Ikelite DS125 Reliability

[RonFrank]

How often do you need to replace the rechargeable battery on the D125? Mine is not quite a year old and I haven't noticed any deterioration at all. Just curious.

NiCAD, or NIMH? In any event, both can handle over 1000 charge cycles. If you are shooting the NiCAD battery, you want to keep it charged, so make sure to do so once a month. The NiMH also likes to be charged, but for different reasons. I charge all my batteries at least once a month.

 

[HowardE]

NiCAD, or NIMH? In any event, both can handle over 1000 charge cycles. If you are shooting the NiCAD battery, you want to keep it charged, so make sure to do so once a month. The NiMH also likes to be charged, but for different reasons. I charge all my batteries at least once a month.

I charge my batteries a few times a week

 

[RonFrank]

Are the Ikelite DS125 strobes reliable?

Like anything electronic, they can fail. The good news is that Ike stands behind their products HUGE. When my SS200 died (not due to flood) I sent it in and Ike repaired it at no charge. I was not the original owner, so if they deem any defect, they will in fact just repair it.

 

[Warren_L]

How often do you need to replace the rechargeable battery on the D125? Mine is not quite a year old and I haven't noticed any deterioration at all. Just curious.

You need to maintain the batteries by charging them on a regular basis to keep them working properly. I've had a few hundred charge cycles on my nicads for my DS-125s
(I bought these before they started shipping them with NiMH batteries) and they're still holding a full charge as far as I can tell. I charge them at least once a week, often times once a day when they get lots of use when dive season is in full swing.

 

[RonFrank]

You need to maintain the batteries by charging them on a regular basis to keep them working properly. I've had a few hundred charge cycles on my nicads for my DS-125s
(I bought these before they started shipping them with NiMH batteries) and they're still holding a full charge as far as I can tell. I charge them at least once a week, often times once a day when they get lots of use when dive season is in full swing.

NiCAD batteries like to be worked. Deep discharge cycles are recommended. If you are going to charge them a lot, I would suggest making sure you discharge them fully, or work them a lot. I only WISH I had a reason to work my UW batteries more!

 

[Warren_L]

I'm not so sure about deep discharging these batteries - I was told not to do so by Ike himself one day (god rest his soul). This is directly from the Ike website:

http://www.ikelite.com/faq/faq_sscharger.html

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How often should I completely discharge my ni-cads?

NEVER is the best single word answer. This awful recommendation is an old misconception. Complete discharge may allow one of the cells to reverse polarity, and it may cause the cell to vent and/or cause permanent damage. Batteries should NEVER be subjected to a complete deep discharge.

In defense of the complete discharge theory, it may be a necessary procedure for a pack that is not operating correctly.

How can I prevent "memory" in my ni-cad pack?

This popular misconception does not occur because of the heavy current drains imposed by most diving products. This is an imaginary "problem" that has been touted as an "advantage" for products supplied with inferior gel-cell batteries.

How long will my ni-cads last?

All Ikelite ni-cad packs are supplied with the finest hi-rate industrial grade matched cells. We receive glowing reports of ten year old packs that operate fine, but this is not a realistic expectation. Frequent use promotes healthy batteries.

Expect some loss of capacity by 100 cycles, and considerable loss by 300 cycles.

How should I store my ni-cad pack?

Like all batteries, they should not be left installed in the device. Ni-cad batteries will loose approximately 2% of their charge per day. Recharging after thirty days will assure a full charge before use. The pack should be charged every two or three months if not used. Do not leave a pack completely discharged.