Battery life

I have 2 CB-511 battery packs that I have been using for both my G6 and 30D for a few years, and lately, they're not holding their charges anymore. I have noticed that it doesn't take as long as it normally did to charge them, so i'm curious if it's just the charger and not the batteries. Does anyone know of a way to check which is at fault, the battery or charger?

Only if you have another charger available. But after a few years, it's likely the batteries.

Yea I do have another charger which I am charging them with now, I hardly use that one. I wasn't sure if there was some sort of voltage meter I could check if the output is correct on either.

Prolly the batteries. You'll notice it more in the cold too.

I never thought about the cold having an effect on them, that might be it too.

mknabster wrote in post #9689017
Yea I do have another charger which I am charging them with now, I hardly use that one. I wasn't sure if there was some sort of voltage meter I could check if the output is correct on either.

The packs will have a specified voltage when fully charged.

Yea, i guess i'll have to see how the 2nd charger does the job, and what difference is, if any.

Rechargeable batteries have a finite lifetime! Laptop batteries and cell phone batteries and GPS unit batteries all exhibit lessened capacity and run times, too. It isn't the charger!

The good news is we're not using NiCads any more. They had a definite memory effect. Scary when it was on Police radios, as I experienced in another lifetime. Nothing worse than a dead battery.
Good advice here, particularly about the cold having an effect.
DaveL
ps I'm having an issue with a G11 and the internal battery losing its charge. When the camera is first turned on it prompts for Date/Time to be set (just like with a new camera). I've lost so many shots this way I've replaced the G11, putting it aside until I can get an explanation and fix. My G9 was fine.

It's cold here; I don't know whether this is contributing to a problem or the internal battery is undersized.
D

A disadvantage of lithium-ion cells lies in their poor cycle life: upon every charge or recharge, deposits form inside the electrolyte that inhibit lithium ion transport, resulting in the capacity of the cell to diminish. The increase in internal resistance affects the cell's ability to deliver current, thus the problem is more pronounced in high-current than low-current applications. The increasing capacity hit means that a full charge in an older battery will not last as long as one in a new battery (although the charging time required decreases proportionally, as well). Lithium-ion batteries are notorious for wearing out quickly, with battery life commonly shrinking by one-third or a half after a year or two. Every lithium-ion battery recharge generates heat, which degrades the charge-holding material -- the Lithium cathodes -- inside the battery.