16 Aug
1998
16 Aug
'98
1:27 p.m.
At 10:27 PM 8/15/98 -0500, you wrote:
As long as I'm getting physics lessons, I figure
now's a good time for
chemistry.
I've got a bunch of portables, most of them with batteries. The batteries
are clearly the weak-points of these systems in terms of long-term
viability. First, is there any way to ensure the batteries live forever?
If not, what's the best way to preserve them, how long should I expect
them to last, and what can I do now to prepare for the inevitable
repair/replacement down the road?
My current plan is to remove all batteries and store them in the fridge,
but I'm not crazy about the idea. Do some battery types store better than
others? I have to deal with NiCd, Li+, NiMH, and Lead-acid.
-- Doug
The battery life times should range as Lead-Acid, NiCad, NiMH, Li+ from
shortest to highest. Lead Acid batteries will be ruined if you let them
sit dead. Even as short a time as overnight can ruin them. It doesn't
appear to hurt NiCads to let them sit dead. I'm not sure about the other
two. NiCad and LA will both go bad with age even it they're not used so you
may as well use them.
For maximum life of NiCads DO NOT discharge them all the way or use a
rapid charger on them. These discharge then rapid chargers that are all
the rage with toy car owners are not only a waste of money, it's also
ruining their batteries.
Almost all battery packs use standard cells inside and there are plenty
of places that will rebuild your old battery packs so they shouldn't be a
big problem. I rebuild LOTS of them for HP and TI calculators.
Joe