Posted by: "oryoki2000"
> Thomas Ashcroft wrote
>> ...What is the correct rechargeable battery
>> maintenance for a Sony HiMD recorder?...
>
> Sony Hi-MDs and most other small field recorders use
> lithium-ion battery technology. The Li-Ion battery
> should be recharged regularly. A deep discharge cycle
> is not necessary to keep the battery in top condition.
>
> Li-Ion batteries slowly lose their ability to hold
> power. This loss starts the day they leave the factory,
> and it is independent of how much the battery is used.
> So you may want to replace the battery after a couple of
> years, or if you expect to be in a situation where every
> milliamp will count (like a backpacking trip).
>
> Many (all?) Sony Hi-MDs use the LIP-4WM rechargeable
> lithium ion battery. This battery costs $50 from USA
> sources, but $15 from eBay sources in China, where
> the batteries are manufactured. I've had good luck
> when ordering batteries from eBay., so that's the
> route I'd choose.
All the Lion batteries for my original Sony R30 minidisc recorder still
hold apparently the same charge as ever. That's coming onto ten years. I
have a very old Mac Powerbook that's even older and all of who's Lion
batteries are still right up to snuff. This technology is very durable
if maintained well.
If anything, high speed charging would be a culprit in any battery
capacity loss. If your charger gives a choice, use the slower charge as
much as you can. This does not have to be the very slow charge however.
Because overcharge is a serious danger for these batteries most pacs
have charge sensing and control circuits built into them. These circuits
get their operating power from the battery. If there is not enough power
left you may in some cases not even get a external battery charger to
try charging them as it does not receive the signals it needs from the
internal circuit. That even though the actual battery cells may be
perfectly ok, just discharged. Keep the batteries charged on a regular
schedule. I use a one month interval if the batteries are not in regular
use. All my rechargeable batteries are stored with a slip on which I've
written the last charge date.
If you use the correct charger designed for the particular pac then
overcharging is not a problem as the circuitry locks it out. At trickle
charge levels the batteries are in no danger no matter how long charged.
Walt
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