In article ,
Barrett wrote:

Can some one give me an idea on how long these 2600mA should last in the
MFJ-259 when left on without turning off?

One manufacturer's data writeup (for the Twicell batteries) says "The
amount of electricity which a [NiMH] battery loses through
self-discharge at 40 degrees C in one day following full charge is
approximately 5% of the rated capacity."

If it lost this same percentage of its total charge every day, the
battery would be completely self-discharged in about three weeks.

If it lost 5% of its current charge level per day, it'd be down to 50%
charge in a couple of weeks, maybe to 25% at the end of a month.

Even if the self-discharge rate is as low as 2% per day, you'd find
them with little charge remaining after a couple of months.

The high-capacity, fast-self-discharging NiMH cells seem to be a
reasonable choice for certain application - those in which you expect
to drain 'em within a few days of use, and will need to recharge them
regularly in any case. Photo-flash applications, or listen-and-talk
applications in a portable radio, or that sort of thing.

They're a poor choice for occasional-use or standby applications.

If you're using your MFJ-259 for several hours per week, standard 2600
NiMH cells may be a good choice. If you use the analyzer only
occasionally, I think you'll be happier with either NiCd, or
low-self-discharge 2000/2100 NiMH.

--
Dave Platt AE6EO
Friends of Jade Warrior home page: http://www.radagast.org/jade-warrior
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