Suede-E battery -- how to best care for it?

[Delirium]

I am getting a replacement battery for my Suede-E next week. It took just over a year before my current battery suddenly and drastically dropped in performance (it seemed to drop about 50% overnight after a discharge/charge cycle... and it got worse ever since).

I have some questions about properly caring for my new battery.

1) Should I charge the battery every chance I get, or just when very low?
2) Is it best to keep the battery topped-off when not in use?
3) Is it possible to perform a full discharge/recharge too often, too little?
3) Will "coasting up hill" reduce my battery's lifespan in the long-term, or just for that charge?
4) When I bring the new battery home, should I immediately charge it before riding?
5) What are some tips to keep my battery running strong for 2+ years? What should I avoid doing?

My sincerest thanks,
Jason "Delirium"

[flecc]

Initially charge it fully Jason, use it until nearly empty, and then repeat the whole process again. This is to condition the cells so that they attain full capacity.

From then on, use the battery until it's fairly empty but not completely so, then recharge it, do not continuously top it up to full with each small use.

NiMh batteries suffer most at the charge limits, when at their fullest and completely empty, so those are what it's best to avoid, especially with the Suede's charger which you may have read is not very good.

If possible, learn how long it takes to charge from fairly empty to cut off, and thereafter charge for a little less time, a quarter hour or even a half hour less if that leaves you with enough range for your purposes. Combining that with not completely emptying it to cutout will maximise it's life.

The Toyota Prius NiMh batteries are cycled between about 20% of charge and 80% of charge and are guaranteed for eight years, giving an idea of just how long they can last in ideal circumstances with the top and bottom 20% not used.
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[Delirium]

Flecc, thank you kindly for sharing your knowledge. I will do my best to keep my battery between 80% and 20% after conditioning it.

Also, if anyone wants to add anything, it would be most welcomed. This place is great!

[chuck]

Do you know which could be the voltage V of the (36v Ni-Mh) Suede battery when charging it up to 80% ?
It should be useful once (and from times to times) to measure the voltage when charging (with a voltmeter), and then we'ld have the precise times for charging up to this V (after our usual ride / number of miles and conditions) ?

[flecc]

I don't Chuck, but the change in voltage is very small and within the inaccuracies of multimeters, so it's not too practical to try it that way. This is why the charger cutout is done by measuring the temperature change in the battery via a thermistor, the voltage change not being precise enough.

Even the temperature would not be a way of stopping the charge at 80%, since the rise in temperature that occurs is near the full charge state.

I don't know how Toyota achieve it on the Prius, but it's probably via a specially designed circuit just for that purpose, more accurate than a multimeter. However, whether accurate or not, your meter is probably quite consistent so you could probably calculate the time from empty to roughly 80%, then measure the voltage on your battery, using that in future. An absolute 80% isn't important, what's important is to avoid the fullest charge for best life, so anything between 70% and 90% would help.
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[chuck]

Thank you Flecc for your detailed answer.
I'll do it the way you tell.
Someone (French Suede owner) told he found it is 44 volts for his NiMh charged up to 80 %.

[flecc]

That tends to illustrate the lack of voltage variation with degree of charge Chuck. My 36 volt 10 Ah eZee NiMh battery just reaches 44 volts at full charge. I've never checked it at 80%, but I wouldn't be surprised if it isn't much different.

You could try yours at an estimated 80% and then at full charge to see if there's enough difference to be useful for content determination.
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