Jasen Betts wrote in a message to Tom Walker:

 JB> Hi Tom.

 JB> 07-Sep-03 07:39:50, Tom Walker wrote to Roy J. Tellason

  ->  TW>  Unless they are designed for it YES.

 TW> -> Designed for it or not,  you don't wanna leave one in a
 TW> discharged condition -> That's how they get ruined...

 TW> Perhaps I didn't make it clear enough. NO rechargable should be
 TW> left in a Fully discharges condition for any reason.

 JB> fully discharged how you buy NiMH and NiCd cells... I've not heard
 JB> of any damage occurring if they are left dischargeed.

 JB> but for lead-acid cells yeah... don't leave them flat.

That's the case when you first buy them,  yeah.  But that's the way they're
made,  and letting them run down and stay that way does _not_ put them into
the same condition.

Remember all those MBs that had soldered-on batteries,  when 386 boxes were
popular?  I have one here,  in the fw/r,  that's got a bad one in it.  I
didn't see much leakage the last time I looked,  though one of these days
I've gotta tear that thing apart and replace it,  or at least remove it and
arrange for an alternative.  Every single one of those boards I had on hand
here started showing signs of leakage around the battery.

OTOH I have one of those batteries,  brand new.  And it still looks it. 
And I could probably put it in there and get good use out of it,  once it's
charged.

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