Bad Batteries?

[+simpjkee]

I have a Garmin Venture HC. Last week I ran out of my regular Kroger batteries and bought some generic Walgreens batteries. I used 2 of them through a cycle and they seemed fine. Sat night I put 2 new Walgreens batteries in (before the other pair were totally dead) and went on a caching/hike last evening with no problem. Tonight, my GPS says I have 25% battery life left and I go out caching only to find that once I get my GPS turned on, it turns off with the next 5 presses of any button (whether it be zoom in, zoom out, menu, whatever). I turn it back on only to have it turn off within 5 button presses as before. When I got home, I put in two Kroger batteries from the clock they were in and suddenly my GPS works just fine again. It seems to me that the generic Walgreens batteries are just bad batteries, I guess? Anyone else experience something like this? Are some AA's better than others?

[gratefulHIKE]

well they could just be crap......what you are looking for in a battery is a good MAH, like 2500.....I use NIMH cause I dont like throwing batteries out.....here is the exact battery I use

 

http://thomasdistributing.com/shop/product...ab6bd0d09f16beb

[me_chris]

There are certainly differences in battery quality. The more milliamp hours the better too - all of my GPSrs use lithium-ion batteries which last a long time, but I used to use a Garmin Geko which took 2 AAAs and I found that rechargeable NiMH batteries with 25000 2500 MaH lasted CONSIDERABLY longer than any alkaline batteries, and even other rechargeable batteries with only say 1800 MaH...

Edited because I can't count

Edited November 6, 2007 by irchriscdk

[Pacific NW]

If you have a Costco nearby and are a member, pick up a pack of the Sanyo "eneloop" rechargeable NiMH batteries. They are packaged in a blue plastic box and include 8 x AA and 4 x AAA, along with a charger and some dummy C- and D-cells. Cost is about $26 and well worth it.

 

They are rated at 2000 mAh, which seems low compared to other cells at 2500 mAh, but the "eneloop" batteries are considered a low self discharge battery. You can charge them up and they are supposed to retain most of their capacity for about a year. This is a lot better than other rechargeable batteries that lose their charge after sitting around for a week or two.

 

Those generic alkaline batteries seem like they're hit and miss. Can't go wrong with Duracell or Energizer. Even Costco's Kirkland brand AA batteries (48 batteries for about $9) work pretty well.

[+RRLover]

I have a Garmin Venture HC. Last week I ran out of my regular Kroger batteries and bought some generic Walgreens batteries. I used 2 of them through a cycle and they seemed fine. Sat night I put 2 new Walgreens batteries in (before the other pair were totally dead) and went on a caching/hike last evening with no problem. Tonight, my GPS says I have 25% battery life left and I go out caching only to find that once I get my GPS turned on, it turns off with the next 5 presses of any button (whether it be zoom in, zoom out, menu, whatever). I turn it back on only to have it turn off within 5 button presses as before. When I got home, I put in two Kroger batteries from the clock they were in and suddenly my GPS works just fine again. It seems to me that the generic Walgreens batteries are just bad batteries, I guess? Anyone else experience something like this? Are some AA's better than others?

I've found that most rechargeable batteries also don't give full performance NEW they need to be used

and recharged a couple times before they work to full capacity, though I've little recent experience w/ the

new hybrids. as far as walmart goes, . . . you get what you pay for, buyer beware.

 

Norm

[+DonB]

If you have a Costco nearby and are a member, pick up a pack of the Sanyo "eneloop" rechargeable NiMH batteries. They are packaged in a blue plastic box and include 8 x AA and 4 x AAA, along with a charger and some dummy C- and D-cells. Cost is about $26 and well worth it.

 

They are rated at 2000 mAh, which seems low compared to other cells at 2500 mAh, but the "eneloop" batteries are considered a low self discharge battery. You can charge them up and they are supposed to retain most of their capacity for about a year. This is a lot better than other rechargeable batteries that lose their charge after sitting around for a week or two.

I agree 100%, I have used most of the brands of regular NiMH batteries, but after trying the hybrids I'll never buy anything but.

[+mo_town_man]

I have a Garmin Venture HC. Last week I ran out of my regular Kroger batteries and bought some generic Walgreens batteries. I used 2 of them through a cycle and they seemed fine. Sat night I put 2 new Walgreens batteries in (before the other pair were totally dead) and went on a caching/hike last evening with no problem. Tonight, my GPS says I have 25% battery life left and I go out caching only to find that once I get my GPS turned on, it turns off with the next 5 presses of any button (whether it be zoom in, zoom out, menu, whatever). I turn it back on only to have it turn off within 5 button presses as before. When I got home, I put in two Kroger batteries from the clock they were in and suddenly my GPS works just fine again. It seems to me that the generic Walgreens batteries are just bad batteries, I guess? Anyone else experience something like this? Are some AA's better than others?

If you are into rechargeable ones, you may want to look at the reviews of the Eneloops. I bought a bunch of them and really like them. There mAh rateing might not be real high, but they last a long time and recharge like any other recharable. And hold there charge well when not in use.

 

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000LNI5V...4456337-0590006

 

--mo_town_man

[+NightPilot]

Walgreens, and other places as well, still sell cheap batteries that aren't alkaline, just the old carbon/zinc kind. Those don't last long at all. Make sure you're getting alkaline batteries - they should actually say alkaline, not 'super-power' or whatever.

[+Trucker Lee]

If you don't use rechargables.................

 

make sure you are getting alkaline batteries, they generally hold up better.

 

avoid getting batteries at places that push a low volume of them. High turnover means fresher batteries on the shelf

 

all batteries have date stamp on the package. check it. avoid old batteries.

[+geospyder]

If you have a Costco nearby and are a member, pick up a pack of the Sanyo "eneloop" rechargeable NiMH batteries. They are packaged in a blue plastic box and include 8 x AA and 4 x AAA, along with a charger and some dummy C- and D-cells. Cost is about $26 and well worth it.

 

They are rated at 2000 mAh, which seems low compared to other cells at 2500 mAh, but the "eneloop" batteries are considered a low self discharge battery. You can charge them up and they are supposed to retain most of their capacity for about a year. This is a lot better than other rechargeable batteries that lose their charge after sitting around for a week or two.

 

Those generic alkaline batteries seem like they're hit and miss. Can't go wrong with Duracell or Energizer. Even Costco's Kirkland brand AA batteries (48 batteries for about $9) work pretty well.

 

Costco is having a coupon sale 11/23 - 11/25. The Sanyo Eneloop kit described above will only be $19.99 with the coupon those three days. To give an idea how good that is, Amazon sells the exact same setup for $32.50.