rechargable alkalines - any good?

[k2dave]

I don't have any experence with rechargable alkalines except for a total fraud (in my humble O) 'as seen on tv' product the 'buddy L' charger which claims to recharge non-rechargable alks. This has put me off to the idea that a rechargable alk could work but it seems to (at least for some)

 

I would like some opinions from those who used them and what they think.

 

My prevailing thoughts on them are (which could be dead wrong):

1 - You can't use them all the way unless you want to kill the cycle life so the mAh rating is not usable since you can't run them totally down.

2 - cycle life is much shorter then NiCd, Nimh. Something like 25 cycles.

3 - high internal resistance makes them unsuitable for such things like digital cameras.

4 - not much in the way of self discharge at first but when you approach the end of the cycle life, self discharge becomes an issue.

5 - Never will exceed the run time of standard alks (for 1 cycle).

6 - cheapest of the rechargable options to get started

 

----(sig line)---> Did you ever do any trail maintainence? - if so you will know that all but the most worn trails need continuous maintenance to prevent mother nature from reclaiming it. herd paths are quickly reclaimed - k2dave

[+KYtrex]

I used them, wait, make that tried to use them when I first got a GPSr. I didn't have any luck with them at all. I ruined two Rayovac #PS1 chargers. That is the slow charger and it lists on the package that it can be used for rechargable alkalines. Well, all it did was make 'alkaline juice' run out of the batteries . I soon went to the NIMH rechargables and haven't looked back since. I even stepped up to the Rayovac #PS4 one hour charger and would highly recommend it. My advise is don't waste your money on them.

 

KYtrex

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A "Buckeye" is just a "Hillbilly" that ran out of money on the way to Michigan

[+KYtrex]

I used them, wait, make that tried to use them when I first got a GPSr. I didn't have any luck with them at all. I ruined two Rayovac #PS1 chargers. That is the slow charger and it lists on the package that it can be used for rechargable alkalines. Well, all it did was make 'alkaline juice' run out of the batteries . I soon went to the NIMH rechargables and haven't looked back since. I even stepped up to the Rayovac #PS4 one hour charger and would highly recommend it. My advise is don't waste your money on them.

 

KYtrex

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A "Buckeye" is just a "Hillbilly" that ran out of money on the way to Michigan

[+VentureForth]

Alkalines (and thus rechargeable alkalines) are best for products that require high voltage for use - like walkmen or portable CD players or even flashlights. Alkalines carry 1.5 vdc each, and most of these devices will start to perform poorly as the voltage drops below 2.8ish.

 

NiCd & NiMH both have a full charge state of 1.2 vdc each. Already, you're behind the power curve for devices that require just that - power.

 

It always drove me nuts as a kid when I had a walkman and my dad would always push NiCds on me. The tapes always sounded really slow.

 

The beauty of NiCd & NiMH is their ability to retain the 1.2v for a longer period of time before disappating. But when they disapate, they lose their power quick.

 

Solid state electronics such as PDAs, GPSrs, cell phones, etc. don't require the higher voltages demanded by electronics with moving parts. They're better suited to work with the NiCds and NiMH batteries.

 

Between NiMH & NiCd, NiCd has the memory issue (if you don't use it all the way and charge it, you'll only get out of it what you did the first time). I've heard that the latest generation of NiCd batteries don't have that problem any more. Does anyone know?

 

Bottom Line - I lost my NiMH (I use Eveready/Energizer ACCUCharge and have been VERY happy with them) so I've resorted to cheap cheap alkalines (non-rechargeable), and I've been happy with them. They last 10 hours, but 75 cents a pair is quite doable for me right now. I do hope to get back to NiMH soon, though.

 

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Go! And don't be afraid to get a little wet!

[+VentureForth]

Alkalines (and thus rechargeable alkalines) are best for products that require high voltage for use - like walkmen or portable CD players or even flashlights. Alkalines carry 1.5 vdc each, and most of these devices will start to perform poorly as the voltage drops below 2.8ish.

 

NiCd & NiMH both have a full charge state of 1.2 vdc each. Already, you're behind the power curve for devices that require just that - power.

 

It always drove me nuts as a kid when I had a walkman and my dad would always push NiCds on me. The tapes always sounded really slow.

 

The beauty of NiCd & NiMH is their ability to retain the 1.2v for a longer period of time before disappating. But when they disapate, they lose their power quick.

 

Solid state electronics such as PDAs, GPSrs, cell phones, etc. don't require the higher voltages demanded by electronics with moving parts. They're better suited to work with the NiCds and NiMH batteries.

 

Between NiMH & NiCd, NiCd has the memory issue (if you don't use it all the way and charge it, you'll only get out of it what you did the first time). I've heard that the latest generation of NiCd batteries don't have that problem any more. Does anyone know?

 

Bottom Line - I lost my NiMH (I use Eveready/Energizer ACCUCharge and have been VERY happy with them) so I've resorted to cheap cheap alkalines (non-rechargeable), and I've been happy with them. They last 10 hours, but 75 cents a pair is quite doable for me right now. I do hope to get back to NiMH soon, though.

 

---------------

Go! And don't be afraid to get a little wet!

[k2dave]

I really wanted to know about rechargable alks not standard but since you bought it up...

 

Alks have a higher voltage but due to high internal resistance will lose voltage with high drain devices. The 1.5v alk will usually fall to 1.1 to 1.3 volts during use of such devices (hook up a volt meter and see for yourself) - very simular to 1.2 volts from Nixx batts. Also Ni based batteris have low internal resistance so during high drain use still produce 1.2v.

 

Another problem with Alks is that the voltage falls from a new 1.7v to 1.1 volts when they are usually replaced.

 

----(sig line)---> Did you ever do any trail maintainence? - if so you will know that all but the most worn trails need continuous maintenance to prevent mother nature from reclaiming it. herd paths are quickly reclaimed - k2dave

[dave and jaime]

i've always found the kodak alks at walmart work very well for the cost (~$10 for 16). from a chemistry standpoint i would suggest that the recharging of nrc alks probably isn't worth the trouble and potential risk of damage due to leaks

[SyrDragon]

I have AA Energizer NiMH set that works great. It came in a pack of 8 with the recharger at Sam's Club for a really good price. I charge the spares and swap them between my digicam and my eMap. Never had a problem yet.

 

I used to have Raovacs for flashlights and electronic remotes but eventually they died and stopped charging...

[GoPherStash]

I used rechargable alkalines in my digital camera for a while. It was a disaster. Because of the high power the camera needs, I could only get 20-30 pics off a set. I switched to NiMh and they do *much* better. I also use NiMh in my SporTrak gps and have been quite pleased with them and would highly recommend that option. The only downside to them from my perspective is that NiMhs loose some of their charge over time when not in use. So get a charger that keeps a trickle charge going, and take them straight from the charger to use. I should also reinforce that I have found my NiMhs capable of lasting through *many* more charging cycles in the long run. So even though they are more expensive up front, my experience is that they pay for themselves quickly.

[+Gliderguy]

I concur with GoPherStash. Rechargable Alks work great for non-continuous use items like an emergency flashlight or such, The rechargeable Alks will hold their charge for a long time without self discharging. Their downside is each recharging results in a measurably shorter life. I think the manufacturer only suggest they are rechargable about 25 times. In my experience with them, once you have recharged them about 10 times they are down to a fraction (less than half) of their orginal capacity.

 

NiMH will self discharge slowly if given the chance, but I have yet to wear out a set of NiMH batts, and I have at least one set that has been recharged on the order of 100 times with no noticeable reduction in capacity. I understand that 500-700 cycles is routinely reachable with NiMH batts.