Rechargable battery "memory"

[786Soldier]

Does anyone know a good way of removing "memory" in rechargable batteries, particularly NiMH? The supplied battery with my minidisc player's got to the point where it can be fully charged but still not play all the way to the train station in the mornings, but if I leave it for half an hour or so, it'll play fine for a while, then start telling me it's empty again

Someone suggested to me that I should wrap it in plastic and freeze it over night, would that work?

[swenson0]

I did hear that you could cure it by leaving it in the freezer for 24 hours. However, I've no idea how true this is and I've never tried it - it really could be an urban legend or one of my geeky friends pulling my leg.

I guess if it's knackered anyway there's no harm in trying it. Just put it inside a thick plastic bag and keep it away from the carrots and peas.

[HeYo]

I cured my phone battery once by charging it, then leaving it on with no sim card (so no calls).

It took about a week and a half to run down, then another 10 hours or so to recharge (!) but vastly improved the performance.

[bobhired]

Why not just replace it , it's not that expensive , is it ? (and rejuvenation of batteries isn't all it's cracked up to be)

[TheWildGeese]

I would, but these ones aren't that easy to get hold of. According to Sony's helpline, I have to order one from Japan and wait up to two months for it, and pay about £30 - I'd rather try all alternatives before that

[xxmylovexx]

I'm afraid that even recharagable batteries can only be recharged oh-so-many times, because every time you recharge a battery, it will recharge a little less than it did last time. Basically, what happens when you use a battery is a chemical reaction takes place involving electron transfer, which creates the electricity, and then when you recharge a battery, a current is run through the battery to reverse the chemical reaction and force the electrons back to their original positions. Only you can't do it perfectly, so the battery has a little less juice in than it did originally after each recharge. Stinkin' thermodynamics