Charge Regimen for NiMH batteries?

SMS wrote:
... How many people
follow the recommended charging regimen of priming the batteries,
doing periodic full discharges, not storing them discharged, and
using a proper charger with individual charging circuits that is
somewhere in the range of proper rates (neither too fast or too slow).
It's no big deal because batteries are relatively cheap to replace,
but it means that [batteries don't last as long].

Reconditioning by full discharge was the recommended charging regimen
for NiCd batteries, which had horrendous problems with memory effect.

I am not sure it is the recommended charging regimen for NiMH batteries.

In fact the Prius, which has larger-than-AA batteries of the same type,
attempts to keep its batteries always between 3/8 and 6/8 charged.

Ray O rokigawaATtristarassociatesDOTcom in alt.autos.toyota:
The hybrid controller on the Prius keeps the NiMH batteries at between
45% and 65% charged to maximize battery life. Here is an article about
how it works: http://oregonstate.edu/~tongt/camry/index.html

So isn't it likely that the same charging regimen would be best
for NiMH batteries in AA size? Don't use NiMH batteries until dead,
have a non-NiCd setting on the charger, and do not trickle charge.

Bill Tuthill wrote:
SMS wrote:
... How many people
follow the recommended charging regimen of priming the batteries,
doing periodic full discharges, not storing them discharged, and
using a proper charger with individual charging circuits that is
somewhere in the range of proper rates (neither too fast or too
slow). It's no big deal because batteries are relatively cheap to
replace,
but it means that [batteries don't last as long].

Reconditioning by full discharge was the recommended charging regimen
for NiCd batteries, which had horrendous problems with memory effect.

I am not sure it is the recommended charging regimen for NiMH
batteries.

It is not even recommended for NiCd's today.


In fact the Prius, which has larger-than-AA batteries of the same
type, attempts to keep its batteries always between 3/8 and 6/8
charged.

Ray O rokigawaATtristarassociatesDOTcom in alt.autos.toyota:
The hybrid controller on the Prius keeps the NiMH batteries at
between 45% and 65% charged to maximize battery life. Here is an
article about how it works:
http://oregonstate.edu/~tongt/camry/index.html

So isn't it likely that the same charging regimen would be best
for NiMH batteries in AA size? Don't use NiMH batteries until dead,
have a non-NiCd setting on the charger, and do not trickle charge.

--
Joseph Meehan

Dia 's Muire duit

Joseph Meehan wrote:
Bill Tuthill wrote:
SMS wrote:
... How many people
follow the recommended charging regimen of priming the batteries,
doing periodic full discharges, not storing them discharged, and
using a proper charger with individual charging circuits that is
somewhere in the range of proper rates (neither too fast or too
slow). It's no big deal because batteries are relatively cheap to
replace,
but it means that [batteries don't last as long].
Reconditioning by full discharge was the recommended charging regimen
for NiCd batteries, which had horrendous problems with memory effect.

I am not sure it is the recommended charging regimen for NiMH
batteries.

It is not even recommended for NiCd's today.

In fact the Prius, which has larger-than-AA batteries of the same
type, attempts to keep its batteries always between 3/8 and 6/8
charged.

Ray O rokigawaATtristarassociatesDOTcom in alt.autos.toyota:
The hybrid controller on the Prius keeps the NiMH batteries at
between 45% and 65% charged to maximize battery life. Here is an
article about how it works:
http://oregonstate.edu/~tongt/camry/index.html
So isn't it likely that the same charging regimen would be best
for NiMH batteries in AA size? Don't use NiMH batteries until dead,
have a non-NiCd setting on the charger, and do not trickle charge.


First, there's a hell of a difference between getting maximum battery
life in a Prius and
in a digicam. Unless you're getting some special deal covering those
batteries, replacement ain't gonna be cheap.
OTH - who cares whether you get 500 or 1000 cycles in a digicam, just
saw Kodak low self discharge in Walmart $7 for a pack of 4.
I once did a search on best storing method. Some sites said to store
discharged and I think other said the opposite. I concluded didn't much
matter.
Talking of Walmart, they never seem to have same item in all stores and
same store will not always replace a given item on the shelf. I suppose
they just go looking for large quantity bargains.
I've seen Hybrids and Kodak in what I assume are eneloop equivalents
although I've no idea if they are as good. Today I saw bundled charger
and 4 eneloops for $19. First time I've seen eneloop offered in a Walmart.
Dave Cohen

Joseph Meehan wrote:

SMS wrote:
... the recommended charging regimen of priming the batteries,
doing periodic full discharges, not storing them discharged, and
using a proper charger with individual charging circuits ...

Reconditioning by full discharge was the recommended charging regimen
for NiCd batteries, which had horrendous problems with memory effect.
I'm not sure it is the recommended charging regimen for NiMH batteries.

It is not even recommended for NiCd's today.

So Joseph, are you saying SMS is blowing smoke?

Bill Tuthill wrote:
SMS wrote:
... How many people
follow the recommended charging regimen of priming the batteries,
doing periodic full discharges, not storing them discharged, and
using a proper charger with individual charging circuits that is
somewhere in the range of proper rates (neither too fast or too slow).
It's no big deal because batteries are relatively cheap to replace,
but it means that [batteries don't last as long].

Reconditioning by full discharge was the recommended charging regimen
for NiCd batteries, which had horrendous problems with memory effect.

I am not sure it is the recommended charging regimen for NiMH batteries.

It is recommended to do this at least occasionally, in order to maintain
full capacity.

On 20 Aug 2007 10:46:02 -0700, Bill Tuthill wrote:

Reconditioning by full discharge was the recommended charging regimen
for NiCd batteries, which had horrendous problems with memory effect.
I'm not sure it is the recommended charging regimen for NiMH batteries.

It is not even recommended for NiCd's today.

So Joseph, are you saying SMS is blowing smoke?

It shouldn't hurt if used sparingly. If used more than
occasionally it can do more harm than good. It's a 'feature' that
was once fairly useful, but now mostly for users of extremely large
numbers (tens to hundreds of thousands) of batteries that have the
staff and expensive equipment that manage and condition pools of
batteries to squeeze as much life as possible out of the batteries.
For them, even a very small percentage gain can provide a nice cost
savings. The same gain for you and me would probably be considered
insignificant, and might not even be noticeable. The 'discharge'
button on chargers is a feature that may help sell more, or justify
a higher price, and I have it on a couple of my chargers. But I've
found it to be more of a time waster than anything else, at least
with NiMH cells. As far as blowing smoke is concerned, anyone
paying attention to SMS's posts will have noticed that he'll use any
rumor, substantiated or not, to push his biased propaganda campaign.

SMS wrote:
Bill Tuthill wrote:
SMS wrote:
... How many people follow the
recommended charging regimen of priming the batteries,
doing periodic full discharges, not storing them discharged, and
using a proper charger with individual charging circuits that is
somewhere in the range of proper rates (neither too fast or too slow).
It's no big deal because batteries are relatively cheap to replace,
but it means that [batteries don't last as long].

Reconditioning by full discharge was the recommended charging regimen
for NiCd batteries, which had horrendous problems with memory effect.

I am not sure it is the recommended charging regimen for NiMH batteries.

It is recommended to do this at least occasionally, in order to maintain
full capacity.

When NiMH batteries begin to exhibit signs of taking less charge, near
the end of their use life, this MAY extend the useful life, for a while,
but is it worth the trouble for something as inexpensive as a NiMH
battery? It isn't to me.

ASAAR wrote:
On 20 Aug 2007 10:46:02 -0700, Bill Tuthill wrote:

Reconditioning by full discharge was the recommended charging regimen
for NiCd batteries, which had horrendous problems with memory effect.
I'm not sure it is the recommended charging regimen for NiMH batteries.
It is not even recommended for NiCd's today.
So Joseph, are you saying SMS is blowing smoke?

It shouldn't hurt if used sparingly. If used more than
occasionally it can do more harm than good. It's a 'feature' that
was once fairly useful, but now mostly for users of extremely large
numbers (tens to hundreds of thousands) of batteries that have the
staff and expensive equipment that manage and condition pools of
batteries to squeeze as much life as possible out of the batteries.
For them, even a very small percentage gain can provide a nice cost
savings. The same gain for you and me would probably be considered
insignificant, and might not even be noticeable. The 'discharge'
button on chargers is a feature that may help sell more, or justify
a higher price, and I have it on a couple of my chargers. But I've
found it to be more of a time waster than anything else, at least
with NiMH cells. As far as blowing smoke is concerned, anyone
paying attention to SMS's posts will have noticed that he'll use any
rumor, substantiated or not, to push his biased propaganda campaign.


Biased? SMS? Gee, I hadn't noticed.... GRIN.

On Tue, 21 Aug 2007 04:21:43 -0500, Ron Hunter wrote:

Biased? SMS? Gee, I hadn't noticed.... GRIN.

And weird to boot. He posted a link not long ago to another of
his web sites. For this one he lurks with his camera waiting to
catch pictures of neighbors or other locals and expose them to the
world. Better not roll through a stop sign, swing too wide into
another lane when making a turn, or be caught holding a cell phone.
I wonder how many other undisclosed web sites he has. He'd probably
love to be given an FBI badge or be made a junior G Man. Shades of
Elvis being handed an FBI Special Narcotics Agent badge by Nixon.
Or maybe he'd settle for being appointed the USA's Lithium Czar.

ASAAR wrote:

Ron Hunter wrote:
Biased? SMS? Gee, I hadn't noticed.... GRIN.

Or maybe he'd settle for being appointed the USA's Lithium Czar.

The thought has occurred to me that he might be paid off
by the powerful lithium lobby.