Proprietary battery rant

[d'mo]

Rant mode on....

Ok, it's a bit of a pet peeve of mine, but I'm fixated on standard size batteries, mostly AA and AAA. Think about it, every piece of portable electronics needs a battery and there is nothing worse (to me) than a proprietary battery with a dedicated charger that works only on "that" battery type alone. I love rechargeable batteries, but lugging around a dedicated charger for a laptop, camcorder, digital camera, and cell phone is a royal PITA. Companies are starting to manufacturer "universal" chargers, but recharging still doesn't get you where you want to be when the electronics your carrying run out of electrons. With a charger, you're tethered to a wall or have to wait until charging has completed - neither is a great option....

Standardizing on common battery sizes has some great benefits: If your rechargeable AAs die, you can always install a set purchased from almost any corner store in the world (been there, done that). When higher capacity common sized rechargeable are released, you don't have to pay an arm and a leg for replacements and in most cases, don't even need to upgrade chargers. In a pinch, the batteries from one device will also work in another. Dedicated rechargeable batteries that die at inopportune times leave the user lugging around hunks of plastic, metal and glass that do nothing more than weigh them down. With common batteries, just walk into the store, open your wallet and you're back in business, albeit in many cases with less capacity that with the rechargeable, but at least the device is still working.

Of course, this has limitations - nobody wants to wear a huge AA powered watch. I don't mind the odd sized battery here and there if the device using it has an absurdly long run time. Electronic watches are an example of this.

Lately, there have been a lot of flashlights coming out taking only 123 batteries. While I think 123s are great, they are still not as abundant to purchase as AA. I understand the ergonomics, capacity and circuit issues involved, but hold great esteem for devices hat can use multiple battery types. The Arc LS rev 1 was a classic example being able to accept 123, 1xAA, 2xAA, 1xAAA and 2xAAA (with modified cases).

As technology becomes more abundant, I wish manufacturers would realize that standardizing battery sizes really makes life easier.

Rant mode off...

I'd love to hear your thoughts...

Thanks
dave

 

[Fitz]

Good point- when you can pick up a 3 watt LED light in AA formfactor for a reasonable price I'll be a happy camper. For the time being, CR123A Lithiums are small and light enough, and run times are long enough, that tossing a couple extras in when you might need them will have to do.

 

[pjandyho]

Now that most digital cameras are built only to take rechargeable that is in the non AA, AAA, or CR123 types that also rule out my option of purchasing alkalines and lithiums off the shelves. As a photographer I have always asked fellow photographers how are they going to manage their digital cameras should a client send them to cover the rain forest of Borneo or the Amazon? Non could give me a favourable answer as yet.

If only by plugging my charger to the trees and waiting for the lightning to strike it could work...

 

[tiktok 22]

That's why I have battery tubes(1x123,2xAA,[3x123 kl1 only]) from tadgear for my L4. It's nice to have options.

 

[Ray_of_Light]

I have a crank radio, a crank light, a crank charger for the cell phone, should that trip in the forest be really required. I guess the crank charger can be used for the camera too...

Anthony

 

[Lurker]

I agree with your rant. And by the way, manufacturers are fully aware that standard batteries are better for the consumer. They are also aware that proprietary batteries are better for the manufacturer because you have to buy replacements only from them at whatever they want to charge. That is a dream come true for the OEM and that is why they use proprietary whenever the market will let them get away with it.

And as if that is not bad enough, they are taking it one step farther by making the rechargeable battery completely non-replaceable in some products now. That's rignt, you must trash the whole appliance when the battery dies. Palm OS PDA computers have all gone to this scheme (a few years ago, they used standard AAA batteries). High-end rechargeable toothbrushes do this also, as do many shavers. There is no real need for this design limitation, but the manufacturers want you to replace the products rather than use them for a long time.

Also take a look at cordless phone battery packs. They are often nothing more than 3 standard AA batteries wrapped together, but they have a special tiny plug so you have to pay $20 for a new battery pack instead of using cheap off-the-shelf AA rechargeable batteries. And every manufacturer has a special shape for their tiny plug so you absolutely must buy from them and not use any other cordless phone battery pack. This is a blatant case of going to great lengths and expense to make a proprietary component out of standard off-the-shelf parts.

Standardization is good for the consumer, but manufacturers love proprietary components because that is what is good for them.

And if you want a nightmare of non-standardization, just look at the multitude of battery sizes in the button-cell and coin-cell category. Why on earth do we need so many possible sizes, some of which are not even distinguishable from the next one to the naked eye. We could cover every possible application with about 4 or 5 sizes. There is no need for one hundred others.

 

[Sub_Umbra]

I agree with your rant, too.

As if what you've said about proprietary batteries wasn't bad enough, I've started to notice what I call 'form factor drift' in some standard sized batteries.

My wife's bike has an excellent red LED rear light that will take two AAAs but not two Duracrll Ultra AAAs. They will only make contact if I bend the contacts a certain way. It's a CatsEye light which leads me to believe it's DuraCells' problem. I think that in their quest for adding every mAH that they can they have 'squared out' the ends somewhat. Anyone seen this anywhere else?

 

[Lurker]

I haven't seen the form-factor problem personally, but there are a lot of posts here about how a particular brand of battery won't work in a particular flashlight. I am thinking particularly about Arc flashlights and CR123 batts. Also how some brands of AAs are a bit long or short. How hard is it to make a battery a certain length???

At least that is just sloppiness and not a CONSPIRACY!

 

[Kiessling]

unfortunately standard battery sizes propose only standard performance, whereas 123s are the top of the line right now. so, if you want the best, it is 123 powered. if you need something reasonable, you rarely get the best.
life is a compromise.
bernhard

 

[Lurker]

CR-123s are fine as a standard size for high-performance applications. All the other lithium specialty sizes should be eliminated, though.

By the way, I definitely consider the battery size when I buy an electronic device. I will buy devices that take AA or AAA without hesitation. If it must take a coin cell, I'll take a CR-2032 device. I have only 2 "D" devices (no bra-size jokes, please). I don't want any "C" devices or 9V. I try to avoid any other sizes if at all possible, but of course you just don't have a choice with many products (like smoke detectors). I'd like 90% of my stuff to be AA or AAA.

By buying this way, I am voting for standardization with my wallet.

I do keep an empty "C" flashlight/radio, but only because during a power outage, "C" is sometimes all that you can find in stores.

 

[Eugene]

I was looking at digicams in a computer store and about 1/2 used AA's so they are learning. Some have a 2AA slot with a funny 2AA shaped lithium ion so the lion can be removed and regular AA's can be dropped in. Of course the fun things with standards are there are so many, with batteries you have AA,AAA,AAAA,C,D,etc; digcams you now have CF, SD, MMC, Sony's memory stick, and a couple others. I like standards, I have learned to stay away from propritary stuff over the years as it always drives the support costs up. Look at the Dell Pc's with non standard power supplies, or Packard Bells or Apples, I stick with standard ATX,MicroATX or even MiniITX computer parts since they are standard. I too don't/won't buy a light that takes anything other than AA or AAA's until they become a popular standard to where they can be foudn everywhere.

 

[NeonLights]

[ QUOTE ]
pjandyho said:
As a photographer I have always asked fellow photographers how are they going to manage their digital cameras should a client send them to cover the rain forest of Borneo or the Amazon? Non could give me a favourable answer as yet.

If only by plugging my charger to the trees and waiting for the lightning to strike it could work...

[/ QUOTE ]

How about solar chargers? There are quite a few available, and unles it is dark all of the time, a good supply of AA rechargeables and a couple of chargers should keep a photographer in business for quite awhile.

-Keith

 

[Brock]

I think a lot of the products that use proprietary batteries or non-changeable batteries are doing it to cover their butts. If you put the wrong size batteries in, or somehow connect them wrong and a fire starts they can be liable. So to avoid that they just don't make it possible. I know with rechargeable lithium's there is a LOT of protection going on in the charger and battery. Some put it all in the battery, some in the charger or some combination.

I do however think they should come up with standard size li-ion rechargeable sizes and standards, it is getting so every piece of gear uses it's own battery and charger.

I have made up plenty of adapters to run laptops and many other items off multiple AA cells. Like my dell laptop can be run/charged from 20 AA cells, in 2 10-pack holders. Not pretty but gets the job done and I can charge them myself and replace them as I want. It is surprising that I can run about 3-4 hours on one charge though (2000mA’s), and at that point the internal battery is full and can run another 2 hours. Oh well...

 

[Sub_Umbra]

[ QUOTE ]
Regarding Third World locations NeonLights said:
How about solar chargers? There are quite a few available, and unles it is dark all of the time, a good supply of AA rechargeables and a couple of chargers should keep a photographer in business for quite awhile.

-Keith

[/ QUOTE ]
A few weeks ago in one of those 'what should I take to Africa' threads this came up and someone mentioned having the panel, charger and batteries stolen. That matches up well with some of my Third World experiences.

It's like the less likely you are able to get batteries in the place you're going, the more likely your solar setup will be stolen. It sits out there all day, sometimes pretty much every day, by itself, in a place where the economy is so bad that no one can even make a living selling AA cells. The whole threat can be difficult for a Westerner to comprehend.

IMO a solar recharging setup can only work under these conditions if you know ahead of time that you'll be able to successfully hide the whole setup from ANY prying eyes. I.E. Stash it on a roof in a place where it cannot be viewed without access to THAT roof -- and you have control. Or some fluke of nature that will hide it. It's often an unsolvable problem -- with potentially horrific ramifications for the owner if it is discovered and stolen.

 

[Eugene]

I remember reading someones review of one of those solar chargers. Seems to me they said it took 8 hours of good sunlight to charge and this was a while back, battery capacities have grown since then so it would probably take even longer.
I remember when laptop makers tried to standardize on batteries, there were laptops with this big duracell battery. Only problem was all the laptops were the same then.

 

[Screehopper]

I have so many brick chargers and AC-DC transformers that sometimes I forget which charger goes to which battery or device. I've gotten to the point where I have to label some of them.

Underneath my desk are two surge protectors with an array full of chargers. Now if I can find the right plug when I need it. HA! Instead of "Where's Waldo", it's "Where's the damn end of the charger that I need?"

 

[Pellidon]

My proprietary battery rant was simple. Returning from Memphis, the TSA lost (or kept) my battery charger out of my checked bag. The camera was only a few months old but the maker had no chargers. It took me two attempts to find one that would work. Of course, TSA has no responsibility. But that soured me further on freaky unique batteries.

 

[eluminator]

Sony manages to make even AA cells proprietary. A friend of mine has a Sony digital camera. As if making the camera absurdly difficult to use wasn't enough, the manual emphatically states that you can only use Sony brand NiMH in the camera. No alkalines, no lithiums and no NiMH of any brand but Sony.

The poor girl used the camera for a year with just the 2 cells that came with it because she couldn't find any Sony brand NiMH. I told her that was nonsense and gave her a pair of NiMH AA from my extensive collection.

I try to standardize on AA and AAA cells for everything. I don't even like cr123 lithiums. They are too expensive and too unreliable.

I wish ARC flashlight would make more of those LS models that can run on one AA cell.

 

[Eugene]

I have so many brick transformers that when I needed one to test something out I pulled one that matched the voltage and clipped the plug and soldered on a plug that fit, then later realized that was the transformer for my scanner so I had to resolder on a plug that fit my scanner. Somehow I had put the transformer for my scanner in the bucket of spares /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif