Here's a simple circuit that will discharge SS200 NiCad packs to erase their memories. The only tools required are a soldering iron and something to cut and strip wires with. The parts are available from Radio Shack. 4-40 thread screws soldered to the leads that attach to the battery fit the battery pack's terminals perfectly. If you hook it up to the wrong polarity on the battery pack the light bulb won't glow; merely reverse the screws and it will work just fine. When hooked up right, the bulb will glow until the battery is almost drained. About a half an hour or more after the bulb ceases to glow even a little bit the battery pack is completely discharged. If you don't notice it and it stays hooked up for a while time after the bulb is out, no worries; the diodes prevent the battery pack from discharging below about 1.4 - 1.5 volts. It is important to recharge the battery pack within a day or so of completely discharging it to prevent it from falling too low in voltage to be recovered by the charger.

It takes anywhere around three or four hours to completely discharge a battery pack. If you discharge and recharge each battery pack about twice before leaving on a dive trip, memory should not be a problem for a week or three of diving. These batteries don't really have much memory, so this procedure really need not be done but maybe once or twice a year, even if you dive alot.

Parts List:

1 Light bulb, 12.8 volt 1 amp, Radio Shack Catalog #276-1116A

2 Silicon Diodes, 1kV, 2.5A, Radio Shack catalog #276-1114

2 Screws, 4-40 thread, about 1 inch long (length not critical)

1 foot (approximately) of multi-strand copper wire at least 22 gauge; 20, 18 or larger will do just fine.

Be sure to solder the diodes in series such that the both striped ends both face in the same direction, either towards or away from the light bulb. They are kind of like one-way valves and if you get one backwards they will act kind of like a no-way valve. It doesn't matter which way you face them as long as they both face the same way. After soldering, you can tape up most of the connections, but don't tape up the diodes. Leave their leads exposed and full length; don't clip them short. They will help dissipate the heat. It is normal for them to become quite warm to the touch. Be sure not to let the diodes or the light bulb touch anything combustible or anything meltable (like plastic) as they generate quite a bit of heat as they drain the battery. The battery's energy has to go somewhere, and most of it is lost as heat. I place mine on a ceramic floor tile for safety.

Minolta Maxxum 800si, Minolta 35-70mm lens, Minolta HS5400 flash, Fuji Provia 100f film.