Storing NiMH Batteries

Drinky said:

Hi,

Now that I don't need my lights when riding home, I want
to know if there is an optimal way to store the batteries
so that they will be in fine fettle when I come to use
them in the Autumn.

Specifically, they are NiMH 6v 2.2AH from Cateye ABS 25.

Any advice would be most welcome.

Thanks,

Mark

This cropped up on here or on rec.bicycles.tech a month or
so ago. The advice was keep them charged or better still
keep them on-charge of you have a trickle charger. I am just
going to discharge all of mine, charge them up and maybe do
this every two months

in message <[email hidden]>, Drinky

(') said:

Hi,

Now that I don't need my lights when riding home, I want
to know if there is an optimal way to store the batteries
so that they will be in fine fettle when I come to use
them in the Autumn.

Specifically, they are NiMH 6v 2.2AH from Cateye ABS 25.

My Lumis instructions (also NiMH) say to leave attached to
the 'smart' charger over the summer.

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke)
jasmine.org.uk~simonOpen ↗

Wise man with foot in mouth use opportunity to clean toes.
;; the Worlock

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Now that I don't need my lights when riding home, I want
to know if there is an optimal way to store the
batteries so that they will be in fine fettle when I
come to use them in the Autumn.

Specifically, they are NiMH 6v 2.2AH from Cateye ABS 25.

Any advice would be most welcome.

Thanks,

Mark

This cropped up on here or on rec.bicycles.tech a month or
so ago. The advice was keep them charged or better still
keep them on-charge of you

have

Quoted message said:

a trickle charger. I am just going to discharge all of
mine, charge them

up

Quoted message said:

and maybe do this every two months

Many thanks - it's much appreciated

Drinky said:

Hi,

Now that I don't need my lights when riding home, I want
to know if there is an optimal way to store the batteries
so that they will be in fine fettle when I come to use
them in the Autumn.

Specifically, they are NiMH 6v 2.2AH from Cateye ABS 25.

Any advice would be most welcome.

Don't drain them before storing them.

I believe that how you start them up again is more important
than how you put themn into store. If you don't keep them
decently charged through the summer (and they will self-
discharge in time), then best to treat them as new cells
again in teh autumn and give them a couple of trickle charge
- slow discharge (to say 0.9V per cell) cycles when you
start to use them again. If this is beyond teh abilities of
teh charging equipment you have, probably best to keep them
at a decent state of charge (say, above 1.1V per cell).

I've just persuaded a nominal 1300mAh NiCd pack that had
been stored in an occasionally baking-hot roof space, unused
for about 5 years (and was fairly abused then), back to
about 1150mAh useful, with 10 slowish charge-discharge
cycles, so they're not quite as delicate as some people
suggest (admittedly NiCd are probably less delicate than
NiMh in many respects).

Anyway, it's all a case of rumour myth and speculation, like
almost everything else to do with rechargeable batteries.
Best bet is to pick some arcane method, like charging them
on trickle for 3 days then sealing in a plastic bag with a
piece of blotting paper and storing upside-down in teh
fridge, and loudly tell everyone that that's teh only really
safe and reliable way to treat rechargeables.

regards, Ian SMith
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