Hacking Best way to charge your DS

[fs100]

I was wondering what's the best way to charge your DS to prolong the life of the battery. Do you charge immediately when the light turns red or wait until it turns off by itself before charging? When charging do you always wait until there is a full charge or just charge it an hour or so and start using it again. I would like to hear what you guys do. Thanks.

 

[SeanoRLY?]

When its red I usually run it down. Its better for the battery. After its run down, charge it fully.

Battery life can go down if you charge it on and off again.

 

[Icarus]

I just charge it whenever I want, I usually don't wait for the red light.. I have my ds for almost a year now and the battery is just fine.

 

[adgloride]

I just wait for the red light to come on. Recharging the DS fully and not playing it when recharging should make the battery last longer. In saying that though a new battery from ebay costs next to nothing.

 

[CCNaru]

I don't play my DS outside, so I always play with the power plugged in.

 

[Sevael]

There are a lot of battery myths out there, however the newer Lithium-Ion batteries (of which the DS and DS Lite use) aren't really affected by inconsistent charging. Not needing to fully drain the battery before charging is one of Li-Ion's best features. In fact, if anything, it is recommended that you charge it more often, not less.

I use my DS Lite every single day and my recharge routines are about as inconsistent as it gets. I never specifically wait for the red light before charging, and I often play while it is recharging. The battery is still going like it's brand new. I still get the full life out of it and it still charges in the same amount of time as it always did, whether it's in use or turned off. There has been no reduction in the battery's effectiveness whatsoever. I tend to charge my DS 4-5 times a week (yes, I use it that much) and I've had it for quite a while. I got it in Japan when the Lites first came out, and it's still going strong.

Don't worry about waiting for that red light. Only NiCd batteries suffer from the "memory effect".

 

[VVoltz]

I think that the new Li-Ion or Li-Ni batteries don't have "charging memory", you can charge whenever you want.
Nintendo advices to charge when the led is red not to lose your current game, that is all, I read somewhere that it is actually better to keep it charged

 

[111111111]

li-ion isn't supposed to be run down until it is dead. As sevael says, it is supposed to be charged more often - well before the appliance cuts out.

 

[fli_guy84]

Yup, charge often. You never know when you gonna need it

That being said, I wish sometimes that there's an intermediate LED color for 1/2 charged battery. Like Green-> Fully charged, Orange -> 1/2 charged and Red -> less than 1/4 charged

 

[Takrin]

"A lithium-ion battery provides 300-500 discharge/charge cycles. The battery prefers a partial rather than a full discharge. Frequent full discharges should be avoided when possible. Instead, charge the battery more often or use a larger battery. There is no concern of memory when applying unscheduled charges."

quoted from site below, more info there
http://www.batteryuniversity.com/parttwo-34.htm

 

[shadowboy]

I charge once per day, and both of my DSes are red by then. (play DS phat at school. DSL at home)
No change in battery life, so go berserk!

 

[2cb2ct7]

Has anyone used the Dragon brand USB charger and had it get stuck in the console?

 

[id242]

isn't the cost for a new DS battery, about $5 or less @ many places in the USA & Europe.

I say, have fun with your new gadget. If to stops performing like how it did in the past, pick up a new battery on your way home from work/school/mistress...

 

[gr33dy]

Despite the fact that I'm sure it makes no difference, I generally charge it after the light has turned red.

100% Charge > Play Till Red > 100% Re-Charge > Play Till Red

 

[deathspawn99]

i charge it when im not using it. never know when a mystery long car ride (or mystery long waiting around doing nothing) is going to be and someone will want to play it.

 

[falco123]

When its red I usually run it down. Its better for the battery. After its run down, charge it fully.

Battery life can go down if you charge it on and off again.

Lol have fun with your tiny tiny paperweight while we still have long lasting batteries..=)

 

[M3LV1N]

When its red I usually run it down. Its better for the battery. After its run down, charge it fully.

Battery life can go down if you charge it on and off again.

My brother does this with his cell phone. I never understood why he did it. Maybe I'll start doing that.

 

[test84]

yeah do it if ur cell phone has Li-Ion batter, no NiCd.
most old and cheap phones are NiCd, so beware.