How long do nickel metal hydride batteries last exactly?

Status
Not open for further replies.

poltergeisty

Truth is a force of nature
Banned
Joined
May 7, 2004
Messages
4,012
Location
RLG, Fly heading 053, intercept 315 DVV
I've been using the same NiMH batteries in my atomic clock since circa 2004 and yet to this day they still charge up and work for at least 6 months until I have to recharge them again. They are the 2200 MAh versions. I guess I could use lithium batteries since the clock is a slow drain device, but since I've had such good luck with these why bother, right?

You'd think after some 15 years now they just wouldn't charge or even hold a charge.
 

KB4MSZ

Billy
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Mar 12, 2018
Messages
928
Location
Tampa, Florida
If you have been using the same NiMH batteries for 15 years you have exceeded any guess I would have given you. I used to use them in my R/C controllers for helicopters and they remained reliable for about 2 years. I decided that trusting a helicopter model to a controller using NiMH wasn't the best idea so I switched to LiFePo4 batteries. Of course, your clock isn't going to crash to the ground when the batteries die.
 

nanZor

Active Member
Joined
May 28, 2009
Messages
2,807
First generation Eneloops circa that period still work well if they haven't been abused. Sounds like your charger isn't beating them to death overcharging them either.

That's the classic thing with batteries - they are usually murdered by the owners before they fail on their own. :)
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top