Screamin Scott Loc: Marshfield Wi, Baltimore Md, now Dallas Ga

I have a seperate battery tester as well as a digital multimeter. I use Sanyo rechargables or Energizer Lithium cells though (depending on what the use is)

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

NiCd cells work fine if discharged to 15% and immediately recharged to 100% and used daily. They fail if stored depleted, or if allowed to sit for long periods of non-use.

I had a Norman 400B pro flash with a NiCd pack. I used it only occasionally to train other photographers. It failed in less than a year, and the second battery pack did the same! That was Suck-ish 1950s battery technology. The flash itself was great.

Daryls Loc: Waco, TX

You could also use a pencil eraser to clean the contacts.

Daryl

Screamin Scott Loc: Marshfield Wi, Baltimore Md, now Dallas Ga

I use deoxit.

amfoto1 Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA

Were you using rechargeable batteries?

If so, those have a limited life span. Often when they're a couple years old... or maybe after some number of discharge/recharge cycles... they may show a full charge, but under load in the device will actually fail quickly.

I've had some batteries "recover" after a series of charge/discharge/recharge cycles. At first they would only work briefly in camera or flash. But simply repeating the process a few times seemed to bring them back to life and they were usable again.

If not too expensive, new batteries are probably a better option than ones that have failed previously!

BTW: I found that rechargeable AA gave more shots and recycled faster than alkaline AA in my 580EX II and 550EX flashes. The cost of single use alkaline was also a problem. I have six flashes and three compact battery packs that hold additional batteries. It takes 48 batteries to fill them all, so I had more than 100 rechargeables when I was doing a lot of flash work.

It's also possible for a charger to go bad.... though I think that's less common.

Screamin Scott Loc: Marshfield Wi, Baltimore Md, now Dallas Ga

Some of your better chargers can “reform” spent Rechargeable batteries unless they are too far gone.

E.L.. Shapiro Loc: Ottawa, Ontario Canada

There are many new advancements in the "battery" industry- the even changed their name- the call in "energy storage". There are may rechargeable batteries that outperform the old Nickle Canmieum Cells. Lithium-Ion types are the latest and there are more.

Lately, so many things in my studio require batteries that the have become a major maintenance issue and expense, To manage better I have taken these steps:

I use a battery testing meter to check batteries under load.

For rechargeable batteries, I use a multimeter t0 check charging rates on rechargeable cells.

For use with Speedlights, I have made or purchased external power packs- some are available from Quantum.

Most on-camera Speedlights operate on 6 Volts. In order to make an external battery pack, I make an insert out of wooden dowels, the diameter of the AA cells, and wire the up to the external battery. The insert fits into the battery compartment of the Speedlight- I make a small notch in the cover to accommodate the wire.
I use a 6 Volt Gel-Cel (sealed lead acid) battery. It provides hundreds of full-power flashes per charge improves recycling time and never fails during a long shoot. The Gel cells costs about $35.00 and usually last for 5 years in constant usage many hundred of char-recharge cycles. I changed up the $200. rechargeable packs for my Lunadyne flash gear for the Gel-Cess and they outperform the original product.

Every 4 months I take all my dead batteries to the hazardous waste dump. Since I have initiated better battery management, I have half as many dead cells, maximize the usage of my disposable batteries, and extended the total longevity of my rechargeable batteries. When the Energizer and Copper Tops begin to test a bit weaker, I use them in TV remotes, small flashlights, and stuff that is not critical. By the ti,rthe reach mu battery morgue, I have my money's worth!

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

Great stuff. WD-40 sells an electronics cleaning spray that is similar. I revived a 1974 Harman-Kardon C330B stereo receiver with it. No more scratchy controls! (Yes, “recapped” it, too)

(Note that this is NOT the regular WD-40 lubricant spray.)

E.L.. Shapiro Loc: Ottawa, Ontario Canada

Electronic cleaning and contact restoring sprays are your friends in maintaining any kind of electronic gear (except cameras).

Battery contacts and the contacts inside battery compartments can be cleaned with those sprays on a Q-Tip. if, however, there is corossion or green/white deposits, your best cure is emery cloth. Unlike sandpaper and erasers, it does no leave debris and residue in the compartment.

As per you old Norman unit- I too love that old gun so I repalced the battey pack with gel-cells. Thye come in 12 volt 7.5 ampre/hour types and the average price is 50 bucks. The Norman 200 units are long-lived- they have user changeable and available flash tubes, interchangeable reflectors and with some maintenance they seldom fail.

So many folks complain about their old Nickle Cadmium batteries but there is something thay can do about it if the want too extend the usefulness of their old flash gear. There are now many new battery formulas that can supply the appropriate voltage and ampere-hour specifications that can be reconfigured and made to fit just about any power pack.

The regular WD-40 is great for preserving the high voltage connectors in studio flash systems with separate power packs. The "WD" stands for water displacement so it prevents corrosion or arcing due to moisture and it lubricates the pins and sockets as well. A small about appled to the surface of the female connecto and the male plug (with a Q-Tip) will do the job.On most older unts- DO NOT pull or incert connectors what he units is charged- shut sown and discharf the unts before attaching or detatching lampheads.

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

Yes, to gel cell and NiMH batteries and lithium batteries. All can be reliable. And you are correct, a swab should be used in camera contact cleaning. I use vinegar on swabs to dissolve alkaline battery leakage, followed by distilled water on a piece of rag or a swab to remove the vinegar.

For lightly arced, burned, and/or oxidized contacts, the contact cleaners are great. Cleaning those HV connectors, followed by a swab of regular WD-40, will avoid a lot of issues.

We had several hundred Norman 808 packs, about 55 Photogenic FlashMaster 400 packs, a few Novatrons, and some Dyna-Lite packs at my old employers. They got this treatment as needed.

cambriaman Loc: Central CA Coast

Meters are usually high impedance loads. Many "good" batteries provide "good" voltage for measurement but cannot provide it under realistic loads (the camera, the flash et al are "loads"). There are meters that "load" the measurement but most do not.

E.L.. Shapiro Loc: Ottawa, Ontario Canada

The battery testing meter I use is by no means a high-end sophisticated instrument, however, it tests under load and there is a selector switch that is set for various usages, which I am assuming varies the load. It is dedicated to battery testing and has no other function. The rotery switch at the center of the panel is set for the various common voltages.

I purchased this meter from my battery supplier about 20 years ago and although it does not indicate exact voltage drops the readings seem to hold true in practical usage. When the correct voltage and usage is set, a good meter deflection usually results in appropriate battery life. When it indicates a borderline or poor reading, that usually is the case in actual use in the field.

I am not an expert in energy storage technology- I can only opine based on experience in the field. There are some battery types that test well and then unceremoniously drop dead unexpectedly and others that die slowly and will cause slower recycling times that indicate a need for a battery change is approaching. I alsways advise folks to carry lots of spares- just in case! Batteries usually fail at the most inopportune times. Even in-camera battery condition indicators can be fooled by a detective or old battery that is nearing the end of its total longevity.

Chris981 Loc: Pacific Palisades

That is what I think as well.

BebuLamar

Now people have said that checkining the battery using a multimeter isn't correct but I wonder what brand and type of batteries were they and what kind of voltage did you read? When I check alkaline batteries with the meter which applies no load I would consider any that reads lower than 1.5V to be bad.