Minelab Lithium ion Battery for GPX4500 - Life Length?

Hello fellow prospectors,

Does anybody know how long a Minelab Lithium ion Battery for GPX4500 would last if it were not used/charged? Does it still deteriorate when not in use or charged?

I am looking at buying a spare battery and was curious. Would it still be good say in 3yrs time if it were to sit on a shelf for that period of time?

Thanks for your help.

Firefly

Hi Firefly,
I'm not too much of an expert with Li-Ion batteries (I'm pretty sure that's what's in them), but from what I have read, they like to be charged before they are put on the shelf. Also they do slowly discharge with time, so it's a good idea to put them on the charger once a month to keep them topped up. Also they prefer a cool place to rest.
Maybe a better idea is to alternate batteries, charge them both, take them both out on the field and use one after the other. This way you shouldn't have any problem arising from a battery sitting on the shelf for too long.
Cheers

Firefly,
My "two bob's worth",
I bought a 4500 from a deceased estate.....the original owner bought it (with extended 5 year warranty),assembled it,charged the battery and died before he could use it....it was then put in a cupboard for 3 years pror to me buying it.
The battery showed 7.2 volts prior to me putting it on charge....I have been using it for over a year......so far so good!
I sent the widow the first bit of gold it found.

Thanks Costadee and Sandy2010. I have been informed by a dealer that the shelf life is approx 7 mtns. This is my third battery to replace / backup my original purchased in 2009. It has not died yet but I don't want to get caught in WA with only one battery. The dealer recommends a minimum Recharge on a bimonthly basis to keep the battery in tip top condition.
Cheers Firefly

Firefly,try at least 300 full recharges before a good battery starts to show signs of Amp/hr drop eg 8 full hrs use,instead of say 12hrs.
All batteries dissipate voltage when left for long periods of time unused on the shelf.That's why its important to keep rechargeables topped up to their full voltage potential every couple of months when there to sit on the shelf for long periods of time,not being used.We're lucky today that Lithium Ion cells store no memory effect,meaning they can be fully re-charged at any time during their voltage drop cycle,unlike Gell cells or Nickel Cadmium which need to be drained to their lowest safe working voltage prior to being recharged to their max Amp/hr use.

Cheers kon61.

Thank you kon61.