Rechargeable AA batteries and such

Howdy.

I've used lots of AA rechargeable batteries.. more Lithium Ion lately.

Who has experienced quick "fallout" of these batteries? Which are best in your experience/application?

[QUOTE=cathdeac;640377]Howdy.

I've used lots of AA rechargeable batteries.. more Lithium Ion lately.

Who has experienced quick "fallout" of these batteries? Which are best in your experience/application?[/QUOTE]
If by "fallout" you mean becoming unusable, I have. Actually I have given up on aftermarket batteries. Usually the original ones that came with the device worked great. Any replacements were about 1/2 the life-and I'm careful about charge cycles. Most any device requiring batteries I now lean towards the one you can substitute alkaline in. :dunno Gary

[QUOTE=Omega Man;640416]If by "fallout" you mean becoming unusable, I have. Actually I have given up on aftermarket batteries. Usually the original ones that came with the device worked great. Any replacements were about 1/2 the life-and I'm careful about charge cycles. Most any device requiring batteries I now lean towards the one you can substitute alkaline in. :dunno Gary[/QUOTE]

Yeah... you would think the manufacturers would make batteries!!!:violin

[QUOTE=cathdeac;640377]Howdy.

I've used lots of AA rechargeable batteries.. more Lithium Ion lately.

Who has experienced quick "fallout" of these batteries? Which are best in your experience/application?[/QUOTE]

For AA I've had best luck with Sanyo Eneloops. They are NiMH hybrid batteries that do not self discharge. A normal NiMH will be mostly dead after 6-8 weeks of sitting. The Eneloops will have 80% of their charge (or more) left after a full year of sitting. I've switched things like my camera stobe which isn't constantly in use to the Eneloops so there will be power when I need it. I've also some in AAA size for the headlamp that sits in my tank bag.

The Lithium has a higher voltage than NiMH. That may be important for some uses. Also, I don't think the Eneloops come in a capacity larger than 2000 mAh. That may not be enough juice for your use.

After years of using rechargeables, I have also given up on these. I buy Lithium for some equipment and Energizers batteries. The only rechargeable that I can count on are those that I use with my professional camera equipment.

Lithium batteries are great in cold temperatures.

I am with Marchyman on this - Eneloops. They hold their charge.
The flashlight nerds over at the candlepowerforums.com are all gaga over them, too. I use them in any device that has to work after sitting for long periods (flashlights, for instance). I also use them in my digital cameras since they have a tendency to sit for extended periods of time.
Ritz camera usually has them, and candlepower has links to order them.

I gave up on AA and AAA rechargeable batteries years ago. This was mostly because they were one more thing to keep track of when I wasn't using them for a long period. For the money they cost and the amount I use them, I'd just as soon keep a supply of good quality lithium batteries handy. They have a shelf life of years, and I don't have to think about it.

For touring purposes, they also mean I don't have to carry a charger, and replacements can be had at any drug store while on the road.

Thanks Folks!

Looks like "good ole reliable" is still the best choice when I need flexibility and storage time... And the "recharge option" remains hassle and short lived.

No "news" there.... yet.

Wishing y'all a very blessed Christmas...

Stuff that goes on the road with AA or AAA gets ordinary batteries. We still use rechargeable batteries in several home-based devices. I have discovered that all batteries are not created equal. Look at the mah ratings - for AA I've recently seen them ranging from 800 to 2400. An 800 doesn't last very long in use in lots of things.

I've pretty much quit buying off-brand non-rechargeable batteries because I've had horrible luck (life) from the cheap ones. There have been some exceptions with house branded stuff from True Value or Ace but the no-name or new-name stuff from the dollar stores have been pure junk.

At my 50th birthday party (which lasted 3 days) some of the clownish attendees attached a little toy siren loudspeaker to the handlebars of my K75, along with the streamers and other adornments. After the party it went in a drawer in the garage. I rediscovered it last month. After 15 years it still operates. I felt compelled to see what batteries had lasted those 15 years. Energizer - not bulged or corroded and still enough to run the siren. YMMV. Don't try this at home boys and girls.

[QUOTE=cathdeac;640430]Yeah... you would think the manufacturers would make batteries!!!:violin[/QUOTE]

The so called "big three" don't make batteries or tires?

My wife , yesterday,drags out an "Elvis Presley" candy box that he sings to you when you open it & he has quit singing! It was my Mom's and came as a gift to her from some truck co in the past. Anyway, I put new Energizers-3- button cells in it last year w/fresh date and all and it had played for something like 10-15 yrs prior on no name batteries-now its dead again. Now, one of my engineer sons says the bunny batteries are better than the lower pricepoint Ray-o-vacs. Has the "king" finally died? I'm taking to shop to read the voltage!
I think this whole battery thing is a conspiracy to get our $. I have tried name brand, Big Lots, $ store, Ray-o-vac and they all eat my $$$! These yard lights my wife has all over(and their rechargeable batteries) are a part of that conspiracy! Proof I'm right:I spend more on batteries for Chinese junk than I do on a battery for my bike! :scratch

I've been using a set of 4 rechargables to run a small tape player and a portable CD player for several years, now. It seems as if they are not quite holding a charge as long as they used to, but vs. the way I was going through AA battreies, they've paid for themselves over at least twice. I'll post the brand when I get home.

I've been using Panasonic NiMH batteries for about 5 years.

Although I have two batches of those batteries, the older ones when I conditioned them on a Cadex charger, came back to 90% capacity and they've been recharged countless times in 5 years.

Whenever possible I try to buy devices that use AA batteries instead of proprietary batteries, otherwise you are carting numerous chargers along.

A little off the subject, but has anyone else experienced anything like this ?
In 1989 when we got married, my wife gave me a Casio watch that according
to the paperwork that came with it, had a 5 year battery in it. The strap on it
broke more than 10 years ago and I put it in my dresser. Every 6 months or so, I
look at it and can you believe that it is still running on the original battery ! It still
has the correct date but is about 15 minuets fast.