Capacity Fade
The permanent decrease in the energy a battery can store due to age, cycle count and temperature. In the field you notice it not as a fault but as the remote control "not lasting as long as it used to". Falling below 80% of the initial capacity is generally taken as end of life.
The loss comes from two components: cycle ageing (caused by use) and calendar ageing (chemical degradation that progresses even without any use). High temperature and a high state of charge accelerate both. A noticeable drop in capacity is typically expected after 300–500 cycles.
- Telling them apart: if the shift duration is getting shorter, it is capacity fade; if the unit shows full and then suddenly shuts down, it is a cell or protection circuit fault; if charging never starts, check the connector pins and the charging cable first.
- Misdiagnosis: part of the complaints about reduced range are in fact a weak battery; measure again with a fully charged unit.
- Operation: to avoid interrupting a shift, keep a spare remote control, or a spare set of AAA cells on battery-powered models.
Since there is no mAh or charging time data for the ST100/ST200 remote controls, tracking life through field observation (recording shift duration) is the most reliable way.
The context in which this term is used: Wireless Crane Remote Control Selection Guide