WAYNE CHIRNSIDE wrote in a message to EVERETT HERTENSTEIN:

-=> EVERETT HERTENSTEIN wrote to JASEN BETTS <=-

 EH> Jasen Betts wrote in a message to WAYNE CHIRNSIDE:

 EH>   [Nicads]
 JB> in my experience NiCads don't last forever, and the more often and
 JB> harder they are used the sooner they fail. some techniques can
 JB> extend the life of them a bit.

 JB> Many manufacturers claim a life of 1000 charge-discharge cycles.
 JB> For a flashlight that's only recharged once a week that's a life of
 JB> 20 years for tradesman's tool that's recharged daily it's about
 JB> three years. if you're using them to power a remote control and
 JB> only recharging every 2 months they's live longer than you. (and
 JB> most likely outlast the appliance too)

 EH> Either I have phenominally poor luck with NiCads or yours are a
 EH> lot better quality than what I've been able to buy.  If I get two
 EH> years out of one I'm pleasantly surprised.

 WC> Doubt they're better quality bought at Radio Shack however I'm
 WC> pretty darned fanatical about just when I take them out of service
 WC> for a charge and the length of charge and charge rate.

 WC> Never ever charge NiCads in series unless you're stuck with that in
 WC> a cell phone, laptop or power tool situation.

 WC> Even in that case I'd be tempted to open any custom cases,
 WC> order replacement cells from DigiKey that exactly matched
 WC> the size and capacities and run contacts out from each cell
 WC> so I could charge them individually.

I've had very few outright failures with the ones I have here,  but one
thing I am running into is the presence of corrosion,  particularly some
greenish-blue powder showing up at the positive terminal.  Or the negative
one, in the case of this one "9v" style here.

I'll probably look into doing a warranty swap on them,  or something.

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