best rechargeable batteries for my Xbox controller

hey guys looking for some good rechargeable batteries for my xbox controller I use to microsoft plug and play but doesn't last long and dies after awhile

need something that has long life because I use the xbox quite frequently

thanks

Sanyo Eneloop AA NiMH 2000 mah batteries are one of the top choices.

A nice fancy charger like the LaCrosse Technology BC-1000 or PowerEx MH-C9000

Although any decent charger will get you by if your on a budget.

Imedion 2400 mah cells would rate a #2 to the Eneloops if your looking for other choices.


The NiMH will last a long time in charge cycles, just keep a fresh pair charged. They usualy come for sale in 4 or 8 packs and you can keep 2 charged all the time.

I am not sure about the X-Box specifically but controllers are generally low-drain devices so I don't think it would make sense to spend money on the 1500 Eneloops.
The Eneloops Lite might do for you: they have lower capacity - 1000 mah - but can be recharged up to 2000 times and cost less than the 1500 eneloops with 2000 mah.

That said, if you use it often, you won't really need Low Self Discharge (LSD) batteries either, especially if it's a device you only keep at home and don't carry around for occasional use.
IMO, you can just get the basic Duracell or Energizer reachargeables and save yourself some money. Just check how many recharge cycles they can take and their capacity and figure out which is the cheaper option.

I wouldn't classify an xbox wireless controller as low drain. They usually get used heavily for many hours at a time. I hope your not thinking of remote controllers for TVs and comparing them to xbox controllers. We use a Wii just for netflix and the batteries drain down in 4-6 weeks using 2xAA alkaline

901-Memphis said:

I hope your not thinking of remote controllers for TVs and comparing them to xbox controllers.

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I was thinking exactly that : never had a console! And the chances of ever getting one drammatically dropped after I joined this forum...

901-Memphis said:

Sanyo Eneloop AA NiMH 2000 mah batteries are one of the top choices.

A nice fancy charger like the LaCrosse Technology BC-1000 or PowerEx MH-C9000

Although any decent charger will get you by if your on a budget.

Imedion 2400 mah cells would rate a #2 to the Eneloops if your looking for other choices.


The NiMH will last a long time in charge cycles, just keep a fresh pair charged. They usualy come for sale in 4 or 8 packs and you can keep 2 charged all the time.

Click to expand...

sounds pretty good where online do I Sanyo Eneloop batteries and Maha Powerex MH-C9000?


thanks

In their XBox controllers my kids use 2000 mAh AA original Sanyo Eneloops or the Duracell branded equivalent -- look for Duracell Rechargeable "StayCharged" on the package and a **white** ring around the positive button. We call these OEM private labelled Eneloops "Duraloops". I just bought another 3 four-packs (would have bought more but store was out of stock) for $7.99.

The Eneloop/Duraloops do great in the controllers, and the controllers do a very good job at draining them quite completely. The XBox controllers are not low drain devices like TV remotes but neither are they high drain like a powerful flashlight.

At times my kids use the controllers more than others - even when it is being heavily used (friends visiting or a party) I don't find that I'm constantly swapping cells. Under normal use around here I'm not swapping cells even weekly - more like bi-weekly or monthly. Your mileage may vary.

As for chargers - avoid quick chargers (1 hour chargers). One that does the job in 2 - 4 hours ought to be ok. There are many threads here on budget good NiMH chargers. If you live in an area where the Duracell CEF23 variant is still available (Australia) look for one of those. I bought mine for $14 and use it for travel mostly; a Maha C9000 is what I use for the majority of my NiMH charging.

where online do I Sanyo Eneloop batteries and Maha Powerex MH-C9000?

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I have two C9000 chargers and well over 100 AA and AAA Eneloop cells that I use for everything around the home and have extra sets charged and ready to use so I don't have to wait for anything to charge. I got most of them from Thomas Distributing (.com).

The default charge rate of 1000mA is fine for the AAs and 400mA is fine for the AAAs. At those rates, I leave the cells on the chargers for a total of 5 hours to make sure they're more evenly balanced and topped off. After the main charging phase is "done," the C9000 does a slow top of charge for two hours, then a very low trickle charge after that. This helps because the charger ends the main charging phase so conservatively, which is also good for the health of the cells in the long run. If I remember correctly, the top of charge is about 100mA and the trickle charge is about 10mA.

thanks guys got the Sanyo Eneloop AA now off to get a charger

When a mate and I played weekend long 'epic' length shootouts online we always used Lithiums, we found we got about 4 weekend's worth of play until we had to swap out. I guess the only benefit of lithiums were that they were lighter weight (which reduced hand / arm fatigue) and provided stable power for extended times of play and never had an issue with leaks or quality from Energizer, we always tended to take them out and swap them end to end and found that we could get about 4 hours more play with them if they ever got low. When they did get low we would use them in wall clocks, tv remotes or other and they would last another year or so with common use!

Other than going the expensive Eneloops, which I endorse now since buying them myself for my LL MT7 and EA4. I use cheaper Duracell NiMh batteries in their 1800mAh or 2000mAh guises; as it figures these don't last as long as Eneloops with their poor self discharge characteristics I find that getting about 2 or 3 plays out of my controller suffices now. I still use my Duracell NiMh's and find that they work alright and are just a cheap & cheerful workhorse battery eg: camera, XB controller and non critical AA / AAA applications - just reducing landfill and helping the environment.

I dont play the XBox anywhere near as much any more - found that there were better things to do than t-bag and to be t-bagged online...

the cheapest do the work, i have some GP 1600-1800mah batteries almost 10 years old and a slow charger. They work fine on my controllers. Last about a week or 2 with 2.5-3.5 hours play per day

loser said:

the cheapest do the work, i have some GP 1600-1800mah batteries almost 10 years old and a slow charger. They work fine on my controllers. Last about a week or 2 with 2.5-3.5 hours play per day

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I'm getting pretty close to a week with my Rayovac 1600 cells..or duraloops when I know I wil, be playing for hours and hours at a time, which usually happens everyday as I tend to lose track of the time easily sometimes!
Maybe I should use my energizer 1400s in them..see how long they last and use the good cells in better things

I find that all soldered together batteries like the MS battery packs are junk, just too many complaints about them. The amount of battery you use will vary by game too and how heavily you use the controllers. I get months out of my Rechargables, I use various kinds but I don't play all that often so it's not hours and hours each day every day. Though really any Rechargables with a decent charger that has a refresh and discharge cycle will suit you well as long as the batteries aren't extremely old and have lost the majority of their capacity.

The discharge cycle seems to be crucial, the Xbox controllers seem to have memory effect, aka they remember where the battery dies so if you are just topping off the battery it won't last as long as if you discharge it in your charger then charge it back up again, this way you know you are getting a fresh, full charge. Especially if you change the batteries when the lights on the controller flash, although the controller does do a fairly good job of draining the batteries all the way even when you change the batteries when the lights start flashing, when I discharge I find about 100-200 mah left in the cells before they start charging.