, with hundreds of flashes, which is incredible considering the power drain. Before I was using Uniross with a stock charger and I was lucky to get 100 flashes, I've done weddings with one set of new batteries in a very powerful flash now!0 -
Firstly don't use NiCads, they are old tech and if you have some that are 6 years old, get rid of them and switch to quality high-capactity NiMH. You should be able to charge 1000 times, and say you charge once a week, they'll last for 19 years!
Secondly use a top quality delta-V charger. Try: http://www.tantronics.co.uk/index.htm
A cheap charger won't monitor the battery health and you'll never get a proper charge.
Been using some Ansmann 2700mAh batteries in pro flashes and they last weeks, with hundreds of flashes, which is incredible considering the power drain. Before I was using Uniross with a stock charger and I was lucky to get 100 flashes, I've done weddings with one set of new batteries in a very powerful flash now!
Can you give a direct link to a 'delta-v' charger please? :idea:0 -
Would these be suitable for wii controllers as I have to charge them up every time I am going to use them?0
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Can you give a direct link to a 'delta-v' charger please?
Just one of many (I bought this one a couple of months ago and it's excellent, there are more expensive ones up to £100 on different sites, with more controls, LCD displays etc)
http://www.tantronics.co.uk/acatalog/ansmann_powerline_5_mobile.html
The difference it's made to the batteries I use is amazing.Would these be suitable for wii controllers as I have to charge them up every time I am going to use them?
If they use AAs/AAAs and they need charging then I can't see why not...0 -
Another vote for Ansman here. I switched to an energy 8 and get much more use for cameras, flashgun, mice, torches - you name it. Also I put the cordless phone batteries in the charger once a month or so which seems to improve the charge properties0
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Surely cordless phones re-charge constantly from the cradle, you dont have to re-charge them seperatley?, all mine have, anyway.0
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Surely cordless phones re-charge constantly from the cradle, you dont have to re-charge them seperatley?, all mine have, anyway.
Yes, but hc25036 was saying the improvement you get if you charge them occasionally with a delta-V charger... d-V chargers monitor the state of the each battery via electronics constantly, precisely noting the tiny change which is produced when they are at full charge, switching from a main to trickle charge - the results are totally different to using a standard charger. Batteries charged properly last a lot longer than those charged with stock chargers which treat all cells the same and have no monitoring.
Even out of cheap Uniross rechargeables, I'd only get a short set of shots out of a powerful flash gun, when charged with their "fast charger", with the d-V charger I'd say, on average, they charge appears to last almost twice as long.0 -
What Isofar said :T
After a year or so the cordless phones would run out of charge after 15 minutes out of the cradle. A couple of cycles in the d-v charger gets that back to an hour or so (they are old phones!), so I do it routinely now0 -
Just one of many (I bought this one a couple of months ago and it's excellent, there are more expensive ones up to £100 on different sites, with more controls, LCD displays etc)
http://www.tantronics.co.uk/acatalog/ansmann_powerline_5_mobile.html
The difference it's made to the batteries I use is amazing.
Cheers mate
A queery though if I may? You called them a 'delta-v' charger yet I cant see any mention of this on the link. What IS a delta v and how would I know that is one?
:idea:0
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