Need recommendation for 1.5v rechargeable AA's

caelyx

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Eneloop is pretty much the industry standard, with a great reputation.
Standard white ones seem to have a bit longer lifetime (in terms of charge cycles), and the black Pro ones trade that off for greater capacity.
 

guiri

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Do they make them in 1.5 and do they charge in regular ni-mh chargers?

Linky?
 
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aznsx

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Do they make them in 1.5

No, not to the best of my knowledge - and you did say 1.5V. If you need 1.5V, you're probably looking at a regulated Li ion cell of the type fulee9999 referenced. They're relatively new, but there are several on the market now to choose from, and they may not all be created equal, so do a little research with published 'tests', etc. (including anecdotal info on this site). There are threads about some of them.
 
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ChrisGarrett

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Just buy standard white 2000mAh Eneloops, or Fujitsus, they're the best made on planet Earth. Make sure that they're 'made in Japan.'

If you need more capacity, say for camera flashes, game controlers or certain high drain AA lights, get their HiCaps, although you'll need to replace them in 2-3 years.

Chris
 

guiri

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Here's my problem. I'm running out of AA's rechargeable and since I seem to have had problems with mice and other things, I wonder if it's the fact that I use 1.2v batteries and thought I'd go for 1.,5v rechargeable. The ones fulee suggested, I can't find in the US.
Used to have these progenix or whatever but can't find the batteries and the charger and also, they are very old.
 

Viking

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Hi guiri

Unfortunately a few poorly designed devices only works at a higher voltage than nimh batteries can provide, so you may be right in your assumption that it is the slightly lower nominal voltage from nimh batteries that causes the problems.
But since there are relatively few devices that do not work well with nimh batteries, and you say you have problem with several devices, makes me think there is a very good chance you either have some bad batteries and/or charger.

I would start by buying a few eneloop batteries with a good charger, and see if that doesn't solve the problem. They are low self-discharge batteries, and there is a broad consensus that they are the best LSD batteries (low self-discharge) on the market. They have just introduced a new fifth generation cell.
See if you can find some of these, otherwise their fourth generation are almost just as good. I don't think there is much difference between the two generations, so if you can only find the fourth generation, that shouldn't stop you from buying them.

ChibiM has an informative website ( https://eneloop101.com/ ) you should read. There you can read exactly which batteries and product codes you should look for, as well as good chargers.
Although low self-discharge nimh cells like eneloop, can be charged by any nimh charger, I would highly recommend a smart charger with individual charging bays, and stay away from chargers with trickle charge, and chargers that charge batteries in pairs.

It is also a good idea to make sure the eneloops are made in Japan, as they are slightly better than the ones they get produced in China. But if you buy from an authorized eneloop dealer in USA, that should not be a problem. They only sell the ones made in Japan.

In terms of longevity, eneloops last a long time under normal circumstances, both in terms cycles and years. My 2nd generation eneloops from 2010 still works fine.
However, they haven't been exposed to many cycles or high drain devices either, it must be said.

Another thing I would recommend is, where it is possible to get rid of poorly designed products like your mouse.
I bought this wireless mouse from logitech in January, because according to the information it works for approx three years on two AA batteries. https://www.logitech.com/en-us/products/mice/m705-wireless-mouse.910-001935.html

As said, I've only had this mouse since January. But I keep track of my batteries, and therefore I can tell you, that I put some fourth generation eneloops in the mouse 15th january 2022 and they had to be charged again 7th August 2022.
But there is an on/off button on the mouse which I have not used. This means that my mouse has been switched on 24 hours a day all seven months. If I had turned off the mouse when I was not using the computer, the charge would have lasted longer.

I personaly have a Panasonic BQ-CC17 charger.
It is a slow but good smart charger. It takes 7 hours for charging 4 AA batteries.
Amazon sell it with a set of 4 AA eneloops (propably fourth generation). But you can also get a faster charger if you want to.
ChibiM recomends some chargers on his website. He also has a thread here on cpf.
 
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mr.snakeman

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I have a Fluke 28 ii DMM that uses 3x 1.5v. AA cells arriving in a day or two and was considering trying some of my eneloops instead of regular alkalines. Any thoughts?
 

hamhanded

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If you do want to try Ni-MH again, IKEA Laddas are white label eneloops, AFAIK. Their packaging says Made in Japan. Much cheaper.

Don't forget the 1.5v regulated lithiums will suddenly stop working when discharged, with no warning. In case that wouldn't work for your application
 
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alpg88

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i wanted to buy those, started reading reviews, every single cell i read reviews of, were not recommended, they have half the capacity of alkaline cell, and their lifespan is pretty short. A decade ago there were nizn cells 1.7-8v rechargeable, they did not last long either, i do not see them anymore. those 1.5v li ions, is another great idea on paper but a fail in real world
 

Chicken Drumstick

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I think it depends what you are doing.

I have some AA Maglites, they all make a lot more lumens with 1.5v li-ion AA. LED or incan. The performance is quite a leap from 1.2v NiMH.

But I'd not rely on them, the protection circuit shuts off completely when low. But until that point they seem quite capable. Got some AAA's on the way to try out too.
 

CuriousOne

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These are some chinese 1.5V rechargeable batteries, which have lithium cell inside and boost/charge circuitry too.
They work almost fine, except the following issues:
1. They are not suited for light loads - say using them in TV remote will drain them too quickly.
2. They are not suited for high, several amp loads, like in camera xenon flashes - high current will cause protection to trip or fire to start.
3. You have no indication or guess over remaining capacity - it holds 1.5V output pretty well, but as battery inside drains, output will be suddenly cut off.

They also differ by charging way - some require special charger, most of them currently have built in Type C/Micro USB socket, so can be charged with any charger. Some rare models can be charged using standard NiMH chargers, but these are rare.

if you decide to go this way, skip the "Delipow" brand - these are absolute junk.
 
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