a._valerio Posted June 11, 2008 Share Posted June 11, 2008 For the D1 battery pack (EN4) what's the proper way to store the battery for several weeks to maximize performance and longevity? One of my two three-year-old EN4s has bitten the dust of late. It has only had approx 25 charges put through it, with long periods of inactivity at times. I've recently gotten some new ones and I don't want the same thing to happen. But realistically I don't use the D1H every week. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tom_luongo1 Posted June 11, 2008 Share Posted June 11, 2008 The D1 uses NiMH cells which self-discharge and kill themselves if allowed to run down. You should top them off every few months. I found a cheap third party subsitute at laptopsforless.com. $38 for a pair and free shipping. That's half the next best price I could find. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lex_jenkins Posted June 12, 2008 Share Posted June 12, 2008 This seems to be a good source: http://batteryuniversity.com/index.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
a._valerio Posted June 12, 2008 Author Share Posted June 12, 2008 That site has some interesting information. But I wonder how it translated into real-life. For example, if one were to not use the battery for a month, would it be better to run it down in the camera, or to recharge it prior to storage? And when in use, is it better to let it run down, or to only use it partway and then top it off? And is refresh better done just prior to storage or right before use after storage? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joo_pang Posted June 12, 2008 Share Posted June 12, 2008 This might be off topic. If you are a DIY guy, converting an EN-4 battery to a Lithium Ion battery pack can be an interesting weekend project. The following link is in Chinese but there are some useful pictures. http://www.photosharp.com.tw/FORUM/ArticleList.aspx?ForumId=4&TopicId=115115&ParentLink=http%3a%2f%2fwww.photosharp.com.tw%2fFORUM%2fSearchList.aspx%3fEquipment%3dT%26Brand_Select%3d3%26Type_Select%3d-1%26Product_Select%3d-1%26Page%3d2&ParentTitle=%e5%99%a8%e6%9d%90%e7%89%88+-+%e5%93%81%e7%89%8c%3a+Nikon%2fNikkor&Page=2 The converted Li-ion battery pack is much lighter and a Li-ion battery charger is much smaller than the Nikon MH-17 Quick Charger. Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lex_jenkins Posted June 12, 2008 Share Posted June 12, 2008 Dunno. The Battery University site and other advice on the web contradicts Nikon's own advice for long term storage of the EN-EL4. For now, I'm storing my third EN-EL4 at around 40%. And I'll rotate the three every few months. We'll see. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
a._valerio Posted June 13, 2008 Author Share Posted June 13, 2008 Lex, Your EN-EL4 shouldn't have the same issue as my EN-4; it's lithium ion versus NiMh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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