My programmer also had lousy battery shelf life (I say "had" because the pack is improving over time).

When the unit was new, the pack would not hold a charge well. It also seemed like the resting voltage of the pack was low. That is, after the pack self discharged the voltage of the pack appeared to be in the 3 volt range (my Sanyo flight packs tend to rest at about 4.8 volts).

There is a diode in the charging circuit which make measuring the pack voltage difficult (without opening the unit and measuring directly). These numbers are based on information from my Victor Engineering charger (as the pack begins to charge - when the diode is conducting). I don't know what brand of cell they used but I don't think they are Sanyo (since these cells do not behave like my flight packs with Sanyo cells). This is not really a problem ... the battery is not in an airplane.

I sent the unit to Hitec to upgrade to the newest version of firmware. I also told them about the battery pack and asked them to check it. They upgraded the firmware but they said the battery was fine.

Now, the pack seems like it is doing better. It can hold a charge longer (at least 3 weeks now). Hopefully it will improve a bit more over time.

Moses

edit #2: I use this thing every time I set up a plane. I check all the servos, center them and install them without using my radio. Works really well. This thing gets a lot more use than I ever thought it would. This is a very handy little tool.