Best Fitting NIMH Aa's?

[+own6volvos]

Has anyone found the perfect fitting NiMH AA batteries that aren't too tall or arent too short, so they fit inside GPs units without issue? It seems as though units like the various garmin models are designed for alkaline cells, but most rechareables are just a tad taller, and really seem to stress the battery tabs.

 

So far the safest I have found are some RadioShack NiCD AA's that are a bit on the loose side, and Powerex NiMH AA's that are just a wee bit snug. Most of the others I have used are really tall though, to the point of bending things if you were attempting to use them.

[+YuccaPatrol]

Honestly, this has never been an issue or a concern for any of my Garmin units: GPS-45, GPSmap 60CS, GPSmap 60csx, StreetPilot III.

 

I Have energizer, duracell, sanyo, ray-o-vac, and a few other random brands that I use regularly.

[+M4T]

I've been using Energizer Nimh in my 60C for about 6 mo with no prob. They seem to fit just fine.

Edited August 7, 2006 by M4T

[+gpsblake]

I ride my bicycle a lot with my GPS so tight fitting batteries is a must because of the vibrations

 

Duracell's and Energizer's NIMH seem to fit the tightest and best.

 

Rayovac and Panasonic NIHM batteries get loose often and when that happens, my unit will zero out. Then I've got to stop and restart the unit making the statistics for my ride inaccurate as well as a pain.

[Grasscatcher]

Using a thin piece of open celled foam between batteries and the cover on the loose ones will solve the connection problem and won't hurt anything on the tighter ones.

[+GOT GPS?]

The Radio Shack NiMH 1600mah batteries were the worst ones I ever bought for using in the GPS V, they were too short, and not wide enough, then I bought mainly Energizer NiMH batteries 1750mah, 1900mak, 2350mah, then the 2500mah ones. the latest ones are almost too big for some GPS units, which fit a bit too tight, and have to hit the GPS against my hand to force them out, but they fit well in the 60Cx.

 

The rechargables been working so poorly in the 60Cx, that I been using Alkalines, but the older Map60C worked well with any NiMH.

[+TEAM 360]

PowerEx 2700 mAh. That's all you need to know.

[+CJOttawa]

Ditto Team 360 - PowerEx aka "Maha" which test out to some of the highest mAh ratings vs Energizer etc and they fit my Garmin perfectly. (no shutting off when bouncing over potholes)

 

Maha makes some of the best chargers on the market too.

[tron1974]

Ditto Team 360 - PowerEx aka "Maha" which test out to some of the highest mAh ratings vs Energizer etc and they fit my Garmin perfectly. (no shutting off when bouncing over potholes)

 

Maha makes some of the best chargers on the market too.

 

I just bought a bunch of Tenergy batteries from all-battery.com

 

They have pretty good deals and get excellent reviews on multiple sites. I got the 2600 maH ones.

[+Prime Suspect]

The NoMEM 2500mAh batteries I used my eTrex Vista just barely fit, and were a struggle to get out. The 2450mAh versions were much easier to put in and out.

 

On my 60CSx, it doesn't seem to be a problem.

[+Runaround]

Disclaimer: I work for Energizer.

 

There are ANSI and IEC standards that dictate the physical size of batteries. The two biggest offenders that cause problems are:

 

1. Cheap offshore battery manufacturers who don't closely follow the standards or have design issues.

2. Device manufacturers who ignore the standards.

 

The major battery manufacturers are very good at sticking to the standards and working with one another to make sure the standards are reasonable. It's one of the few areas where they all get along. Since batteries may change shape slightly during their service life, the battery designers have to account for this to make sure the battery is always within the standard. Many of the low-cost manufacturers may start out OK but could significantly bulge out of spec due to internal gassing during use. If they have a significant growth problem, they may make the batteries under sized to start with. The batteries could bulge two ways. Either they could bulge around the diameter and become fat or they could bulge at the positive and negative covers and get taller. This second group is the cause of batteries that seem "short" or "loose" to start with.

 

Olympus is notorious among the battery companies. In the owners manual for certain cameras they actually recommend certain battery brands and strongly caution you not to buy others. Why? Some batteries are designed near the high end of the tolerance. The Olympus engineers designed the battery compartment below the maximum battery size tolerance. So what happens? If you put one of the "non-approved" brands into the camera it could get stuck. That's got to be fun for the consumer. Of course the consumer has no idea of the battery standards and that the camera is out of spec. They just blame the battery. The good news is that there is not an issue with the GPS manufacturers. They all are working with the ANSI and IEC standards.

[+roadrage64]

I started out with the Radio Shack 1600's and they worked fine in my Legend. When I bought my Vista C and started using them on my mountain bike the unit started shutting off when I hit bumps. After talking to Garmin tech support (great guys by the way) I bought a set of Energizer 2500's and havent had any problems since. An added bonus to this is that they last a LOT longer than the Radio Shack batteries did.

[+BigLarry]

I carry two GPS, Vista and 60CSx, so I go through lots of batteries. I've been cycling through 8 of the old Sunpack 1600 mAh that are dying after a couple years of use.

 

Based on the recommendations above, I ordered the Maha PowerEx charger with four AAs at 2700 mAh for $48 on Amazon.

 

Then I happened to be in Circuit City and saw the Sony BCG-34HRMF4 Super Quick Charger with LCD Indicator and 4 AA Batteries at 2700 mAh. Like the Maha unit, it had independent fast charging, circuits to repair battery memory, and even a separate LCD indicator for each battery, missing on the Maha. Best of all, it was half the price of the Maha unit at $23 on Amazon. I"m sure the Maha is better, but I'd probably got the Sony if I saw it first. It looks like a excellent deal for the money.

Edited August 14, 2006 by BigLarry

[+Chuy!]

I just bought a bunch of Tenergy batteries from all-battery.com

 

They have pretty good deals and get excellent reviews on multiple sites. I got the 2600 maH ones.

 

Those bite, big time. They are labeled as Powerizer.

 

Please provide links to the websites offering good reviews 'cause the ones I have seen don't. This one is outdated but provides a good comparison.

 

I bought a batch last year, when they were up to 2250mah. The 2100 Lenmars I had at that time lasted longer. The Tenergy's were larger sized I could not fit them in my work's StreetPilot III. A year later the casings are dented in 'cause they use thinner/cheaper metal, and the plastic covering is peeling off. The 2300 Panasonic's I bought around the same time are alot better. Today, the workhorse batteries are the Energizer 2500.

I use the Tenerghys only on low draining devices, such as my Streamlight 7-LED flashlight 'cause the bulbs' excellent efficiency (rated 150+ hours on 4AA batteries) make better use of the cheap batteries than any other electrical device I have.

[+Intermountain Angler]

PowerEx 2700 mAh. That's all you need to know.

 

Another one for a ditto with TEAM 360, i have been using my power-Ex for a few months now (I ordered a set of 16) with no issues with my 76CSX or my Nikon digital camera in fact I just ordered another set of 16.

[+benjamin921]

I have been using the Energizer 2500's and have had no issue with them at all in my 60CS.

 

I do have one question though reguarding charging: Can you charge Maha batteries in the Energizer charger or vise versa, or will that mess things up?

[+BigLarry]

I have been using the Energizer 2500's and have had no issue with them at all in my 60CS.

 

I do have one question though reguarding charging: Can you charge Maha batteries in the Energizer charger or vise versa, or will that mess things up?

 

There could be variations (read the directions). But generally, one charger will work among all brands of batteries and different capacities, assuming they fit. Smarter chargers use voltage to tell when the charge is done so bigger capacity batteries can charge at full current at a good rate. Dumb chargers just slowly charge at a constant time at a voltage just above the battery level. So the charge current will automatically taper off as the battery voltage gets close to the output voltage. When at full charge the two voltages (battery and charger) match, and there's no more charging current at all.

 

Only two big things to look out for:

1. The charger can be set to the right type battery (NiCad, NiMH, Li,...) for the proper charge voltage.

2. If you have a "fast charger", like less than an hour or two, then the battery is a "fast battery", that is built to handle that much current.

[+Fhantazm]

I too, use the 2500mah Energizer's with absolutely NO trouble in my 60csx. They are tight, but thats the way it should be.

 

I have been using the Energizer 2500's and have had no issue with them at all in my 60CS.

 

I do have one question though reguarding charging: Can you charge Maha batteries in the Energizer charger or vise versa, or will that mess things up?

 

There could be variations (read the directions). But generally, one charger will work among all brands of batteries and different capacities, assuming they fit. Smarter chargers use voltage to tell when the charge is done so bigger capacity batteries can charge at full current at a good rate. Dumb chargers just slowly charge at a constant time at a voltage just above the battery level. So the charge current will automatically taper off as the battery voltage gets close to the output voltage. When at full charge the two voltages (battery and charger) match, and there's no more charging current at all.

 

Only two big things to look out for:

1. The charger can be set to the right type battery (NiCad, NiMH, Li,...) for the proper charge voltage.

2. If you have a "fast charger", like less than an hour or two, then the battery is a "fast battery", that is built to handle that much current.