22 year old AA batteries still working
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I had these batteries and I can confirm that they are better than any alkaline I've ever used. They are out of this world. They've been preinstalled in the remote of my JVC video recorder (made in Japan, amazing quality of board and components). That was some time in the 80s. And I've been using that remote till early 2000s.
I remember wondering what kind of battery they were when they last so long.
Amazing.
I remember wondering what kind of battery they were when they last so long.
Amazing.
HighlanderNorth
Flashlight Enthusiast
I've got 2 large, plastic Maxwell House coffee containers filled with old and used AA, AAA, C and D batteries in my truck that I was unable to drop off for recycling today. I am dropping them off for a client I worked for yesterday. A good many of them are corroded, and there are others that are leaking a viscous fluid. Just in the past 2 years, I've seen devices at another client's home that were ruined by leaky alkaline. Several had corroded so badly that they were lodged inside a musical keyboard, and I had to keep pouring vinegar down the battery tube to disolve the corrosion. I've thrown away batteries at his house that were corroded even before their date, while sitting in their package, never even used! All were Energizer or Duracell.
I personally use NiMh for all AA and AAA applications now.
the reason these still work in your remote is the cap in it that stiffens the battery supply.since the remote sends its data via high current but low duty cycle pulses almost dead cells can work ok long after anything else could run from them.
i have a pair of 70's-80's eveready super heavy duty aa cells i pulled out of something.read 1.5 something each but are very high internal resistance.over 99 ohms at least as thats the low limit on my **** smith esr kit.
they are only good as display items.being dried out they are unlikely to leak now and will look nice forever.
i have a pair of 70's-80's eveready super heavy duty aa cells i pulled out of something.read 1.5 something each but are very high internal resistance.over 99 ohms at least as thats the low limit on my **** smith esr kit.
they are only good as display items.being dried out they are unlikely to leak now and will look nice forever.
CuriousOne
Enlightened
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Flashlight Enthusiast
they appear to be "heavy duty" non-alkaline?
CelticCross74
Flashlight Enthusiast
I love this thread!!! When I was a little kid I found an old Rayovac in the basement that had what I can only describe as D sized cells and the label seemed the texture of wax paper. They were obviously extremely old...and they still worked.
Came across this thread after searching to find out why my batteries in my JVC RM SE 300 remote had lasted 35 years and had to join the forum.
Today I have to report the sad news that my JVC Super Dry Cell (red ring topped) batteries have finally had enough. Almost feel bad throwing them away. Feel even worse for the batteries that I just put in to replace them though, tough act to follow.
Today I have to report the sad news that my JVC Super Dry Cell (red ring topped) batteries have finally had enough. Almost feel bad throwing them away. Feel even worse for the batteries that I just put in to replace them though, tough act to follow.
jtr1962
Flashaholic
I have a battery in an old Radio Shack indoor/outdoor thermometer dated 10/1/93. Still working.
I have them in 2 old incan flashlights that I installed LED dropins in them. When the D cells die in these lights I don't plan on ever using them again as I've upgraded to better lights and these sit around waiting for an emergency. Between the two lights I have probably not even got 10 minutes of use in the last 10 years mostly just turning them on to see if they still work.
jtr1962
Flashaholic
I no longer use alkalines for that reason. I think that indoor/outdoor thermometer is literally the only device in the house using alkalines. Also, the older alkalines don't seem to leak. It seems to be an issue with the ones made maybe since 2000, perhaps a few years later.
It used to be the larger ones leaked less but like you said around 2000 or so all bets are off. I also use them in indoor outdoor thermos as lithiums are too expensive I have to save them for the remote outdoor sensors. It used to be once in awhile they put them on sale at Sam's club but and I could buy a pack of AAAs as I picked up 60 AAs from a guy in the forum selling them for 50 cents each. about 55 of them were fine and 5 were a little weak and I still have about 25 of them left.
It is a shame most of these digital thermos don't like nimh cells they last about 6 months if that while alkaleaks last about 15 months or so.
I've considered using lithium ion with a dropping resistor in my thermometers but likely would end up overdischarging them.
There is a pair of AA Nicads in an electric razor I've had since 1999. They still work and take a charge just fine. They don't seem weak or anything. I just charge them every once in awhile. And to think I was contemplating replacing them with a pair of Nimh over ten years ago. I would have been through at least two pairs of those by now!!!
some of those meters are so insensitive they are only good for telling you that you are dead.you just dont know it yet.
probably only useful for screening those entering fallout shelters.
People here like to overstate the unreliability of alkalines. That or maybe they've just made some very bad experiences. The only bad case of alkalines leaking I ever remember were some original AA cells still installed in old LEGO battery boxes from the 70s and 80s. That and a few 1950s to 1990s wall clock movements, but those are cleaned easily. Apart from that I've never had alkalines leak on me personally.
I've had AA&AAA alkalines in remotes for more then a decade that still work. I've had dozens of AAs in Lego battery-boxes for more then 10 years, and they all still work. I even remember a small LEDlenser 2xAAA light my farther owned, which ran on those cells for many years (he didn't use it often), they never leaked.
If they really were so bad, they would not be allowed to be sold (at least in Europe lol).
I've had AA&AAA alkalines in remotes for more then a decade that still work. I've had dozens of AAs in Lego battery-boxes for more then 10 years, and they all still work. I even remember a small LEDlenser 2xAAA light my farther owned, which ran on those cells for many years (he didn't use it often), they never leaked.
If they really were so bad, they would not be allowed to be sold (at least in Europe lol).
I know for a fact that I've never had as many problems with alkalines back in the 90's and early 2000's as I have nowadays. I think it's a combination of three things, more of them being out there, QC being less than what it once was trying the make them as cheap as possible, and maybe trying to pack too much material into the battery in order to make them last longer, making them more prone to leaks.
jtr1962
Flashaholic
Same here. Back then leaking was a once in a blue moon thing. When I finally gave up on alkalines once Eneloops came out it seemed most of devices with alkalines in them were damaged by leaks.
I think the primary issue is cutting corners to make them less expensive. Actually, that's a problem with just about all mass-produced goods these days. They're designed for a price point, not designed to last.
