different nimh

[fannin]

hi guys
i use eneloops in my lights (nitecore d10, fenix ld20, eagletac p20a2, dereelight javelin)

i want to try some cheaper ones, would all these be ok to use in my lights and in the same charger? and please can someone expalin the different mAh ratings (2100, 2500, 2800) and what they mean.[FONT=Tahoma, Verdana, Arial][/FONT]

http://www.7dayshop.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=777_3&products_id=107341
http://www.7dayshop.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=777_3&products_id=100592
http://www.7dayshop.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=777_3&products_id=101842

thanks a lot cpf

 

[Niconical]

The "mah" is the capacity (under test conditions), but don't let that fool you into thinking that more mah always means longer runtimes.

Of the links above, the first, the "good to go" batts are a similar type to the eneloop in that they are LSD (low self discharge), often listed as "precharged". I have no idea who makes those particular batteries (there are only actually a few manufacturers though), but they would most likely be a good and cheaper alternative to the eneloop. As for the other 2 links (2500mah and 2800mah), ignore them.

 

[fannin]

thank you niconical

i was thinking of trying one of each, i thought the 2800 might be brighter than the others but they wouldn't be any good?

 

[Mr Happy]

You know what they say: "Penny wise, pound foolish."

You will save a bit in the short term, but you will not be as satisfied with those batteries as with Eneloops. You will find they are much less consistent in capacity between cells, and that they will wear out more quickly with use. You will also find that the low self-discharge properties of the pre-charged ones are not as good as Eneloops.

The mAh ratings are the theoretical capacity of the cell -- how much electricity they can store. 2100 mAh is typical for a robust, long lasting cell. When the capacity increases above this the cells tend to become fragile internally and less durable overall. A capacity of 2650 mAh is about the maximum that can be achieved. If a cell is described as 2800 mAh you can be very skeptical of this claim. Such a capacity is more or less impossible to actually obtain.

 

[fannin]

thanks happy

so will the 2 non-lsd ones self discharge really quickly?

 

[Niconical]

so will the 2 non-lsd ones self discharge really quickly?

Well, yes, but only relative to the eneloops and other LSD batteries. There have been some reports of some 2500mah batteries in the past self discharging faster than the user could walk across the room from the charger and put them in the device. OK so that's a bit of an exageration, but there have certainly been some sad stories associated with them. Another drawback to non eneloops is that they don't hold their voltage as well over the course of the discharge when in use.

To sum up though, if you use the batteries rarely, remotes, occasional use flashlight etc, eneloops. If you use the batteries hard and fast every day, eneloops. If you have a specific use, and you can charge daily and maintain them well, then maybe a good quality set of 2700s might serve you better, but if you even need to ask "eneloop or other?" then chances are the answer is eneloop, or similar LSD.

If you have eneloops, keep them for your torches, but if you want to try those other "good to go" ones, it certainly wouldn't hurt, especially at the price.

 

[fannin]

thanks buddy

 

[Robin24k]

Duracell Pre-Charged batteries could be cheaper than Eneloop because of the Duracell branding being more popular. Duracell Pre-Charged with white tops are rebranded Eneloops, so that could also be an option.

 

[McAllan]

Duracell Pre-Charged batteries could be cheaper than Eneloop because of the Duracell branding being more popular. Duracell Pre-Charged with white tops are rebranded Eneloops, so that could also be an option.

A have 8 Uniross Hybrio.
Except the wrapping the metal container looks exactly like eneloops too - same top, safety venting hole the same, bottom looks exactly alike too. Also bought cheaper than eneloops a year or two back. And they perform just as great too :twothumbs Since I bought 8 they've now been put to duty in my TK40 - so I don't have to be careful about how I insert 2 different sets (which is doable since they're parallel 2x4 but that requires some explanation).

 

[march.brown]

.
I think my post should be under the heading "How not to treat your NiMh LSD cells"

I have an assortment of LSD cells ... I have Eneloops , Hybrios and GP Recyko ... I just checked the voltage of some that were charged a few weeks ago and the Eneloops were on average 1.340 volts , the Hybrios were 1.335 volts and the GP Recykos were 1.330 volts ... An ordinary NiMh Fujicell was 1.271 volts ... An Encore NiMh measured 1.188 volts ... They were all topped up within a couple days of each other, but it does show that the LSD cells maintained a higher voltage than the ordinary NiMh cells.

I tend to have a bit of a purge every few months (when I remember) and top up all the (thirty-odd) assorted spare AA & AAA cells ... I realise that it would be better to discharge them occasionally but as the cells in torches , remotes and clocks etc stop working , they are recharged whilst some of the spares are put into service ... So there is a slow but steady rotation of cells through various appliances ... Not ideal really, but with the LSD cells I am recharging far less often ... Probably two or maybe three times a year.

I realise that this is not a very technical test, but the LSDs are certainly at a higher voltage ... Of the three makes of LSD cells, my Eneloops are marginally the best, but there is only about 10 millivolts between my best and my worst LSD cells.

In the UK , I find that the GP Recyko were much cheaper (on Ebay) than the other better known makes ... I had some at half the price that I paid for my Eneloops ... I will be buying more of the Recykos whenever I need replacement cells in the future.

Even with my methods of (badly) treating these cells, they stand up to it perfectly well ... I haven't had to replace any dead LSD cells yet in the two or three years that I have had them ... My Hybrios are the oldest and are great but on a cost basis I will still go for the GP Recykos.

Hidden away in some of our remotes , torches , clocks , etc are probably a few alkaline cells and older NiMh cells which will be replaced by some of my stock of spare LSDs when I get round to it ... Hopefully that will get my spares down to just a few of each size ... As usual, I bought a few too many (just in case).

At this point , I should point out that my Li-Ion 18650 cells are treated with a great deal of care in their charging , with voltage being regularly checked during the charging process ... My NiMhs are less fortunate.
.

 

[RedForest UK]

To the OP, you can get eneloops or duraloops from that same website under the 'nimh batteries' section for about £6 for a pack of four, at that price you wont find anything nearly as good quality or performance as the genuine article.

 

[fannin]

Duracell Pre-Charged batteries could be cheaper than Eneloop because of the Duracell branding being more popular. Duracell Pre-Charged with white tops are rebranded Eneloops, so that could also be an option.

hi again guys

could someone send me a link to the rebranded eneloop duracells?

many thanks

 

[Robin24k]

You'll usually have to either look in a local store or check Ebay. A lot of Ebay sellers advertise that their Pre-Charged batteries have white tops and are Made in Japan.

 

[The Dane]

To the OP, you can get eneloops or duraloops from that same website under the 'nimh batteries' section for about £6 for a pack of four, at that price you wont find anything nearly as good quality or performance as the genuine article.

Then again are the Duraloops 50% better?

I use theese and are quite happy with capacity and power:
http://www.component-shop.co.uk/html/body_in2100aa.html
http://www.component-shop.co.uk/

OK! I'm an "El Cheapo" and would rather have 12 next to best cells than 8 best, for all the crap in the house thats powered by AA's, and the apliances dont seem to notice,

As stated elsewhere in this thread: All LSD's are made by a wery few factories, so the "only" thing that tell them apart is quality!

 

[fannin]

hi again guys

could someone send me a link to the rebranded eneloop duracells?

many thanks

are either of these the rebranded eneloops?
http://www.7dayshop.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=777_3&products_id=108105
http://www.7dayshop.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=777_3&products_id=106058

 

[Robin24k]

Active Charge is the same as Pre-Charged (different markets, Pre-Charged is US term probably), but with those, you could either get black tops or white tops, so there's no guarantee.

 

[fannin]

Active Charge is the same as Pre-Charged (different markets, Pre-Charged is US term probably), but with those, you could either get black tops or white tops, so there's no guarantee.

and the white tops would be rebranded eneloops and the black would be just different low discharge ones right?

thanks man

 

[Robin24k]

Yup, they both are LSD, just that the white tops are a bit better.

 

[fannin]

Yup, they both are LSD, just that the white tops are a bit better.

are there duracells that are definitely re branded eneloops?

appreciate the info robin

 

[Robin24k]

The only way you can be sure would be to go into a store or get one from an Ebay auction that specifically says they are white tops or Made in Japan.

No problem, glad I could help! :)