Just opened a new pack of old stock 2008 vitange eneloop. Still had a full charge
I was cleaning things out and I found a set of charger/4 AA combo I bought a long time ago and forgot about. They're Sony branded pre-charged. Made in Japan 2,000mAh 1,000 cycle rated. I think they're rebranded eneloop. The date code is 2008. I discharged them at 500mA. They all delivered 1,300-1,350 mAh and held a stady 1.15 to 1.20v during the bulk of discharge cycle. After six years. Right out of the package!
From what I gathered in threads here, they are shipped pre-charged, but not completely full.
Charged them back up with an eneloop charger. After my first charge, I discharged them at 1,000mA. I got 1900 to 1950mAh from every one of them. I chose 1A just to cut the time.
I also have two made in 2006. They put out voltage but they are so deteriorated that every charger rejects them and I can only charge in a timer charger. They were all kept loose and not in a device so they didn't get drained to the ground. I wonder if the first use initiates a permanent internal structure that gets the clock ticking on deterioration in storage or if the key is to store them half charged. Are they equally shelf stable if If I cycle them a few times and store them again at half charge?
NiMH was in the most competitive phase in those days. I remember getting NiMH bundled with a Sony charger that got rejected by the charger right out of the package and it was a current model back then.
I was cleaning things out and I found a set of charger/4 AA combo I bought a long time ago and forgot about. They're Sony branded pre-charged. Made in Japan 2,000mAh 1,000 cycle rated. I think they're rebranded eneloop. The date code is 2008. I discharged them at 500mA. They all delivered 1,300-1,350 mAh and held a stady 1.15 to 1.20v during the bulk of discharge cycle. After six years. Right out of the package!
From what I gathered in threads here, they are shipped pre-charged, but not completely full.
Charged them back up with an eneloop charger. After my first charge, I discharged them at 1,000mA. I got 1900 to 1950mAh from every one of them. I chose 1A just to cut the time.
I also have two made in 2006. They put out voltage but they are so deteriorated that every charger rejects them and I can only charge in a timer charger. They were all kept loose and not in a device so they didn't get drained to the ground. I wonder if the first use initiates a permanent internal structure that gets the clock ticking on deterioration in storage or if the key is to store them half charged. Are they equally shelf stable if If I cycle them a few times and store them again at half charge?
NiMH was in the most competitive phase in those days. I remember getting NiMH bundled with a Sony charger that got rejected by the charger right out of the package and it was a current model back then.
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I've been planning for ages to swap out most of my existing cells for a top brand of rechargeables and an intelligent charger on a budget, and finally getting round to it. Just ordered the Youshiko YC4000, which is a bit of a Technoline BC700 copy but has some positive reviews (haven't received it yet so can't verify), and lots of Sanyo/Pana eneloops. After reading the thread on Japanese vs Chinese manufacturing, the tropical ones seem to tick all the boxes. I'm hoping they're cheaper just because they're Summery and don't sell as well in the Winter!
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