[Icom] Nicads

Tue, 22 Jan 2002 09:05:05 -0600

I have some Sony NiCad's that are in a Walkman that are still going strong
after 11 years. I have never had HT batteries last more than a couple of
years. Does anyone have any idea why? What aftermarket HT batteries seem to
be the most long-lasting?

Andy  K5VM

----- Original Message -----
From: <[email protected]>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 22, 2002 8:47 AM
Subject: Re: [Icom] Nicads

> Jerry,
>
> I would not consider myself an expert on batteries, but I
> have and do use nicads.  Here are my experiences.
>
> Older nicad packs do have a tendancy to develop memory
> problems if they are partially charged and discharged.  This
> limits the amount of charge they will take resulting in
> lower voltage and shorter useful time or both.
>
> The newer melal hydride nicads do not have a significant
> tendancy to develop memory problems.
>
> Both types of battery packs tend to discharge over time and
> it does not matter if they are used or just sitting on a
> shelf.  I used to leave my battery pack on trickle charge
> all the time to ensure it was hot when I needed it.  Now I
> understand that constant trickle charging is not good for
> the batteries.
>
> I do have one nicad pack that has just one nicad cell.  It
> is rated at 1.2 volts and 5 amphours.  It is a single cell
> that is kept charged with a small solar panel.  This setup
> will most likely never have memory problems but it is only
> good for the lowest power QRP operation.  The 1.2 volts is
> converted in a small switching regulator to deliver 13.8
> volts.
>
> Three years out of a battery pack is good service.  My
> experience has been that they eventually give up and die
> after a few years.  The only nicads I have that have lasted
> longer are some wet cells that have been maintained and
> still work after 15 years of use.  The wet cells are in a
> very large battery pack that is the size of a large
> motorcycle battery.
>
> Regards,
> Frank Kamp
> K5DKZ
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