# How to mark batteries



## Apollo Cree (Jan 7, 2010)

I like to be able to keep track of my batteries. 

For instance, mark the date acquired, or mark them in groups so I can use them together and not mix old and new of the same type. 

I haven't found any kind of marker that works well. Sharpies, silver ink pens, white ink, etc. simply seems to rub off on my hands. 

I love my Brother TZ labeler, but stickon labels cause problems putting the batteries into certain devices, plus they tend to peel of in the worst possible space. 

I've resorted to taking a scribe and scratching a few marks, such as "1 mark means set number 1, etc." That is not easy to read and I have reliability concerns about scratching the battery. 

Have any of you found a good way to mark or label batteries?


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## Black Rose (Jan 7, 2010)

I just use a Sharpie to mark the number on the label and/or the negative end of the battery.

All of the other information (capacity, last charge date, what device it's in) are kept in an Excel spreadsheet.

When I number my cells, I reset the numbering sequence for each brand and cell type.

i.e. Cells 1 - 44 for Eneloop AA, Cells 1 -16 for Hybrid AA, etc.


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## TakeTheActive (Jan 7, 2010)

Apollo Cree said:


> ...*I haven't found any kind of marker that works well. Sharpies, silver ink pens, white ink, etc. simply seems to rub off on my hands*...


IME, the cell has to be GREASE-FREE when labelling it with a Sharpie.

I clean mine first with Nail Polish Remover, which also removes the smeared / worn Sharpie text. Then, I '_try_' not to handle them where they're labelled.


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## was.lost.but.now.found (Jan 7, 2010)

I haven't personally tried this, but what if you mark it with your Sharpie and then cover with a small piece of clear packing tape? The packing tape is bound to last longer than the label maker sticker.


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## italianboy (Jan 7, 2010)

Try with a CD/DVD marker pen. I did it on a few batteries; also, if you have to re-mark them you can always remove the ink with a wipe and a a little of alcohol or any other solvent.


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## PeaceOfMind (Jan 7, 2010)

I got ("borrowed" from work) an "industrial" sharpie, that is supposed to not wash off under some pretty extreme circumstances, save for a few chemicals that can be used to remove it.

Once that ink is dry, it doesn't go anywhere. Works great for batteries.

However I've never had any trouble using normal sharpies on batteries either, as long as it's given time to dry...


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## Apollo Cree (Jan 7, 2010)

Maybe I fondle my batteries too much or something. I've never had much luck with Sharpies. I'll try the pre-cleaning suggestion. 

I'd be afraid of the same problems with cello tape as with the TZ labels.


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## spencer (Jan 7, 2010)

I tried with Sharpie but it would eventually wear off on me.

The solution I used...marker and nail polish (saw this somewhere too so I can't take full credit). So I marked my battery with Sharpie but when I go to apply the clear nail polish, the Sharpie starts to run. The solvents or something in the nail polish caused it come off. So that idea is out.

Next idea. I had some whiteboard markers that said water based on them. I had tried them before on the battery but they just rubbed right off. But they were water based so when they were covered with nail polish the solvents didn't smudge or smear the writing underneath. This has been working well for me.


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## e_dogg (Jan 7, 2010)

Black Rose said:


> I just use a Sharpie to mark the number on the label and/or the negative end of the battery.
> 
> All of the other information (capacity, last charge date, what device it's in) are kept in an Excel spreadsheet.
> 
> ...


 
I've been wondering about cell marking too...only moreso about the concepts behind it rather than the mechanics. Forgive me if this is a bit of a thread highjack.

Do you find it useful to mark them in matched sets? If so, do you get better runtimes out of your battery powered devices?

Most of my devices use 2 batteries (lights, wireless mice, etc). Right now, all of my batteries are either in a "charged" or "discharged" Ziploc bag. When I need new batteries, I just grab a couple out of the charged bag and away I go.

I've been thinking that I might match them in pairs. Two batteries with 1's, two with 2's, etc. Then make sure I grab both of the 1's when I get a new set of batteries.


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## Conte (Jan 7, 2010)

I have a colour coding system. 

I buy rolls of various coloured electrical tape, cut little strips, and stick them to the side of the batteries. Kind of like resistor codes. 


I dont' have HUGE amount of the same kind of batteries, so for the ones that I do use this it basically allows me to discern which is which.


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## 45/70 (Jan 7, 2010)

I've mentioned this before, in similar topic threads, but if you use any kind of tape, it can eventually end up making the battery tube sticky, as well as your cells. This is especially true if the light you use it in gets very warm. The adhesive tends to ooze out under such conditions, and can make a real mess.

I use a Sharpie as Black and others do, also I've found that laundry markers work well. Both work fine for me.

Dave


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## Muddquez (Jan 8, 2010)

I use a Dymo labeler, only I use the paper labels so they're not very thick. I haven't had any problems with them fitting in any of my lights


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## Kremer (Jan 8, 2010)

For my NiMh if I mark them I use a sharpie and put a piece of scotch tape over the mark to keep it from being rubbed off.

For my 18650's I use a P-touch and have not run into any battery tubes anywhere tight enough to have problems with the label.


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## mitro (Jan 8, 2010)

P-touch here. I just put the capacity reported from a Break-in on the c-9000. I should probably include more info on the labels (ie. purchase date and capacity test date).


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## snakebite (Jan 8, 2010)

i use a paint pen and mark the + insulator.
mostly to make sets of the same cells for a certain device.
for instance i have 3 sets of 8 duraloops for my ft-817.
one set red,one yellow,one gold.
keeps you from mixing up cells from different sets when changing them.the paint pens also do ok on the jackets but they wear off on the spares that i have in my pocket.


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## Black Rose (Jan 8, 2010)

e_dogg said:


> Do you find it useful to mark them in matched sets? If so, do you get better runtimes out of your battery powered devices?


I just use the data in my large spreadsheet (18 tabs) to determine which cells get used in which devices.


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## jhellwig (Jan 8, 2010)

Use a blue sharpie instead of black. For some reason the black ones rub off easier. Blue on a clean cell is the only thing I can get to stay.


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## malow (Jan 9, 2010)

i use small dots around top metal (eneloop and sony cycleenergy have a white "paper" around) so its easy to mark


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## DiverDn (Jan 9, 2010)

malow said:


> i use small dots around top metal (eneloop and sony cycleenergy have a white "paper" around) so its easy to mark




I hope this isn't too far off topic, but could folks share their marking codes? For example do you simply use 1,2,3,4 etc or like malow use a series of dots?

Pictures would be great.
Thanks


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## Paul_in_Maryland (Jan 9, 2010)

*Don't use tape to mark batteries*

Tape also can make the cell too thick. My Eneloops would get stuck in my Dereelight Javelin's tube until I removed the skinny address labels I had applied.



45/70 said:


> I've mentioned this before, in similar topic threads, but if you use any kind of tape, it can eventually end up making the battery tube sticky, as well as your cells. This is especially true if the light you use it in gets very warm. The adhesive tends to ooze out under such conditions, and can make a real mess. Dave


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## TakeTheActive (Jan 9, 2010)

*Labeling Cells and Keeping Records*



DiverDn said:


> ...*could folks share their marking codes?* For example do you simply use 1,2,3,4 etc or like malow use a series of dots?





Black Rose said:


> I just use a Sharpie to mark the number on the label and/or the negative end of the battery.
> All of the other information (capacity, last charge date, what device it's in) are kept in an Excel spreadsheet.
> *When I number my cells, I reset the numbering sequence for each brand and cell type.*
> i.e. Cells 1 - 44 for Eneloop AA, Cells 1 -16 for Hybrid AA, etc.


I did not know better when I started out with my GE, then Saft and Millenium NiCDs so they were never labelled or matched. Back then, they only sold DUMB, timed chargers. I ran a device until it stopped, then charged the cells, and then got mad when their performance / runtime suddenly dropped. 

Even my ~40 Rayovac 1600mAh NiMH AAs weren't initially labelled. Why? Well, the new SMART Rayovac PS1 and PS3 chargers, while able to (usually) detect end-of-charge (via -DeltaV), still didn't tell me C)apacity. Oh how PISSED I'd get when a 'Fresh-Off-the-Charger' set of cells would die shortly after I started using the 'device'. And why were they now getting so HOT?

Then, I learned about the La Crosse BC-900 SMART Charger/ANALYZER. That was the ticket '*Newbies*' - the ability to determine *C)apacity*! NOW you knew when one cell in a set turned to *CRAP*. You didn't have to play 'guessing games' (let's try THIS one). And so began the process of labeling cells and keeping records in Excel. Since each of the Rayovac cells had a 3 or 4-character 'Batch' code, I (crudely) chose to use that. So I have 1-4 for MTB, 1-4 for ENV-Y, 1-8 for ANL, etc... BIG MISTAKE - too detailed. (IIRC, I rejected numbering them sequentially because, at that point-in-time, they were all 'mixed up' and I had no idea when each particular 'Batch' was purchased. So, #1 wouldn't necessarily be the oldest and #40 wouldn't be the newest.)

Now I do almost exactly what *Black Rose* does except I moved my records out of Excel and into Notepad/Wordpad as TXT files (NiMH_Vibrant, NiMH_CRAP, NiMH_HIGH, NiMH_TRASH and NiCD). 

For healthy, vibrant cells still in matched sets of 4, since I charge and use them as a set, I like to record their data as a set on ONE line. This also works well for me as they initially pass into the *CRAP* stage, but eventually (for cells that are 8, 10, 12+ years old), individual cells in the 'set' reach the HIGH or TRASH/RECYCLE stage leaving me with less than 4 to charge. 

*NiMH_Vibrant.Txt: *

```
Duracell 2000mAh AA LSD 8B27 [J] |   #1    #2    #3    #4
---------------------------------+---------------------------  
08/xx/09 C9000 Charge:    1500   | 
08/xx/09 C9000 Impedance Check:  | 
08/xx/09 C9000 Discharge:  100   | 

01/03/10 C9000 Charge:    2000   | ~500  ~500  ~500  ~500 mAh 25% Storage Charge
01/03/10 C9000 Discharge:  400   |   84    86    92    93 mAh

05/23/09 C9000 Impedance Check:  | 1.65  1.65  1.64  1.64 VDC
05/23/09 C9000 Cycle3:  2000/ 400| 1870  1880  1884  1879 mAh
05/xx/09 C9000 Cycle2:  2000/ 400| 1878  1886  1888  1889 mAh
05/xx/09 C9000 Cycle1:  2000/ 400| 1879  1893  1890  1888 mAh
05/22/09 C9000 Discharge:  100   | 2018  2017  2032  2018 mAh
05/21/09 C9000 Break-In: 2000    | 1927  1931  1938  1941 mAh#
05/18/09 C9000 Discharge:  100   | 1472  1480  1486  1479 mAh
05/17/09 C9000 Impedance Check:  | 1.50  1.50  1.50  1.50 VDC
[Bought: 11/xx/08;
 06/27-09/09/09:HP215 Camera (~1.17VDC @ 150mA on RS Tester; HP Batt. Meter @ 50%)]

Duracell 2000mAh AA LSD 8D07 [C] |   #1    #2
---------------------------------+---------------

09/xx/09 C9000 Impedance Check:  | 
09/xx/09 C9000 Cycle3:  2000/ 400| 
09/xx/09 C9000 Cycle2:  2000/ 400| 
09/xx/09 C9000 Cycle1:  2000/ 400| 
09/xx/09 C9000 Discharge:  100   | 

09/26/09 C9000 Break-In: 2000    | 1948  1959 mAh#
09/24/09 C9000 Impedance Check:  | 1.50  1.48 VDC
09/24/09 C9000 Discharge:  100   | 1417  1422 mAh
09/23/09 C9000 Impedance Check:  | 1.54  1.54 VDC
[Bought: 09/19/09 w/CEF20 - UNUSED]

Duracell 2000mAh AA LSD 7H20 [C] |   #3    #4
---------------------------------+---------------
11/07/09 C9000 Break-In: 2000    | 1897  1920 mAh#
11/06/09 C9000 Impedance Check:  | 1.50  1.51 VDC
11/06/09 C9000 Discharge:  100   | 1426  1425 mAh
11/05/09 C9000 Impedance Check:  | 1.58  1.60 VDC
[Bought: 10/24/09 w/CEF23
 01/04/10:#3,4-Weather Channel Therm Base]

Duracell 2000mAh AA LSD xxxx [C] |   #5    #6
---------------------------------+---------------
11/xx/09 C9000 Break-In: 2000    |
11/xx/09 C9000 Impedance Check:  |
11/xx/09 C9000 Discharge:  100   |
11/xx/09 C9000 Impedance Check:  |
[Bought: 10/24/09 w/CEF23 - UNUSED]

Duracell 800mAh AAA LSD xxxx [J] |   #1    #2    #3    #4
---------------------------------+---------------------------  
[Bought: 09/03/09 - UNUSED]

Duracell 800mAh AAA LSD xxxx [J] |   #5    #6    #7    #8
---------------------------------+---------------------------  
[Bought: 09/19/09 - UNUSED]

Duracell 800mAh AAA LSD 7J22 [C] |   #1    #2
---------------------------------+---------------
11/07/09 C9000 Break-In:  800    |  697   712 mAh#
11/06/09 C9000 Impedance Check:  | 1.66  1.64 VDC
11/06/09 C9000 Discharge:  100   |  485   475 mAh
11/05/09 C9000 Impedance Check:  | 1.64  1.64 VDC
[Bought: 10/24/09 w/CEF23 - UNUSED]

Duracell 800mAh AAA LSD xxxx [C] |   #3    #4
---------------------------------+---------------
[Bought: 10/24/09 w/CEF23 - UNUSED]


Kodak 2000mAh AA LSD             |  #1    #2    #3    #4
---------------------------------+---------------------------

10/25/09 C9000 Cycle2:  1000/ 400| 1984  1996  1981  1993 mAh
10/24/09 C9000 Cycle1:  1000/ 400| 1975  2001  1988  1991 mAh
10/23/09 C9000 Discharge:  100   |   27    21    21    24 mAh
10/23/09 C9000 Discharge:  400   |  323   319   333   298 mAh
10/23/09 C9000 Impedance Check:  | 1.51  1.51  1.51  1.50 VDC

06/27/09 C9000 Charge: 1000      |  550   550   550   550 mAh (partial)
06/27/09 C9000 Impedance Check:  | 1.58  0.32  0.71  0.26 VDC
04/04/09 C9000 Impedance Check:  | 1.64  1.68  1.66  1.65 VDC
04/04/09 C9000 Cycle3:  2000/ 400| 1982  2001  2016  1995 mAh
04/xx/09 C9000 Cycle2:  2000/ 400| 1983  2004  2019  1997 mAh
04/xx/09 C9000 Cycle1:  2000/ 400| 1990  2013  2031  1987 mAh
04/02/09 C9000 Discharge:  100   | 2125  2125  2122  2124 mAh
04/01/09 C9000 Break-In: 2000    | 2032  2040  2052  2034 mAh#
03/30/09 C9000 Discharge:  400   | 1648  1615  1669  1615 mAh
03/30/09 C9000 Impedance Check:  | 1.51  1.55  1.55  1.54 VDC
[Bought: 11/dd/08;
 04/04-06/27/09:HP215 Camera - Camera OFF discharged *ALL* to 0VDC!!! NG!]

HP215: 9.2mA OFF; 520-640mA ON w/LCD.

Kodak 2000mAh AA LSD             |  #5    #6    #7    #8
---------------------------------+---------------------------  
06/xx/09 C9000 Cycle1:  1000/ 400| 
06/xx/09 C9000 Discharge:  100   |
06/xx/09 C9000 Break-In: 2000    | 
06/xx/09 C9000 Discharge:  400   | 
06/xx/09 C9000 Impedance Check:  | 
[Bought: 11/xx/08 - UNUSED]
...QUEUED...

Kodak 850mAh AAA LSD             |  #1    #2    #3    #4
---------------------------------+---------------------------  
05/xx/09 C9000 Cycle1:   900/ 200| 
05/xx/09 C9000 Discharge:  100   |
05/xx/09 C9000 Break-In:  900    | 
05/xx/09 C9000 Discharge:  200   | 
05/xx/09 C9000 Impedance Check:  | 
[Bought: 05/27/09 - UNUSED]
...QUEUED...
```

So, only recently, when a 'set' BREAKS, I revert back to the one-line-per-cell-per-event, newest on top. This allows me to easily 'Cut-n-Paste' a complete cell's history to a new position in the file, sorted by C)apacity. Now, when I need 2, 3 or 4 *CRAP* or HIGH cells for a thermometer, remote, etc... I pick both a C)apacity *AND* an Internal Resistance (based on C9000 Impedance Check Voltage which I also record).

*NiMH_HIGH.Txt: *

```
1: 01/08/10 - 2.67VDC (Impedance Check C9000) ONN-Y
1: 01/08/10 -  949mAh (RefreshN  BC-900  500) ONN-Y

1: 01/07/10 - 'HIGH'  (Impedance Check C9000) ONN-Y
1: 01/07/10 - 2.24VDC (Impedance Check C9000) ONN-Y
1: 01/07/10 -  *WARM* (Charge    BC-900 1800) ONN-Y
1: 01/04/10 - 2.78VDC (Impedance Check C9000) ONN-Y

1: 09/12/09 -    2mAh (Cycle10   C-9000 1000/ 100) ONN-Y
1: 09/xx/09 -  351mAh (Cycle9    C-9000 1000/ 100) ONN-Y
1: 09/xx/09 -    1mAh (Cycle8    C-9000 1000/ 100) ONN-Y
1: 09/xx/09 -  323mAh (Cycle7    C-9000 1000/ 100) ONN-Y
1: 09/xx/09 -    2mAh (Cycle6    C-9000 1000/ 100) ONN-Y
1: 09/xx/09 -  336mAh (Cycle5    C-9000 1000/ 100) ONN-Y
1: 09/xx/09 -  258mAh (Cycle4    C-9000 1000/ 100) ONN-Y
1: 09/xx/09 -    1mAh (Cycle3    C-9000 1000/ 100) ONN-Y
1: 09/xx/09 -  332mAh (Cycle2    C-9000 1000/ 100) ONN-Y
1: 09/xx/09 -  427mAh (Cycle1    C-9000 1000/ 100) ONN-Y
1: 04/10/09 - 'HIGH'  (Impedance Check C9000) ONN-Y
1: 04/10/09 - 2.11VDC (Impedance Check C9000) ONN-Y 2.10VDC is C9000 Cut-Off
1: 04/10/09 -  *WARM* (Charge    PS-3    500) ONN-Y
1: 04/10/09 - 'HIGH'  (Impedance Check C9000) ONN-Y
1: 04/10/09 - 2.39VDC (Impedance Check C9000) ONN-Y
1: 02/18/09 - 1102mAh (Refresh2  BC-900  200) ONN-Y
1: 02/xx/09 -  871mAh (Refresh1  BC-900  200) ONN-Y
1: 01/28/09 - 1171mAh (Refresh   BC-900  500) ONN-Y
NiMh Rayovac     AA 1600ma  1: 01/22/09 - 1088mAh (Refresh   BC-900  700) ONN-Y


1: 01/07/10 - 1.99VDC (Impedance Check C9000) ONS-Y
1: 01/07/10 -  *WARM* (Charge    BC-900 1800) ONS-Y
1: 01/04/10 - 2.64VDC (Impedance Check C9000) ONS-Y 

1: 04/17/09 - 2.29VDC (Impedance Check C9000) ONS-Y 
1: 04/17/09 - 'HIGH'  (Impedance Check C9000) ONS-Y ?TRASH?
1: 04/10/09 - 2.00VDC (Impedance Check C9000) ONS-Y
1: 04/10/09 -  *WARM* (Charge    PS-3    500) ONS-Y
1: 04/10/09 - 'HIGH'  (Impedance Check C9000) ONS-Y
1: 02/15/09 - 1169mAh (Refresh4  BC-900  200) ONS-Y
1: 02/xx/09 - 1167mAh (Refresh3  BC-900  200) ONS-Y
1: 02/xx/09 - 1145mAh (Refresh2  BC-900  200) ONS-Y
1: 02/xx/09 -  872mAh (Refresh1  BC-900  200) ONS-Y
NiMh Rayovac     AA 1600ma  1: 01/20/09 -  920mAh (Refresh   BC-900 1000) ONS-Y
```



Black Rose said:


> I just use the data in my large spreadsheet (18 tabs) to determine which cells get used in which devices.


*+1* :thumbsup:



e_dogg said:


> ...*Do you find it useful to mark them in matched sets?* If so, do you get better runtimes out of your battery powered devices?


From my Sig Line LINK:
*Battery Care Guidelines*
.
*Definition: Matching Cells*


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## vali (Jan 9, 2010)

I put a number with a CD labeler and cover it with the cheapest nail polish I found. Then I use a spreadsheet to track the cells. 

Works like a charm.


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## Gordo (Jan 10, 2010)

Alcohol and Colored Sharpies by the charger. Clean and Refresh as needed. 

Color code by lot number as a quick reference to keep lots from being mixed up. 

Just an ID number on the cell. Specific information in Excel. For matching cells add a suffix to the end so like suffixes get paired up. The suffix number is the percentage off the cell capacity. Example Lot: Green, Cell 3-2 can be used with cell 6-2. Cell 1-1 gets paired with 5-1. With 1 being within 1% of the rated capacity and 2 being within 2%, and so on. 

Also look into welding supplies for metal markers and paint markers. www.airgas.com carries several types. I have never dealt with them as a company so this is not a use/don't use recommendation.


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## DiverDn (Jan 10, 2010)

*Re: How and WHY to Mark Cells...*



Black Rose said:


> I just use a Sharpie to mark the number on the label and/or the negative end of the battery.
> 
> When I number my cells, I reset the numbering sequence for each brand and cell type.
> 
> i.e. Cells 1 - 44 for Eneloop AA, Cells 1 -16 for Hybrid AA, etc.





TakeTheActive said:


> Since each of the Rayovac cells had a 3 or 4-character 'Batch' code, I (crudely) chose to use that. So I have 1-4 for MTB, 1-4 for ENV-Y, 1-8 for ANL, etc... BIG MISTAKE - too detailed. (IIRC, I rejected numbering them sequentially because, at that point-in-time, they were all 'mixed up' and I had no idea when each particular 'Batch' was purchased. So, #1 wouldn't necessarily be the oldest and #40 wouldn't be the newest.)
> 
> Now I do almost exactly what *Black Rose* does except I moved my records out of Excel and into Notepad/Wordpad as TXT files (NiMH_Vibrant, NiMH_CRAP, NiMH_HIGH, NiMH_TRASH and NiCD).



I don't mean to be thick headed, but when either of you say that you label them "Cells 1-44 for Eneloop" or "1-4 for MTB" does that mean that for your Eneloops you have them numbered 1, 2, 3,.....etc? Just keep them numbered in sequence by brand and type?

Thanks
John


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## DiverDn (Jan 10, 2010)

Black Rose said:


> I just use the data in my large spreadsheet (18 tabs) to determine which cells get used in which devices.



Sounds like a very detailed spreadsheet, can you give me an example of what type of data is on each tab?

I am just starting out with re-chargable batteries and would like to do it right the first time.

I just bought a new charger and 4 four packs of Eneloop AA's.
Thanks
John


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## malow (Jan 10, 2010)

as i use 4 batteries together (flash photography) i just mark the 4 of them with dots, to avoid mixing "groups". don't need to mark individually.


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## TakeTheActive (Jan 10, 2010)

DiverDn said:


> ...*when either of you say that you label them "Cells 1-44 for Eneloop" or "1-4 for MTB" does that mean that for your Eneloops you have them numbered 1, 2, 3,.....etc? Just keep them numbered in sequence by brand and type?*


Yes.



DiverDn said:


> Sounds like a very detailed spreadsheet, *can you give me an example of what type of data is on each tab?*


I hesitated posting yet another example of my 'Rechargeable Cell Record Keeping' since I've posted it several times already. But, since you still sound very confused over all this, I edited *Post #21* above to include examples.

If you do a SEARCH for recent posts from '*Newbie*' *palomino77*, you'll find his personal 'interpretation' in spreadsheet format.

As I stated above, for me Excel became cumbersome. With my TXT files, *ALL* of the information:
Manufacturer
Type
Size
Rated Capacity
Date Code
Date Bought
Charger Used
Charger Charge or Discharge Rates
Calculated Cell Capacity (i.e. Charge / Discharge Results)
Device(s) installed in WITH Start and End Dates
 is tightly located and can be easily 'sorted' (Cut-N-Paste) as the cells age.

I love working with numbers so maybe I keep more information than someone else would.  You only have 16 cells now - TRY SOMETHING. If you don't like it, try something else until you find something you like. 

You can always REMOVE data, but you can't always add missing data...


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## TakeTheActive (Jan 10, 2010)

e_dogg said:


> ...*Do you find it useful to mark them in matched sets?*
> 
> ...I've been thinking that I might match them in pairs. *Two batteries with 1's, two with 2's, etc.* Then make sure I grab both of the 1's when I get a new set of batteries.





Conte said:


> *I have a colour coding system.*
> 
> I buy rolls of various coloured electrical tape, cut little strips, and stick them to the side of the batteries. Kind of like resistor codes...





snakebite said:


> ...for instance *i have 3 sets* of 8 duraloops for my ft-817.
> *one set red,one yellow,one gold*...





malow said:


> *i use small dots around top metal* (eneloop and sony cycleenergy have a white "paper" around) so its easy to mark


To '*Newbies*', NOT necessarily the CPF members QUOTEd above,
What happens to the '*X Cells All Marked the Same Forming a Set*' method years down the road when one cell drops measureably in Capacity from the rest?
- Do you discard the entire set, or do you replace it with a cell from another set that's 'also lost a member'? 
Do you care about a cell's history, or only what it's Capacity is today? 
Do you monitor the cell's Internal Resistance?
As I stated above in Post #21, as long as all the cells in a set (of 4) are vibrant, keeping them together works fine for me. It's when they reach the *CRAP* stage that problems arise. 

40.82% of the CPF Members who voted in:

*Poll: Do You Maintain *CRAP* NiCD/NiMH Cells?*​say they do. 

Bottom line: It's your personal preference. "_Whatever floats your boat..._"


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## DiverDn (Jan 10, 2010)

TTA,

Thanks for the information.
John


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## Black Rose (Jan 10, 2010)

DiverDn said:


> Sounds like a very detailed spreadsheet, can you give me an example of what type of data is on each tab?


Cell #, Labelled capacity, tested capacity, Capacity Gain/Loss (%), Charge Date, Status info, and what device the cell is installed in.


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## PeaceOfMind (Jan 10, 2010)

DiverDn said:


> I hope this isn't too far off topic, but could folks share their marking codes? For example do you simply use 1,2,3,4 etc or like malow use a series of dots?


 
All of my primary CR123 cells get used in pairs, and I like to keep pairs together so that I have sets that are at the exact same level of charge. So, for these cells my marking system is 1A, 1B, 2A, 2B.... so that I can just use the A and B of each number together.

For rechargeable cells I simply number each (i.e. 1, 2, 3...).


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## DiverDn (Jan 11, 2010)

PeaceOfMind said:


> All of my primary CR123 cells get used in pairs, and I like to keep pairs together so that I have sets that are at the exact same level of charge. So, for these cells my marking system is 1A, 1B, 2A, 2B.... so that I can just use the A and B of each number together.
> 
> For rechargeable cells I simply number each (i.e. 1, 2, 3...).



Thanks POM, that makes sense. I like the 1A, 1B for matched cells.



Black Rose said:


> Cell #, Labelled capacity, tested capacity, Capacity Gain/Loss (%), Charge Date, Status info, and what device the cell is installed in.



Black Rose, 
Do you see any benefit in keeping track of the number of times that a cell is charged?


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## Kaamos (Jan 11, 2010)

I'm simply keeping different sets in different battery boxes, no markings. But now with LSDs I'm a bit tempted to let go even of that habit. Could they finally be good enough to simply "throw in the (good) charger and back to storage"? They seem to be very consistent, so there shouldn't be that much difference in the capacity even if not really matched.

I'm thinking about a kind of fifo storage. Because I have so many AA devices with different number of batteries, it's impractical to have a separate set for each one, with one or two spare sets per device as well.


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## TakeTheActive (Jan 11, 2010)

*How Much Data to Store About Your Cells*



Black Rose said:


> Cell #
> Labelled capacity
> Tested capacity
> Capacity Gain/Loss (%)
> ...





DiverDn said:


> ...Black Rose,
> *Do you see any benefit in keeping track of the number of times that a cell is charged?*


I was thinking the same thing - NO HISTORY.

Plus, no Charge / Discharge Rates, whether it was a BREAK-IN or a REFRESH or 10 CYCLEs.

I keep track of everything I do to UNDERSTAND what's going on:
When I discovered that the parasitic drain on my HP 215 Camera took all the cells down close to 0VDC, I then noted that I lost some Capacity. 
When I absentmindedly left 4 new but freshly discharged Eneloops sitting uncharged for a few months, I noted again that I lost some Capacity. 
When I didn't CYCLE my *CRAP* non-LSD cell(s) for months, I noted that the Internal Resistance went up - and this time I couldn't get it back down by Deep Discharge / REFRESH / CYCLEs.
So, for me, it's all about:
"Why did this happen?"
"How did my cell(s) get to this state?"
"What can I do to avoid this 'mistake' in the future?"
*__________________________________________________*​
Well, you see Doctor, I wasn't always like this. Before I bought my first Charger/Analyzer, the La Crosse BC-900, I just Charged and Used my rechargeable cells like most folks. After I bought the BC-900 and was able to measure Capacity, I started keeping a spreadsheet in Excel. I did keep a history of Capacity, but nothing like the amount of detail I keep today.

Then I discovered the CPF 'Batteries Included' Forum and began reading. And, the more I read, the more I learned, the more I HAD TO READ! I couldn't stop myself. Day after day, hour upon hour, I just kept finding new things to read about. My forum Subscriptions page was getting so cluttered, I needed to create a FAQ. 

When the Maha MH-C9000 went 'On Sale' for an unprecedented low price, I HAD to have one! Owning this Top-of-the-Line' Charger/Analyzer, combined with the knowledge gained from reading the CPF 'Batteries Included' Archives, just fed my addiction...


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## Black Rose (Jan 11, 2010)

DiverDn said:


> Black Rose,
> Do you see any benefit in keeping track of the number of times that a cell is charged?


That would have been a good idea, but I'm quite a ways down the road with some of my cells now. 
I can only take a guess at how many cycles some of them have.

I am thinking of adding some more columns so that I can separately keep track of break-in capacity and refresh/analyze capacity (i.e. best possible capacity and real world usage capacity).

I am also considering coming up with an application that better tracks the data, as the spreadsheet in it's current form does have limitations.

TTAs text file idea is actually better for logging historical data.


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## T0RN4D0 (Jan 11, 2010)

Well i have different types, and mostly they are used together (4)... The ones i use in pairs i mark A1, A2, B1, B2... and thats it. I'm waiting for my hobby charger so i can do some test and see whats up with my cells since i have a few that are more than 5 years old, some fakes ones etc... 

Keeping the marker on the cells is more of a problem for me...


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## OpenGuy (Jan 11, 2010)

*Re: How Much Data to Store About Your Cells*



TakeTheActive said:


> Well, you see Doctor, I wasn't always like this. Before I bought my first Charger/Analyzer, the La Crosse BC-900, I just Charged and Used my rechargeable cells like most folks. After I bought the BC-900 and was able to measure Capacity, I started keeping a spreadsheet in Excel. I did keep a history of Capacity, but nothing like the amount of detail I keep today.
> 
> Then I discovered the CPF 'Batteries Included' Forum and began reading. And, the more I read, the more I learned, the more I HAD TO READ! I couldn't stop myself. Day after day, hour upon hour, I just kept finding new things to read about. My forum Subscriptions page was getting so cluttered, I needed to create a FAQ.
> 
> When the Maha MH-C9000 went 'On Sale' for an unprecedented low price, I HAD to have one! Owning this Top-of-the-Line' Charger/Analyzer, combined with the knowledge gained from reading the CPF 'Batteries Included' Archives, just fed my addiction...



Yep, that's what I have too. Diagnosed it 100%.

No worries though.:twothumbs Nothing to fix here.


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## Wiggle (Jan 12, 2010)

Lots of good tips here, I just started tracking and organizing my cells (not as elaborate as some of you guys but enough for me). To mark the cells, I used a paint marker.


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## CNR (Jan 12, 2010)

Funny  , i bought the Maha MH C-9000 so i won't have to keep record of my rechargables, now i just check the capacity of the batts i'm going to use, when charging them, not to have more than 5% difference, and once every 2 months i put them in "cycle prog." ; the ones that show 5%-10% less capacity, are going in a different box to be used together, those with even less than 10%, are going for recycling.


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## Nubo (Jan 12, 2010)

Laser marker, FTW! 

http://pewa.panasonic.com/acsd/sunx-laser-markers/sample-marking/


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## irlmarko (Jan 12, 2010)

I use a Brady labeler (essentially the same as a PTouch). The batteries are a snnuugggg fit now in my camera at least.


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## Apollo Cree (Jan 13, 2010)

Nubo said:


> Laser marker, FTW!
> 
> http://pewa.panasonic.com/acsd/sunx-laser-markers/sample-marking/




You know, anywhere but here, that would be a joke.


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## Apollo Cree (Jan 13, 2010)

Apollo Cree said:


> You know, anywhere but here, that would be a joke.



It would be nice if the batteries all came from the manufacturer with an individual serial number. You could probably do a lot of tracking off of the date codes some of the batteries come stamped with.


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## Curious_character (Jan 13, 2010)

PeaceOfMind said:


> All of my primary CR123 cells get used in pairs, and I like to keep pairs together so that I have sets that are at the exact same level of charge. So, for these cells my marking system is 1A, 1B, 2A, 2B.... so that I can just use the A and B of each number together.
> 
> For rechargeable cells I simply number each (i.e. 1, 2, 3...).


I use a slightly different system, since some of my NiMH cells are used in groups of 2, some 3, and some 4. I put 2A on both cells in a group of 2, 2B on another group of 2, etc. -- groups of 3 are labeled 3A, 3B etc., so I can tell how many are in the group. I usually use this only to keep groups together, but on those occasions where I need to distinguish the individual cells in a group, they get an additional number, for example 3B-1, 3B-2, 3B-3 for the cells in the 3 cell group 3B.

A Sharpie has worked fine for me, although it does need sprucing up after some time if the cell gets a lot of handling. Markings from the "fine point" (actually the coarsest readily available tip) markers is more durable than from the finer ones. Alcohol removes the markings if needed.

c_c


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## bedazzLED (Apr 30, 2010)

I found this thread and thought I'd add my tip also.

I was having the same problem with the label rubbing off. Tried different markers with no luck, and then tried scotch tape but it eventually would come off or make everything sticky.

Well I've found a great solution, for me anyway..

www.dealextreme.com, SKU 5101. It's a high temp, transparent tape and it sticks fantastic, is ultra thin and mine hasn't come off yet. Just label the battery, stick a piece around the battery and you're in business.

Works a treat!


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## Locoboy5150 (Apr 30, 2010)

This is more of a tip on where I like to mark my batteries, not what information to put on them.

I have a truckload of Eneloop and Duraloop AA batteries. To keep them from getting all mixed up, I mark mine with different colored Sanford Sharpie pens on the white top of each cell next to the positive terminal. The colored permanent ink shows up well on the white tops and the positive terminal helps prevent the ink from being touched often and thus rubbed off.

I've been using the same marking system for about three months so far and the colored marks are just as bright as the day I put them there.


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