Hi GunnerJohn
Thanks for the link to the battery discharge tests, very informative and the charts back up what I had already discovered working empirically, that NiMH batteries hang in there for longer than alkaline cells. Because I am working with dead-rail more-or-less in isolation here, it is pleasing to see that you suggested exactly what I did....means I'm probably on the right track :-) All the other deadrail guys I communicate with are using LiPo's due to space issues in their Ho and On30 engines.
I probably had issues with LiPo's failing because out of ignorance I was buying low-quality batteries. However, given that I have ample volume inside an O-scale locomotive so that space is not an issue, plus the fact that so far my Energizer NiMH's have been indestructable, I quickly arrived at the conclusion that in my situation LiPo's are just an unnecessary complication.
By the way, if it is of any use to anyone, I am using a HobbyKing HKC6 charger. I love it, because it is clever enough to use pulsed voltage and current to recondition over-discharged batteries and revive them to not far short of their original capacity. It also automatically senses the total voltage of the bank of cells in series and charges the lot, so I can charge any set-up without having to remove them from the engine.
Regards
Paul
Whangarei, NZ.
