Problems with IDX Batteries?

[Joe Goldsberry]

I've been using IDX batteries for 3 years now and haven't had a problem. They are lightweight and last a long time. I have 3 of them.

Last week, when I put the newest one, a Endura 10s, on the charger I got a flashing orange light which apparently means "battery fault". No problem, it should be under warranty. So I dig out an older one (Endura 80), which had been holding less of a charge, put it on the charger, green light - everything ok, then put it on my camera to discharge it. It powered the camera for about an hour then the low battery alarm sounded. I shut off the camera, put the camera on the charger and guess what? Flashing orange light.

Not a problem in 3 years and then 2 batteries in two weeks???

I called IDX. The need to test the battery to see if they will cover it under warranty. Some of the reasons they won't honor the warranty are too much load, over-discharging and mishandling. Sounds like it's going to be a battle to get a new battery.

So I have one battery left and I'm really worried about it. It's on the charger now with a green light but I'm worried that the next time I charge it I will get the orange light. I'm screwed.

Anyone else have problems with IDX batteries?

Thanks,
Joe

P.S. I knew I should have stayed with AntonBauer.

[Alessandro Machi]

I'm a fan of the anton bauer batteries based on my own personal use of them.

However, I recently did something kind of dumb. I was trying to power up a dc light I had just bought without knowing that the bulb inside the light was a 100 W bulb. The Dionic 90 I was using can output 75 watts max. So, do not try this at home, or anywhere else for that matter, I hooked up two Dionics together with a 4 pin XLR splitter, I have done this in the past with non anton bauer lead batteries (with fuseable links, a must) with no problems. This time the light went on for about a second and then flashed off, and one of my Dionics looked like it had been knocked to the canvas. The full 3 hour guage was suddenly zapped to the 1 & 3/4 hours.

After a few minutes, it did go back up to the full 3 hour gauge again, but....

The next time I charged the battery it went into red mode after it had already been in the green mode and the battery started to warm up so I stopped the charge. I was really bummed out because those are expensive batteries. I was also concerned that the anton bauer did not seem to know to stop charging. If I had not taken it off the charger I fear that it simply would have gotten hotter and hotter. I decided to drain the battery's charge with a 50 volt light. I then charged it once more and everything now seems fine.

So, if you want to do one more test, drain the battery to spec, then give it one more charge (with some type of supervision, but probably don't lean over it either) and see if your warning lights still come on.