No sooner did I post that than this article came to light ... http://www.buchmann.ca/Article10-Page1.asp
"When Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH) was first introduced there was much publicity about its memory-free status. Today, it is known that this chemistry also suffers from memory but to a lesser extent than the NiCd. The positive nickel plate, a metal that is shared by both chemistries, is responsible for the crystalline formation." "[...] Applying a full discharge once every three months appears right. Because of the NiMH battery’s shorter cycle life, over-exercising is not recommended." So there you have it. On Tue, Feb 7, 2012 at 2:59 PM, Bruce Walker <[email protected]> wrote: > AFAIK, there is no need or use to deep-discharging NiMH cells. That > function of your charger is to resurrect NiCads that have developed > the dreaded memory problem (internal shorts). > > I only ever use then recharge my now vast collection of NiMHs and they > last for years. > > I'm using a smart charger too; an Ansmann (a now discontinued model). > I'd get another just like it if I needed one. It's the bees knees. > > One bit of advice I can give you: always clean off the contacts on > both ends of the cells before charging them and before using them, > especially in flashes. Fixes all kinds of flakey behavior. > > > On Tue, Feb 7, 2012 at 2:29 PM, Walt Gilbert <[email protected]> wrote: >> Hi all, >> >> Welp! I finally got me one of them there fancy smart chargers for my >> batteries -- it's an AccuPower IQ-328, like this one: >> >> http://compare.ebay.com/like/320749631694?_lwgsi=y<yp=AllFixedPriceItemTypes&var=sbar >> <http://compare.ebay.com/like/320749631694?_lwgsi=y<yp=AllFixedPriceItemTypes&var=sbar> >> >> It didn't come with a very detailed manual; it came with a folded up piece >> of paper telling you how to put the batteries in and push the buttons. >> >> It seems like a fairly well-made piece of equipment in that it has some heft >> to it and feels pretty sturdy. That is, it doesn't scream "CHEAP!" when you >> pull it out of the box the way things do when you get a "bargain" at one of >> those warehouse clearance sales bonanzas that show up at the local >> convention hall/civic center a couple of times a year. >> >> Problem is, I've never used a charger of this type before. So, I really >> don't know what the hell I'm doing. I looked around for tutorials on how to >> use a smart charger for a couple of hours last night, but couldn't find >> anything remotely useful. What I have been able to determine is that the >> charger I got is somewhat similar to the LaCrosse 9009. >> >> So, I thought I'd try tapping into the formidable knowledge base to see if >> any of you might be able to point me to a good resource for learning how to >> properly use this type of charger without ruining a whole gang of batteries. >> Right now, I have a set of old Energizer rechargeables in it, figuring if >> I'm going to ruin some batteries on a first-run, those would be the ones to >> use. >> >> Here's a set of photos of the readings I'm currently getting from the >> batteries in Test mode (the image titles indicate the respective readings): >> >> http://www.flickriver.com/photos/walt_gilbert/sets/72157629218953563/ >> >> According to the literature, in Test mode, it charges the batteries, fully >> discharges and recharges them again. Given the "---" reading under the >> Charged Capacity reading, I assume it's in the process of fully discharging >> them. But, given the fact that there are wildly disparate readings under the >> "Charge Time" display, I can't help wondering what's going on. >> >> Anyhoo. Any help anyone can give me in figuring this thing out -- a good >> tutorial, or advice of any kind -- would be much appreciated. >> >> Thanks! >> >> -- Walt -- -bmw -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List [email protected] http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions.
