Ni-Mh AA self discharge problems

[AdamZx3]

I have some 2000mah Ni-Mh AA batteries that I started using on my sb-600 and as a backups for my D80 Grip....but they self discharge at a very alarming rate, I leave them loose in the bag and in a little over a week they are completely dead, I wouldn't trust them unless they where less the one day old. This is using a 16hr charger too if that makes a differance.

Is this a common problem or is the quality of battery an issue? I believe they where from circuit city, a generic brand at that.

 

[DeepSpring]

I had some old Duracell 2000mah Ni-Mh from when rechargeable batteries were pretty new. I recently found them buried in a drawer and tried them out in my 430ex. Even after they are freshly charged it takes at least 2 seconds to recharge the flash after each shot and it quickly becomes longer.

I have been happy with my 2500 mah Energizer ones tho. Maybe pick up a pair of those and see if it makes a difference.

I'm not sure if it was because mine are old or there is a trend of them not lasting as long tho so it'll be good to hear from some others.

 

[S2K1]

My Ni-MH batteries discharge(two weeks or so) if left in my bag. Anytime I go on a shoot, I charge them beforehand. The Ni-MH batteries do recycle my flash faster though.

 

[AdamZx3]

Cool thanks guys, I'll have to pick up some 2500mah Ni-Mh and try them out. Do you know if the 1hr chargers are any good vs the long ones?


I guess I'll pickup some lithium AA's for my grip backup...with 3 en-el3e batteries I shouldnt ever need them but would be a shame if I did


**Edit**
I found an article online when looking for some batteries, looks like these dont discharge as fast
Sanyo Eneloop and Uniross Hybrio cells, these are new technology NiMH batteries that are ready to use out of the package, can be recharged in any good NiMH charger and they hold a charge for months when not used.

 

[S2K1]

Thanks for the update, I'll look into those new batteries. I also have a set of AA backups for my grip despite having 5 batteries to go through before that.

 

[Big Mike]

These rechargeable batteries often need to be 'refreshed'. I'm planning on getting a charger that will measure the capacity and charge status of the batteries. I've heard that even newer batteries can sometimes have a greatly reduced capacity for some reason.

Better chargers will have a 'refresh' option where they completely drain the battery and charge it up...maybe repeatedly. This will bring it back up to it's proper capacity.

I've heard that those fast chargers will shorten the life of the battery...especially if they allow the batteries to get quite hot during charging.

I've found this site to have good prices on batteries and chargers etc. I haven't bought anything there yet...but the reputation seems to be good.
http://www.thomas-distributing.com/index.htm

 

[droyz2000]

How old are the batteries? A lot times if NiMH batteries will go bad after a year or so. They are great because you can recharge them as many times as you want during the time that they work but about a year after your first use they will not hold a charge as well, regardless of how many times you have charged them.

 

[Garbz]

Yeah Ni-MH batteries have a discharge over a period of about 4-8 weeks which is why they shouldn't be used in remotes or other very low power situations. If you're getting less than a week out of them it's time for a new set.

 

[Big Mike]

I'd try to refresh them before throwing them out. Many of them can be saved.