(9V recharbable batteries

[RalphLambrecht]

I use rechargeable batteries wherever batteries are needed, and I like the idea of not having to throw batteries into the trash and not having to buy new batteries all the time. I never had a problem with that approach, and rechargeables (despite their reputation) seem to work wherever regular batteries work. My Gossen light meters are notorious for draining batteries, even when turned off! I don't care; just recharge them when required. But his time. the battery won't recharge; it just seems dead! Is it a known fact that rechargeables die when depleted below a certain minimum or was this a dud?

 

[Chan Tran]

It is both! When you discharge the battery below certain point you make it worse. It generally still work but not as good as before. In this case you perhaps may have a dud too.
May want to try these. They hold more charge than a NiMH rechargeable and they hold the voltage steady.

 

[Philippe-Georges]

Rechargeable batteries don't have an infinite life.

BTW, in both my Gossen Digipro F, the regular 1,5V battery (always Varta) lasts for about 2 years.

 

[Chan Tran]

I have no problem using disposable batteries and throw them away when they''re done. Meters don't use much power at all and disposable batteries have long shelf life so they don't get depleted unused. However, I have the problem of leakage that makes me use the rechargeable in some application I would otherwise don't.

 

[Sanug]

For devices with very low power consumption like meters I prefer to use disposable lithium batteries. They last very long with nearly no self discharge. More important, they never leak. On the low side, I encountered several lithium batteries gone suddenly dead long time before they should. And they are quite expensive.

Rechargebles should never be deeply discharged. This destroys the battery in the most cases. I use rechargebles in high current devices like flashlights and winders only.

 

[jeffreyg]

I remove batteries when not in use as I am sure most of you do. I happened to come across a Kodak brand battery in a closet that would be used in one of my Pentax digital spot meters The package said good until 2012. It tested “good “ and gave the same readings as a new battery. Maybe they don’t make them like they used to

 

[BrianShaw]

There might be something wrong with your light meter.

 

[koraks]

Is it a known fact that rechargeables die when depleted below a certain minimum or was this a dud?

LiIon doesn't like being discharged completely. It should die instantly because of this, but you may/will see capacity degrade more rapidly than if you charge if the battery is drained by only 50% or so. If you have repeatedly drained it until the meter won't turn on, it's likely the battery met a premature end due to this.

 

[xkaes]

There's something wrong with your light meter.

He did state -- "My Gossen light meters are notorious for draining batteries"

Not just one.

 

[BrianShaw]

He did state -- "My Gossen light meters are notorious for draining batteries"

Not just one.

Okay; thanks. I'll make a correction: Ralph, there might be something wrong with your light meters.

 

[jeffreyg]

No I have two identical light meters and tried it in both as well as testing on a very good battery tester I not sure when I bought the battery but it was unopened and behind something in the closet. I just happened to come across it and was curious since it was so old.

 

[xkaes]

Okay; thanks. I'll make a correction: Ralph, there might be something wrong with your light meters.

If it's true, having two meters with the exact same problem is unlikely.

 

[BrianShaw]

If it's true, having two meters with the exact same problem is unlikely.

... so what's your diagnosis of Ralph's problem, or recommendation to Ralph? I'll wait...

 

[BrianShaw]

I remove batteries when not in use as I am sure most of you do. I happened to come across a Kodak brand battery in a closet that would be used in one of my Pentax digital spot meters The package said good until 2012. It tested “good “ and gave the same readings as a new battery. Maybe they don’t make them like they used to

Me too, in most meters batteries get removed when moved into storage. I also stopped buying "prophlactic backup batteries" because I've had the opposite experience where batteries last so long that the backup is no good when I need it. And those were Varta silver-oxide, which should be very high quality.

 

[Chan Tran]

LiIon doesn't like being discharged completely. It should die instantly because of this, but you may/will see capacity degrade more rapidly than if you charge if the battery is drained by only 50% or so. If you have repeatedly drained it until the meter won't turn on, it's likely the battery met a premature end due to this.

Ralph didn't say but I think he used NiMH 9V instead of Li-Ion.

 

[koraks]

Ralph didn't say but I think he used NiMH 9V instead of Li-Ion.

Then it's still bad because this 9V will be several cells in series, meaning you can actually over-discharge one or several of the cells.

 

[xkaes]

problem

It could be his batteries (rechargeables don't last forever, and as they are used and age, their ability to maintain a charge, for long, diminishes), or it could be his charger (corroded contacts, etc.), or it could be a combination (using the wrong batteries with the wrong charger). I (we) can speculate all day. We do that all the time instead of asking for more details.

 

[BrianShaw]

I (we) can speculate all day. We do that all the time instead of asking for more details.

True, so yo might want to suggest these potential options to Ralph rather than to me.

Bye.

 

[xkaes]

As soon as we actually get some details from Ralph, I will.

 

[wiltw]

• Li-ion batteries start to lose capacity from the day they are fabricated, due to deterioration of the cathode
• Li-ion batteries do better if seldom deeply discharged; shallow discharge with daily recharge is better for them; charging to 80% is better for long life than routinely charging to 100%
• Lithium batteries come in nominal 1.5V non-rechargeable form with very long shelf life (10yr)
• Lithium-ion batteries originally came in 3.7V rechargeable form, usually not AA form factor; recently rechargeable li-ion 1.6V rechargeable AA batteries have come on the market
• Li-ion rechargable AA batteries CANNOT be charged in a charger made for NiCad/NiMH...Li-ion 1.6V need a special charger with 5V output Voltage
• NiMH rechargeable batteries do die spontaneously... I have purchased multiple sets (4 AA batteries) that largely were not routinely used, but sat on the shelf 'ready' for use (charged) and after years had found one dead cell in a set of four that could not be revived by recharging or attempted reconditioning, in more than one set
• it is possible for one depleted 'cell' to get reverse-polarized by the other cells which are not yet depleted, ruining that cell; this might have occurred in a 9V 'battery' which internally has multiple cells.

 

[Chan Tran]

• Li-ion batteries start to lose capacity from the day they are fabricated, due to deterioration of the cathode
• Li-ion batteries do better if seldom deeply discharged; shallow discharge with daily recharge is better for them; charging to 80% is better for long life than routinely charging to 100%
• Lithium batteries come in nominal 1.5V non-rechargeable form with very long shelf life (10yr)
• Lithium-ion batteries originally came in 3.7V rechargeable form, usually not AA form factor; recently rechargeable li-ion 1.6V rechargeable AA batteries have come on the market
• Li-ion rechargable AA batteries CANNOT be charged in a charger made for NiCad/NiMH...Li-ion 1.6V need a special charger with 5V output Voltage
• NiMH rechargeable batteries do die spontaneously... I have purchased multiple sets (4 AA batteries) that largely were not routinely used, but sat on the shelf 'ready' for use (charged) and found one dead cell that could not be revived by recharging or attempted reconditioning.

The company EBL makes 1.5V AA lithium ion rechargeable batteries. They are 3.7V with a regulator built in so they keep a constant 1.5V through out there discharge cycle.

 

[4season]

If voltage of my nimh batteries drops too low, my charger flashes a warning light and won't attempt to charge them. However, I can usually cheat by switching my charger to alkaline or nicad mode briefly (less than a minute), just long enough to bring battery voltage back up to a level that looks kosher for a nimh battery. But I do not use this trick with lithium batteries!

For button cell silver or alkaline batteries such as LR44, I have a tiny solar charger which lets me squeeze some extra life out of those too.

 

[xkaes]

For button cell silver or alkaline batteries such as LR44, I have a tiny solar charger which lets me squeeze some extra life out of those too.

I've got TWO of those tiny solar chargers, but I've never had any luck recharging silver-oxide batteries. Tried many times -- nothing! WHAT'S YOUR SECRET???

 

[Philippe-Georges]

When my Gossen Gigipro F lighters get a shock or a hit, whether or not on the very sensitive buttons, being in their purse or in a dedicated compartiment in the camera bag, they start up, and stop automatically after a certain time.
So if they get several consecutive knocks, due to 'shakes' or whatever, like during a hike, they are always starting up, and eating batteries...
It very often happens that when I reach for the meter in the bag, it is working even before I touched it.
These light meters don't have a on/off switch, just (softly-) hit any button and they start working.

What I do now is laying the lightmeter, mostly kept in its purse, flat on its back atop of the gear in the bag, so the buttons can't get a knock, preventing the unwanted starting.

And no more keep them in the back pocket of my jeans, as this is the worst place to carry a lightmeter as the rim of the pochet (or your ass) is always pushing a button (and I once sat down forgetting...)!

 

[BrianShaw]

Is it in the case? I’ve somehow put my Gossen LunaPro SBC back into its case and caught the measure button under the case. Constantly being on wire out he battery. That was a “once and lesson learned “ experience. When correctly in the case it’s more resistant to inadvertent activation.