Question About Duracell AA Rechargables

zachsdad

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Hey guys, Yesterday i purchased some duracell AA rechargables for my TK 41. One pack of batteries are white around the positive end and the others are black around the positive end. Should i be concerned? Thanks for any replies.
 

Mr Happy

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What exactly are the batteries you bought? There are different kinds of "Duracell AA rechargeables" out there with different characteristics (they have different descriptions on the package and different labeling on the cells).
 

zachsdad

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Ok, The black : Duracell rechargable/precharged AA/HR6? DX1500 NiMH
1,2V /2000mAH standard charge 200mA for 16h Made in China

The white: everything exactly the same, Made in Japan
 

Lynx_Arc

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Ok, The black : Duracell rechargable/precharged AA/HR6? DX1500 NiMH
1,2V /2000mAH standard charge 200mA for 16h Made in China

The white: everything exactly the same, Made in Japan
The precharged black top china cells are of the rayovac hybrid LSD series and are decent, but are not quite as good as the white top japanese precharged which are relabeled sanyo eneloops. If you haven't opened the block top ones you may consider trading them in for another package of white tops. I have a bunch of hybrids (black tops) and they work fine in most things but the white tops hold slightly higher voltage and are more sturdy as I have already damaged about 4-5 of the hybrids via cell reversal in sets.
 

zachsdad

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Thanks Lynx Arc, Unfortunaely i didn`t notice this until after i opened them and topped them off on the charger. Is it safe to use them together in the same light?
 

Lynx_Arc

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Thanks Lynx Arc, Unfortunaely i didn`t notice this until after i opened them and topped them off on the charger. Is it safe to use them together in the same light?
It is safe, but if the light has high output I would strongly recommend against it because the black top and white top cells differ enough that you will have uneven discharge rates causing some to deplete faster than others which can easily lead to cell reversal when the weaker cells deplete. I would highly recommend using the black tops together and white tops together not mixing them at all.
 

zachsdad

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Thanks again, I will follow your advice. Off to walmart for more white tops.
 

CamoNinja

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Are these considered the blacktop ?

1.jpg

2.jpg
 

Lynx_Arc

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Lynx are the ones I posted okay to use or should I get the "white tops" mentioned above. Thanks
The black top LSD precharged are fine, just not as good as the white top ones. I have black top LSD cells in a lot of stuff and they work well.
 

Mr Happy

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Lynx are the ones I posted okay to use or should I get the "white tops" mentioned above. Thanks
Of course they are "okay" to use; however they are not the low self-discharge batteries like eneloops. They are normal NiMH cells with slightly higher capacity than eneloops, but also a much lesser ability to hold onto their charge in storage. Do you want to stick that light in a drawer for months, or do you plan to use the light every day?

(In light of the apparent confusion here, they are neither "black tops" nor "white tops"; they are something else entirely.)
 
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