Recharging batteries for all console controllers question

[mgoblue]

It came up in a Show Dual Shock thread, but I had a general question on the batteries for the controllers (Wii, 360, or PS3). In the past with rechargables you had to use them up and then recharge. If you had them constantly recharging when not in use you'd hurt the battery life.

With current controllers can we leave them plugged in to recharge (either PS3 cable, 360 quick charge kit, Wii with the Nyko) whenever they're not in use? Does that hurt the battery life?

Just wondering, it'd be nice to always charge if I can, but don't want to burn the battery life. Not sure if anyone knows, but worth a shot.

[aukevin]

I started looking around the Internet after we started talking about that in a thread. According to this source, you actually are better off NOT letting a lithium-ion battery, like those in controllers, discharge most of their energy. Instead, you are suppose to charge it early and often and only run it down to its minimum energy once every 30 charges.

Quote:

A lithium-ion battery provides 300-500 discharge/charge cycles. The battery prefers a partial rather than a full discharge. Frequent full discharges should be avoided when possible. Instead, charge the battery more often or use a larger battery. There is no concern of memory when applying unscheduled charges. Although lithium-ion is memory-free in terms of performance deterioration, batteries with fuel gauges exhibit what engineers refer to as "digital memory". Here is the reason: Short discharges with subsequent recharges do not provide the periodic calibration needed to synchronize the fuel gauge with the battery's state-of-charge. A deliberate full discharge and recharge every 30 charges corrects this problem. Letting the battery run down to the cut-off point in the equipment will do this. If ignored, the fuel gauge will become increasingly less accurate.

Interesting.

[mgoblue]

Quote: Originally Posted by aukevin

I started looking around the Internet after we started talking about that in a thread. According to this source, you actually are better off NOT letting a lithium-ion battery, like those in controllers, discharge most of their energy. Instead, you are suppose to charge it early and often and only run it down to its minimum energy once every 30 charges. Interesting.

Awesome...I like having things charged, so works for me....i guess battery technology has developed nicely! Thanks for finding that!

[fishepa]

I did not know that.

[rspencer86]

So what's the deal with the PS3 controllers? After 500 charging cycles do you just throw the controller away and get a new one? Or is there a way to replace the batteries in PS3 controllers?

[aukevin]

Quote: Originally Posted by fishepa

I did not know that.

yeah, me neither. I'll have to change the way I let things run down.

Quote: Originally Posted by rspencer86

So what's the deal with the PS3 controllers? After 500 charging cycles do you just throw the controller away and get a new one? Or is there a way to replace the batteries in PS3 controllers?

A PS3 controller is suppose to have 30 hours of play time per charge. That would come out to about 1 charge a week, but I don't agree with that 30 hours estimate because I usually charge my controller twice a week I think and I play about 15-20 hours a week. If those charging cycle estimates are correct, it would seem that if you charge your PS3 controller 2 times a week, that's 104 charges a year, so you should get 4 years worth of recharge cycles on a controller if I understand it right. I would hope they'd last longer than that. But I'm not sure what all qualifies as a recharge cycle. Is that every time you plug it up to recharge or does it have to do with how much energy is charged back up in the battery each time.

[aukevin]

I was reading more on that site I linked earlier. If you have an extra controller that you never use, like maybe a third controller, to best preserve its life you should run it down to half power then store it in the refrigerator (not the freezer). LOL

I also read that continuous use of a battery will cause the charge to last a less amount of time. I guess that's why my PS3 controllers don't last 30 hours. They probably would if I only played in 30 minute gaming sessions or something instead of a couple to three hours at a time.