Electronics, Lighting, & Gadgets - Stupid battery question....

I have two older light systems (NR Trail Rat and a similar system from Performance). Both have low-tech NiMH batteries with overnight chargers.

I haven't used either system in about three years, so the batteries have been sitting in a bin in the garage. Is there any reason to suspect the batteries will currently hold a full charge (or not)?

Mostly, I'm lazy and don't want to waste the time fishing the old lights/batteries out of whatever storage bin they were dropped into if they're junk. And new systems seem to have come way down in cost (and gone way up in output), plus new gadgets = more fun for me.

There is reason to suspect the batteries, which have been left idle in a garage for three years and therefore not properly taken care of, may not be able to be fully recharged and capable of providing their full capacity to the lamps.

Since LAZY is your prime motivator I'd suggest you buy a new battery set along with suitable charger for the new batteries. If you do it over the internet you'll hardly have to move a muscle.

A lazy way to learn about batteries is to refer to the batteryuniversity.com web site where there is more information than you possibly need but which is very helpful to help you make an informed choice for new batteries and learn how to properly care for them so you can maximize your use of them. And this university is FREE!

A few years ago when the battery for my Niterider (Trail Rat?) would no longer hold a charge I called Niterider and asked about buying a repalcement. The system was so old that they didn't have the same battery any more. They did though sell me a new system (I chose an HID system) with a generous trade in on my old system. I don't know if the trade in program is still in effect, but it's worth a try.