How to know if your buying good quality rechargable batteries?

[jpanhalt]

"Battery says 1.2V NAH HR6 2300 mha " OK, so what do "NAH" and "mha" mean? How was the reader to know that "HR6" was not CR6, KR6, FR6, LR6, etc? The only thing I was relatively sure of was that it was a AA battery size.

Everything considered, I think you will be better off buying the Energizer battery replacement, if it is made in Japan, or the eneloop.

John

 

[audioguru]

The date code is engraved on the side of every Energizer AA Ni-MH cell. My latest ones are marked CO 4-15 OMP which is (4-15) April, 2015. They are guaranteed for 5 years so if they do not hold a charge and are not powerful anymore then call Energizer's customer service and they will help you replace them. I have about 20 of them that work perfectly.

The video online probably shows how to "revive" an old Ni-Cad cell that is shorted with a spike of material that commonly develops inside. The four series cells ZAP away the short but another spike continues to grow until its shorts the cell again soon. Ni-MH cells do not develop the spike of material so they do not get shorted inside.

A Lithium rechargeable cell is completely different. Its voltage is much higher at 3.2V to 4.2V and special charging and discharging must be used.

 

[spec]

What do you mean "both" chemistries. I mentioned NiCd, NiMH, and any one of several Li-ion.

I also read his original and so far only post to mean he wanted a battery like the old one that lasted forever. That could well mean NiCd in the USA

John

NiCad was the chemistry for rechargeable AAA and AA batteries and would have been the heavy type that gary was using. They were replaced by NMH, which is much lighter but much more difficult to charge because of the slight -dv. The charger that I recommended will charge both of those chemistries properly. I don't know why you are going on about LiIion because that is not relevant. For a start the terminal voltage for LIIon is 3.7V. I have never heard of an AA or AAA battery with a terminal voltage of 3.7V and neither have you. It seems that you spend all your time charging at windmills rather than answering the OPs question, or if not letting others answer without causing a load of flack- do you have some kind of problem?

 

[spec]

I don't know if any of that reviving battery stuff found in youtube videos real works. I general any damage to the cells is permanent.
Even if you could get them to charge once or twice they will not last long. I feel it's worth the effort.

Ah but have you tried recovering batteries with the charger I recommended. what you say is pure speculation.

 

[spec]

The batteries I have now are 1.2V NAH HR6 2300 mha it says that above. These are Energizer batteries from Walgreens. They were the heaviest battery they sell. I had good luck with Panasonic before these and Rayovac before that but none last very long.

The industrial batteries we used at work were rated for 8 to 10 years and they did but these are permanently in place and stay on charge all the time.

Japan and China have learned BAD habits from America those light weight batteries are full of white powder filler for a very tiny battery inside the AA case. Some 9v batteries have several tiny hearing aid batteries in series. There is so much dishonesty and deception these days, 2300ma sounds big and better than 2.3a to the average person.

I don't charge my batteries until they are dead. I wait until camera RED light comes ON and camera will not work. I learned 11 hours on the charger batteries get warm the last 1 hour so I charge them 10 hours and they do not get warm. The Energizer has worked good for 18 months now they won't hold a charge for 2 days and a full charge is only good for a few camera photos.

What is the different and which are best, NiCD or NiMH or NMH?

Video online shows how to revive batteries that will not charge. Connect 4 good fully charged AA batteries in series, use these 4 batteries to give 1 AA battery a 1 second charge, wait 5 seconds charge it again 1 second, do this 6 times. Wait 2 hours the battery will take a full charge. I have not tried this yet, batteries are junk like they are so its worth trying just to see if it works.

gary, Energiser batteries are junk as I already said. They are now also NMH. You are not charging them properly either so you are being hit by a double wammy. Listen to me and your battery problems will be solved. Otherwise you will be chasing your tail again and getting nowhere.

 

[4pyros]

Ah but have you tried recovering batteries with the charger I recommended. what you say is pure speculation.

Sorry spec, I did not mean to speculate that a battery with a damaged cell, well never come back to full capacity and lead a happy and healthy life after being charged in the charger you posted.
Somehow I think it's more plausible you're speculating that a damaged cell can be brought back good as new by simply using that charger.
Can you tell me what magic that charger possesses to repair damaged batteries?

 

[jpanhalt]

spec
Yes, the charging profile for NiCd and NiMH batteries is similar, but this source also points out that a NiCd charger should not be used for NiMH:
**broken link removed**

That was an issue when NiMH first came out and NiCd were the predominant chemistry for rechargeable batteries in the USA. Why are you going on about the charger you recommended. My concern was that the OP was switching from what was possibly NiCd to NiMH, The charger for his old NiCd's might not be right for NiMH.

I do disagree with you about Energizer NiMH batteries made in Japan . Energizer brands batteries made by other manufacturers. The batteries made in Japan are labeled, "Made in Japan for Energizer Holdings, Inc." I believe that source is important to note. I am still using 8 NiMH batteries labeled made in Japan and purchased at WalMart years ago in an RC transmitter without problems. They have been recharged several times.

John

 

[audioguru]

Energizer has alkaline batteries made in USA and also calls them Eveready. Their 9V Ni-MH batteries are made in Germany. They are all good batteries.

 

[gary350]

Lets start over.

I need 4 new AA batteries? What should I buy? Eneloop? Eveready?

OK so maybe I need a different charger too. What do I buy for the batteries that I am going to buy? https://www.amazon.com/La-Crosse-Technology-Battery-Charger/dp/B000RSOV50/ref=pd_sim_23_2?ie=UTF8&dpID=41gJ5-yLA2L&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR160,160_&refRID=0MPR9C9SDX8DZE36Z1SN ?

Can I buy 4 new batteries with a charger or buy them separate?

Am I unreasonable to expect rechargeable AA batteries to last longer than 2 years?

 

[4pyros]

Lets start over.

I need 4 new AA batteries? What should I buy?

OK so maybe I need a different charger too. What do I buy for the batteries that I am going to buy?

Can I buy 4 new batteries with a charger or buy them separate?

Am I unreasonable to expect rechargeable AA batteries to last longer than 2 years?

Good idea let's back up.
What chemistry were your original batterys? I would assume NiCD only because that's what was readily available back then.
What chemistry are the new batteries? I would assume NiMH because that's what's mostly available now.
Did you also get a new charger? You should not be charging NiMH batteries in a old charger made for NiCDs.

 

[gary350]

Good idea let's back up.
What chemistry were your original batterys? I would assume NiCD only because that's what was readily available back then.
What chemistry are the new batteries? I would assume NiMH because that's what's mostly available now.
Did you also get a new charger? You should not be charging NiMH batteries in a old charger made for NiCDs.

The batteries I have now are, Eveready 1.2V NAH HR6 2300 mha.

Battery charger I have now is 2.8v 160 ma only for AA batteries but it will charge other batteries.

 

[jpanhalt]

Your safest bet is eneloop and a new, eneloop charger. I have been using eneloops since they first came out. I bought the Energizer NiMH because they were available at a local WalMart and cheaper. They have also lasted at least 4 years, but have not been used as regularly as the eneloop batteries have been used.

As for how long batteries will last, no one can answer that without a lot more information. There is a very strong correlation between number of charge cycles and life. So, if you recharge every day, the lifespan will be a lot less than if you recharge every week or every month. The eneloops I use for in-flight batteries easily lasted 4 years. I recharge them approximately weekly during the 6 months we have for flying.

John

 

[audioguru]

I have used Energizer AA NI-MH cells for many years. They are usually used and charged every 2 or 3 weeks and most last longer than the 5 years guarantee. Some are outside in solar garden lights and they freeze in winter, get cooked in summer and are charged and discharged every day.

I think the Amazon charger is a nightmare of complications. My cheap Energizer charger came with 4 AA Ni-MH batteries and says it charges them at 350mA. It has no switches and no pushbuttons. It does not detect a full charge, instead it has a timer for about 7 hours.

Energizer now also sells cheaper AA Ni-MH cells that have a capacity of only 1400mAh in additional to the 2300mAh normal ones. Some stores like Target were wrongly selling both for the price of the cheaper one.

 

[4pyros]

The batteries I have now are, Eveready 1.2V NAH HR6 2300 mha.

Battery charger I have now is 2.8v 160 ma only for AA batteries but it will charge other batteries.

Gary;
You did not tell us what your old batteries were.
You did not tell us if your old charger is made for charging NI-MH batteries.

NiCDs and NI-MH batteries are charged differently.
Your new batteries may fine, they may not be charging properly in your old charger.
Get a new charger that is made for charging NI-MH batteries and try again.

 

[gary350]

Gary;
You did not tell us what your old batteries were.
You did not tell us if your old charger is made for charging NI-MH batteries.

NiCDs and NI-MH batteries are charged differently.
Your new batteries may fine, they may not be charging properly in your old charger.
Get a new charger that is made for charging NI-MH batteries and try again.

I have tried several sets of batteries over the years, Panasonic, energizer and several others don't remember them all.

The batteries I last had were 1500 ma only good for 200 camera photos on vacation.

The batteries I have now are, Eveready 1.2V NAH HR6 2300 mha were good for about 400 photos on vacation but after 2 years I only get a few photos.

My charger is 2.8v 160 ma it came with the New Eveready batteries. No buttons, no timer.

I let the batteries go dead before I recharge, I read batteries have a memory if they get use to being charged only 10% that is all they will take so I use the batteries until they are dead. My timer charges the batteries 10 hours. 11 hours makes batteries get warm so I only charge 10 hours. It worked great for almost 2 years then batteries started going dead sooner. Now I charge the batteries 10 hours then use batteries right now I can take a lot of photos but carry camera around by lunch time batteries are dead. If I take batteries out of the charger lay them on the desk then tomorrow I might get 6 photos maybe. It is getting so the batteries need to be on charge all the time to keep them charged they do dead quick laying on the desk.

Maybe I need to build a solar trickle charger to set in the window to keep batteries on charge all the time.

 

[audioguru]

The old charger had only 160mA so it will charge the new 2300mAh Ni-MH cells in 14 to 20 hours if they are dead. Simply remove the charged cells from it instead of over-charging them for weeks. Over-charging is bad for Ni-MH batteries.
Maybe you or your camera is discharging the cells too far. With a few cells in series then the weakest one get completely discharged first and if the discharge continues then the stronger cells actually charge the weakest cell backwards which is bad for it. So you should never discharge a Ni-MH battery too low that has a few cells in series.

 

[audioguru]

Old Ni-Cad batteries had a memory and needed to be completely discharged to erase the memory. New Ni-MH batteries do not have a memory so do not discharge them.
Old Ni-Cad batteries needed to be trickle charged. New Ni-MH batteries hold a charge for 1 year and are killed with a trickle charge.
It is normal for a Ni-MH battery to get warm as it charges. You know what? A Ni-Cad battery actually gets cooler as it charges (try charging a pair of Ni-Cad and a pair of Ni-MH at the same time and feel them) but the Ni-Cads get warm when fully charged.

10 hours at 160mA is only 1600mAh. The 2300mAh batteries will be far from being fully charged because they need 2300 x 1.4= 32 hours.
If your Energizer cells are defective then they will replace them if they are less than 5 years old (maybe cells made in 2012 and earlier had a 3 years guarantee).

 

[jpanhalt]

Does your camera, presumably the flash, specify non-rechargeable or does it specifically allow rechargeable batteries. In series, the difference between 4.8 V nominal and 6 V nominal can make a difference in flash units.

In other words, my Canon camera's flash doesn't work well with rechargeable batteries.

John

 

[4pyros]

I have tried several sets of batteries over the years, Panasonic, energizer and several others don't remember them all.

The batteries I last had were 1500 ma only good for 200 camera photos on vacation.

The batteries I have now are, Eveready 1.2V NAH HR6 2300 mha were good for about 400 photos on vacation but after 2 years I only get a few photos.

My charger is 2.8v 160 ma it came with the New Eveready batteries. No buttons, no timer.

I let the batteries go dead before I recharge, I read batteries have a memory if they get use to being charged only 10% that is all they will take so I use the batteries until they are dead. My timer charges the batteries 10 hours. 11 hours makes batteries get warm so I only charge 10 hours. It worked great for almost 2 years then batteries started going dead sooner. Now I charge the batteries 10 hours then use batteries right now I can take a lot of photos but carry camera around by lunch time batteries are dead. If I take batteries out of the charger lay them on the desk then tomorrow I might get 6 photos maybe. It is getting so the batteries need to be on charge all the time to keep them charged they do dead quick laying on the desk.

Maybe I need to build a solar trickle charger to set in the window to keep batteries on charge all the time.

Gary; There is a lot out on the internet about the proper care and feeding of batteries.
Here is one PDF; https://www.nfarl.org/pdf/Battery_Presentation_Nov_18.pdf

You do not want to fully discharge Ni-MH batteries or trical charge them.
Also if one goes bad it will bring the other three down with it.

1st readup on the care and feeding of batteries.
2nd get a good charger.
3rd get new batteries and start over. With proper care and feeding they should last along time.

You can kill even the best of batteries if you don't treat them right.

 

[ronsimpson]

I have some "D" rechargeable batteries with "C" batteries inside. You can check by weight.

Here is a picture from "funny image thread".