How often do you top off your batteries?

[Poppy]

I like to keep my cells fully charged and ready to go. So when I see a light hanging around out of place, I'll sometimes charge it up before putting it back where it belongs.

I don't have a schedule, but I'll sometimes top off a bunch of batteries when there is a hurricane warning.
Battery packs and tool batteries get topped off with big storm warnings.

what prompts you to check and charge your supply?

 

[bykfixer]

I try to remember to top up my spares every 90 days or so. Then when a spare goes into a light top the one that was in it and make it a spare. The only lights I have with multiple rechargeables are Maglites using eneloops.

 

[idleprocess]

• I cycle the fleet of ~80 LSD NiMH AAs ~biannually. The ~40 in devices get charged while the ~40 in storage go into devices.
• Li-ion cells are markedly less numerous and cycle as needed

 

[DRW]

When I can't remember the last time I charged it up.

Generally, that means the start of hunting season. Subsequent charging if I use the light(s) for tracking deer or other related activity.

 

[letschat7]

I try to rotate my lights and use them till they go dead and charge and put at the end of the line.

 

[IMA SOL MAN]

I have about 5 SF 18650's for my FURY DFT and the better half's FURY DFT. I don't really worry about them, as I top them off as I use one and put it with the others and take one out at random. I suppose I should methodically rotate them, but, I just haven't bothered. I don't use the light all that much, but if I judge I've used it a bit heavily, I'll replace the cell and top off the last one and put it with the others.

As for my eneloops, I only really use the ones in the Mini-Mag Pro+ very much, and same thing, if I use it heavily, and it seems less bright, I'll recharge them. The eneloops in my scanner, I recharge when the scanner indicates they are low (periodic beeps). Matter of fact, I just recharged them today!

The tool batteries, I don't worry about until I use them. Then I top them off before I put them away. Which I understand is wrong to do, but, eh! I don't use them all that much, so, if they don't last as long as possible, no biggie.

If the weather forecast includes chance of tornado, blizzard, flood, or some other emergency situation/disaster, I make sure my scanner batteries, HT batteries and flashlight batteries are all charged up.

 

[BVH]

I bought 144 Eneloop AA's in early 2011. They went in 12 electric Hunter Douglas blinds. I just got through replacing them a couple months ago. I'd say I got my money's worth on that set. They typically were charged twice per year as they lasted about 6 months.

 

[dragosios]

I am also one who charges when ... I remember about that. Sometimes years. (Don't blame me, some of them are in toys which are "stored" out of sight).
The cells which did not fall out of normal voltage range have not been afected in any way.
Some cells which were outside safe voltages were affected, but mostly no-names. Which were dirt cheap from begining, so no big loss.
But on the other hand some of them which were near zero volts (for NiMH) are performing normally after charging.

 

[vicv]

I keep most of my spare lithium ion cells at around 3.7v and they never get charged. The ones in the lights get charged when I notice they're getting dim. I mostly only use incandescent lights so it's easy to tell

 

[blah9]

I don't do it often enough probably. I typically use one 21700-based light all the time, and I keep the spare cell for that light charged up and rotate between them frequently, but I've been delinquent with my 18650s and eneloops. In fact, we had a bad storm recently, and I only had a couple 18650s ready to go for my wife to use during the power outage which was fairly embarrassing for me lol.

Anyway, everything worked out fine, but I might have to periodically check on more of my batteries from time to time.

 

[IMA SOL MAN]

Probably about the worst thing that I am bad about is my camera batteries. For some reason, I tend to let them go, and then when I need the camera, of course, they are low. I don't know if the cameras have a parasitic drain, or the batteries are defective, but I think it is more me just being negligent. I seldom use the cameras, so there is that, plus I keep them stored in their carrying case, so out of sight, out of mind. I suppose I need to put checking and charging batteries in a planner/on a calendar, so that it gets done.

 

[Poppy]

I don't do it often enough probably. I typically use one 21700-based light all the time, and I keep the spare cell for that light charged up and rotate between them frequently, but I've been delinquent with my 18650s and eneloops. In fact, we had a bad storm recently, and I only had a couple 18650s ready to go for my wife to use during the power outage which was fairly embarrassing for me lol.

Anyway, everything worked out fine, but I might have to periodically check on more of my batteries from time to time.

@blah9 welcome back!
I haven't see a post from you in quite a while.

 

[blah9]

@blah9 welcome back!
I haven't see a post from you in quite a while.

Hi Poppy! Thank you! Yes, I've been in and out of here lately. Life has gotten busy . Hope you're doing well!

 

[TPA]

I usually leave them alone...unless I'm heading to a hotel by car, at which point I bring all of them with me and charge all of them off the hotel's power.

My USB battery banks are usually left around 40-60% unless there's a storm coming. The ones I carry for flights are always charged to full before a flight. I usually carry 1x 20000mAh for the iPad (Foreflight), 1x for my phone/spare 2-way radio. The goal being that the iPad & phone get their power primarily from the battery banks, with their internal batteries being used in case the USB battery banks fail.

 

[bykfixer]

Probably about the worst thing that I am bad about is my camera batteries. For some reason, I tend to let them go, and then when I need the camera, of course, they are low. I don't know if the cameras have a parasitic drain, or the batteries are defective, but I think it is more me just being negligent. I seldom use the cameras, so there is that, plus I keep them stored in their carrying case, so out of sight, out of mind. I suppose I need to put checking and charging batteries in a planner/on a calendar, so that it gets done.

Camera's have a computer that stores things like region, and date, with a clock.
I pull batteries from mine knowing it has to be re- setup each time.