Question Suunto D5 keep charged or let battery run down?

[Allen-1]

I have a Suunto D5 dive computer. It could function as a fairly good looking watch - but I don't wear watches, so its only function to me is as a dive computer.

It has a rechargable battery, presumably lithium. Rechargable batteries typically have a limited number of charge cycles, and when they hit their limit they won't charge any more - so you replace them. In this case this isn't a casual user task, it's probably best done by a qualified person; (yes I KNOW, but that's a different conversation).

So - I was wondering - is there any point to keeping it charged while I'm not using it? Might the best course of action be to let it sit on the shelf and run down; then charge it before a diving trip, check the settings, check for upgrades, and then keep it charged for the duration of the trip?

Thoughts?

Thanks.

 

[inquis]

Best practice is to periodically charge it. Even if the computer turns fully off at some voltage, self-discharge would eventually drop it into damaging territory.

Also, the "lifetime" charge cycles isn't a cliff where it ceases to function. (Usually "lifetime" is where the capacity degrades to 80% of the original, though that's Suunto's call.) Further, a charge from 30%-70% takes less of a toll than 10%-100%. You'll charge twice as often, but you will likely get 7-8x more cycles -- a net increase in lifetime from a calendar perspective.