Rechargeable -vs- Disposable Batteries

[MouseFart]

Anyone have experience with which will last the longest?

 

I am using Energizer alkaline batteries right now and getting about 8-10 good hours before they are dead. I am wandering if a good Ni-MH rechargeable battery would last any longer and what the offset would be in cost between the two in the long run.

 

Thanks,

Rick

[+IV_Warrior]

Well, the rechargeables might not last longer on an individual charge, but that's not the point of them. You recharge them and use over and over, unlike the alkalines that you use once and end up in a landfill.

 

If you use your GPS once a month and alkalines last you several months per set, it may not be a big issue for you. However, if you use your GPS a lot, and burn through a set or more of batteries a week, alkalines get expensive. Not to mention the environmental concerns of all those batteries ending up in a landfill......

[+smilingsteeles]

I personally use the rechargeable batteries. They last for a good amount of time and I also use the same batteries for my digital camera. I cache here and there and to charge them only takes a few minutes. I like the environmentally friendly aspect of it too.

[+Miragee]

I got the Energizer 15-minute charger along with four Energizer batteries at Target for around $25.00.

 

That was about ten months ago.

 

The batteries last about 12 hours in my Vista C, and I get "fresh" batteries in 15 minutes, whether I am at home, or on the road using my inverter with the charger in my car.

 

NiMH batteries are the only way to go.

[+rstickle]

Anyone have experience with which will last the longest?

 

I am using Energizer alkaline batteries right now and getting about 8-10 good hours before they are dead. I am wandering if a good Ni-MH rechargeable battery would last any longer and what the offset would be in cost between the two in the long run.

 

Thanks,

Rick

 

I've had Energizer 2500 mAh rechargeabe batteries last me up to 13 hours on a charge in a 60 CSx. I also use them in my digital camera, and swear by them.

 

Rick

[+YuccaPatrol]

Using alkaline batteries in a device you frequently use is wasteful of money and really not good for the environment. Alkaline batteries are best used for things like smoke detectors and emergency flashlights that you want to make sure will work when you need them a year or more in the future.

[+IV_Warrior]

Using alkaline batteries in a device you frequently use is wasteful of money and really not good for the environment. Alkaline batteries are best used for things like smoke detectors and emergency flashlights that you want to make sure will work when you need them a year or more in the future.

 

Alkalines aren't even good for emergency flashlights. Lithium batteries have a much better shelf life. Save the alkalines for things like clocks and stuff that have low current draw and operate continuously.

[+Renegade Knight]

The newer NiMH batteries have a life about as good as Alkalines in a GPS. Much better for cameras, not so good for something like a digital clock where an alkaline would be better.

[+Groovy Cachin' Dude!]

One comment you made caught my attention...only 8-10 hours of use in your GPSr? Do you have a backlight on? You didn't mention what unit you have; maybe that type of run-time is typical of your GPSr, but I typically get about 24 hours with alkaline batteries (no light), but with 1950 Amp Hour NiMH batteries I get about 14 hours. Before switching to rechargeables, make sure your GPSr can operate with them (my first GPSr wouldn't turn on with rechargeables).

 

If all will work with your GPSr, I'd switch to rechargeables, but I always carry alkalines as a backup. It's also great using the NiMH in my digital camera. Nothing even comes close to lasting in a digital camera as do NiMH in my experience.

[+Centex Trekker]

I use rechargables if I have any charged, but I agree that Lithiums last the longest.

[+Wild Thing 73]

I got the Energizer 15-minute charger along with four Energizer batteries at Target for around $25.00.

 

That was about ten months ago.

 

The batteries last about 12 hours in my Vista C, and I get "fresh" batteries in 15 minutes, whether I am at home, or on the road using my inverter with the charger in my car.

 

NiMH batteries are the only way to go.

The only way to go She is correct

[waypoint]

Hi,

 

Has anyone here tried if a CR-V3 would fit in a 60Cx?

 

Thanks!

 

Regards,

w a y

 

[+sylvainp]

For everyone using Nimh rechargeables it is important to use a good charger. Alot of chargers are based on a timer which is not good for overcharging the battery. I have a few set of Energizer 2500 mAh and a Energizer 30 minutes charger that was detecting when the battery where charged.

 

I found that this charger is pretty hard on the battery and they come very hot when charging. Once in a while I was discharging my battery with a 500 mAh light bulb until the battery get to 0.9V which is the minimum discharge the battery should go. All this process is boring but it is critical to keep your battery in good shape.

 

Well this week I bought a Maha 808M battery charger and this charger make everything. Slow charge, Fast charge, Conditioning (charge, fully discharge and fully recharge in one step) and the good thing with this charger is that the battery is only warm to touch when charging compared to my Energizer charger. A nice feature is that all battery channels are independant from each other.

 

Fast charge is 1 hour for a 2000 mAh. Slow charge is 1000 mAh.

 

This Maha charger is expensive but it worth the money spent ! I will probably still use the Fast 30 minutes charger when going away from home but the Maha will be my master charger.

 

http://www.mahaenergy.com

[+iyq]

I use NiMH rechargables but carry alkaline spares. just in case. If I put rechargables in my bag as spares it seems they are always dead again before I get around to needing them.

[ciprol]

Yep, NiMH AAs are the best choice these days. If you use your GPS heavily, you'll get your money back after a few weeks or less. My 2500mAH lasts me a week and I share multiple sets b/n my GPS, digital camera and flash unit. Nothing beats them in terms of economy and environmental benefits.

[+HooloovooUK]

NiMH batteries should NEVER be charged at a rate greater than 1C.... ie a full charge should be no faster than 1 hour.

 

NiCd batteries can handle up to 4C, so a full charge can be done in 15 minutes.

 

Charging a NiMH battery quicker than 1 hour will cause the battery to get very hot and dramatically reduce it's life span.

[+Miragee]

I use NiMH rechargables but carry alkaline spares. just in case. If I put rechargables in my bag as spares it seems they are always dead again before I get around to needing them.

I have several of those 15-minute rechargeable batteries as "spares." Periodically, I take them out of my pack and recharge them, so the infrequently-used spares are fresh when/if I need them.

 

NiMH batteries should NEVER be charged at a rate greater than 1C.... ie a full charge should be no faster than 1 hour.

 

NiCd batteries can handle up to 4C, so a full charge can be done in 15 minutes.

 

Charging a NiMH battery quicker than 1 hour will cause the battery to get very hot and dramatically reduce it's life span.

My 15-minute Energizer rechargeable batteries are, I assume, designed to be charged in the 15-minute recharger. They are warm at the end of a charge, but not "very hot."

 

Even if the quick charge shortens their life a bit, the convenience of getting fresh batteries in 15-minutes. is worth it for me.

[+HooloovooUK]

My 15-minute Energizer rechargeable batteries are, I assume, designed to be charged in the 15-minute recharger. They are warm at the end of a charge, but not "very hot."

 

Now I'm not saying I don't believe you.......... but it would surprise me if they are really fully charged in 15 minutes.

 

I mean if you've got a 2000mAh battery, to fully charge it in 15 minutes your charger has got to be pumping out 8 Amps DC. I don't think I've ever seen a standard consumer charger capable of that. A power supply capable of around 10 Amps DC (to give it a bit of head room) would be quite expensive.

 

Pumping 4C into a NiMH battery would not just shorten it's lifespan...... it would kill it in just a few cycles if it didn't explode the first time you tried it......

 

There must be something unusual about these cells and charger you are using. Do you have a link to the charger and specifications?

 

I fly electric model helicopters, so I have quite a bit of experience in battery types and methods of charging. I have seen first hand the effects of pushing more than 1C into a NiMH cell and the resulting sizzling and venting of various gasses is not pretty.

Edited May 22, 2006 by HooloovooUK

[+Miragee]

The charger is the Energizer 15-minute charger and it is available at Target for only $25.00. That includes four batteries.

 

I've had it since last summer and the batteries have been recharged over and over since I often use my GPSr for more than eight hours during a day of caching.

 

After yesterday's hike, during which I had the GPSr on for five hours, I still had 2/3 of a charge left.

[+imfrog2002]

I use rechargables. Energizer NiMH. I've gotten about 10 hours so far, and it's barely half dead. (Using the eTrex legend on battery saver mode with my backlight) (Even though it's plugged into my computer for a little while, while I was out caching it barely went down. I would highly suggest NiMH. THey last about the same time, and can be re-used. The initial investment is large, but it's worth it. (I carry spare NiMHs with my GPSr just in case, though.)

[Bookmonke]

I started usind the NiMH too, they work great but near the end of that 10 hours they dumped fast. When I raced RC cars we trained batteries to give us everything they had in 4 minutes, so that meant charging at 8Amps and afterward discharging at 20Amps. But I hear the Li dump at the end too, so probably just a part of rechargables.

[+jacques0]

I use the Rayovac 15 minute rechargeables (IC3) and I think they're great. I use my gps a lot and I get 14-16 hours between charges. I also use them in my electric toothbrush and I use the AAAs in a microcassette recorder.

 

Yes, they get anywhere from warm to very warm while charging, but they are designed for that. They allegedly can be recharged 500 times (they used to say 1000 times; hmmmm....I'll have to give them a call tomorrow). I'm not counting, but I've certainly recharged mine a lot and they still work great. The AAs are rated (depending upon where you read it) at 2000-2200 maH; not sure about the AAAs.

 

Here is a link to Rayovac's FAQ page.

[+Aquamonkey]

The best resource I know about rechargeable batteries is http://www.batteryuniversity.com/. It does a great job to explaining battery types, physics, applications, charge and discharge cycles. It is highly recommended reading for anyone that uses rechargeable batteries.