How do you pair your batteries ?

[kennieyk]

i just bought a cosco set of batteries , just wondering do you guys pair or mark the batteries ??? I would not think it a good idea to mix them once you charged them a few times .. Like if one batterie was charged 80 times then you put it with a batterie thats brand new ... I was thinking maybe paint or tape ??
thanks .

 

[Mr Happy]

Sharpie

 

[NA8]

+1 Sharpie. I like to put bands at one end so it's easy to read from all sides.

For my camera, I like to use sets of batteries from different manufacturers. There's enough good LSD NiMH brands out now that it's easy to do.

 

[Burgess]

Yep, i always use a Sharpie. :thumbsup:


Then, i keep my notes and details in a notebook,
or on my PC. Or sometimes both.


And if i should screw-up and drop a cell on the floor, i mark it down.

Now that i have the wonderful Maha C-9000 Battery Charger/Analyzer,
i can get detailed "health snapshots" of my NiMH's.


Sure enough, my attention to detail has paid off for me.
Caught a cell which had "gone bad" once i had dropped it.

Two other cells, dropped at the same time, are still testing fine.


Boy, this charger can turn a Flashoholic into a Batteryoholic.


Especially great for us Obsessive/Compulsive types.


Just waiting for a next-generation model which will interface with a PC (via USB),
and give us detailed plots and graphs.


Truly a great time to be a Flashoholic. :twothumbs

_

 

[DM51]

Mark them clearly in pairs (or threes, if you have a 3-cell light) so you can always keep the pairs together. Use them AND charge them both at the same time. In this way, they will have a similar history and will be likely to grow old gracefully together, both exhibiting the same signs and symptoms of age (and/or injury). This implies that they will be mated for their lifetimes, which is what you should aim for. However:

SilverFox recommends that cells should be paired according to their ability to hold a charge, as this is the best indication of their health. They are likely to be able to hold the same charge if they have had the same histories.

As they age, one may begin to fail faster than its 'pair'. For example, after ~400 cycles, one cell may still be able to hold a charge of 4.15V, but its 'pair' now drops to 4.05V after charging. The second cell is failing faster, but it may still have a few cycles left in it if used in low-drain applications.

That pair should in fact already have been split, in line with SilverFox's recommendation, before the difference between the two cells became so noticeable.

Cells that have been split in this way can be re-matched with other partners that exhibit the same characteristics, if you have them available, or they can be used in single-cell lights.

Bear in mind that old, failing cells are likely than new ones to give problems, having a higher internal resistance and thus being more prone to overheating.

As Burgess says above, make a note of any possible damage (such as a dropped cell) and keep an eye on its performance afterwards.

 

[WildChild]

Sharpie, see this:

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showpost.php?p=2205122&postcount=3

 

[rizky_p]

i am living on the other side of the rock and i am using sharpie(yeah the brand) to mark all my battery including all my Lithiums for multi battery setup

 

[Alonzo]

I just use regular tape and then write on it with a pen. But a sharpie seems to be a much better idea. Going to do that now instead.