Rechargable Batteries

[The Band of Brothers]

I have heard of people using 15 minute rechargable batteries, for those of you who know what I am talking about...

 

Where do you get them?

 

How much is the charger?

 

I hate wasitng money on batteries so any help would be much appreicated:D

[+Team Dromomania]

I've seen them in Walmart. I use Energizers which charge pretty quick - under 1/2 hr. It seemed a 4 battery set was around $20-25. I'm usually wrong (ask my wife) so the next time you're in Walmart just check them out. One note: rechargable batteries put out less voltage than regular batteries. If your GPSr has a setting for rechargable batteries then use it. Else you'll be getting low battery warnings way before they need to be changed.

[+Igors Gesandte]

Varta [http://www.en.varta-consumer.com/content.php?path=/15minutes&&domain=www.en.varta-consumer.com] sells such units. The battery itself contains a charge control mechanism.

You need a special charger and special batteries.

[+piper28]

Ray-o-vac seems to have been the first company that made them, I've found them at basically any store that sells rechargeable batteries. Recently I saw some energizer batteries marked as 15 minutes too, but I honestly couldn't tell you if the charging systems are compatible with each other.

 

I use the ray-o-vacs, and would be hard pressed to go back to normal charging speeds. My charger will do 4 AA or AAA's in 15 minutes, and will plug into the wall or into the car.

[+TheAlabamaRambler]

Ditto all the above - I use Rayovac 15 Minute Rechargeable 2000 mAh AA and 800 mAh AAAs in my two Magellan Meridians, one a basic and one a Platinum, in my flashlights and FRS radios and in my digital camera.

 

The life expectancy is unknown to me but I use mine almost daily and charge them every time I use them, and have been doing this for over six months.

 

The cost is steep, I paid ~$30 for the home charger and it came with two AAs, a coupon on the charger got me a car charger for $7.

 

AAs cost ~12. per pack of four and AAAs slightly less.

 

I have 10 AAs and 14 AAAs, so you can see it's expensive to get set up, but I no longer have to buy batteries every trip, and while I haven't done the math I would say the investment is more than paid for by now, so however much longer they last (supposedly 1000 charges) is gravy!

[+MAG315]

I use the Ray-O-Vacs also and they are great. I got the one that holds 4 AA's and also sent off for the car adapter. You have to use ONLY the Ray-O-VAC batteries because it is a system. Each cell has it's own integrated circuit and only takes as much charge as it needs and then shuts itself off. I'm using them in both my GPSr's and my GMRS radios and they last a long time before needing to be recharged. A 15 minute charger will spoil you for anything else. Best money I've spent lately.

[+Siberian Cacher]

I got the 15 minute AAA and AA charger (Energizer) from Sams Club at Christimas. It came with 4 AA and 2 AAA batteries, and really does charge in 15 minutes. I use them in my GPS units and Digital Camera. The total cost was around $50.00 at Christmas.

[Pinon]

I bought a Energizer 15 min charger at Wal Mart for about $25, with 4 AA batteries. I use it for ALL my AA needs. I love this charger...I also love my MeriGold...

[+Marcie/Eric]

Theres a Ray-O-Vac 15 min at Walmart I saw.. came with 2AA and 2AAAs..

[+The red-haired witch]

By the way, a patent for a 2-minutes battery charger has recently been published. So there a good chance that those will be on the market in a couple of years.

 

One question, of course, is : do you want to pay more for your batteries and charger to save a few minutes?

 

I usually don't mind leaving my batteries in the charger 6 hours. I have to sleep at least that long between caching trips!

[+AtoZ]

Raido Shack carries them as well, with the prices quoted above as be comparable.

cheers

[+RockyRaab]

Just seems to me that you don't need a 15-minute charge ability unless the ones in your GPSr go dead in 15 minutes, too.

 

I use Ni-MH batteries from Radio Shack. They come with a 13-hour charger that will also charge Ni-Cad batteries. The batteries last for days in my Meridian Color. So, no problem with an overnight charge.

 

It isn't as if you can't do anything else while the batteries are charging.

[+StarBrand]

I use a 1 hour charger that works in either the car or the house. Gives me all the batteries I need for the digital camera and 2 GPSr's and whatever other electronics I can stir up - I have multiple plug-ins in the Jeep so it works out great.

[+DocDiTTo]

I use the Ray-O-Vacs too - 15 minute variety. I suppose if you have enough batteries the 15 minutes isn't necessary, but when a buddy calls me up to go caching, and all my batteries are dead, I can be ready to roll with a pair in my GPS and a spare set in the time it takes him to get to my house. Now that's handy! You pay a little bit more for the speed, but really, it's worth it. And the 15 minute chargers will still charge regular "hour" or "overnight" batteries too. Of course, being the over prepared person I am, I always carry a set of disposables as backup.. moreso for friends than for myself though!

Don't wanna be lending out your expensive rechargables!

[Team Peener]

ive got a maha C401FS charger which suits my needs pretty well. i think it is supposed to take about 100 minutes to charge but i wouldnt know, i havent timed it. I use them in the GPS and they work pretty good, havent had any problems with them running out of juice in that but i find the digital camera kills em pretty quick if the flash is on.

[+Miragee]

After having batteries that take hours to charge, I am really, really enjoying my 15-minute Energizer charger I got at Target along with 4 NiMH batteries for about $25.00.

 

When I went on a camping trip and used the inverter in my car for AC power, it was not good to have to wait for six hours, or longer, to charge the batteries.

 

At one point I was actually thinking about renting a motel for a night just to charge up my batteies and my laptop.

 

Edit to make a correction . . .

Edited May 10, 2005 by idiosyncratic

[vfrpilot]

FYI ALERT:

 

"FAMILY DOLLAR" (Jersey & Philly) is currently selling the charger & 4 AA NiMh for $10.00.

 

They have both Panasonic & Energizer brands - not a bad deal.

[+piper28]

Just seems to me that you don't need a 15-minute charge ability unless the ones in your GPSr go dead in 15 minutes, too.

 

While it might seem that way, I did find it pretty useful when we took our summer vacation last year. We could get into the hotel room for the night, charge the batteries for both the gps and the digital camera in 30 minutes, and put the stuff away. And it's nice for when I decide to pick up and go somewhere, even if the batteries aren't charged I can be ready to go quickly.

 

Also works well for the mouse and keyboard, because even if I don't have an extra set sitting in the charger, I can get the batteries recharged and ready to go again quickly.

 

Given that I got most of the batteries on sale anyways, they didn't cost much more than regular nimh batteries, which is just icing on the cake .

[+Marcie/Eric]

I'm seriously considering some rechargables. I'm going to opt for the 15min versions.. likely some high amperage Ray-Os. I see the sets at Target and Wally World all the time.

 

I am not a greenie by any means, but everytime I throw away a set of batteries, I think "God, I am throwing away MORE batteries". I don't even go through them that much. Weekly at most. Poor groundwater supply.

Edited May 10, 2005 by Marcie/Eric

[+CharlieP]

I use NiMH rechargeables and charge them on an overnight (slow) charger. Fast charging is convenient, but also heats up the batteries more than slow charging, and heat may shorten battery life. I have found that slow-charged NiMH batteries may last more than 5 years and hundreds of charge cycles. It will be interesting to see what the average life of the fast-charge cells will be.

Edited May 10, 2005 by CharlieP

[+C&C+COMPANY]

I got the 15 minute AAA and AA charger (Energizer) from Sams Club at Christimas. It came with 4 AA and 2 AAA batteries, and really does charge in 15 minutes. I use them in my GPS units and Digital Camera. The total cost was around $50.00 at Christmas.

thats where I got mine. Great usually last 18hrs.

[4x4van]

I got 24 AA (2300mah) NiMH batteries plus a charger (works on both 110vac & 12vdc) from www.batterysource.com for $50, including shipping. The charger charges a full set (4) of AAs or AAAs in about 2 hours. With 24 of them, I've always got enough charged to cover my needs.

[+tls11823]

...Fast charging is convenient, but also heats up the batteries more than slow charging, and heat may shorten battery life...

I have the Ray-O-Vac 15-minute charger. It has a fan that goes on while the batteries are charging. They still get a little warm, but not too bad. Besides, you can use the fan as an audible cue of when the batteries have completed charging.

 

I've been using these batteries for less than a year, so I don't know what their lifetime is, but they're supposed to take quite a few charges. So far I'm happy. I like these things so much that it's what I gave for Christmas presents.

[+archeangelsk2002]

i have the radio shack charger for the little zip zap cars. i purchased two units, each had 8 AAA NiMH batteries. each unit cost 24.95.

 

i also have 2 of the energizer 2500 MaH with 8 AA for my T7100 GMRS/FRS radios. the rechargables that came with the T7100 last about 10 hours. those 2500 MaH NiMH last 28 hours on regular use. however, on scanning mode, the batteries last just over 18 hours.

 

a note on nickel metal hydride rechargables, they come to full capacity after four depletions and four recharges. the energizer recharger i got from walmart will fully charge batteries after 8.5 hours and turns itself off.

 

i use the AAA's in my pda's and their modems,its been a little over 2 weeks since i changed them out and im just now showing a slight depletion. the radio shack set for 24.95 is a much better deal than just paying for the batteries by themselves. 4 AAA NiMH are 19.95. i got 8 AAA NiMH and a charger for 24.95. the charger can do either fast charge or trickle charge. it detects when the AAA's are charged and goes out of fast charge(an hour or less) to trickle.

 

regards

archie

[+Milbank]

The Ray-O-Vac 15-minute charger is great. I got mine at Wal-mart.

[The Band of Brothers]

FYI ALERT:

 

"FAMILY DOLLAR" (Jersey & Philly) is currently selling the charger & 4 AA NiMh for $10.00.

 

They have both Panasonic & Energizer brands - not a bad deal.

Ya, I finally found some at Wal-mart for $10 bucks and it came with the charger and 4 AA's too, it can charge 4 AA's, AAA's or a 9 volt I like it so far:) Now I just need to get some more batteries, thanks to all for your input I sure appreciate it and I hope everyone learned a little something

[+WildGooseChase]

Just seems to me that you don't need a 15-minute charge ability unless the ones in your GPSr go dead in 15 minutes, too.

 

I use Ni-MH batteries from Radio Shack. They come with a 13-hour charger that will also charge Ni-Cad batteries. The batteries last for days in my Meridian Color. So, no problem with an overnight charge.

 

It isn't as if you can't do anything else while the batteries are charging.

While you're waiting for your batteries to charge I'll be out caching! I don't know how many times I've recharged the batteries in the middle of a 12 hour caching spree. Waiting 13 hours would not work, unless you want to carry spare batteries. Seems like the old charges waste time and the extra batteries waste space.

[+Criminal]

Markwell.

[+DaveA]

Just seems to me that you don't need a 15-minute charge ability unless the ones in your GPSr go dead in 15 minutes, too. 

 

I use Ni-MH batteries from Radio Shack.  They come with a 13-hour charger that will also charge Ni-Cad batteries.  The batteries last for days in my Meridian Color.  So, no problem with an overnight charge. 

 

It isn't as if you can't do anything else while the batteries are charging.

If you are good with time management then I agree an overnight charger is just fine. I use batteries in my gps and digital camera primarily.

 

Anyone who uses rechargeable batteries quickly learns that they self discharge pretty quickly. About 2 weeks of sitting around and they are dead for use in a high draw device.

 

That is why I like fast chargers. I don't have the 15 minute charging system yet, I have a one hour charger. I would like faster although one hour generally works well enough for me.

 

The problem, for me, with overnight chargers is that I get up in the morning and the wife says "Let's go do this" and I need my GPS or camera.

 

I haven't charged the batteries in a couple weeks so all 6 pairs are dead (GPS takes 2, camera 4).

 

If I had to wait 7+ hours to charge those batteries it just wouldn't work out. Waiting an hour is usually fine, but 15 minutes would be 4x better.

 

Plus, for anyone considering a rechargeable system purchase, the price of the overnight chargers isn't much different than the 1 hr systems which aren't much different than the 15 min systems.

 

Used to be the faster charging systems were premium priced, but those prices have fallen to very affordable levels.

[+Runfrog]

I've been using rechargables for over a year, love it. Yes initially the cost is a little steep, but double A's get expensive to. Also I know I am putting less into the waste stream. I always take an extra pair. As for me, I guess I am a low tech guy, mine take five hours to charge. Also one point not sure it was made is the fifteen minute charger has have the special batteries that can be recharged in 15 minutes. I'll keep my good old ray-o-vacs, they work just fine.

[+Siberian Cacher]

The problem, for me, with overnight chargers is that I get up in the morning and the wife says "Let's go do this" and I need my GPS or camera.

 

I haven't charged the batteries in a couple weeks so all 6 pairs are dead (GPS takes 2, camera 4).

 

You hit it right on the head, for me. Many times, the digital camera and GPS trips are a last-minute grab. It's very nice to toss in the 4 AA batteries in the 15 minute charger and by the time we are packed up, they are fully charged.

Very rarely are they completely discharged, though, and typically take about 7-10 minutes, in reality.

 

I can get a full day out of both (my digital camera uses 2 batteries and my GPS 2) so I don't have to worry about drained batteries. I keep a 4 pack of Energizers in the car for backup.

 

I used to buy the Sams Club "36 AA Pack" of Energizers for about $15.00, which was a great deal. the problem is that my camera continues to drain batteries when it is powered off. Everytime I grabbed my camera, it was dead so I grabbed more batteries. I was amamzed at how many AA batteries we went through (between the kids' toy and all my toys" so the rechargeable were a natual choice.

 

I was a little leary about them, since the old rechargeables used to last about 30 minutes. These new ones do last long enough.

 

they do get hot though

[+tls11823]

I've heard all along that the 15-minute batteries discharge after just sitting around doing nothing, which is consistent with what folks are saying here as well as what the charger manual says. However, just this past weekend I picked up my camera for the first time in over a month and the battery meter still showed full. I used it all weekend without charging and it worked great.

 

I love it when things work better than promised!

[+Nyarlotep]

On a similar note: I've been looking into rechargeables, and I wondered if anyone knows if there's any real difference between brands. Royovac, Energizer, and Duracell are all available nearly anywhere, though NiMHs and rechargers are much cheaper here:

http://www.batteryspace.com/

Also, no matter the brand, they use the same technology to charge the batteries and the same materials in the batteries. Has anyone tried charging one brand of batteries in a different brand charger? Anything to watch out for?

[dsandbro]

Buy an inverter for less than $50. Plug the inverter into the power port in your car then your home charger into the inverter. You can charge all your batteries while driving to and from the cache.

 

You can get chargers that plug directly into a automotive power port, too.

 

I haven't heard much good about the small solar rechargers. Most I have talked to complain it takes all day of setting in the sun to fully recharge batteries. Anyone ever use these?

[+Miragee]

On a similar note: I've been looking into rechargeables, and I wondered if anyone knows if there's any real difference between brands. Royovac, Energizer, and Duracell are all available nearly anywhere, though NiMHs and rechargers are much cheaper here:

http://www.batteryspace.com/

Also, no matter the brand, they use the same technology to charge the batteries and the same materials in the batteries. Has anyone tried charging one brand of batteries in a different brand charger? Anything to watch out for?

I don't know about the "chemistry" in different brands of batteries, but my Garmin eTrex Vista works better and longer using my "name brand" rechargeable batteries like Panasonic, Rayovac, and Energizer.

 

I have about 20 different rechargeable batteries and I keep them matched by brand in the cordless mouse, TV remote, portable radio, flashlight, digital camera, etc.

 

The off-brand batteries from Wal-Mart and another company (NoMem Pro) do not get along with my Vista for very long.

 

My Energizer, 15-minute rechargeables last for hours. I have four of them, plus I bring along another pair of name-brand batteries, so I have lots of backup power when I go out on caching adventures.

 

I keep the off-brand batteries in things like my electric pepper-grinder with light.

 

I got my inverter from Fry's electronics for about $30.00. It works great for charging batteries as well as for my DELL laptop.

[+Marcie/Eric]

personal story:

I went to damned Wally World yesterday, and the charger I saw last weekend.. Ray-O-Vac 15min with 2AA and 2AAAs included, plus car support... gone. They had one, AC only, 15min with 2AAs for 19.99. I passed. I can wait. I still have 6 e2's. I'm set for a little bit.

 

Moral of the story is to buy a 15min charger when first instict strikes. It may not be there next time.

[+Nyarlotep]

Target usually has all 3 brands; I think the Energizer is the one I've seen that comes w/ both wall and car power adapters. They all come w/ 4 AAs, and 4-pks of AA or AAA are $10 each. One of the chargers was faster than the other; I don't remember if 1 was 60 min and the other 30, or if one was 30 min and the other 15.

But really, what do most people need batteries in 15 minutes for that they can't wait 30 minutes for?

[+mrking]

An interesting read:

 

Battery University

[+Miragee]

Target usually has all 3 brands; I think the Energizer is the one I've seen that comes w/ both wall and car power adapters. They all come w/ 4 AAs, and 4-pks of AA or AAA are $10 each. One of the chargers was faster than the other; I don't remember if 1 was 60 min and the other 30, or if one was 30 min and the other 15.

But really, what do most people need batteries in 15 minutes for that they can't wait 30 minutes for?

If you are camping, as I was for eight days back in March, it is nice to get fully-charged batteries in 15 minutes using the inverter in my car.

 

On a normal road trip, or if I am at home, it doesn't matter that it takes hours to recharge the batteries.

 

However, now that I can charge them up that quickly, even when I am at home, I'll admit . . . I'm spoiled.