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analog · 10-09-2005, 10:29 PM

depending on the type of cell, discharging is totally useless. if you have an old NiMh (Nickel Metal-hydride) or (god help you) NiCa (nickel cadmium) battery, this can work.

if, however, you have a lithium-ion battery, which most made in the last few years will be anyway (also denoted as Li-ion), the "drain it down and then fully recharge it several times" practice will do you absolutely no good. you might get back a fraction of a percentage of performance, nothing at all measurable. Li-ion just doesn't do that.

And pretty much all rechargeable batteries (except lead-acid and car batteries) have a life span of 18-24 months, tops. Anything past 2 years is borrowed time. And yeah, yeah, i know some of you had _______ for ____ years and it worked fine or whatever, but good for you, that's not the norm, and especially not with Li-ion.

I worked for Radioshack for 4 years (back when you actually had to know the product, many years ago) and I got this all the time. "I had my blah blah battery for 8 years and it's fine!" Well i don't give a shit, you probably barely used it. Like the old people who complain that "nothing lasts anymore" because the cordless 49Mhz phone they've had since they bought it new back in 1980-something's battery has FINALLY died, and when you tell them they're rated for 2 years they flip out. WELL I TAKE CARE OF IT AND IT LASTED 57 YEARS. WHY SHOULD I BUY A NEW BATTERY THAT WILL ONLY LAST TWO???

10-09-2005, 10:29 PM	#9 (permalink)
analog Banned	depending on the type of cell, discharging is totally useless. if you have an old NiMh (Nickel Metal-hydride) or (god help you) NiCa (nickel cadmium) battery, this can work. if, however, you have a lithium-ion battery, which most made in the last few years will be anyway (also denoted as Li-ion), the "drain it down and then fully recharge it several times" practice will do you absolutely no good. you might get back a fraction of a percentage of performance, nothing at all measurable. Li-ion just doesn't do that. And pretty much all rechargeable batteries (except lead-acid and car batteries) have a life span of 18-24 months, tops. Anything past 2 years is borrowed time. And yeah, yeah, i know some of you had _______ for ____ years and it worked fine or whatever, but good for you, that's not the norm, and especially not with Li-ion. I worked for Radioshack for 4 years (back when you actually had to know the product, many years ago) and I got this all the time. "I had my blah blah battery for 8 years and it's fine!" Well i don't give a shit, you probably barely used it. Like the old people who complain that "nothing lasts anymore" because the cordless 49Mhz phone they've had since they bought it new back in 1980-something's battery has FINALLY died, and when you tell them they're rated for 2 years they flip out. WELL I TAKE CARE OF IT AND IT LASTED 57 YEARS. WHY SHOULD I BUY A NEW BATTERY THAT WILL ONLY LAST TWO??? Last edited by analog; 10-09-2005 at 10:36 PM..