On February 3, 2014 at 19:39, Hasbeen said...
That's actually a good idea, I didn't think of it.
If I fully charge one of those units, and leave it OFF until needed, how long do you think it'll hold a charge?
For example, I charge it. 4 days into the woods I need it, turn it on. Do you think it'll still have juice on it?
The parameter you are interested in here, is the "self-discharge rate" of the pack. If it is a Li-Ion or Li-Polymer based pack, the self discharge rate at room temperature is about 2% per month. So, very slight. Most of the units you find, will be Li-Ion or Li-Polymer these days.
This is one of the big benefits of the Li+ based chemistries. Ni-MH typically loses about 4% per day, while Ni-Cd loses about 15% per month. So make sure you stay away from Ni-MH or Ni-Cd.
