When to recharge? (Sigma Nipack battery with 2xPowerled)

[SOS]

I just got a Sigma Powerled kit, which includes two of their Nipack rechargable batteries.

Is there some specific way I can know when the battery is dead enough to need recharging? I'd like to avoid prematurely charging it, to lessen the memory effect.

The lights both have charge level indicators but they are very unreliable. I use a Y-cable to connect two lights to one battery. Last night I used it for 2 hours. When one light is on low, it shows >50% charge. When one light is on high, it shows 25-50% charge. When two lights are on low, they both show 25-50% charge. When two lights are on high, they both show <25% charge. This is quite a variation. What should I believe? How can I judge the actual charge?

Does it by any chance shut off when the battery is at a "you need to recharge now" level? I could find no indication of this in the manual.

Can I judge the charge level by the battery voltage? I don't have any voltage chart for it, so I'm not sure what would be a low level.

[Ziemas]

The Ni-Pac doesn't suffer from memory effect. I used to charge mine every few days (a bit after the battery indicator showed half life left) to insure that it wouldn't run out on my 45 minute commute. It still has it's full runtime, and hasn't been damaged by frequent charging.

My indicators showed the same thing until after a few charging cycles. Try discharging the battery and recharging it a few times to get fully battery life.

Also, the charger should be a low voltage smart trickle charger, unless they have changed it in the last two years.

[SOS]

Ah, thanks. That's good to hear.

I read up a bit on the memory effect today and looks like I misunderstood about it.