Can someone explain to me the advantages/disadvantages of Li-Ion over NiMH? Thanks
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battery question
- Thread starter AaronR103
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Spoon
Contributor
AaronR103:
i asked the same question awhile back. for what its worth after chatting with barry i took the plunge and got the 4.8 amp li-ion. its a sweet lilttle toy that packs a punch. i can also charge it anytime without memory effect on batteries.
http://www.scubaboard.com/showthread.php?t=127483
OP
So if I'm reading the previous thread corrctly, neither NiMH or Li-Ion suffer from the memory effect, Li-Ion gets more burn time out of a smaller battery, but loses 20% of it's capacity each year regardless of use.
Is the smaller size of the Li-Ion (2.5" difference in canaster length) worth both the extra money and the shorter life span?
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Is the smaller size of the Li-Ion (2.5" difference in canaster length) worth both the extra money and the shorter life span?
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Spoon
Contributor
AaronR103:
the smaller size is worth the change. i was also worried about the capacity issues of the battery over time but barry assured me that if well maintained the battery would still hold 80+% of its capacity after about 300 cycles. in about 3 or 4 years li-ion batteries will be so cheap i wouldnt mind getting another set. Li-ions are the future. people had the same problem shifting to nimh technology when lead acid was the norm.
PaulChristenson
Contributor
Spoon:
Spoon you really change your cell phone that often????...
Spoon
Contributor
PaulChristenson:Spoon you really change your cell phone that often????...
i used to change em twice a year. my dad is a techno/gadget freak and he always has to get the latest cell phones. that being said, i get hand me down cellphones which are still pretty new and at least 4 months old.
cool_hardware52
Contributor
AaronR103:
Li-Ion
Pros: Much greater energy density (watt hours per unit volume) and much greater specific energy (watt hours per unit weight) Chargers can be simple devices. Series / Parallel pack design is easy accomplished
Cons: Higher cost per watthour. Requires "safety circuit" in the pack to prevent over discharge and over charge. Can be a problem to transport depending on capacity, may not be permitted on passenger planes. More rapid loss of capacity over time than some other chemistries.
NiMh
Pros: Enviro freindly, compared to Ni-Cads. Less expensive per watthour than Li-Ion.
Cons: Fussy to charge correctly, should not be used in a series / parallel configuration (although this routinely done in dive lights) Will suffer shortened life used in series / parallel config. Is likely to be made obsolete my Li-Ion (show me a Nimh powered laptop for sale today)
BTW "Memory" is a myth, even in Ni-Cads. I view with suspicion anybody promoting any battery as "memory free"
Tobin
Spoon
Contributor
cool_hardware52:
hi tobin, so you are saying that all batteries have some memory effect? please clarify your suspicions please im quite curious. thanks
Here's something related
http://www.repairfaq.org/ELE/F_NiCd_Battery.html#NICDBATTERY_014
But I think few of us will go back to NiCd in the near future, because Cd disposal is not env safe, and people are talking about not to make it. I think.
Check this out (at the bottom of the page) before you drink your cup of water on the table....
http://www.epa.gov/OGWDW/contaminants/dw_contamfs/cadmium.html
http://www.repairfaq.org/ELE/F_NiCd_Battery.html#NICDBATTERY_014
But I think few of us will go back to NiCd in the near future, because Cd disposal is not env safe, and people are talking about not to make it. I think.
Check this out (at the bottom of the page) before you drink your cup of water on the table....
http://www.epa.gov/OGWDW/contaminants/dw_contamfs/cadmium.html
cool_hardware52
Contributor
Spoon:
Sorry. I was bit unclear. The dreaded "memory effect in Ni-Cads is effectively a myth. The conditions required to induce true memory are almost impossible to produce in the field.
This hasn't kept people promoting other chemistries from claiming their favored battery was "memory free". While technically true, is misinformation all the same. When I see people engaged in this type of misinformation it calls into question their motives.
Tobin
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