AA NiMh - Shootout!!

[mcnair55]

Re: LSD Results

Sanyo doesn't fully charge them before shipping. IIRC, they charge them to about 75%. They do this because they can mass charge a whole bunch of them at once, using high current, without worry about overcharging or making them hot. By the time you get them, their charge may be down to 60 or 70%.

I've used them straight out of the box without issues. I've also charged them up before use. Both ways work fine, but charging them first is the way to go if you want them fully charged.

+1 I have no issues with Eneloop either,i use them straight out of the pack for most items but will give them a charge if going in a camera.

 

[bbb74]

Re: LSD Results

Eneloop AA type 3UTGA from the side of the battery!!!

That's not the date code. The date code is imprinted on the clear coat wrapper, it is very hard to see but should be there.

This discussion has started to go sideways. Hence let me be clear!! I am NOT having problems with Eneloops nor with these brand new 1900mA ones (2 - 4 packs). I just stated that they're a lot lower in charge level than specified and document in the samples used here. Topping them off before use is highly recommended in m opinion.

Ah ok. They don't come fully charged from the factory you realise? They're about 2/3rds to 3/4 charged.

Being brand new means nothing as one set may have been made months before another and storage may have been in not a favourable place.

A few months or even a year here or there isn't going to affect the results much. We all know eneloops are as a good a few years old as when they were new (presuming they haven't done lots of cycles). How do you suggest I should have improved the test - have an armed, climate controlled escort straight from the factory? All the cells came fresh from suppliers with high turnover, and as the suppliers were providing them free for comparative testing, it was in their best interest to provide their newest batteries. Some of the models tested had literally only just come into stock. I have never claimed the test was scientifically accurate. For example, it was not performed in a climate controlled environment. That alone would provide more variability then 1-12 months of age difference between batteries.

 

[Power Me Up]

Re: LSD Results

Eneloop AA type 3UTGA from the side of the battery!!!

That's not the code that we're looking for. The code we need is embossed into the wrapper on the seam - As an example, the code on one of my 1st generation Eneloops is "06-0504"

I just stated that they're a lot lower in charge level than specified and document in the samples used here. Topping them off before use is highly recommended in m opinion.

They do come precharged and ready to use as stated on the packaging, but they're not fully charged at the factory as others have stated. The 1st, 2nd and 3rd generation Eneloops were charged to 75% of their total capacity at the factory. The will of course self discharge a little over time and lose some of that capacity. In addition, their ability to hold their voltage under load will also drop as the cells get older and that can make a significant difference for voltage sensitive devices.

As an example, I discharged a pair of 1st gen Eneloops that had been sitting around for 8 years since manufacture and they held about 62% of their fully charged capacity and about 59% of their fully charged energy. For their out of packet discharge, they were only able to hold above 1.2V for the first 700 mAh or so. On the second discharge, they held 1.2V for about 1640 mAh.

From the sounds of it, you've probably got genuine Eneloops and the devices that you were using them in out of the packet were probably just a little too voltage sensitive to make full use of what capacity was remaining in them.

 

[tripplec]

Re: LSD Results

It's 1 3 05LN as it appears. Its stamped in an under the Sanyo Electric Company Ltd line.

As stated I would also recommend precharging them before using to get the expected runtime and no caught going dead.

 

[ChrisGarrett]

Re: LSD Results

It's 1 3 05LN as it appears. Its stamped in an under the Sanyo Electric Company Ltd line.

As stated I would also recommend precharging them before using to get the expected runtime and no caught going dead.

So May of 2013.

What charger are you using again?

Chris

 

[funkychateau]

Re: LSD Results

The maha c9000 "problem"
I bought a new, 2nd c9000, and it too is charging less into slot 1, although only about 30-40mAh compared to my original which is more like about 80-90mAh. I heard from another forum member who had the same issue with his, and his replacement was similar. When I finally send my old one back in 2 weeks I'll see what the replacement is like. Due to this, I stopped only putting cell #1 from each batch only in slot 1 when charging, and rotated them all evenly.

I have noticed the same thing with my Maha charger, which I've owned for at least a couple of years. Slot 1 always shows the lowest capacity/charge mAH, with slot 4 the highest. This is independent of which batteries I put in the slots, so the charger variation is greater than the battery variation. This means that you can't compare batteries unless you charge and discharge every one in the same slot.

 

[MidnightDistortions]

Re: LSD Results

Sanyo doesn't fully charge them before shipping. IIRC, they charge them to about 75%. They do this because they can mass charge a whole bunch of them at once, using high current, without worry about overcharging or making them hot. By the time you get them, their charge may be down to 60 or 70%.

I've used them straight out of the box without issues. I've also charged them up before use. Both ways work fine, but charging them first is the way to go if you want them fully charged.

It's 1 3 05LN as it appears. Its stamped in an under the Sanyo Electric Company Ltd line.

As stated I would also recommend precharging them before using to get the expected runtime and no caught going dead.

I think the whole point of them being precharged is that you can use them out of the package. If they were over a year old i'd probably check to see if they need charging first but more than likely them being rechargeables i don't expect a full run time either, in fact i'd just rather use them instead of potentially overcharging them if they still had 75%+ charge left. I think there's some difference in capacities when they charge them as they charge them all using high current. I bought a 16 pack of Eneloops in September that were manufactured in April and May (they gave me 4 that were manufactured in April) but i charged a set that was pretty much charged, took 10 minutes in my BC-1000 charger, i didn't have to worry about another set of 4 that i was testing in my 2D Maglite using 2AA spacers. I got 8 hours out of that set, i probably would have gotten a little more if i topped those batteries off but i wanted to test how well these batteries worked out of the package. I left the other 8 batteries in the package considering they didn't really need to be topped off or refreshed though i plan on testing those in January or February as i might put all my refresh cycles in the beginning of January, though they probably don't need that either unless they were regularly used.

Anyway if you do want the expected runtime charging them up would work but if they were manufactured recently i'd just use them instead, it's pretty much the point of having them precharged. If they were dead or under 40% in the package then i would be a little worried on their lifespan, but either way it's up to those who get the batteries.

 

[Power Me Up]

Re: LSD Results

I have noticed the same thing with my Maha charger, which I've owned for at least a couple of years. Slot 1 always shows the lowest capacity/charge mAH, with slot 4 the highest. This is independent of which batteries I put in the slots, so the charger variation is greater than the battery variation. This means that you can't compare batteries unless you charge and discharge every one in the same slot.

I've speculated in the past that the cause of this is how the C9000 measures the cell voltages during a pause in charging:
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...ther-3-slots&p=4472227&viewfull=1#post4472227

When it comes to testing capacities, it doesn't really matter too much as the 2 hour top off pretty much erases any difference in the main charge.