Batboard

Hello. My GF has a UHF Jedi in her car we use for brief simplex comms. Maybe gets used 10 minutes a week.Both batteries are new & 2100 ma. Battery doesn't get charged until the crickets chirp. I think the Nicads should last longer but want other opinions. Thanks. GARY N4KVE

N4KVE wrote:Hello. My GF has a UHF Jedi in her car we use for brief simplex comms. Maybe gets used 10 minutes a week.Both batteries are new & 2100 ma. Battery doesn't get charged until the crickets chirp. I think the Nicads should last longer but want other opinions. Thanks. GARY N4KVE

I think you could fill us in with a little more info, but If the battery is in good condition and they are not lasting under such low use it could be the battery self discharging over time. NimH seem to do that faster than nicad under my experience.

Let me rephrase my question. I have 2 new Jedi batterise. Both 2100 ma. If both are charged, & both then sit for 30 days which battery will work longer after the 30 day rest? Like I said I think Ni Mh discharges quicker but want 2nd opinions. Thanks. GARY N4KVE

While I am far from an expert, this are my views on NimH VS Nicad. I'm sure a simple search on here or google will give lots of more technical answers.


#1 NimH will have faster self-discharge than a Nicad

#2 NimH have a shorter lifespan in number of charge cycles

#3 NimH have more capacity VS Nicad cells of the same size

#4 NimH is claimed to have less "memory effect" so you can top off the battery before use, but that goes back to #2

See

http://www.buchmann.ca/toc.asp

Specifically

http://www.buchmann.ca/Chap6-page4.asp

as well as

http://www.BatteryUniversity.com

Isidor Buchmann invented the Cadex battery cycling unit. Some brilliant observations are presented in these articles.

Bottom line to your application seems to be: Lithium Ion best, NiCD second best, NiMH worst.

DLB

Thanks for the info. I will leave the Nicad battery on the Jedi in her car. GARY N4KVE

Gary - Based on my 30+ years experience with NiCads and later the NiMh I would have to agree with Grog above. However I noticed your in Ft. Lauderdale and of course it gets plenty hot during the days inside a vehicle. If these batts have been left inside a very hot vehicle for long periods of time that will also play into speeding up the self discharge rate of both chemistry batts.