In article Ju7wi.3782$r14.794@trndny06,
James Sweet wrote:

It does not extend the life. Back in the seventies when NiCd packs had
memory effect, folks were recommending deep discharge. But today, you
are more likely to wreck a NiCd pack by reverse-charging a cell that way.

I read recently that the memory effect "myth" was created due to cheap
chargers overcharging the batteries unless they were first fully discharged.
A decent intelligent charger should prevent this, and batteries have in
theory improved as well.

No, there actually _was_ memory effect at one time, and the Gates Battery
Handbook used to have a discussion about the chemistry involved. The
problem was solved some time in the late 1970s, but the notion on the part
of the users remained. And plenty of users since have destroyed perfectly
good battery packs by deep-discharging them and wrecking the weaker cells in
the pack, in order to avert a failure mode that hadn't existed for years.
--scott


--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."