Battery Question

vinpenny · February 12th, 2007, 00:23

Sorry if this is a stupid question but...

Imagine that you just want to go outside to target shoot in your back yard but you dont need to use all the electricity in the battery and you dont have a discharger.

Are you able to just charge the battery just a bit and use it until all the electricity is gone, or is it bad for the battery?

LUTNIT · February 12th, 2007, 00:47

NiMh (nickel metal hydride) - recharging is fine at any point, deep discharging after each use actually damages the battery

NiCd (nickel cadmium) - you should completely discharge before charging each time

Somewhere on the battery should be the mAh rating even if it doesn't say if its NiMh or NiCd. If its a large-type battery (usually goes in the stock of the gun) and its 2400mAh or less its NiCd. If its a mini battery (often goes just above or just below the barrel) then I believe its NiCd if its 600mAh and anything higher is NiMh.

I believe this information and more is in the FAQ. Also if your in Canada (can't tell because its not in your profile and we do get people from all over the world on here) then you shouldn't be shooting in your backyard if you don't live in the middle of no where. If there is even a small chance of someone seeing you they can call the cops and you can get in a pile of crap. Its always best to play it safe.

Imperial Guard · February 12th, 2007, 00:53

Instead of buying a discharger, you can wire one up using a computer fan or old hobby motor. A good couple of hours will do the trick. If you need to know more, feel free to pm me.

thephenom · February 12th, 2007, 00:54

But I thought you don't need to/shouldn't discharge NiMH.

LUTNIT · February 12th, 2007, 00:56

Well vinpenny didn't say if its a NiCd or NiMh and most cheaper packs are NiCd so I guess Imperial Guard is just speaking up before the guy buys some expensive discharger before he realizes its easy to make one.

On that note its actually better to discharge batteries at the highest amperage possible, up to 30A if you can. Discharging slowly isn't terribly bad but will reduce the overall life of your battery.

vinpenny · February 12th, 2007, 00:59

oh, i live in edmonton, alberta. but i think i just said my question badly

lets say my battery is Ni-MH and the capacity is 1200 mah, but i dont need to charge it fully, can i just charge it to 300 or something like that? will it wreck the battery in anyway?

lutnit: so you are saying if i leave my battery and theres still about 100mah of energy left, i can wait till tomorrow then charge it again?

LUTNIT · February 12th, 2007, 01:09

You can charge a NiMh battery any time no matter how much charge is left. Just make sure you have a charger that detects delta peak (voltage fluctuation when the battery is full, the "smart chargers" sold by several airsoft retailers have this function as well as any charger other than really basic wall chargers that are just straight AC adapters) and it'll stop when the battery is full with no damage.

vinpenny · February 12th, 2007, 01:14

oh, well the wall charger says 300 mah, so im guessing i can take off the battery after 4 hours if the battery cap is 1200 mah with no dmg?

LUTNIT · February 12th, 2007, 01:21

300mAh would be battery capacity, it actually says 300mA I assume? If so then yes a 4 hour charge would be to completely charge the battery. If you only partly discharge it there isn't really any sure fire way to tell unless you discharge the battery which can hurt it in the long run since its a NiMh. Best bet I suppose would be to not charge it and keep using it till its empty then leave it for 4 hours on that charger. (Discharging repetitively through normal use is less damaging then discharging with a discharger. Using a battery period is damaging thats why they only last so many cycles, its normal until mankind reaches absolute perfection which is impossible.)

vinpenny · February 12th, 2007, 01:25

Very true, thank you for all your help Lutnit

Gryphon · February 12th, 2007, 02:00

Quote:

Originally Posted by LUTNIT

On that note its actually better to discharge batteries at the highest amperage possible, up to 30A if you can. Discharging slowly isn't terribly bad but will reduce the overall life of your battery.

THIRTY amps? Good Christ, NO. Discharge at 1C.

LUTNIT · February 12th, 2007, 02:59

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gryphon

THIRTY amps? Good Christ, NO. Discharge at 1C.

Whoops, yup, sorry, thinking of reconditioning NiCd packs once the memory effect cripples them. Discharging at 30A and charging at 1C, cycle that a few times and you can restore even decade old NiCd's crippled by the memory effect (crystallization of chemicals in the cells I believe.) Grabbed my dads old 12V cordless drill he was tossing and reconditioned the batteries this way and shes serving me well now.

Actually I usually discharge at 1.5-2C but that was when I actually used NiCd packs, now I'm all NiMh so it doesn't matter.

Greylocks · February 12th, 2007, 07:02

Another case where you can try to pull miracles with cheap ass chargers, or buy a good one that will repay itself in less than one year.

Please read this website some more, batteries are discussed in the Accessories section and elsewhere.

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February 12th, 2007, 00:23	#1
vinpenny Trader rating Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Edmonton, Alberta	Battery Question Sorry if this is a stupid question but... Imagine that you just want to go outside to target shoot in your back yard but you dont need to use all the electricity in the battery and you dont have a discharger. Are you able to just charge the battery just a bit and use it until all the electricity is gone, or is it bad for the battery?

February 12th, 2007, 00:47	#2
LUTNIT Trader rating Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Ottawa	NiMh (nickel metal hydride) - recharging is fine at any point, deep discharging after each use actually damages the battery NiCd (nickel cadmium) - you should completely discharge before charging each time Somewhere on the battery should be the mAh rating even if it doesn't say if its NiMh or NiCd. If its a large-type battery (usually goes in the stock of the gun) and its 2400mAh or less its NiCd. If its a mini battery (often goes just above or just below the barrel) then I believe its NiCd if its 600mAh and anything higher is NiMh. I believe this information and more is in the FAQ. Also if your in Canada (can't tell because its not in your profile and we do get people from all over the world on here) then you shouldn't be shooting in your backyard if you don't live in the middle of no where. If there is even a small chance of someone seeing you they can call the cops and you can get in a pile of crap. Its always best to play it safe. Last edited by LUTNIT; February 12th, 2007 at 00:51..

February 12th, 2007, 00:53	#3
Imperial Guard Trader rating Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Fort McMurray	Instead of buying a discharger, you can wire one up using a computer fan or old hobby motor. A good couple of hours will do the trick. If you need to know more, feel free to pm me. __________________ "Assumption is the mother of all fuck-up's."

February 12th, 2007, 00:54	#4
thephenom Trader rating Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Toronto	But I thought you don't need to/shouldn't discharge NiMH.

February 12th, 2007, 00:56	#5
LUTNIT Trader rating Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Ottawa	Well vinpenny didn't say if its a NiCd or NiMh and most cheaper packs are NiCd so I guess Imperial Guard is just speaking up before the guy buys some expensive discharger before he realizes its easy to make one. On that note its actually better to discharge batteries at the highest amperage possible, up to 30A if you can. Discharging slowly isn't terribly bad but will reduce the overall life of your battery.

February 12th, 2007, 00:59	#6
vinpenny Trader rating Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Edmonton, Alberta	oh, i live in edmonton, alberta. but i think i just said my question badly lets say my battery is Ni-MH and the capacity is 1200 mah, but i dont need to charge it fully, can i just charge it to 300 or something like that? will it wreck the battery in anyway? lutnit: so you are saying if i leave my battery and theres still about 100mah of energy left, i can wait till tomorrow then charge it again? Last edited by vinpenny; February 12th, 2007 at 01:07..

February 12th, 2007, 01:09	#7
LUTNIT Trader rating Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Ottawa	You can charge a NiMh battery any time no matter how much charge is left. Just make sure you have a charger that detects delta peak (voltage fluctuation when the battery is full, the "smart chargers" sold by several airsoft retailers have this function as well as any charger other than really basic wall chargers that are just straight AC adapters) and it'll stop when the battery is full with no damage.

February 12th, 2007, 01:14	#8
vinpenny Trader rating Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Edmonton, Alberta	oh, well the wall charger says 300 mah, so im guessing i can take off the battery after 4 hours if the battery cap is 1200 mah with no dmg?

February 12th, 2007, 01:21	#9
LUTNIT Trader rating Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Ottawa	300mAh would be battery capacity, it actually says 300mA I assume? If so then yes a 4 hour charge would be to completely charge the battery. If you only partly discharge it there isn't really any sure fire way to tell unless you discharge the battery which can hurt it in the long run since its a NiMh. Best bet I suppose would be to not charge it and keep using it till its empty then leave it for 4 hours on that charger. (Discharging repetitively through normal use is less damaging then discharging with a discharger. Using a battery period is damaging thats why they only last so many cycles, its normal until mankind reaches absolute perfection which is impossible.)

February 12th, 2007, 01:25	#10
vinpenny Trader rating Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Edmonton, Alberta	Very true, thank you for all your help Lutnit

February 12th, 2007, 07:02	#13
Greylocks Trader rating Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Gatineau, Quebec (Near Ottawa)	Another case where you can try to pull miracles with cheap ass chargers, or buy a good one that will repay itself in less than one year. Please read this website some more, batteries are discussed in the Accessories section and elsewhere.

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