Do LSD NiMH batteries need to be refreshed too?
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VidPro
Flashlight Enthusiast
yes less.
LSD and li-ion with thier lower self discharge seem to not "need" cycling as much, over longer periods of time. so while they will say (again) these things need NO cycling (remember them saying that when ni-mh came out), they still prefer to be used, there is a small voltage droop on discharge over much and much times. say 6mo might be a good timing.
but then if you havent used them in 6months
well .
LSD and li-ion with thier lower self discharge seem to not "need" cycling as much, over longer periods of time. so while they will say (again) these things need NO cycling (remember them saying that when ni-mh came out), they still prefer to be used, there is a small voltage droop on discharge over much and much times. say 6mo might be a good timing.
but then if you havent used them in 6months
well .
Black Rose
Flashlight Enthusiast
Yeah, that SDM sale was great. I didn't get any as I have a ton of Eneloops from Costco.
I have quite a stash of spare Eneloops.
I use a Sharpie and put a number on them and have a spreadsheet where I keep information on the cells (i.e. date charged, C9000 capacity, etc).
If you have some cells that you want to keep aside, just use a spreadsheet or even a notebook to keep track of the dates and every 6 months do a discharge/charge cycle on them.
It will help give the cells a bit of exercise and keep the internal resistance buildup under control.
I have quite a stash of spare Eneloops.
I use a Sharpie and put a number on them and have a spreadsheet where I keep information on the cells (i.e. date charged, C9000 capacity, etc).
If you have some cells that you want to keep aside, just use a spreadsheet or even a notebook to keep track of the dates and every 6 months do a discharge/charge cycle on them.
It will help give the cells a bit of exercise and keep the internal resistance buildup under control.
Mr Happy
Flashlight Enthusiast
You could label your batteries to keep track of them (Sharpie) and then rotate all of them through your normal usage cycle. Eneloops manage quite well in storage, but they still benefit from a bit of use to keep them fresh.
Russel
Enlightened
I'm sure everyone has their own preferences. I like to store my 'extra' Eneloops in the refrigerator, in a ziplock bag, after discharging them to 0.9 volts with a MH-C9000 charger. Then once a month, or sometimes every two months, I take four out of the frig, let them warm to room temp while still in the ziplock bag. I charge them, let them rest about two hours, and discharge them again. (And record the information in a spread sheet.) Once this is done, they go back into the ziplock and back into the refrigerator. Then the next four come out to warm...etc. Until I have cycled all the 'extra' Eneloops that I store in the frig. Then they are good for another month or two of storage.
After re-reading your post, I realized that I neglected to answer your question.
Yes, that would count as a full cycle. Although I don't recommend that you drain them that low every time in an effort to maintain them, that would be adding unnessasary stress to the cells. If they are getting discharged to 1 volt due to normal use in a particular application, no problem. Charging them when they are not fully discharged is fine, with a discharge down to 1 volt per cell maybe every ten (less than full) cycles.
After re-reading your post, I realized that I neglected to answer your question.
Yes, that would count as a full cycle. Although I don't recommend that you drain them that low every time in an effort to maintain them, that would be adding unnessasary stress to the cells. If they are getting discharged to 1 volt due to normal use in a particular application, no problem. Charging them when they are not fully discharged is fine, with a discharge down to 1 volt per cell maybe every ten (less than full) cycles.
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Russel
Enlightened
It really depends on your application of the batteries and your preferences. The batteries that I use in my flashlights, remotes, and other small electrical devices I keep charged all the time. My remotes and wireless mice usually don't drain my Eneloop AA cells very much over time, so I perform a discharge with a MH-C9000 and recharge about every three months.
The extra batteries that I have, I keep in the frig discharged and do the opposite method...charge/discharge.
I hope this makes sense.
Russ
The extra batteries that I have, I keep in the frig discharged and do the opposite method...charge/discharge.
I hope this makes sense.
Russ
Russel
Enlightened
In my humble opinion, I would say that LSD cells require maintenance less than non-LSD NiMH cells to maintain a given level of performance. But, I personally believe that performing a forming charge, storing properly, and cycling the cells will keep them vibrant much longer, and I feel compelled to do so.
Personal preference has a lot to do with it.
Some may be satisfied with 15 minute charge rates, replacing the cells when they loose capacity. Personally, I really like the performance of LSD batteries and that alone makes me want to go to great lengths to maintain them properly. Much more so than non-LSD batteries.
Sorry if I haven't really answered your question, it's just that I am kind of a fanatic about maintaining batteries (along with many others here) so it's kind of hard for me to even think of it as optional.
Personal preference has a lot to do with it.
Some may be satisfied with 15 minute charge rates, replacing the cells when they loose capacity. Personally, I really like the performance of LSD batteries and that alone makes me want to go to great lengths to maintain them properly. Much more so than non-LSD batteries.
Sorry if I haven't really answered your question, it's just that I am kind of a fanatic about maintaining batteries (along with many others here) so it's kind of hard for me to even think of it as optional.
TakeTheActive
Enlightened
You may want to consider storing the cells with a 'Partial Charge'. Per a post from SilverFox, I've been using 25% for my 'Storage Box Queens':
For LSDs, you also could probably extend the storage period to 3 months / 90 days.
Russel
Enlightened
TakeTheActive,
Thank you for pointing that out and providing the link. I plan to start implementing a partial charge with my batteries stored in the frig. It's also nice to know that I can be a little lazier and extend the charge/discharge cycle on the stored batteries to 90 days.
Thank you for pointing that out and providing the link. I plan to start implementing a partial charge with my batteries stored in the frig. It's also nice to know that I can be a little lazier and extend the charge/discharge cycle on the stored batteries to 90 days.
