"How to Prevent ""Memory Effect"" on Battery Capacity"

All battery capacity may be created equal, but how you charge and care for your batteries can change that. Have you noticed that your batteries aren't charging fully, or only charging to a certain point, or dying faster than they should? If it's not simply old age, you may be seeing what is called "memory effect" or "lazy battery."  Both terms refer to the effect of charging on battery capacity. Memory effect only occurs in nickel cadmium or NiCd rechargeable batteries. With "lazy battery" or memory effect your rechargeable batteries gradually lose their maximum energy capacity.

This effect happens if you repeatedly recharge the battery after only partially discharging it. For instance, your camera battery is halfway depleted after a day of shooting photos, so you recharge it. What happens is the battery "remembers" the smaller charge, since the unused (charged) part of the cell is not depleted. So, the next time your battery is used, it won't last as long. NiCd batteries that are well taken care of have a life expectancy of about 500 full charges, or 1,000 partial charges. Treat your battery well from the beginning. Don't let it acquire a "short memory" and you won't have to correct it.

Step 1- Determine The Kind Of Battery You Have

Only Nickel Cadmium (NiCd) batteries truly suffer from memory effect. If you have a Lithium Ion, Nickel Metal Hydride-NiMH, Lead Acid or SLA (Sealed Lead Acid battery, as in a car battery), discharging entirely is not necessary to prevent memory effect. The type of battery you have should be clearly labeled on the battery itself.

Step 2- Discharge Your NiCd Battery

Fully discharge your battery, or discharge it to one volt. You can use a volt meter to determine this, but most devices will "power off" or turn themselves off when they naturally reach the one volt limit. To discharge the battery, insert the battery into whatever device you typically use it in. If the battery is used in a tool, laptop or camera, either turn the device on and leave it on, or use it until the device signals a "low battery" and turns itself off.

Step 3- Recharge Your NiCd Battery

Once your battery has been discharged, plug in your battery charger and recharge the battery fully. If your battery charger does not automatically shut off when the battery is fully charged, then make sure to check the device frequently to ensure you shut it off once the battery is fully charged. Repeat this process three times - discharging your battery fully before recharging. You can do this in the normal course of using the device. Whatever you do, don't partially discharge the battery and then recharge it.

Tips For Proper Battery Charging

• Keep 2 fully-charged batteries for each device.
• Use your battery until it naturally powers down or off, replace with second battery, then recharge used battery to full charge.
• Only use chargers that shut off after a battery is fully charged.
• Don't overcharge your batteries as this often leads to decreased battery life.