Rayovac Platinum pre-charged

As much as I like Rayovac products, I have to wonder what the marketing folks are up to with their pre-charged batteries.

If their goal is to confuse consumers, I think they are doing a great job.

First it was the well established Hybrid, then the 4.0 showed up with it's confusing "lithium" packaging.

The Hybrid is gone and has been replaced with Rayovac Platinum pre-charged batteries, available in AA, AAA, C, D, & 9V.

http://www.rayovac.com/recharge/Platinum_products.shtml
(notice that the title bar still says Rayovac Hybrid).

http://www.rayovac.com/recharge/Platinum_batteries.shtml

Guess I'll have to head over to Wally World later this week and see if any are on the shelves yet.

Sounds like they transmogrified the lithium into platinum. :thumbsdow

Kestrel said:

Sounds like they transmogrified the lithium into platinum. :thumbsdow

Click to expand...

I don't think that's what they thought.
As cheap as it is they simply chose it over gold because platinum is even more precious than gold.
By naming them silver however and you've indicated that they're second grade.

Silverfox, this forum is more about the "Platinum" line of batteries. I honestly could give two wet poops about them, because it's a pretty sure bet they're just hybrids with a new name. My interest was they're new "precharged" cheapo line. Kinda thought it was a bit presumptuous and rude to close my thread and send me over here considering they're two different products and two completely different discussions.

That aside, the new precharged line is a different battery entirely. They didn't just slap "Precharged" on the same old 1400mah cells. I accidentally unplugged the charger in the middle of a refresh cycle and lost the numbers, but I should have a capacity later this evening. So far though, It's looking like between 1500-1600mAh.:thumbsdow I guess it's not that bad though - 3/4 capacity for 3/4 the price... seems fair.

Joe had a good factual thread started, but it can be continued here. I picked up a pack of the new Platinum AA's with the $3 coupon. they are on discharge now on my Maha. I'll do break-in post the numbers Sunday night or Monday. Although since they are brand new the numbers will probably look good.

I thought the website said they were 2300 mAh, but on the battery it is marked 2100. Also I think the date code is YGA S but I don't know how to read that.

One funny observation is the battery label is mostly green. Perhaps a marketing person pointed out that vs. blue 4.0 series that the green label is better marketing for a rechargeable. Also it is an all paper package to be environmentally friendly, of course they were previously using plastic to save trees

ETA: my maha discharged about 1700 out of each. seems decent for out of the package

Well, I just got home from work, and on the OPP line batteries, I think I'm gonna call it at 1500mAh capacity. I tested about 1520-1550 with 4 batteries on a bc-9009. Like I said before - about 3/4 capacity at 3/4 price. I think I may return them to walmart and just go over to target and pick up some clearance hybrids for the same price ($5 after $3 off coupon (i'd link the coupon, but I'm not doing it twice dangit!)), then again I might get the platinums for $7 to see if they've changed anything but the wrapper.

P.S. - Silverfox, just know I have the utmost respect for you and your vast knowledge. You've taught me a whole lot over the past couple years.


One more thing, I feel it's important to note that the new LD715-xOP batteries are not just the same old ones relabled as LSD/Precharged - they're a new battery altogether with a different design and capacity - they seam like they're built just like the hybrids, but with less material inside (approx. 3.5g less).

You must admit that the first line of your other post said,

joeparker54 said:

I was at walmart earlier and happened to notice they have the new rayovac "platinum" batteries, which are labeled as 2100mah batteries.

Click to expand...

SilverFox was not the only one to think your post was about the new Platinum batteries on reading that. I think a PM would have sorted things out, though.

cckw said:

Also I think the date code is YGA S but I don't know how to read that.

Click to expand...

March 1, 2010. Pretty recent. Not sure about the last digit. It is for the country of origin: O is USA and Y is China. Does the packaging say what country they were made in?

http://flashlightwiki.com/Battery_date_code

According to this introduction page, the new platiunum cells are being touted as being able to be recharged up to 275 times.

The Hybrids were being marketed as being able to be recharged up to 500 times.

I know "charged X times" is relative to how the cells are treated, etc, but that's almost half of what was previously being advertised.

brted said:

March 1, 2010. Pretty recent. Not sure about the last digit. It is for the country of origin: O is USA and Y is China. Does the packaging say what country they were made in?

http://www.cpfwiki.com/Wiki/index.php/Battery_date_code

Click to expand...

on the cell it says Made in China. Package does not say.

package says Recharge 400 times.

I bought a 4 pk of these yesterday and saved $3 thanks to joeparker54. I just started a break-in on them last night. I just want to see how they hold up against my eneloops. Mine are marked AGV (Feb. 2010).

mine are through break-in. numbers are 1942,1942,1903,1969. minutes are 306,308,299,312, volts 1.44, 1.43, 1.43, 1.44.

cckw said:

mine are through break-in. numbers are 1942,1942,1903,1969. minutes are 306,308,299,312, volts 1.44, 1.43, 1.43, 1.44.

Click to expand...

Mine just got done:

1948-1.43v, 1922-1.43v, 1893-1.42v, 1926-1.43v

I'm assuming those are all Maha numbers correct?

joeparker54 said:

I'm assuming those are all Maha numbers correct?

Click to expand...

Yes. MH C-9000

joeparker54 said:

I'm assuming those are all Maha numbers correct?

Click to expand...

mine is maha C9000 also

I broke in a a set as well on a c9000. input capacity 2000. ended up 1979, 1974,2009,1995 all 1.42 volts

keeftea said:

I broke in a a set as well on a c9000. input capacity 2000. ended up 1979, 1974,2009,1995 all 1.42 volts

Click to expand...

Those are much better numbers than mine. My break-in numbers were 1948, 1922, 1893, 1926.

Was yours a brand new set? :thinking:

fishinfool said:

Those are much better numbers than mine. My break-in numbers were 1948, 1922, 1893, 1926.

Was yours a brand new set? :thinking:

Click to expand...

Yes, discharged at 500ma then charged at 2A and trickled on a C801D for an hour after termination. Then drained In some of my kids hess trucks and broken in with 2000mah capacity entered.

keeftea said:

Yes, discharged at 500ma then charged at 2A and trickled on a C801D for an hour after termination. Then drained In some of my kids hess trucks and broken in with 2000mah capacity entered.

Click to expand...

Yours were the Rayovac PLATINUM Rechargeables right? I ask because I saw a second set of Rayovac Rechargeables but it didn't say PLATINUM on it. I think I will buy a set of those other rayovacs just to compare to all the others. :wave: