Cycling Nickel Cadmium Packs

[darryn]

Hi there all.

If I cycle a nickel cadmium pack, to what voltage should the pack be discharged?
Should these packs be cycled every charge?
When cycling them, how many cycles should I do per charge?

TIA

Darryn

[WayneBrown]

1.2v per cell. I only cycled mine sporadically, and that was more to compare the mAh discharged versus the mAh put back, and see where the battery ended up opposed to the actual rating of the pack.
So, a pack of 1000mAh would discharge to 98% (980mAh), and charging would put back 1010mAh, I considered that pack good.
As long as the discharge and recharge is within 15% of the packs rating I kept it. If the pack differs by 15% pitch it in the wastebasket..

[PaulH]

1.2 volts per cell is actually the nominal rating. If you discharge to 1.2 volts, then you are only using about 15% of the pack's capacity. Most of the discharging circuits will bring the pack down to 1.0 volts per cell.

[darryn]

Wayne

If you discharge a 1000mAh battery to 98% (980mAh) That means that there is still 980mAh left, or you took 980mAh out of the battery?

TIA

Darryn

[WayneBrown]

Wayne

If you discharge a 1000mAh battery to 98% (980mAh) That means that there is still 980mAh left, or you took 980mAh out of the battery?

TIA

Darryn
That's correct.

[darryn]

Wayne

Is that 980mAh you took out of the battery, or is it that there is 980mAh left in the battery?

TIA

[WayneBrown]

depends on how you want to look at it. If you discharged it 98% of it's rated capacity, there's only 2% left in the pack.
If you discharged it TO 98% of it's capacity, there is 98% left.
Easier way to look at it.. Discharge the pack to 1.0v per cell and connect to the charger, if your charger shows how many mAh put back, you know what you took out to get to 1.1v.