Mimimum battery voltage

[InTheDark]

I think this has been posted before, but I couldn't find any information on the Energizer website. How low can you safely discharge alkaline batteries before you run into problems? I had a brinkmann/LS mod loaded with dead batteries from another light, when I put them in they were reading about 2.3 V for both batteries. Well, I used the light for about 2 hours, then accidentally left it on for about 5 hours. it was still lit by the time I found it, although it was slightly dimmer than my ARC-AAA. When i opened up the battery compartment to measure the voltage, I found that the batteries had leaked all over. I took a reading, and the batteries were drained to .5V each, so a total of 1.0 V for both batteries. My question is, did it leak because I drained the batteries down so low, or was it because they were really cheap batteries to begin with. they were some no-name brand batteries that came inside a cheap flashlight I had, I think they're called KingCell or something like that. I dont' even know if they're alkalines actually.

When can a battery be considered fully used? I think somewhere I read said that below 1.1V or something, there's only like 20-30% life left in the battery, but I don't remember. Does anyone have a chart to show this?

 

[vcal]

I would guess about .7v.
Sustained loads going much below that voltage (with alkalines-no matter which brand) encourages "out-gassing" which will cause the chemicals in the cell to leak into the battery compartment

 

[InTheDark]

mr glow,
that's what I was thinking too. about .7 V seems to be the absolute minimum that I'd drain my batteries too, but I for some reason I still feel like Im' getting ripped-off, because it seems like I can run them down so much more. There's probably not a whole lot of life left in them at that point though. Another question I forgot to ask was if the same thing applies to lithium battereies. I'm working on a single 123 cell mod, and also wanted to be able to drain those down to the very end.

 

[Evan]

Thanks. I've had Duracells leak in places I really don't want them to leak, in my hand-held TV. I thought Duracell's manufacturing had gotten crappy.

But maype the TV just draws the batteries down lower than other devices.

So all Alkalines will leek if you leave a device on and forget about it? Seems they really ought to warn as about such things.

 

[vcal]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Evan:
Thanks. I've had Duracells leak in places I really don't want them to leak, in my hand-held TV. I thought Duracell's manufacturing had gotten crappy.

But maype the TV just draws the batteries down lower than other devices.

So all Alkalines will leek if you leave a device on and forget about it? Seems they really ought to warn as about such things.

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Those little pocket color TVs like my Casio EV-550 easily draw 650mA, so it's no surprise at all that the alkalines can easily and completely drain in less than an hour. However, on my Casio, the picture starts to fade whwn the batts. are at 1V.

Now I stick to 1800mAh NimH cells for those kind of loads.