They are everywhere....

[drmaxx]

Finally I decided to label my rechargable batteries and make an inventory. And I just realized that they are EVERYWHERE! I ended up counting 64 and I am not quite sure weather I really caught all of them.

I wasn't aware about the numbers of rechargeable batteries in my household. It's unbelievable. And I don't even have kids!

 

[thedeske]

At least they're rechargeable.

Eneloops multiplied quickly around here after the initial sets for a few lights. I think I have it covered, but there was a moment when my eyes opened a little with the knowledge of how many battery sucking devices one can acquire and the continual drain of all those little 5 to 10 dollar runs to store - year after year after year.

 

[bob_ninja]

Wait till you have kids :(

Really would be nice to have a tracking system of some sort. Maybe a cheap RFID chip on each cell. Then you could walk around house with a scanner to locate them. I have so many toys that I gave up on them. Now I use cheap cells in toys or crappy old NiMH cells.

P.S.: When SilverFox and others say to throw away cells with below 80% capacity ... this is the perfect application for them. Use them in toys so when they are lost then it is no loss.

 

[pseudoblue]

whoa.. i think he said "recycle" them, not throw away :D

come to think of it, i do have quite a number of recheargeables :D

 

[^Gurthang]

Bob Ninja wrote:

"Really would be nice to have a tracking system of some sort. Maybe a cheap RFID chip on each cell. Then you could walk around house with a scanner to locate them."

I believe that the RC hobby crowd has this sort of device w/ tracking and cell info... useful for in-use data and finding lost planes, cars, boats etc...

Check out the battery / charger section of "Hobby King" web site.

^G

 

[SilverFox]

Hello Bob Ninja,

If I may jump on the soap box for just a moment...

Children are a very precious resource. As parents, we have a very great responsibility to prepare our children for the realities of the world, while still endeavoring to preserve their innocense. Parents are responsible for education, habits, attitudes, communication, and a wide variety of other things that must be passed on in order for our children to be successful in the world.

I happen to believe in the education provided by natural and logical consequences. As children grow, it is important that they understand that what they decide to do effects the outcome of what happens.

Battery operated devices are a step up from manual devices, but there is a price to pay for this. Exploring this price is an educational process.

Initially, the responsibility is with the parent. You have to decide if the child is ready to explore toys that require maintenance, and your job is to demonstrate the maintenance needed to keep the toy running. What a wonderful learning experience it is to help a child understand that everything runs on power. People eat food to provide the energy needed and toys that need batteries need to have the batteries charged to keep the toys running. If people don't eat regularly, their moods swing up and down and at times they become dysfunctional. The same goes for toys that have batteries over discharged through neglect.

You can even illustrate your points with some shared family experiences. "Remember when mom :) forgot to turn the lights off in the car and when we tried to start it the next morning it wouldn't start?" And, "remember that it was just a short while later that we had to replace the battery in the car?" You can then explain that the problem was that the battery was old and the over discharge did it in. You can then go on to explain that the same thing will happen if you forget to turn your battery operated toys off.

If you do a good job of this education, your child will have an awareness of energy usage at a fundamental level. However, be advised that any "quirks" you have will be held under scrutiny... and you may have to deal with your own inconsistencies.

All children are different, and everyone makes mistakes. During the initial learning it is great to use "used" batteries with the understanding that they may be damaged during the learning process. However, I think it is also important to understand quality. If the child is dealing with "crap" cells all of the time, they won't see the difference in performance that quality cells make...

If we teach our children to examine their needs and insist on quality items that fill thos needs, what will this world evolve into... ?

OK, I will jump off the soap box now and put away my "rose colored glasses."

Please understand that this is no way meant to be disrespectful of your, or anyone elses parenting style, but is meant to look beyond the immediate situation. My children are grown, and I am now playing with the grandchildren. I am pleased that the toys last a long time, and the grandchildren are beginning to recognize when the batteries are depleted. Mistakes still happen, but with less frequently. While no one gets bent out of shape over a broken AA battery, we don't treat it totally as a consumable item either.

Rechargeable batteries are making a difference in the amount of garbage in our landfills. However, they do wear out. With proper care and use, they can last a long time and they provide a clear edge under heavy demands, but when they are worn out their characteristics become less predictable. When someone is learning about rechargeable chemistries, I think it is best to try to control as many variables as you can. When the cell wears out, put it in the recycle bin. You can ponder what could have been done to get longer life from it as you break in your new cells.

Tom

 

[vali]

It happened to me too when I bought the C9000 and started labeling the cells with a number (and a spreadsheet to account them).

I had 50+ cells. Unfortunately half of them were just crap :(

 

[drmaxx]

I had 50+ cells. Unfortunately half of them were just crap :(

But now I know which one they are! Big difference.

 

[ltiu]

If you do a good job of this education, your child will have an awareness of energy usage at a fundamental level. However, be advised that any "quirks" you have will be held under scrutiny... and you may have to deal with your own inconsistencies.

If we teach our children to examine their needs and insist on quality items that fill thos needs, what will this world evolve into... ?

OT.

One way to save the environment from used batteries is to stop having babies. No babies means human population goes down to zero, means zero environmental damage from batteries.

 

[LuxLuthor]

One way to save the environment from used batteries is to stop having babies. No babies means human population goes down to zero, means zero environmental damage from batteries.

LOL! After reading Tom's thoughtful post, the elegant simplicity of your reply was potent. I'm imagining all those wonderful planets in other solar systems lucky enough to not have human-like creatures living there.

 

[rookiedaddy]

......... Children are a very precious resource. As parents, we have a very great responsibility to prepare our children for the realities of the world, while still endeavoring to preserve their innocense. Parents are responsible for education, habits, attitudes, communication, and a wide variety of other things that must be passed on in order for our children to be successful in the world.
.........

this is one of the best parenting post I've read recently... and I get it from cpf... now the more reason to hang out here and ask rookiemummy to join the forum. lovecpf

Thank You SilverFox. :twothumbs

 

[clintb]

OT.

One way to save the environment from used batteries is to stop having babies. No babies means human population goes down to zero, means zero environmental damage from batteries.

Factually correct, yes. Functional, not at all. While I agree everyone should have less babies, which isn't going to happen anytime soon, I agree with Tom that responsibility should be taught at all levels. That is a much easier goal. If we could only get Joe Six Pack to stop buying the 50 pack of alkaline batteries and go rechargeable...

 

[bob_ninja]

Hello Bob Ninja,
...
Please understand that this is no way meant to be disrespectful of your, or anyone elses parenting style, but is meant to look beyond the immediate situation. My children are grown....
Tom

Not at all. That was a nice article, well written - thanks :)
I do agree 100% actually and take no offense. To the contrary, that is very good advice.

Luka is 1.8 years old. While he loves batteries and I often ask for his "help" to insert them into devices, he is still in the phase of pressing buttons randomly and throwing things at me. Although he did manage to change the ring tone on our home phone, occasionally can find cartoon on a TV, etc. I haven't actually started to teach him about rechargeable batteries just yet. So you have an advantage there with older kids ....

Marko is 4.3 years old and has no interest in batteries. He played with the cow flashlight for a few days, but I didn't try to explain how it works, that there are cells inside, etc. Finally my wife has so much stress from 2 *VERY* active boys that she has no time/energy to track cells in toys until a toy clearly starts to function poorly at which point at least one cell is too low. Also she may rotate toys periodically, move some to basement and not check for rechargable cells. In summary, toys and their cells may be neglected for a very long time. Not to mention that they are often left activated (ON) for days or longer.

Of course, as kids grow up I will start teaching them more and more, higher level stuff like batteries, etc. For now all cells in toys are at a very high risk of *VERY* deep discharge and of course damage.

All that being said, my suggestions is that when you have high risk devices (in terms of being left on for a long time or lost for days, etc) and have little to not control over their (mis)use *THEN* using old diminished capacity cells makes sense. I suppose this is my own bias towards finding uses for such cells instead of recycling so early (80%). I did recycle all of my AA energizers once they declined to about 50% as at that point it was obvious they are useless. However my marginal cells 50% to 80% I mark and charge very carefully (under supervision, 1C, etc.) and find a use for them, such as high risk of being lost applications.

This is not a recommendation. Your 80% rule is pudent and probably appropriate for most people. Again, this is just my bias.

In any case you provided a very good advice. I always enjoy reading your posts :)

 

[ltiu]

Factually correct, yes. Functional, not at all. While I agree everyone should have less babies, which isn't going to happen anytime soon, I agree with Tom that responsibility should be taught at all levels. That is a much easier goal. If we could only get Joe Six Pack to stop buying the 50 pack of alkaline batteries and go rechargeable...

Sorry, but this is a feel good green washing argument.

Where do you think those batteries go to get recycled? Did anyone check?

 

[clintb]

Sorry, but this is a feel good green washing argument.

No, it's not a feel good green washing argument. It's called "trust". I trust that when I put something to be recycled in a recycling bin, that's what will be done. If I'm presented information to the contrary, then I will doubt the honesty of the recycling agency/company and seek alternatives.

Where do you think those batteries go to get recycled? Did anyone check?

Since you're posing the question, I presume you do. And, since you're on CPF, presumably using lights and the batteries that accompany them, how do YOU deal with the disposal of batteries, be it primary or secondary?

p.s. If there's anything else, please take it to PM.

 

[ltiu]

how do YOU deal with the disposal of batteries, be it primary or secondary?

I throw it away to pollute the environment. At least I can admit it. The rest of you can't handle the ... (like Jack Nicholson would say it).

 

[clintb]

I throw it away to pollute the environment. At least I can admit it. The rest of you can't handle the ... (like Jack Nicholson would say it).

Joe Sixpack defined...

 

[ltiu]

Joe Sixpack defined...

Hypocrites.

 

[mdocod]

Thread Title:

They ARE everywhere!

That'll be all...

 

[vali]

I throw it away to pollute the environment. At least I can admit it. The rest of you can't handle the ... (like Jack Nicholson would say it).

:shakehead