Alkaline Battery Shoot Out

[BloodLust]

Now, which ones leaks the least?
With the brands touting Duralock, Power Lock, No Leak Guarantees, etc.. Which ones actually work?

I just recently had a Duracell Duralock leak in a 1x AA light. Short daily use light on my bedside table so it's not a stagnant light.

 

[sll]

Although this thread has been going for over 13 years, I see a recent post and thought I would ask a question back to the original subject. I'm needing to buy some alkaline D cells for 4 Streamlight Siege's and miscellaneous fans and 2 cell incandescents for a week and half camping trip. I have searched here and Google and have yet to find anything recently definitive. Price wise, I haven't looked much on-line as of yet, but I noticed this morning the local Wally-World has 8 pack Coppertops and Energizers for $12 and 8 pack of the Rayovacs for $10. In addition to the camping trip I would like to keep on-hand sufficient supply for at least 2 of the Sieges's as emergency lighting for power failures, after all it is that time of year.

Thinking on what I've asked, it looks like I have 2 different applications.
[1] For the camping trip I'm thinking the Rayovacs but are the others $0.25/batt better, or are there others to consider?
[2] For the emergency use which would you suggest for longevity? Most seem to provide 10 yr life. I had a new pack of the Rayovacs a couple years ago that had a leaker after year.

Thanks for comments and suggestion.

 

[xxo]

Although this thread has been going for over 13 years, I see a recent post and thought I would ask a question back to the original subject. I'm needing to buy some alkaline D cells for 4 Streamlight Siege's and miscellaneous fans and 2 cell incandescents for a week and half camping trip. I have searched here and Google and have yet to find anything recently definitive. Price wise, I haven't looked much on-line as of yet, but I noticed this morning the local Wally-World has 8 pack Coppertops and Energizers for $12 and 8 pack of the Rayovacs for $10. In addition to the camping trip I would like to keep on-hand sufficient supply for at least 2 of the Sieges's as emergency lighting for power failures, after all it is that time of year.

Thinking on what I've asked, it looks like I have 2 different applications.
[1] For the camping trip I'm thinking the Rayovacs but are the others $0.25/batt better, or are there others to consider?
[2] For the emergency use which would you suggest for longevity? Most seem to provide 10 yr life. I had a new pack of the Rayovacs a couple years ago that had a leaker after year.

Thanks for comments and suggestion.

With D cell alkalines, I usually stick with the big 3 (Duracell, enegrizer or rayovac), because they all claim to replace items destroyed by leaking alkalkines.....I still don't store alkalines in anything long term because eventually they all will leak. I usually get whatever I can find for the lowest price (usually rayovac or energizer) and save them for emergencies or camping trips. Most of the time I use AA Eneloops in 3 AA to D cell parallel adapters.

 

[sll]

Thanks for the quick reply. I keep very few batteries in the device, especially the alkalines. Typically I leave them in their original plastic shipping package and use then when needed. I like your feedback. Looks like for what I need I'll go with the less expensive Rayovacs. I was hoping to see an update of the batteries' performance but it probably isn't that much different between the big 3 you mentioned.

Thanks again

 

[sbslider]

Thought this would be an appropriate place to post the data I have been taken. I have been using a Kirkland AAA battery with a best used by date or Mar 2003 in a Thrunite Archer 1A V3 running on firefly mode for 18.3 days. Roughly twice daily I have removed the tail cap to measure the battery open circuit voltage and tailcap current. Based on these measurements I have calculated that the battery had delivered just over 3000 mA-hrs to the light. The light did not turn back on when I installed it today, presumably the voltage is below the cut-off now that it has dipped below 0.9V. Up until yesterday the battery was sufficient to keep the light in regulation. Actually, I used it for my middle of the light venture through the house and it appeared to still be putting out the same light intensity.

If the battery was labeled with a 5 year shelf life this one is 19 years old. 3000mA hr delivered, albeit at currents between 5 and 10mA. Alkaline batteries definitely have their place. I have one more of these 19 year old batteries to test sometime in the future, or perhaps age a bit more.

 

[sll]

I assume it didn't leak? That's nearly as amazing. Any idea who makes Kirkland? I saw something one time maybe Duracell?

 

[TinderBox (UK)]

If 2xAA Alkaline battery are supposed to last 45hrs in a flashlight. How long will 2xAA 2300mah NiMh battery last, Is there any way to estimate this without measuring the current drawn.

Thanks

John.

 

[sbslider]

I assume it didn't leak? That's nearly as amazing. Any idea who makes Kirkland? I saw something one time maybe Duracell?

no leaking. I don't know who makes Kirkland batteries,or who did that long ago. I may try to strip the label when I get home later today. It does say "Distributed by CWC, PO Box 34535, Seatlle WA 98124-1535, 1-800-774-2675 U.S. Made in USA. A short web search makes me believe CWC stands for Costco Wholesale Corporation. There is a number inprinted on it, best I can tell it reads 3D 20310

 

[sbslider]

If 2xAA Alkaline battery are supposed to last 45hrs in a flashlight. How long will 2xAA 2300mah NiMh battery last, Is there any way to estimate this without measuring the current drawn.

Thanks

John.

I think alkaline batteries are typically 3000mAhr, so you should be able to scale the NiMh batteries by multiplying 45*2300/3000, or roughly 33 hrs if I did the math right in my head.

 

[sbslider]

Here is a picture of the light on in firefly mode. The battery has been off for a couple days, so it has recovered a bit.

It looks like it recovered to above 1V, probably could get a few more hours on firefly with this battery

A picture showing the expiration date

 

[Lynx_Arc]

If 2xAA Alkaline battery are supposed to last 45hrs in a flashlight. How long will 2xAA 2300mah NiMh battery last, Is there any way to estimate this without measuring the current drawn.

Thanks

John.

Most likely it will run considerably less time at a higher output as often lights using a boost circuit aren't regulated and alkalines will slowly drop in voltage throttling the power use while nimh tend to hold the voltage more stably.
You may only get about 30 hours from nimh.

 

[radellaf]

So, (maybe) the oxyhydroxide alkaline has made a return with the new-ish Duracell Optimums? All the claims are in mWh "above 1.3V". I'm considering getting some to test. I don't have a WM CBA or UBA5, but the MC3000 will do mWh as well as mAh with configurable cutoff voltage, and if you bother to hook up the USB, data logging to a PC. It will not do constant power or constant resistance loads. The former would be useful for simulating something with a SMPS that would draw less current when the batteries were new. UBA has that, dunno about the CBA.
Anyway, what interests me is whether the resurrected PowerPix have managed to fit more mAh/mWh at 500mA with a 0.8V cutoff than the same chemistry back when the Panasonic Power Edge were tried. Or, it's the same old tech off their shelves, re-marketed for motorized toys and electronic door locks, now that AA powered digital cameras aren't around any more. Supposedly some IR remote controls don't work (well) on NiMH either.