"The World's No1 AA alkaline battery"

[darklord]

"The World's No1 AA alkaline battery" - the Panasonic Evoia

That's the claim from Panasonic, anyway. Sounds like more marketing blurb, but then I was talking to a guy at a respected battery supplier today and he was absolutely adamant that the Evoia is healthily more powerful than a Duracell Ultra.

Might be worth a try out.

http://www.panasonic-batteries.com/site/Europe/English/products/products_batteries_range.asp?iid=25

 

[gfang]

Hmm, never heard of it.

Maybe SilverFox or one of the other gurus here can confirm or debunk that.

 

[gfang]

In the fine print, "average of all discharge mode ANSI, IEC and JIS ( at this point Jan 15th, 2008)".

I don't know if those tests are really relevant to how members here use batteries in high drain lights.
​

 

[darklord]

I'm sure the tests are not relevant in the sense that they probably don't reflect everyday use in high drain torches. They are probably standards of some kind, laboratory tests of a fixed nature.

But in that sense, they may demonstrate some relative relevancy!

I was asking the guy at the store what he had in the way of higher power Duracells and Energizers (alkaline, remember), and he basically said: "if you really want best power from an alkaline, there's only one choice...and it's streets ahead"

 

[Marduke]

Put lipstick on a pig, and you still have a pig. There is nothing really special about a slightly better pig in this case.

 

[dano]

I cant locate a U.S. retailer selling them. They may be under a different name in the U.S.

*EDIT* They're sold under the name "Evolta" in the U.S.

 

[matrixshaman]

I'm sure the tests are not relevant in the sense that they probably don't reflect everyday use in high drain torches. They are probably standards of some kind, laboratory tests of a fixed nature.

But in that sense, they may demonstrate some relative relevancy!

I was asking the guy at the store what he had in the way of higher power Duracells and Energizers (alkaline, remember), and he basically said: "if you really want best power from an alkaline, there's only one choice...and it's streets ahead"

How was the price on them? Streets ahead too? If not than that's good news if you use alkalines but I think most people here use NiMH in AA's whenever possible or Lithium AA Energizers or similar. Alkalines leak more easily and I've gotten almost completely away from them. I prefer Li-Ion or similar Lithium rechargeable battery based lights or NiMH.

 

[gfang]

Put lipstick on a pig, and you still have a pig. There is nothing really special about a slightly better pig in this case.

 

[darklord]

How was the price on them? Streets ahead too? If not than that's good news if you use alkalines but I think most people here use NiMH in AA's whenever possible or Lithium AA Energizers or similar. Alkalines leak more easily and I've gotten almost completely away from them. I prefer Li-Ion or similar Lithium rechargeable battery based lights or NiMH.

Prices were not too shabby, actually - compared well with top duracell price (here in uk, anyway).

Of course I take your point about Lithiums and NiMH, but there are times and places for alkaline. Like a) I'll be in the jungle with no re-charging facilities and b) lithiums are at least twice the price (again uk prices).

 

[jtr1962]

Another marketing gimmick to sell what is probably a grossly overpriced cell (i.e. at least $2.99 for 4 compared to bulk packs of 40 for $10). As was said in this thread, you can put lipstick on a pig but it's still a pig.

 

[darklord]

So there's no marketing gimmickry in the lithium and nimh sectors, then?.....

 

[Illum]

hm...Panasonic does sound plausible...but....

we really needs to put silverfox on this

 

[matrixshaman]

Prices were not too shabby, actually - compared well with top duracell price (here in uk, anyway).

Of course I take your point about Lithiums and NiMH, but there are times and places for alkaline. Like a) I'll be in the jungle with no re-charging facilities and b) lithiums are at least twice the price (again uk prices).

You probably missed stangliter04's Energizer AA Lithiums deal then .... which worked out for me to be about $2.50 per 4 pack of them (but loose not in packs - for that price I can live with it)

 

[darklord]

You probably missed stangliter04's Energizer AA Lithiums deal then .... which worked out for me to be about $2.50 per 4 pack of them (but loose not in packs - for that price I can live with it)

Errr, yes, I probably did miss that deal......I'm in the UK

 

[jirik_cz]

I've made a couple of runtime tests with various batteries in Fenix TK20. Panasonic Evolta/Evoia had slightly shorter runtimes than some noname alkaline batteries that cost only a one quarter of Evoia's price... :thumbsdow
If you want the best primary AA battery just get Energizer L91.

Fenix TK20 turbo mode
Fenix TK20 general mode

Translation
jas -> brightness
čas [minuty] -> time [minutes]
čas [hodiny] -> time [hours]
do 50% -> to 50%

 

[darklord]

Excellent! Some proof of the pigging, then! I'm glad to be reliably informed, it was a marketing ploy after all!

Jirik, take your point about energizer lithiums but remember, they are often TWICE AS COSTLY as alkalines. My post was to discover whether the Evoia was, indeed, the best ALKALINE - because, as I have stated, there are times and places for using alkaline!

If the Evoia gave 2/3 the runtime of an Energizer lithium, at half the price.....well, it would be worth buying! Perhaps it still is - your graph shows it runs for half the time of the lithium, so in certain circumstances it could be equal on price efficiency

(ps. what does stare´and nove´mean?..those are rechargeables, right?)

 

[Light Sabre]

I did some battery tests (alkaline, lithium, NMH) a couple years ago. The Energizer Titanium (alkaline) battery lasted 80% as long as an Energizer lithium, but at half the cost. Of course the Titanium battery had the usual long declining discharge curve, where the litium had a flatter discharge curve. Wouldn't buy a regular Duracell alkaline, only Ultras. As far as 9v batteries, I will only buy Energizers. Didn't test any 9v lithiums, too expensive.

After trying to switch as many battery operated devices to either NMH or primary lithiums, I discovered that too many of them don't like either, so it was back to alkalines for them.

Will do some tests on the Evolta when I can get my hands on some. Haven't seen them in the B&M stores yet.

 

[Nyctophiliac]

darklord - may I join in and say you can put lipstick on a pig but it will still be a pig? Furthermore, it would be immoral and suspicious in the extreme to enjoy such a practice.

But speaking as another UK piggy, ASDA have AA and AAA lithiums for around £3.89 for a 4 pack and I believe Maplin are doing two for the price of one at the moment ( But then I also believe Lipsticked pigs will fly...and that robots are stealing my luggage........I'll get my coat)




Be lucky...

 

[Mr Happy]

Jirik, take your point about energizer lithiums but remember, they are often TWICE AS COSTLY as alkalines.

I noticed this when you mentioned it before, and so I'm wondering how the UK price structure compares to the US? In the US, the average low price for Duracell AA alkaline works out at about $0.50 per cell when bought in a multipack, and the average low price for Energizer Lithium is about $2.50 per cell (typically $9.99 for a pack of 4). So in the US that puts lithiums at four or five times the cost of alkalines. In the UK, is it that alkalines are more expensive or are lithiums cheaper?

 

[Marduke]

When is it every a good idea to use an overpriced alkaline cell?

You said like in the jungle, and vs lithium prices.

You are not going to find anything like Evolta in the jungle, and for everyday use, LSD NiMH cells such as Eneloop give a MUCH better performance than ANY alkaline cell. They are WAY cheaper, and won't leak and ruin your light.


Also, FWIW, these "premium" alkaline cells such as the Duracell Ultra are the MOST leak prone I have ever seen.