What happened to my battery?

[MigAce312]

I have a Sony Cybershot camera (DSC-P5) powered by an infolithium battery. When I first got the camera the battery would last a long time...about 45 minutes. Now, under the same conditions (no flash), the battery seems to lose charge very quickly...now it will probably last about 25-30 minutes when fully charged. What could be wrong with the battery?

 

[fr]

I have the same camera. The battery lasts about an hour (55-65 minutes with the LCD on with a live moving image).

When do you usually charge the battery? Whenever it's even the sligtest bit drained or do you wait until it's fully depleted? Do you charge it full every time?


You can probably just buy a new battery and the new one should work fine.

 

[MigAce312]

Originally posted by: fr
I have the same camera. The battery lasts about an hour (55-65 minutes with the LCD on with a live moving image).

When do you usually charge the battery? Whenever it's even the sligtest bit drained or do you wait until it's fully depleted? Do you charge it full every time?

I charge it when its the slightest bit drained. Could that be the problem?

 

[MrBond]

Originally posted by: MigAce312

Originally posted by: fr
I have the same camera. The battery lasts about an hour (55-65 minutes with the LCD on with a live moving image).

When do you usually charge the battery? Whenever it's even the sligtest bit drained or do you wait until it's fully depleted? Do you charge it full every time?

I charge it when its the slightest bit drained. Could that be the problem?

Yep. With all the advances in battery technology today, they still have that problem. You'll need to let it get completly drained, then recharge it, the repeat maybe 3 times total. That might be enough to shock it back to life.

If you really need a longer lasting battery, buy a new one (ouch, that's gonna be expensive, good thing you bought a sony ) and this time, let it depleat completly every now and then.

 

[CraigRT]

rule of thumb with rechargeble batteries, you're suppose to let them go 90% dead, or pretty much flat dead, before you charge them again.
if you don't. you WILL hurt lifespan.

 

[ATLien247]

I thought Lithium Ion batteries did not have "memory" problems.

If this is not the case, then why does Compaq recommend you keep your Ipaq on the cradle/charger when not in use?

 

[Derango]

The batteries in my dell laptop have gone over a year without loosing capacity and I plug it in whenever theres an outlet availible. Same thing with my PDA. I plop it in the cradle whenever I'm home.

 

[FoBoT]

you didn't say how old the battery is or how much use it has had

maybe it is just old/worn out

buy a new one

 

[Darein]

It can't hurt it to let it drain down once in a while. I try to do that with my PDA and phone batteries, maybe once a month and once a week, respectively.

 

[stonecold3169]

Originally posted by: Yield
rule of thumb with rechargeble batteries, you're suppose to let them go 90% dead, or pretty much flat dead, before you charge them again.
if you don't. you WILL hurt lifespan.

Incorrect. With a Li-ion battery, there is no memory effect. However, lifetime of these is based on complete discharge cycles. The farther you let the battery go without recharging, you're killing the life of the battery. There was a lawsuit against compaq on an early ipaq model in which the device would randomly power itself on and not shut off, wearing the battery down. Because of that, the internal battery only lasted maybe 6 months to a year before it wouldn't hold a charge.

Rule of thumb with li-ions is when in doubt, charge them up!