learn a noob on batteries - alkaline vs. nimh vs. lithium vs. ?

[HoopleHead]

in laymans terms please :wave:

would love to get a succinct, easy definition of what the different battery types are, and their various properties and pros/cons. like lithium vs. lithium ion, discharging, comes charged or not, etc etc. trying to stay away from sizings like CR123A vs. AAA etc, more on the types.

 

[roymail]

Start here. You'll learn a lot from this website... I did! Then ask more questions. :wave:

 

[HoopleHead]

am starting here, and searched, and tried to make sense of all these complex graphs n all that

looking for a nice consolidated reference for noobs

 

[ltiu]

Do what I did, get a few dozen of each:

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showpost.php?p=2294592&postcount=19

 

[JamisonM]

You can find this kind of information all over the internet. You can also find it here. Just give it a quick search on either.

 

[Jimmy H]

I think you will find what you need on this link, and a lot more too!

http://candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=161536

 

[Valolammas]

I'm no expert on this, but a short summary:

Alkalines are good for low-drain devices like clocks and remote controls. A flashlight is usually not a low-drain device, so you'll not get much runtime from them. Use them when you need to and have nothing else, otherwise stick to NiMHs.

NiMH cells come in two main types, regular and low self-discharge. Regular ones have a bit more capacity, but they start losing it after you take them off the charger. If you use them a lot (i.e. recharge almost every day), this won't matter. However, if you don't use them all that often, the LSD cells are really worth it. Personally, I love them. All NiMHs can provide a good amount of current (much more than alkalines) as long as they have capacity left, so they are a very good choice for flashlight use.

Non-rechargeable lithiums can also provide lots of power as long as they have capacity left. They also work well in cold environments and keep well. They are supposed to have a shelf life of 10 years, so they are a very good choice if you only use your light every now and then.

Li-ions I don't really know about. Apparently, they are good if you know how to use them properly and safely, but can be risky if misused.

 

[angrywetcat]

Thanks roymail and Jimmy H...some of this actually made sense to this noob...wow, what a read!

 

[HoopleHead]

thanks all. Valolammas thats exactly what im looking for, if anyone else has more to add or clarifications please do!


re: thread move, duh i never even noticed this section