The death of Alkaline batteries.

[Lunal_Tic]

With the advent of Eneloop technology and general availability of them now in stores, is there any reason to use alkalines for daily use LED lights?

I'm particularly interested in the performance aspect rather than the financial. It just seems to me that excluding initial cost there are no other pluses on the alkalines' side.

I've been trying to get rid of all my AA alkalines since I'm a bit paranoid about leaks and have replaced them with lithium for seldom used lights. For often used lights I've been still using them but wonder if I might be better off switching to the Eneloops.

-LT

 

[PhotonBoy]

I tend to use alkaline cells for devices that run for a long time such as clocks, remote controls and infrequently used radios.

For high consumption devices such as flashlights, I use NiMH rechargeables. I recently bought a bunch of Rayovac Hybrids and I'm expecting a new Maha charger in the mail next week so I'm set for now.

 

[this_is_nascar]

In response to your title, alkaline cells are not going anywhere for a very very long time. Cheap, easy to find, used by millions.

 

[Darkpower]

In response to your title, alkaline cells are not going anywhere for a very very long time. Cheap, easy to find, used by millions.

...not to mention the fact they have a 5 - 7 year shelf life.

 

[Raymond]

I for one am not putting in a rechargeable battery in a piece of equipment that can run for months or years on a single battery (think clocks and remotes). Or for equipment that is rarely used (think the circuit breaker panel closet, there's a flashlight there that only gets used when a circuit breaker has tripped. Once or twice a year. But I'm sure glad it gives enought light to find the tripped breaker)

I use rechargeables only for actively used, high drain devices.

Or simpy put: where they make sense and save me money.

Putting a multiple dollar eneloop in a clock is silly, and does nothing for the environment.

 

[warlord]

I use rechargables in my remote because it is a high drain device. I guess it really depends on what kind you have.

I also go through rechargables in my console controllers and of course the flashlights.

At work though we use Alkaline 9V's or AA's in all the heart monitors. They last for about one 12h shift and then we recycle them. They're great for projects, too.

 

[Burgess]

As much as i love Sanyo Eneloops,

they are NOT very easy to find !


Not at all. :shakehead



Dedicated flashaholics like us can manage to track 'em down,

but it's not easy.


They are NOT widely available. Plain and simple.


Alkalines, on the other hand, are indeed available everywhere.

That's just one of their advantages.




But you're right about one thing . . . .


i feel that Low-Self-Discharge NiMH cells are truly one of the
most exciting new developments in the Flashlight industry.


Just hope that Sanyo doesn't "drop the ball" on this one.


" Hey Sanyo, wake up ! ! ! "

:sleepy:
_

 

[chalo]

With the advent of Eneloop technology and general availability of them now in stores, is there any reason to use alkalines for daily use LED lights?

I'm particularly interested in the performance aspect rather than the financial. It just seems to me that excluding initial cost there are no other pluses on the alkalines' side.

There are daily used LED lights and then there are daily use LED lights. My Fenix L1T, my MTE Rebel 1xAA, and my modded 2xAA Cree bike headlight lights get NiMH cells because they have a real appetite for batteries. My Infinity Ultra-G lasts so long on one battery that I'd be inflicting an pointless chore on myself by using a rechargeable, so it gets an alkaline. Same with the red blinkies on my bikes.

All the above lights get used more or less daily. All the non-bike lights are usually on my person at any given time. So it's not a matter of some of the devices being tucked away for long periods and others being in constant use. Alkalines are simply a better match for some loads and operating conditions, with 25% higher nominal voltage than low self-discharge NiMH, 40-50% more mAh capacity, much longer shelf life, and ubiquitous availability.

 

[Yucca Patrol]

I have one fantastic use for alkaline batteries. I keep them in all the smoke detectors in the house and change them every 6 months.

Other than that, I only use either very high capacity NiMH (Powerex) or Eneloops

 

[jtr1962]

At this point alkalines bring absolutely nothing to the table. Once the existing alkalines here go they're getting replaced with Eneloops. That includes in clocks. Even though changing out a battery once a year is not a big deal, it is a big deal if you're out of batteries. It's easier just to pop the Eneloop in a charger and then you're in business another year. In a clock it might take 10 years to reach a break-even point but that doesn't matter. Ease of use is the primary concern here. Avoiding leaks is another. I've had so many devices where alkalines leak that I would never buy them again.

The main downside I see with the LSD NIMH is lack of availability. If they were in every store alongside the alkalines they would slowly but surely take over. It even makes sense to buy perhaps 8 or 10 more than you actually need. Since they hold their charge, you can use them just like you use the spare alkalines in your kitchen drawer. To avoid mixing charged and uncharged cells, any discharged cells removed from a device go right into the charger, while the charged spares in the drawer go into the device. No down time for the device, little change in habits (discharged cells go into a charger instead of the garbage). You can even put the charger near the garbage if that helps you to adjust.

 

[Lunal_Tic]

I didn't realize that Eneloops were that hard to get over there. When I was in the US over Christmas they seemed to be everywhere I looked, Fry's, Best Buy, Costco. Because I'm in Japan most of the time, and here they really are everywhere, I was under the impression that they were widely available.

Still with the bad experiences I've had with leaking AAs I'm really making a point of switching nearly everything to Eneloops or lithium and for something like a Fenix L1D or Jetbeam that is used daily I can't see any advantage at all to alkalines, even in my old Infinities I use lithium.

-LT

 

[HWman]

Rechargeable batteries pose a severe problem for almost everyone. There is no indication or built-in tester to indicate remaining capacity.

With a few sets of batteries, it becomes a chore to keep the various batteries identifiable. A system is needed.

For example, if I wrap the batteries in rubber-bands and all four batteries are facing in one direction, they are all fully charged. But, if one pair is reversed, the batteries are discharged. The same system goes for battery boxes.

For the average person, that is too much trouble.

CPFers will test the batteries before recharging them and match pairs of like charge, etc.

The alkaline battery solution is to use the battery, when done, throw it out. Thus, no problems with using a new battery and a dead battery together. No problems with having reduced maximum capacity because of old or damaged batteries.

Ten dollars buys a 48-pack of Kirkland (Costco) alkalines (about 22 cents each) or four Eneloops. I can give out alkalines like candy, but Eneloops are too costly.

...


[My girlfriend says I have to stop typing now...]



.

 

[Patriot]

Although not ideal, alkalines are going to be around for a long time. I know that I'll be using plenty of them. As another poster mentioned, the Costo price is hard to beat.

 

[Black Rose]

We have part of a box of Kirkland AA alkalines here that are used for clocks, radios, certain flashlights, extended power outages, and things of that nature.

We also have regular NiMh batteries, as well as a large number of Eneloops and ROV Hybrids. They are used for high drain devices but will also be used in less power hungry devices.

 

[Jackson]

I have one fantastic use for alkaline batteries. I keep them in all the smoke detectors in the house and change them every 6 months.

I've been thinking about using Lithium cells in my smoke detectors. There's a certain allure to the prospect of not having to change the cells for 10 years.

 

[LEDninja]

I've been thinking about using Lithium cells in my smoke detectors. There's a certain allure to the prospect of not having to change the cells for 10 years.

10 year shelf life.
Not 10 year operating life. Even though smoke detectors do not use a lot of energy they will still use some and drain your batteries.

 

[UnknownVT]

I tend to use alkaline cells for devices that run for a long time such as clocks, remote controls and infrequently used radios.
For high consumption devices such as flashlights, I use NiMH rechargeables.

This sounds about right.

Even in some flashlights alkalines still make sense.

NiMH have the advantage of more or less a flat discharge/output curve -
BUT they can drop/cut-off quickly
For frugal and long running flashlights - alkaline's behavior is more suitable -

Take for example the Fenix E0 - please look at the runtime graph by Chevrofreak -

A complete set of Fenix E0 runtimes

notice how the alkaline slopes off more slowly and continues to give light long after the NiMH had given up?
Not only does it continue to give light - the more gradual dimming is a good signal to change batteries - but with a nice grace period to do so........

 

[Jackson]

10 year shelf life.
Not 10 year operating life. Even though smoke detectors do not use a lot of energy they will still use some and drain your batteries.

Hmm. The 9v lithium batteries I saw at Lowes were claiming that they would have a 10 year operating life. It was a direct claim in regards to use in smoke detectors. Perhaps that was just magic marketing at work.

 

[SilverFox]

Hello Jackson,

You should be able to get a rough idea if their marketing claims hold water or not.

Look up what the average capacity of a 9 volt alkaline battery is, and make an educated guess on how long it lasts in a smoke alarm. Next find the capacity of the Lithium 9 volt battery.

For example, let's say that a typical alkaline 9 volt battery lasts 1 year, and, according to Energizer, it has around 625 mAh of capacity. If your Lithium 9 volt battery had a capacity of 6250 mAh, there is a very good chance it would last 10 years.

Tom

 

[jzmtl]

It makes no sense to use rechargeable, especially the expensive LSD ones in a clock (and other low drain device). Why would you want to tie up a several dollar battery and run the risk of over discharging it when a 25 cents alkaline will give almost the same performance without worry and maintenance?