Myths about rechargeable batteries

I've got a camera bag full of rechargeable batteries and they're a life saver. When they're past their prime, after 6-12 months of heavy use, they get handed down to the kids for their toys.
 
I disagree with the rechargeable life. I have been using NiMh AA, AAA and PP3 batteries for 8 years and have a current and voltage regulated charger which charges the battery to the relevant voltage and then switches off. If you leave it in for a few days, it checks the battery level every 24 hrs or so.

AA and AAA batteries seem to be able to be charged about 60 times with good results. Thereafter, the useage after charge drops off, until after 100 recharges, the battery will last 40% of the time when it was new. This is in slow discharge items like a kitchen scale, a continuous use device like a portable radio or a DSTV remote, and PP3s in a multi-meter. PP3s seem the best. Maybe it is because there is more material in the battery.

I can also fix Ni-Cads which get a memory effect by brushing on a 12 VDC cable in reverse polarity to the 1.2V battery 4 or 5 times. Then they are as good as new and can be recharged a couple of dozen times successfully

Certainly the excuses for not using rechargeable batteries are false. They have saved me a lot of money. An alkaline PP3 battery costs R 50,00 odd, a rechargeable one R 80,00 and can be used for 5-6 years
 
Cool article, but it definitely lacks technical detail.

Unfortunately the capacity of NiHM rechargeable PP3 (aka 9V) batteries are like 1/3 of non-rechargeable Alkaline (~565mAh) ones. Like one of our church's microphones uses a PP3 battery and the 220mAh Uniross Hybrid battery has died on us a few times in the middle of the service, where as the non-rechargeables has never given us any issues like that. I only realized this when I stumbled upon the following wiki page that showed the capacity of the different battery types: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nine-volt_battery

If you don't use PP3 batteries for something as critical as a live church service, then it is most definitely worth while to go for a rechargeable one ! Like chrisc4290 said: non-rechargeable one costs R50 and the rechargeable one cost R80.
Fortunately we can source our non-rechargeable PP3 batteries for like R20 ;)

The alkaline AA batteries typically starts at 1.6V and then rapidly drops to 1.5V, and then it slowly goes down. A fully charged AA NiMH rechargeable battery starts at around 1.4V and then slowly drops to like 1.1V.
Our Sennheiser microphones does not like AA batteries below 1.25V.
The Energizer 2450mAh AA batteries' capacity are pretty close (50-70%) to Alkaline (non-rechargeable) batteries, so they work pretty well in our Sennheiser microphones.
 
If your equipment needs 1.5V batteries then the 1.2V/1.35V of normal rechargeable batteries is close to the end of life voltage or ordinary batteries.
All the 1.5V rechargeable ones I had in the past only last a few cycles before they quickly deteriorate to unusability.
 
All domestic appliances that take batteries will work with rechargeable batteries.
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Not true.

Normal batteries are 1.5V. Rechargeable batteries are 1.2V. I've got some stuff that doesn't work with rechargables as the voltage is too low.
 
gregmcc said:
Not true.

Normal batteries are 1.5V. Rechargeable batteries are 1.2V. I've got some stuff that doesn't work with rechargables as the voltage is too low.
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Name one, everything in my house runs off 1.2v 2500m/Ah NiMH rechargeable batteries and works fine.

Clocks, TV/DVD/DSTV/Hi-Fi/Surround Sound System Remote controls, Xbox Controllers, Wii controllers, laptop mouse, RC cars, digital camera. Never had a single issue using rechargeable batteries with any of them.
 
I have a cordless phone that I have had for close to 10 years and it's only had one battery replacement.
 
What about laptop batteries? I hear that it's not good to leave your battery in the laptop if you're plugged into a power source. My laptop is about 2 years old and the battery has been laying in the cupboard, unused, for most of that time since I only use my laptop at home and always have power.

I do know that my laptop runs a few degrees cooler without the battery in. Useful for when I'm playing games etc.
 
Pada said:
What rechargeable battery are you using for it, and did you charge it right before you used it with that BP monitor?
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You want me to recharge the batteries every time I use the device? A set of duracells lasts 6 months, whereas hybrios may give two tests (the same hybrios will drive my canon flash for 300+ shots).
 
I use Uniross AA 2,700mAh and they are very good. The only problem i have with them is that they are much thicker than normal alkalines. Sometimes it is hard to get them out of devices and in some cases I have had to peel the plastic off to get them to fit.

I thought all AA batteries are supposed to be the same size :(
 
grim said:
Name one, everything in my house runs off 1.2v 2500m/Ah NiMH rechargeable batteries and works fine.
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label printer - when I use rechargables it says battery low even though they are fully charged. Same with blood pressure monitor and remote control.

If you use 4 x AA batteries, this gives 6V on normal batteries. On rechargables it's 4.8V

Most semiconductors require 5V to function correctly which is why they give problems with some devices.

I'm all for rechargables, I use them all over the place but they are not 100% compatible with everything.
 
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Some mighty dubious "Facts" in that article.

Fact: Non-rechargeable batteries cannot be recycled
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And yet there are countries with >50% recycling rate for batteries. Magic I tell you.
 
gregmcc said:
label printer - when I use rechargables it says battery low even though they are fully charged. Same with blood pressure monitor and remote control.

If you use 4 x AA batteries, this gives 6V on normal batteries. On rechargables it's 4.8V

Most semiconductors require 5V to function correctly which is why they give problems with some devices.

I'm all for rechargables, I use them all over the place but they are not 100% compatible with everything.
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+1 on the label printer - I have one that absolutely chews batteries
 
Any idea why the rechargeables are made 1.2V instead of 1.5V?

Edit: Nevermind, found it:

The chemistry of the battery. Everything chemical has a certain electric potential. The battery voltage is the difference between these two potentials. The classical chemicals for batteries was carbon and zinc, which produce 1.5 V. Rechargables, which are based on nickel and cadmium or nickel and hydrogen, produce 1.2 V. The lead acid cells in your car battery, on the other hand, produce 2 V, and some lithium chemistries produce 3 V.
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http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Why_are_r..._1.2V_instead_of_1.5V_like_alkaline_batteries
 
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My dad have been charging all his disposable batteries for donkey years ...

±10min in the recharger ... let them sit a while & test with a voltmeter ... most of the time they'll read 1.5v, if not, a second charge of 5-10min will do the trick.

he says he has had more success charging non-rechargeable than rechargeable batteries over the years.

I suppose it's all a money-making secret :p
 
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