the world's stupidest thread, battery charger

wibbly · 12-10-2014, 11:50 PM

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the charger i got with my k3 isn't doing what i would expect.

if i place a depleted battery on the charger, i get a green LED. no matter how long the battery stays on there, i still have a green LED. there is no indication as to whether the battery has charged or not.

are they all like this? is it really a guessing game? seems ridiculous to me.

**rayallen** · 12-10-2014, 11:53 PM

Yes, they all work that way.

When the light goes OUT, the battery is charged. Put it back in the camera.

wibbly · 12-10-2014, 11:55 PM

the light never goes out...

that's what i'm getting at.

Dlanor Sekao · 12-11-2014, 12:30 AM

Then you have a battery that is bad. The first charge on mine took over 6 hrs to go out !

wibbly · 12-11-2014, 12:33 AM

ok well if it took 6 hrs then maybe i'm just impatient. my k20 batteries would charge in about 90 mins.

**i_trax** · 12-11-2014, 12:45 AM

my first charge with k-3 took overnight

wibbly · 12-11-2014, 12:53 AM

Oh geez. Well I guess it's my bad.

The camera showed them as half charged right out the box so I didn't anticipate a 6 hour charge time.

Na Horuk · 12-11-2014, 02:17 AM - **1 Like**

Its not stupid. The charger light goes on when it is active so that you know it is doing something. Otherwise you might plug it in and wait "forever", not realizing the cord has no power, or the battery is plugged in wrong. This is why the light is on when charging.
And yes, it takes a long time, it is a powerful battery. I never timed it, but I usually leave it overnight. 90 minutes?? Wow, that sounds a little too fast.
Anyway, feel free to purchase a second battery, so you can swap them out. Getting an original is best, but most expensive. You can buy a third party battery, but find a reputable brand, search the forums to see other people's experiences with it.

Dlanor Sekao · 12-11-2014, 02:39 AM

I picked up 2 for something like $13 on ebay......I will post the link in a couple minutes.
Ive bought several from this guy and they all seem ok after 14 months.....for the K30 that is.
Here is the link. ... 2pcs DSTE D LI90 Rechargeable Battery for Pentax K 01 K 3 K 5 K 5 II K 7 | eBay
I may have got lucky as I dont know much about them other than they work just fine , he ships fast , and the price is right !

wibbly · 12-11-2014, 07:51 AM

My camera came with two... But thanks for the link. Will keep that in mind if the OEMS crap out

Racer X 69 · 12-11-2014, 10:10 AM

Originally posted by wibbly

the light never goes out...

that's what i'm getting at.

Never?

Never is a long time.

Just ask Peter Pan or Tinker Bell.

Although I have never actually time mine, the batteries for my K10D and K5IIs take quite a while to charge up. But they also provide power to the cameras for a very long time.

Almost forever.

But not quite.

As Na Horuk pointed out, the batteries in our Pentax cameras are very powerful.

asahi67 · 12-11-2014, 11:21 AM

Bought a new K5II September 2013, came with a 'dud' battery where the green light would never go out. Camera dealer replaced it for free. Took a full 6 hours to charge and when done the green light went out. Bought a K3 with battery grip in November 2013 and when fully drained the batteries take a full 6 hours to charge.

cbope · 12-11-2014, 12:18 PM

The LI-90 batteries last so long, I rarely need to charge mine more than 2-3 hours. I don't think I've ever fully depleted one. I have one in the camera and one in the grip, both Pentax OEM.

ScooterMaxi Jim · 12-11-2014, 05:38 PM - **2 Likes**

OK, folks. Here's the deal.

First, always charge the new battery until the light goes out. Do not use it until its fully charged. The Pentax chargers are slow, but very good at getting every drop of charge into the battery - and ensuring that the battery will last a long time.

After the first charge, run the battery until it fails and recharge in a Pentax charger. A good idea to do this on the second charge, as well. All rechargeable batteries - yes even modern Li-ion - benefit somewhat from proper forming. After that, you can worry less about discharge issues. But every now and then it is still a good idea to run the battery down more than one bar.

The DSTE travel charger (same as Wasabi) is a good quick charger. Do not hesitate to use it - even on your Pentax battery - when you need a quick charge. However, all batteries live longer and retain capacity when charged slowly. So, if you have the time, stick with the Pentax slow charger. Even with a good, smart charger (fast chargers that slow when the battery nears full charge), you are baking it at high charge - and that is not the better way to go...

stevebrot · 12-11-2014, 08:18 PM

Originally posted by ScooterMaxi Jim

The DSTE travel charger (same as Wasabi) is a good quick charger. Do not hesitate to use it - even on your Pentax battery - when you need a quick charge. However, all batteries live longer and retain capacity when charged slowly. So, if you have the time, stick with the Pentax slow charger. Even with a good, smart charger (fast chargers that slow when the battery nears full charge), you are baking it at high charge - and that is not the better way to go...

I could not have said it better.

Steve

12-10-2014, 11:50 PM	#1
wibbly Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2014 Location: Edmonton Posts: 600	the world's stupidest thread, battery charger Staff note: This post may contain affiliate links, which means Pentax Forums may earn a small commission if a visitor clicks through and makes a purchase. If you would like to support the forum directly, you may also make a donation here. the charger i got with my k3 isn't doing what i would expect. if i place a depleted battery on the charger, i get a green LED. no matter how long the battery stays on there, i still have a green LED. there is no indication as to whether the battery has charged or not. are they all like this? is it really a guessing game? seems ridiculous to me.

12-11-2014, 11:21 AM	#12
asahi67 Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2013 Location: Rainforest of Canada Vancouver Island and the sagebrush of southern Okanagan, BC Posts: 123	world's stupidest thread, battery charger Bought a new K5II September 2013, came with a 'dud' battery where the green light would never go out. Camera dealer replaced it for free. Took a full 6 hours to charge and when done the green light went out. Bought a K3 with battery grip in November 2013 and when fully drained the batteries take a full 6 hours to charge.

12-11-2014, 05:38 PM - 2 Likes	#14
ScooterMaxi Jim Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Minnesota Posts: 1,520	OK, folks. Here's the deal. First, always charge the new battery until the light goes out. Do not use it until its fully charged. The Pentax chargers are slow, but very good at getting every drop of charge into the battery - and ensuring that the battery will last a long time. After the first charge, run the battery until it fails and recharge in a Pentax charger. A good idea to do this on the second charge, as well. All rechargeable batteries - yes even modern Li-ion - benefit somewhat from proper forming. After that, you can worry less about discharge issues. But every now and then it is still a good idea to run the battery down more than one bar. The DSTE travel charger (same as Wasabi) is a good quick charger. Do not hesitate to use it - even on your Pentax battery - when you need a quick charge. However, all batteries live longer and retain capacity when charged slowly. So, if you have the time, stick with the Pentax slow charger. Even with a good, smart charger (fast chargers that slow when the battery nears full charge), you are baking it at high charge - and that is not the better way to go... Last edited by ScooterMaxi Jim; 12-11-2014 at 07:17 PM.

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12-10-2014, 11:53 PM	#2
rayallen Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Forresters Beach, NSW, Australia. Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,014	Yes, they all work that way. When the light goes OUT, the battery is charged. Put it back in the camera.

12-10-2014, 11:55 PM	#3
wibbly Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2014 Location: Edmonton Posts: 600 Original Poster	the light never goes out... that's what i'm getting at.

12-11-2014, 12:30 AM	#4
Dlanor Sekao Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2013 Posts: 1,457	Then you have a battery that is bad. The first charge on mine took over 6 hrs to go out !

12-11-2014, 12:33 AM	#5
wibbly Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2014 Location: Edmonton Posts: 600 Original Poster	ok well if it took 6 hrs then maybe i'm just impatient. my k20 batteries would charge in about 90 mins.

12-11-2014, 12:45 AM	#6
i_trax Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Perth Western Australia Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,621	my first charge with k-3 took overnight

12-11-2014, 12:53 AM	#7
wibbly Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2014 Location: Edmonton Posts: 600 Original Poster	Oh geez. Well I guess it's my bad. The camera showed them as half charged right out the box so I didn't anticipate a 6 hour charge time.

12-11-2014, 02:17 AM - 1 Like	#8
Na Horuk Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Slovenia, probably Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 11,186	Its not stupid. The charger light goes on when it is active so that you know it is doing something. Otherwise you might plug it in and wait "forever", not realizing the cord has no power, or the battery is plugged in wrong. This is why the light is on when charging. And yes, it takes a long time, it is a powerful battery. I never timed it, but I usually leave it overnight. 90 minutes?? Wow, that sounds a little too fast. Anyway, feel free to purchase a second battery, so you can swap them out. Getting an original is best, but most expensive. You can buy a third party battery, but find a reputable brand, search the forums to see other people's experiences with it.

12-11-2014, 02:39 AM	#9
Dlanor Sekao Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2013 Posts: 1,457	I picked up 2 for something like $13 on ebay......I will post the link in a couple minutes. Ive bought several from this guy and they all seem ok after 14 months.....for the K30 that is. Here is the link. ... 2pcs DSTE D LI90 Rechargeable Battery for Pentax K 01 K 3 K 5 K 5 II K 7 \| eBay I may have got lucky as I dont know much about them other than they work just fine , he ships fast , and the price is right !

12-11-2014, 07:51 AM	#10
wibbly Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2014 Location: Edmonton Posts: 600 Original Poster	My camera came with two... But thanks for the link. Will keep that in mind if the OEMS crap out

12-11-2014, 10:10 AM	#11
Racer X 69 Moderator Man With A Camera Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: The Great Pacific Northwet, in the Land Between Canada and Mexico Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 28,073	Originally posted by wibbly the light never goes out... that's what i'm getting at. Never? Never is a long time. Just ask Peter Pan or Tinker Bell. Although I have never actually time mine, the batteries for my K10D and K5IIs take quite a while to charge up. But they also provide power to the cameras for a very long time. Almost forever. But not quite. As Na Horuk pointed out, the batteries in our Pentax cameras are very powerful.

12-11-2014, 12:18 PM	#13
cbope Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Helsinki Posts: 664	The LI-90 batteries last so long, I rarely need to charge mine more than 2-3 hours. I don't think I've ever fully depleted one. I have one in the camera and one in the grip, both Pentax OEM.

12-11-2014, 08:18 PM	#15
stevebrot Otis Memorial Pentaxian Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Vancouver (USA) Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 42,007	Originally posted by ScooterMaxi Jim The DSTE travel charger (same as Wasabi) is a good quick charger. Do not hesitate to use it - even on your Pentax battery - when you need a quick charge. However, all batteries live longer and retain capacity when charged slowly. So, if you have the time, stick with the Pentax slow charger. Even with a good, smart charger (fast chargers that slow when the battery nears full charge), you are baking it at high charge - and that is not the better way to go... I could not have said it better. Steve