Rechargeable AA Batteries

A most interesting and informative thread, I must confess to have given up on rechargeables but given the information supplied here I might be persuaded to get a couple of sets of 2500mah nmhs, if they last as claimed OK, I do have a dislike of using alkaline and then throwing them away.

Noticed on one of the posts a suggestion of going for good quality and avoiding supermarket cheapies, any advice or a manufacturer for top quality makes.

As always never ceases to amaze the depth of knowledge here.

Merry Christmas to you all.

NDH
 
I have given up on rechargeables as well. So many of the machines I have duck out cos the volts are too low. I find the big packs of alkaline AA's are a better bet. Cheap from supermarkets, seem to last pretty well, and you have no hassle finding somewhere to charge them. They may be less economical in the long run, but on a monthly basis, they are cheap and they are there when I want them.
 
I moved away from rechargeables after loads of problems with NiCd and later NiMh batteries both sold under the UniR- label, who were the market leader, probably because their trade price was chaper....

I now use GP batteries and their chargers and they work well for me.

Bear in mind that rechargeables are most suited for applications where you would be constantly replacing the battery - e.g. cameras. This for two reasons:-

1). The battery capacity is used up quickly and accordingly it is more often as not completely discharged with use.
2). The said batteries are not left for very long periods in a fully or partial charged state.

Neither NiCD nor NiMh take kindly to being topped up and must be discharged completely before recharging (the memory effect), so get a charger that does that.

I use alkaline batteries for things like remote controls and torches, the former because the power drain is so small that the battery will flatten more from its own self-discharging characteristics than use and the latter because it is left for long periods and not used.

very much IMHO, Duracell are more expensive not because they are better made, but because of their advertising budget.
 
I should modify my last... I still use rechargeables in devices that had them designed in. My HH VHF was clearly designed for throwaways, and NiMH just won't hack it, so back to throwaways. Someone said volts dont matter, it is the power held in the battery which matters, or summat like that. This is not true. Batteries deliver POWER according to the square of the voltage. Battery capacity is a measure of ENERGY, i.e. their ability to carry on delivering power. So the alkaline makes my torch shine brightly, but not for as long as a NiMH.
 
Like you I have two portable VHF transceivers from those very nice people in Kent. Although they were designed to work with voltages from 6 -9v, rechargeables just didn't "work" and I blenched at putting six AAs in regularly. Now that 40 cells of throwaways are 7squids-ish it's no longer an issue
 
Normal "Dry-cells" voltage off-load is higher but lower when loaded ... and falls as time goes ...
Rechargeables had lower off-load voltage but more capable in maintaining that voltage on load. This is why some older gear had one less cell when recharge pack compared to dry-cells.

So in fact a rechargeable has a flatter discharge rate ... and can sustain voltage better. But it has drawback that where voltage is flat ... it drops sharply near to discharged state.

Your volts quote for a rechargeable cell is a touch high .... 1.25V is more normal.

Better ? Yes .... there are various capacity cells now ... ones I use now are 2500mAh AA's and brilliant .... last ages and still rechargeable.
 
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