Is my battery dead?

[WillTemple]

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Hi All,

 

After many months of reading this forum (and others) and wanting to reply to posts, I finally decided to register. It took two minutes so I have no idea what I was playing at!

 

I recently moved to a tropical climate and one of my Leica M8 batteries no longer seems to hold its charge. When I charge the battery the charger's 'charge' light illuminates as if charging normally. After a minute, sometimes less, the 'charge' light goes out as if fully charged but it is only charged a minute amount. I don't know if the humidity has anything to do with it but my other battery is fine.

 

Has anyone else encountered this?

 

Thanks in advance, Will

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[tobey bilek]

Try cleaning the contacts. Try it in the camera. Try the camera battery in the charger to be sure the charger does not have a fault if this was a spare battery. You need to determine if the charger is at fault or the battery.

 

Do not buy the replacement generics. B&H will get you an official one for $120.

 

All Li need to be kept charged. I have a few AA ones that got run down to zero and they will no longer accept more than a small partial charge.

 

My routine is the first of every month is to charge all the spare batteries, put them into the cameras, recharge the ones that were removed. Some of the 5 year old Nikon ones still read as new with the battery condition scale in the camera. Leica does not have this feature.

 

They also work best if you top them off as often as possible unlike NiCad cells which like to be run down to almost zero. After every pic session, charge up the battery.

 

Dry boxes are sold for electronics which do not like humidity. Or use desiccants , a box with a incandescent light bulb ( not CFL which produces no heat) or use air conditioning. I use mine at 80 deg and consider it a substitute for all the above. When you consider fungus, mold, and other damage humidity will do, it is worth every penny and you stay comfortable..

[lct]

If your battery is a generic model, you've just got false meter readings probably. Only fix is to discharge fully the battery until the camera stops working completely before charging it normally.

[WillTemple]

It is a Leica battery, I've tried draining it completely and recharging but that hasn't worked. The charger is not at fault because my other battery charges fine. I've been trying to find another but having no luck! There isn't really a postal service here either so I'll just have to manage with the one until my trip back to the UK at Christmas. Annoying to say the least....

 

Thanks though guys, some interesting info provided

[jaapv]

M8 batteries are in general getting a bit long in tooth by now, and as Li-Ion batteries have a limited life span, it is no surprise that some of the earlier ones are dying. Time to get a new one. Btw, where are you?- I travel in some prettty remote places, but I yet have to find a spot that DHL cannot reach.

[WillTemple]

M8 batteries are in general getting a bit long in tooth by now, and as Li-Ion batteries have a limited life span, it is no surprise that some of the earlier ones are dying. Time to get a new one. Btw, where are you?- I travel in some prettty remote places, but I yet have to find a spot that DHL cannot reach.

 

I live in Brunei at the moment, its not a question of getting it delivered, it's a question of when it actually arrives. Brunei is an Islamic state and everything has to go through customs (I my wife has received packages 3 moths after dispatch) to ensure it will not spoil the minds of the population, eg art books containing nudes, certain travel guides etc... There is also an import tax on electronics, around 20% I believe.

 

It'll be easier in the uk!