+Red Iguana Posted October 24, 2004 Share Posted October 24, 2004 I am betting that if I were not lazy and tech-challenged, I would answer this question myself... What advice is there out there in regards to batteries. I have a Magllen ST pro. Can I use rechargables. I understand the more I ratchet through screens and edit waypoints, the more the drain. I have not found threads yet on this subjec, but certainly, there must be something. Any advice. Please be nice... Red Iguana Quote Link to comment
Bobthearch Posted October 24, 2004 Share Posted October 24, 2004 You can certainly use rechargable batteries. I use Duracell NiMH. There have been several discussions on which rechargables are best, but I don't recall a specific outcome. Best Wishes, Bob Quote Link to comment
+Renegade Knight Posted October 24, 2004 Share Posted October 24, 2004 Yup, as was said, you can use NiMH batteries. The higher the MAH (milli amp hour) rating the longer the batteries will last in your GPS. Then there are re-chargers. I use a Maha MH-C204F which will condition the batteries. You don't need to do it often wiht NiMH but you do need to do it once in a while. Quote Link to comment
koz Posted October 24, 2004 Share Posted October 24, 2004 hey rn: what's it mean to "condition" the batteries? Quote Link to comment
+Night Stalker Posted October 24, 2004 Share Posted October 24, 2004 You can set the MAHA cherger up to completely discharge a battery before it starts the recharge. That is what it mean by conditioning. It is not as important with NIMH since it doesn't have a battery memory like some of the older batteries, but NIMH needs to be completely discharged a few times when it is new to achieve its best charge. Quote Link to comment
+embra Posted October 24, 2004 Share Posted October 24, 2004 Other NiMH advice: 1. Look for batteries that hold the most juice. This is reported as a number like "2100 mAH" (milliAmpHours, I think). I'd avoid anything less than 2000, I think about the highest I've seen being sold these days is around 2300. Price may be a factor here. 2. Don't be stingy about buying the recharger. It is going to save you hundreds of dollars over its lifetime, so get a good one. www.thomas-distributing.com has been a good site for reference and buying, but I can't get it to come up when I try it this morning. Quote Link to comment
Spike440 Posted October 24, 2004 Share Posted October 24, 2004 I have had a SporTrak Pro for over a year, and the only batteries I've used in it are rechargables. Quote Link to comment
+geoSquid Posted October 24, 2004 Share Posted October 24, 2004 I use ray-o-vac, 2100 mAh 15-minute rechargeables. Quote Link to comment
+NightPilot Posted October 24, 2004 Share Posted October 24, 2004 Any AA batteries you can find will work, some longer than others. There are several long threads on batteries here, and the search engine should find them for youi. Quote Link to comment
+Bozz Posted October 25, 2004 Share Posted October 25, 2004 I use the Energizer Rechargables -- I think they are 2200 MAh, they work GREAT! Keep a spare set or two with me, but never had them dye in the field. They aren't too expensive either, I own about 12 AA's and a charger -- looking to get a few more. I power all my devices with them, from CD players, GPSr's, Digital Cameras, etc. Bozz Quote Link to comment
+YuccaPatrol Posted October 25, 2004 Share Posted October 25, 2004 I buy my rechargeables strictly based upon the highest mAH rating for the cheapest price. I carry enough spare batteries with me that it really does not matter if one particular set lasts a little longer than another. Quote Link to comment
MacBandit Posted October 27, 2004 Share Posted October 27, 2004 Other NiMH advice: 1. Look for batteries that hold the most juice. This is reported as a number like "2100 mAH" (milliAmpHours, I think). I'd avoid anything less than 2000, I think about the highest I've seen being sold these days is around 2300. Price may be a factor here. 2. Don't be stingy about buying the recharger. It is going to save you hundreds of dollars over its lifetime, so get a good one. www.thomas-distributing.com has been a good site for reference and buying, but I can't get it to come up when I try it this morning. Actually 3000MmAH AA batteries exist but they are difficult to find. Most stores carry 2300-2600mAH AA batteries as there highest capacity. For reference your standard Alkaline AA such as Energizer or Duracell have a mAH rating around 2800-3500mAH. Quote Link to comment
+Red Iguana Posted October 27, 2004 Author Share Posted October 27, 2004 I would like to thank everyone for all of the information you have provided. Now I know that I can just expand my NI-MH battery inventory that I have for my camera, and be all set. Red Iguana Quote Link to comment
+jacques0 Posted November 6, 2004 Share Posted November 6, 2004 Has anyone tried the new 15-minute batteries/charger from Radio Shack? The batts are 2000 mAh and allegedly last 4x as long as alkalines. The charger, w/ 2 of the special batts, is $39.95 and has a $10 rebate until the end of Nov. The charger can also do an overnight charge on Ni-mh. I'm looking at the Maha charger, but the 15 minute feature of the Radio Shack unit makes it intriguing. Here is a link to the Radio Shack page describing the unit. Quote Link to comment
+Prime Suspect Posted November 6, 2004 Share Posted November 6, 2004 Has anyone tried the new 15-minute batteries/charger from Radio Shack? The batts are 2000 mAh and allegedly last 4x as long as alkalines. The charger, w/ 2 of the special batts, is $39.95 and has a $10 rebate until the end of Nov. The charger can also do an overnight charge on Ni-mh. I'm looking at the Maha charger, but the 15 minute feature of the Radio Shack unit makes it intriguing. Here is a link to the Radio Shack page describing the unit. Price-wise, they don't make sense. The 15-minute charging can only be done with their special batteries. And they go for $15 for 2. I can buy SIX name-brand 2300mAH batteries for that price, and use them in any charger. My charger drops down to a trickle-charge when it's done, and I always have at least 2 batteries in it (ready to go). I've never had a need to charge batteries in 15 minutes. Quote Link to comment
+jacques0 Posted November 7, 2004 Share Posted November 7, 2004 You know, I was sort of thinking the same thing, until I discovered that these are the Ray-O-Vac IC-3's Look at this to see some user insights. I might try them out. I'll let you know the results. Quote Link to comment
+Milbank Posted November 7, 2004 Share Posted November 7, 2004 Price-wise, they don't make sense. The 15-minute charging can only be done with their special batteries. And they go for $15 for 2. I can buy SIX name-brand 2300mAH batteries for that price, and use them in any charger. Hmm, they are less then $13 a 4pk Here Quote Link to comment
+jacques0 Posted November 7, 2004 Share Posted November 7, 2004 Thanks Milbank. I'll definitely check it out now. I'll post the results here. Quote Link to comment
Blue Contrails Posted November 7, 2004 Share Posted November 7, 2004 My lawyers will be contacting you in a few days. Quote Link to comment
+Milbank Posted November 7, 2004 Share Posted November 7, 2004 Thanks Milbank. I'll definitely check it out now. I'll post the results here. Glad I could be of some help. I'm going to give them a try too. Quote Link to comment
latvija Posted November 8, 2004 Share Posted November 8, 2004 One frustrating thing I've confronted with rechargeables is that the batteries get larger as you go up in mAh ratings. This isn't much of a problem with my Garmin V but the 2300s are a really snug fit in my yellow eTrex. Nothing above an 1800 will fit in my old Kenwood TH78a (ham radio). I'm curious how much bigger the 2600 and 3000 mAh rechargeables are than the 2100s or 2300s. latvija Quote Link to comment
CoyoteRed Posted November 8, 2004 Share Posted November 8, 2004 I use this that I got at Walmart. They don't have these on their site, though. The reason I use this is price point and the fact the charger will charge the batteries individually AND trickle charge thereafter--not something the typical RadioShack charger does. It came in a pack of charger, AC adapter, DC adapter, and 4 1800mAh batteries at a price around $12. Couldn't beat that with a stick. Quote Link to comment
+jacques0 Posted November 8, 2004 Share Posted November 8, 2004 I purchased a Radio Shack (=Rayovac) 15-minute charger yesterday. It does, in fact, go to a trickle charge once the 15 minute cycle is done. You're right, though, the price of your unit is no comparison, especially considering all that came with it. Well done! Quote Link to comment
MacBandit Posted November 8, 2004 Share Posted November 8, 2004 I got an Energizer brand charger at Target. They seem to have some the best prices around for NiMH chargers and batteries. I refuse to shop at WallMart so that's out of the question. The charger I got charges AA, C, D, 9 volt batteries. Also it does a quick charge and trickle. http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/sr=2-...asin=B00000JGNB Quote Link to comment
+jacques0 Posted November 9, 2004 Share Posted November 9, 2004 My results so far re: RayoVac (or Radio Shack) 15 minute charger. The batteries charged right up in 15 minutes (they'd better!). In my GPS the battery-charge-remaining indicator showed a charge level just below max (the Eveready E2 batteries I've been using always filled the charge-remaining indicator to the max). The charge-remaining display dropped down a bit on the first day (to~ the 75% level) and has remained there throughout the day today, as I was out gecocaching (and changing screens a lot). It remains to be seen how long the charge will last. I will leave this batch in until they run down almost completely, then let you know. On a side note, the Radio Shack unit did not come with a car adapter, which the RayoVac website says is now included. I sent an email to RayoVac inquiring about this and received a quick response that they would send me a car adapter free of charge. So far, I'm impressed. More to come...... (BTW, KMart has the 4 pack of E-C3 batts. for ~14.00 Quote Link to comment
+hwyman Posted November 10, 2004 Share Posted November 10, 2004 I just picked up two 4-packs of Energizer 2500mAh AA batteries for $10 per pack at Walmart. That should be a huge boost over the 1850mAh I was running around with before. Quote Link to comment
+Milbank Posted November 21, 2004 Share Posted November 21, 2004 I just picked up two 4-packs of Energizer 2500mAh AA batteries for $10 per pack at Walmart. That should be a huge boost over the 1850mAh I was running around with before. How are the 2500 mAh AA's working for you? How long is the charging time on them? I seen some of the 2500 mAh in Target this weekend with charger. I have been looking for just the 2500 mAh batteries, but can not find them without charger. All the ones I see without charger are only 2100 mAh. The RayoVac 2000 mAh AA's with 15 minute charger I picked up to try works great. I love the fast charging time. Quote Link to comment
MacBandit Posted November 21, 2004 Share Posted November 21, 2004 I just picked up two 4-packs of Energizer 2500mAh AA batteries for $10 per pack at Walmart. That should be a huge boost over the 1850mAh I was running around with before. How are the 2500 mAh AA's working for you? How long is the charging time on them? I seen some of the 2500 mAh in Target this weekend with charger. I have been looking for just the 2500 mAh batteries, but can not find them without charger. All the ones I see without charger are only 2100 mAh. The RayoVac 2000 mAh AA's with 15 minute charger I picked up to try works great. I love the fast charging time. Target has 2300mAh Energizers but they don't have the 2500s without the charger. I've been checking there for a couple years now. Quote Link to comment
+Prime Suspect Posted November 21, 2004 Share Posted November 21, 2004 (edited) Frys is now carrying 2450 AA's. Works in any NiMH charger. Edited November 21, 2004 by Prime Suspect Quote Link to comment
+Shalimarjim Posted November 22, 2004 Share Posted November 22, 2004 I guess I'm battery challenged. I've used a mix of batteries since I've had my SporTrak Pro. It didn't take very long after I started caching that I realized that I needed to go with rechargeables as my unit would use up a pair each time I went out. After viewing many web sites, I bought a MAHA 401FS this was in addition to an Eveready charger I had earlier bought at Sam's. Neither unit ever "fully" charges the batteries. At best, I may be at 90 percent. Alkalines will always show 100 percent when placed in the unit. I can see no difference in the MAHA when it is placed in the slow mode or the fast mode. I have used a variety of sizes from 1900 mAh to 2200. Yes, rechargeables are the way to go but there are issues as to which charger to use to fully recharge them. Quote Link to comment
+Right Wing Wacko Posted November 22, 2004 Share Posted November 22, 2004 I guess I'm battery challenged. I've used a mix of batteries since I've had my SporTrak Pro. It didn't take very long after I started caching that I realized that I needed to go with rechargeables as my unit would use up a pair each time I went out. After viewing many web sites, I bought a MAHA 401FS this was in addition to an Eveready charger I had earlier bought at Sam's. Neither unit ever "fully" charges the batteries. At best, I may be at 90 percent. Alkalines will always show 100 percent when placed in the unit. I can see no difference in the MAHA when it is placed in the slow mode or the fast mode. I have used a variety of sizes from 1900 mAh to 2200. Yes, rechargeables are the way to go but there are issues as to which charger to use to fully recharge them. You may be misreading your battery indicator on the GPS. Alkaline Batteries start out at 1.5V when fresh. They slowly degrade until they are totally dead. NiMH batteries fully charged are 1.2V and maintain a fairly constant voltage until just before death. As an aside, you NEVER want to let a NiMH battery go completely dead, as it can become impossible to get them to take a new charge. Fortunatly most units will shut off before this happens. This can cause your GPS battery charge indicator to indicate that the battery is not fully charged whin in fact it is. Most newer units (at least all the GARMIN units I've seen lately) have a setting to tell them which kind if batteries you are using so they can make adjustments for the small voltage difference. Quote Link to comment
+Shalimarjim Posted November 22, 2004 Share Posted November 22, 2004 Thanks Right Wing. Guess it always help to look at the markings on the battery!! I don't know that Magellon has that built into the SporTrak but I explore the setings. Quote Link to comment
+geoSquid Posted November 23, 2004 Share Posted November 23, 2004 Has anyone tried the new 15-minute batteries/charger from Radio Shack? The batts are 2000 mAh and allegedly last 4x as long as alkalines. The charger, w/ 2 of the special batts, is $39.95 and has a $10 rebate until the end of Nov. The charger can also do an overnight charge on Ni-mh. I'm looking at the Maha charger, but the 15 minute feature of the Radio Shack unit makes it intriguing. Here is a link to the Radio Shack page describing the unit. Price-wise, they don't make sense. The 15-minute charging can only be done with their special batteries. And they go for $15 for 2. I can buy SIX name-brand 2300mAH batteries for that price, and use them in any charger. My charger drops down to a trickle-charge when it's done, and I always have at least 2 batteries in it (ready to go). I've never had a need to charge batteries in 15 minutes. 15 minute rechargeables may not be the least expensive solution but... I don't have to leave them in the charger - I can leave them drained down which reduces any "memory" they may have, and... ... I never have to worry about "gee the batteries are dead" because I can slap 'em in the charger and be ready to go by the time I've assembled the rest of my gear. So yes, they're not the least expensive, but they are a LOT more convenient, and to me, that convenience is worth a few extra dollars. Quote Link to comment
+Right Wing Wacko Posted November 23, 2004 Share Posted November 23, 2004 In my case, I got a charger at Target for $29.99 with 4 Batteries. The charger as a 12 volt cigarette lighter type connection, so I keep it in the truck with a full set of batteries in it. It turns itself off when the batteries are charged, so it also becomes a handy storage place Quote Link to comment
+jacques0 Posted November 23, 2004 Share Posted November 23, 2004 Just a quick update on the 15 minute rechargeables. I have been using these batteries since Nov. 9, on the first charge. Now, I'm not using the GPS every single day, but I estimate that I have about 10-12 hours on these batteries so far, and the battery indicator still shows about 1/3 remaining. I'm leaving the GPS on right now so that I can run the batteries down, in order to find just how long they'll last. I'm extremely impressed so far. Once this batch runs down, I will recharge them with the AC (car) adapter to see if that, too, takes only 15 minutes. I'll let the board here know the results. The I-C3 batteries themselves are available more cheaply than the price Radio Shack gets for them. Try Kmart, for example. Quote Link to comment
tubemonkey Posted November 23, 2004 Share Posted November 23, 2004 Just a reminder, Costco will be having an after Thanksgiving sale on a rechargeable battery pack. It'll be a coupon item. Panasonic Rechargeable Battery Package $25 - $5 coupon = $20 Panasonic 90 Min Charger (w/ 4 battery slots) AC & Car Power Adapters 8 x AA NiMH Batteries - 2300 mAh Also, they currently sell: Panasonic - 6 x AA NiMH - 2300 mAh - $13 Quote Link to comment
+NightPilot Posted November 24, 2004 Share Posted November 24, 2004 Geosquid, a couple of things to think about. NiMH batteries don't like being drained completely. If you do it, you'll soon have dead batteries. And NiMH batteries do not have any memory - that is only the case with NiCd batteries, which are very much inferior to NiMH. Keep the NiMH batteries charged as much as possible, and change them, and charge them, when they start to get low. You'll get much better results. Quote Link to comment
+jacques0 Posted November 24, 2004 Share Posted November 24, 2004 Re: 15 minute rechargeables I finally ran down the I-C3 batteries in my GPS after about 14 hours of use. I then had to run some errands so I tested the DC (car) adapter and it took exactly 15 minutes to charge them while driving. When I returned home I put the batteries back into my GPS and the battery indicator showed a full charge (i.e., just slightly less than the complete bar graph, because of the batts. being 1.2v instead of 1.5 (thanks to the poster who pointed that out). Quote Link to comment
+n3uea Posted November 24, 2004 Share Posted November 24, 2004 NiMH batteries are great, they do have a slight memory disadvantage. It is one that only somebody who pays very close attention to their batteries will notice. When you use NiMH, use them until the GPSr or whatever device they are in automaticly shuts itself off, then recharge then per the manufactures recomendations. At work, I use NiMH batteries in my Motorola Minitor IV pager, they usually last 36+ hours of continous useage. The pager alerts me when they are low. According to the service tech from the local radio shop, only after the batteries are low should they be recharged. This was confirmed by the tech from Medtronic (The people who make defibrillators). As for my GPSr, I also use NiMH and follow the same guidelines. I have an eTrex Venture & the batteries last 24+ hrs, usually leaving the backlight on continuously (I take it to work & work @ night). They are the Energizer 2300mAh rechargeable that I picked up at Wal-Mart for 10.00 for a four pack. The charger is a 1 hour charger from Radio Shack. Quote Link to comment
+Milbank Posted November 24, 2004 Share Posted November 24, 2004 (edited) I have an eTrex Venture & the batteries last 24+ hrs, usually leaving the backlight on continuously Sorry, but I find this very hard to believe. I'm lucky to get 12-14 hours of use out of any set of batteries when using my Garmin Legend and that is without ever turning the backlight on. I use my gps at work daily so I have a preaty good idea of how long a set of batteries is going last. Edited November 24, 2004 by Milbank Quote Link to comment
+geoSquid Posted November 24, 2004 Share Posted November 24, 2004 Geosquid, a couple of things to think about. NiMH batteries don't like being drained completely. If you do it, you'll soon have dead batteries. And NiMH batteries do not have any memory - that is only the case with NiCd batteries, which are very much inferior to NiMH. Keep the NiMH batteries charged as much as possible, and change them, and charge them, when they start to get low. You'll get much better results. I don't drain them down completely, just until the GPS says they're done. NiMH batteries do develop memory, just not as bad as NiCd (which can develop memory on the first partial charge). Li-ion batteries have memory too, but less than NiMH. You can see this effect with just about any cellular or cordless phone which will typically be put through a number of partial-discharge/partial charge cycles. They do develop a memory. I have a new set of these and an older set. I'll try keeping the new ones charged up and I can compare against the ones I charge when needed and use until drained and see if I can detect a difference in performance over the coming year. Quote Link to comment
+Team Sydster Posted November 24, 2004 Share Posted November 24, 2004 Try this site I've had great success with their products.http://www.ripvan100.com/ Quote Link to comment
+jacques0 Posted December 5, 2004 Share Posted December 5, 2004 FYI re: RayoVac I-C3 (15 minute rechargeables). I purchased a 4-pack of I-C3 batteries yesterday, on sale at Menard's, for $9.97. As I've mentioned in previous posts, this battery charger/battery combo is showing itself to be the real deal. The batteries DO charge in 15 minutes (AC or car adapter); the batteries DO last every bit as long (longer, actually) than standard alkalines. For anyone wanting the convenience of a quick recharge this setup seems to work great. Happy Holidays to all (and a PEACEFUL New Year). Quote Link to comment
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