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The industry defines a "depleted cell" as one that has lost     
more than 20% of its initial capacity. SANYO "Industrial        
Grade" cells achieve approximately 750 full recharge cycles     
before becoming "depleted." Many other brands will only make    
100-250. Any recharge cycles after that are technically         
possible, but not useful.                                       
                                                                
Q: I thought NiMH didn't have any "memory effect." Shouldn't I  
be able to keep my batteries topped off in "trickle-mode"       
indefinitely?                                                   
                                                                
A: "Memory effect" (most notable in NiCd cells) is actually     
more of a battery recharger issue than anything. Using a        
"smart charger," (like the LP4000N,) allows NiCd cells to be    
"short cycled" just like NiMH because the charger shuts off     
when the cycle is finished. (Most older NiCd rechargers blast   
batteries with maximum current as long as they're plugged in.)  
This factor alone alleviates most of the problem.               
                                                                
"Trickle charging" within the first 24 hours of a recharge can  
actually input about 3-5% more charge capacity. The problem is  
when the cells are left in the charger indefinitely that        
problems can occur. The high capacity NiMH are designed to be   
charged and discharged on a regular basis.  Leaving batteries   
in an unnatural "always on" state will ultimately curtail peak  
performance. Therefore, we strongly advocate regular            
discharging of cells for their best operating performance.      
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   ASpencer1.com Battery Wisdom                                       
                                                                      
Key Terminology when dealing with Batteries                           
                                                                      
Amp Hours (Ah)  Refers to the amperage  the strength of the         
electrical current expressed in amperes that the battery can 
hold.The higher the Ah, the longer the battery will last 
in-between charges.
                                                                      
Capacity  Measured in Amp Hours or Milliamp Hours and is the 
amount of time the battery can supply the necessary voltage.                 
                                                                      
Cell  One individual battery canister. Commonly arranged with 
other cells to form battery packs of different voltage and 
capacities.      
                                                                      
Charge  With the use of a charger, charging a battery will 
insert energy into it.
                                                                      
Condition  The process by which a battery is discharged and 
charged in order to guarantee maximum performance. 
                                                                      
Discharge  The process of taking energy out of a battery.            
                                                                      
Life Cycle  The amount of times a battery can be charged and         
discharged before it no longer has any power.                         
                                                                      
Memory Effect  The Effect that represents the decrease in 
capacity and voltage in Ni-Cd batteries due to repetitive 
charging and incomplete discharging. This results in loss of 
run-time in-between charges. 
                                                                      
Milliamp Hours (mAh)  Applies to how much energy the battery 
can store  the capacity of the battery. The higher the mAh, 
the longer the run-time in-between charges. One mAh is the 
equivalent to 1/1000 Amps. IE: 2.7 Ah = 2700 mAh  
                                                                      
Self-Discharge  If batteries are fully charged and sit on the 
shelf for one-two months, they will Self-Discharge. By Self-
Discharging the batteries will lose capacity on their own 
without being used or placed in a charger that discharges 
the batteries.
                                                                      

--- Maximus 2.02