Originally Posted by
azesty
But if you only half discharge a Li battery, and then recharge it, this only counts as half a charge cycle. If you do this twice, it counts as a full charge cycle.
z
Doesn't really work that way. A "cycle" is a change from a discharging state to a charging state. Li batteries are good for around 500cycles before they start loosing capacity from the chemicals in them degrading. Now that's not saying it bad at 500 cycles and it will need replacement, thats saying that it starts becoming obvious it has lost capacity over what it had when new. If the battery is only 1/4 discharged and you charge it it is still a cycle. Wait till it is more discharged to give it a charge and you will increase its overall useful life.
A Li Ion needs a peridic deep discharge in items like phones more to reset the calibration between it and the device it powers. Other then that hold off charging till you discharge it more then 50% just so you can get more use out of it. Example: you charge it every day when it can go 2 you theoretically will use it up twice as fast and need to replace it in 2 years verses 3.5-4 if you charge it every other day.
Watch out for "trickle" chargers on NiCad, NiMh and Li bateries. They indiscriminately charge. They are the ones that will cook a battery if you leave them on it for extended periods of time. Most newer phones this is not an issue as there is a charging circuit built into it that will stop charging when it is full. A head light may not have an inteligent charge circuit and will continuously put power to the battery even if it has reached full capacity. The exception again being a Lead acid. They like to sit on charge and it helps prevent the plates from sulfating.