Best of both battery worlds

Papa Bear_Left · Post by **Papa Bear_Left** » 31 January 07 7:28 pm

I recently bought some Eneloop batteries, made by Sanyo, for my GPSr and other gadgets that use AA and AAA batteries.

There's always been a trade-off between using NiMH rechargeables and standard alkalines; NiMHs are great for high-current, often-used devices but self-discharge to an unuseable state within a couple of months.
Alkalines don't have that problem, so I use them in torches and headlights and such, but at what point do you replace them? If I've used a multi-LED torch for several hours, do I throw away the half-used batteries or risk having less than 'full' batteries next time I need it?

Enter the Eneloops!

They're NiMHs and so rechargeable 500-1,000 times but they'll still have 85% charge after a year sitting idle. They're expensive (about $5/AA) but not when amortised over their likely lifetime.

So, now I can leave them in a torch in my backpack and, after a few hours of impromptu night caching, I can recharge them and know that I'm back to scratch!

I got mine from A&M Enterprises (who trade under various names) and they were about as cheap as anyone on eBay. They accept PayPal and are based in Milperra, Sydney.
(No affiliation, just a satisfied customer!)

Map Monkey · Post by **Map Monkey** » 31 January 07 9:17 pm

Looks interesting......

With the AA's, do you find them to fit securely in your GPS? Is the positive terminal the "normal" type.

Is 2000mAh the only size they come in (at the moment)?

What's the disadvantage, apart from purchase price, that you can see?

mm

Nilbog_Aus · Post by **Nilbog_Aus** » 31 January 07 9:29 pm

Do they work with a normal NiMH charger or did you have to pick up a new charger?

fehrgo · Post by **fehrgo** » 31 January 07 9:45 pm

I love love love my Eneloops

Great for standby devices like cameras now, since they don't go dead in a couple of weeks just sitting there. I bought 3 8 packs, and am a happy man.

Yes, you can use a normal NiMH charger, but to be honest I would avoid the "quick" chargers, such as the Energizer 1 hour charger. That is just because they kill NiMH's faster in general, and you are paying out a bit more for these.

Papa Bear_Left · Post by **Papa Bear_Left** » 01 February 07 11:12 am

Nilbog_Aus wrote:Do they work with a normal NiMH charger or did you have to pick up a new charger?

I've got a nice individual-cell charger and they work fine in that. I only ever use the 'slow' charge setting, so I can't comment on their quick charge capability, but it's a bad idea to do that often anyway.

Nilbog_Aus · Post by **Nilbog_Aus** » 01 February 07 1:24 pm

These batteries look very cool. I'm going to have to get me some I think.
<p>
Found some specs on the Sanyo site
http://www.sanyo.co.jp/koho/hypertext4- ... 01-2e.html
<p>
2000mAh seems like the maximum but for me the holding charge makes that an ok tradeoff

fehrgo · Post by **fehrgo** » 01 February 07 6:01 pm

Yeah, if you consider that in the time it is in use, a typical NiMH would probably lose anywhere from 20-50% of its charge, 2000mAh goes a long way. As an example, I had my first 4 eneloop batteries in my digital camera for 2 months before I had to change them out, where the Energizer 2500mAh batteries wouldn't last me two weeks in it.

shonkylogic · Post by **shonkylogic** » 01 February 07 9:08 pm

OT: Speaking of batteries, isn't it unbelievable how many batteries kids toys chew up! As a new parent (for 6 months) I'm just flabbergasted.

I found a deal for 40 x 2700mAh NiMH batteries for $99 from a place in Melbourne. I place the order online at 4pm and had them in Adelaide at 9.30 the next morning. Which works out to an average speed of 44kmh, a bit slow really!

And I bought a 12-cell independent charger, so now I always have plenty of batteries waiting to be used (in the GPSr .. forget those toys!

)

rogainer · Post by **rogainer** » 02 February 07 9:21 am

shonkylogic wrote:OT: Speaking of batteries, isn't it unbelievable how many batteries kids toys chew up!

It is for this reason (and for my own toys

) - along with the discharge rate of Nimh and the irregular use of my GPSr, that a couple of years ago, I bought myself a REZAP battery charger. This clever bit of gear manages to zap new life into dead standard alkaline batteries (as well as Nimh, nicd etc). I have used it regularly for over 2 years and I love it.

It has to be said that it can't revive alkalines if they drop down below 0.9v and I get the occasional minor leakage, but generally It will pull them back up to around 1.3v ready for another go. It is also worth mentioning that I steer away from the big name brands (Energiser/Duracell). I get very good results from most of the no-name brands around.

Having said all that, I will have a close look at the Eneloops.

muzza · Post by **muzza** » 02 February 07 8:44 pm

I just bought 4 Eneloop batteries with a charger from Dick Smith today. In store, the price displayed was $29.99 but on the net it shows as $24.99 (which is the same price as 4 batteries alone). I had to get them to check the net first, but its like getting a free charger.

Of course ebay is cheaper, so if I like their performance, I'll buy another 8 on ebay.

If · Post by If » 03 February 07 6:45 pm

Are these Eneloop batteries anything like LiPo batteries. LiPo's give the same bang for half the weight. Ideal for model aircraft or cachers with lazy arms

fehrgo · Post by **fehrgo** » 03 February 07 10:12 pm

If wrote:Are these Eneloop batteries anything like LiPo batteries. LiPo's give the same bang for half the weight. Ideal for model aircraft or cachers with lazy arms

I have a whole whack'o LiPo's, but they are kept in a fire safe in the garage... I don't think I would want those in a torch in my pocket, it could give a whole new meaning to "torch".

fehrgo · Post by **fehrgo** » 03 February 07 10:20 pm

<a href="http://www.batteryuniversity.com/partone-19.htm">This page</a> has some interesting information concerning storage of batteries of various chemistries, it would seem to be worth a read.

shonkylogic · Post by **shonkylogic** » 04 February 07 8:19 am

Oh no, it's 40 degrees here today. Quick, toss out that lettuce, I need the fridge space for my batteries.

Papa Bear_Left · Post by **Papa Bear_Left** » 04 February 07 8:59 pm

fehrgo wrote:<a href="http://www.batteryuniversity.com/partone-19.htm">This page</a> has some interesting information concerning storage of batteries of various chemistries, it would seem to be worth a read.

Good site, isn't it? I've pointed many people to it when they maintain that you do need to deep-cycle your NiMH cells occasionally, even though they don't have the NiCd memory effect!

Geocaching Australia

Best of both battery worlds

Best of both battery worlds

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