NLee the Engineer tests the new Duracell Ion Core

[N8N]

http://www.amazon.com/Duracell-pre-charged-Rechargeable-Batteries-count/product-reviews/B00DP2U43I
http://www.amazon.com/Duracell-Batteries-NIMH-Long-batteries/product-reviews/B00DP2U5JQ

Oddly, he's concluded that (as we suspected) the AAs are rebranded Eneloop XXs making them the new best deal going in NiMH AA cells. However, he's thinking that the AAAs are rebranded 2nd gen Eneloops, same as the old Duraloops. Go figure...

Sorry if this is old news, I'm running low on cells again and came back to this topic to see if anything had been definitely determined.

 

[ChrisGarrett]

http://www.amazon.com/Duracell-pre-charged-Rechargeable-Batteries-count/product-reviews/B00DP2U43I
http://www.amazon.com/Duracell-Batteries-NIMH-Long-batteries/product-reviews/B00DP2U5JQ

Oddly, he's concluded that (as we suspected) the AAs are rebranded Eneloop XXs making them the new best deal going in NiMH AA cells. However, he's thinking that the AAAs are rebranded 2nd gen Eneloops, same as the old Duraloops. Go figure...

Sorry if this is old news, I'm running low on cells again and came back to this topic to see if anything had been definitely determined.

I made a post below and this is what I got:

Discharged the 4 DuraLoop 2400s on my Maha C-9000 the other day at 200mA and got:

1: 1158mAh

2: 1155mAh

3: 1150mAh

4: 1147mAh

So they were hit by parasitic drain, pretty well, by being stored in the charger (Duracell is1000 combo pack) proper, is my guess.

Broke them in on the Maha (2400mAh) and got:

1: 2502mAh

2: 2473mAh

3: 2455mAh

4: 2484mAh.

Date codes are different, but the only way to be sure is to do a long term storage/discharge and compare those numbers to the same test using Eneloop XX/Pros.

Chris

 

[Dimt]

Don't trust anything but Eneloop's

 

[N8N]

for $11/4 and available within walking distance of my house (same price or less than regular Eneloops, and no need to wait a week after ordering for them to arrive) if it can be confirmed that they hold up over time the Ion Cores are a great deal. I would also feel more comfortable *not* having lots of spare cells laying around, knowing that if I need more I can get them whenever I want.

 

[N8N]

I made a post below and this is what I got:

Discharged the 4 DuraLoop 2400s on my Maha C-9000 the other day at 200mA and got:

1: 1158mAh

2: 1155mAh

3: 1150mAh

4: 1147mAh

So they were hit by parasitic drain, pretty well, by being stored in the charger (Duracell is1000 combo pack) proper, is my guess.

Ah, that would explain the very low charge levels.

I wonder why, since both Sanyo/Panasonic and Duracell engineers should know better, that they didn't put a little piece of plastic in between one end of the cells and the terminals of the charger for shipping?

I didn't notice where NLee stated that he'd bought the cells with the charger however, nor do *I* have any personal experiences with the Eneloop XX, so I don't know if the XX generally ship with a lower state of charge than regular 'loops, which have all been about 70-75% for me.

 

[schizeckinosy]

Sam's club is now carrying various packs of the duracell ion cores, both with and without charger.

 

[ChrisGarrett]

Ah, that would explain the very low charge levels.

I wonder why, since both Sanyo/Panasonic and Duracell engineers should know better, that they didn't put a little piece of plastic in between one end of the cells and the terminals of the charger for shipping?

I didn't notice where NLee stated that he'd bought the cells with the charger however, nor do *I* have any personal experiences with the Eneloop XX, so I don't know if the XX generally ship with a lower state of charge than regular 'loops, which have all been about 70-75% for me.
[/COLOR]

If you look at NLee's review (which you did and which I actually replied to,) you'll see that he got an average of 1220 for his DuraLoop 2400s, which is slightly over 50%. He doesn't say that he bought the charger combo pack, so let's assume that he just bought the batteries.

One conclusion that can be drawn, as I see it, is that if they're in fact Eneloops and if they're in fact Eneloop XX/Pros, they're not being charged up to that 'commonly accepted' 70% number upon leaving the factory.

Another conclusion could be that the DuraLoop 2400s just drain faster than the regular Gen. 2/3 Eneloops, but I've never done any testing on the Pro/XXs cells like I did for the Gen. 2s, GP ReCyKos and Imedions.

These are a relatively new product and probably not one that's been sitting on a shelf for 3 years already, before we buy them. I doubt any are over 12 months old, but I don't know how to decode the Duracell date code that's stamped on my cells, as it's not in the same configuration as the Eneloop code proper.

Finally, NLee uses the LaCrosse BC-1000. I have a BC-700 that I got along with my Maha C-9000 and I've always noticed that the BC-700 seems to yield slightly higher numbers when charging the same/similar batteries. It's possible that the BC-1000, when charging up same/similar cells, gives reading that may be construed as slightly higher readings, but I'm just giving non-empirical opinion on this point.

If so, his readings could be closer to my own and ultimately below that 50%, 1200mAh level.

Anyhow, I have another coupon and while I'm pretty well saturated with Eneloops and other decent NiMH AA/AAAs, I'd fiddle with another pack of these DuraLoops. The price is right and worth the gamble.

FWIW, I have my four charged up and broken-in DuraLoops sitting in a couple of 2xAA lights, with the tailcaps locked out, in my bug-out-box, so maybe I'll wait and do a discharge test next year sometime, if I don't have to use them.

'Hurry up and wait.' LOL.

Chris

 

[skypirate]

I bought a set of the AA and AAA. Did a Discharge, let the batteries rest, Refresh/Analyze to determine capacity, followed by a Break in on a C9000.

AA
1 2380 mAh
2 2385 mAh
3 2360 mAh
4 2376 mAh

AAA
1 783 mAh
2 781 mAh
3 767 mAh
4 770 mAh

Any recommendations on how I might improve the results?

 

[Zhukov]

These are currently on sale at ToysRUs for $8.99. I picked up four packs. They ring up for $12.99 in the store, but I showed him the website and he changed the price immediately.

[ETA] Link to sale: http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=22268676

 

[Viking]

NLee also suspect the new white AmazonBasics to be rebranded eneloops ( both AA & AAA ).

Therefore based on their mechanical aspects, I have to say those white AmazonBasics cells are most likely rebranded 2nd-gen Sanyo eneloop cells.


http://www.amazon.com/AmazonBasics-...UTF8&showViewpoints=1&sortBy=byRankDescending

 

[ChibiM]

Just send a pack to HKJ, and see what his tests (graphs) will show.. He has tested many batteries.. and if they are actually rewrapped eneloops, we will know with more certainty then.
until then I don`t trust any words of mouth... I need to see proof, not read! I don`t care who wrote what... there is too much assumptions out there, and almost every new NiMh battery on the market is a hidden eneloop if you trust every person who writes a review.

If they are indeed rewrapped eneloops, good for people who can get them for cheap. Otherwise, I will stay with the real eneloops.. no such thing as maybe, probably, hopefully

 

[mcnair55]

Don't trust anything but Eneloop's

What a silly and stupid comment,i use many brands and have no issues with any and have been using instant use for many years.:shakehead

 

[357mag1]

Ah, that would explain the very low charge levels.

I wonder why, since both Sanyo/Panasonic and Duracell engineers should know better, that they didn't put a little piece of plastic in between one end of the cells and the terminals of the charger for shipping?

I didn't notice where NLee stated that he'd bought the cells with the charger however, nor do *I* have any personal experiences with the Eneloop XX, so I don't know if the XX generally ship with a lower state of charge than regular 'loops, which have all been about 70-75% for me.
[/COLOR]

I bought the Ion Cores in individual packages (two sets of four) with no charger and had almost identical capacity readings on the initial discharge cycle. So it has nothing to do with being in the charger from my experience. I also have no experience with XX Eneloops so can't say about their shipped charge state either.

 

[ChrisGarrett]

Just send a pack to HKJ, and see what his tests (graphs) will show.. He has tested many batteries.. and if they are actually rewrapped eneloops, we will know with more certainty then.
until then I don`t trust any words of mouth... I need to see proof, not read! I don`t care who wrote what... there is too much assumptions out there, and almost every new NiMh battery on the market is a hidden eneloop if you trust every person who writes a review.

If they are indeed rewrapped eneloops, good for people who can get them for cheap. Otherwise, I will stay with the real eneloops.. no such thing as maybe, probably, hopefully

Fine and dandy, but you need to do a long term test on these DuraLoop 2400s, to see if they're Eneloop Pros/XX, or not.

HKJ can't replicate that in his testing protocols.

I let three new quads of Eneloop Gen2s, GP ReCyKos and Imedions sit for one FULL year, before I discharged them on my C-9000 and got a clue.

That's what's going to have to be done, short of dissecting XX/Pros and these DuraLoops and comparing and contrasting the findings.

Chris

 

[RI Chevy]

I have been using the 2400 mAh Duraloops for a while now. (2-AA Surefire 9P host with a Malkoff M31N) I use a simple cheap charger. I have no issues at all from them, and use them regularly. The Duraloops are good batteries. No need to worry. :thumbsup: