I have a bunch of loose zinc primaries that are perfectly charged and was wondering if they are worth using, as I have heard that they pretty much stink (in the technical sense) compared to alkalines. I guess they hold less power, don't last as long, and leak often. Do you guys use zincs for anything? :huh:
Zincs... good for anything?
- Thread starter JRTJRT
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Flashlight Enthusiast
I accidently bought about 500 on Ebay, at a very good price (a few cents each)
Then I found out they weren't alkalines.
Anyway, I found out they run the following devices well:
MiniMag LED 2xaa or 3AA
Fenix L2d on low and med modes
anything with low drain devices
basically they are junk, the runtime is half the alkalines at best but at 2 cents each, you have no room to complain.
Then I found out they weren't alkalines.
Anyway, I found out they run the following devices well:
MiniMag LED 2xaa or 3AA
Fenix L2d on low and med modes
anything with low drain devices
basically they are junk, the runtime is half the alkalines at best but at 2 cents each, you have no room to complain.
StarHalo
Flashaholic
Zinc AAAs in a lower-output keychain light can help lighten your keychain, since zincs are so light. Aside from that, use them in your lowest-drain devices, such as remote controls.
Kestrel
Flashaholic
Carbon-zinc batteries can leak? I didn't know that, I thought it was just alkalines. What will be the 'leakant'?
Thx,
I had a "Heavy Duty" (zinc) battery leak in a radio yesterday that looked like water, and tasted like apple cider.
From wiki...
"The (heavy duty) zinc chloride cell is an improvement on the original zinc-carbon cell, using purer chemicals and giving a longer life and steadier voltage output as it is used. Instead of an electrolyte mixture containing much NH4Cl, it is largely only ZnCl2 paste. When the dry cell has been used for a certain time, the zinc container becomes thinner because zinc metal is oxidised to zinc ions. Therefore Zinc Chloride Solution leaks out of the battery. The old dry cell is not leakproof. It becomes very sticky as the paste leaks through the holes in the zinc case. The service life of the battery is short, with a shelf life of around 1.5 years. Furthermore, the zinc casing in the dry cell gets thinner slowly, even when the cell is not being used. It is because the ammonium chloride inside the battery is acidic, reacting with the zinc."
"...oxidation of the zinc wall eventually causes the contents to leak out, so such batteries should not be left in electric equipment for long periods. While these batteries have a long history of usefulness, they are declining in application since some of their problems are overcome in alkaline batteries."
(just kiddin about the apple cider)
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Kestrel
Flashaholic
I guess the 'dry cell' part of C-Zn was throwing me. For all the times I've heard about alkalines leaking, I haven't heard about C-Zn leaks, that's pretty interesting.
abvidledUK
Flashlight Enthusiast
Your main torches probably cost more than all the zincs put together, so why risk it ?
Or any other battery powered item for that matter.
Or any other battery powered item for that matter.
:shakehead you had me worried
etc
Flashlight Enthusiast
Cost-wise,, they offer the best bang per buck. But they are disposable in the truest sense.
Forgot to say, they run my Princeton Tec Apex moded with P4 really well. Especially the lower modes on 5mm LEDs. For 25-30 mins maybe. Just keep replacing them.
Needless to say, there is never a need to buy them. NiMH are cheaper long-term and better.
Forgot to say, they run my Princeton Tec Apex moded with P4 really well. Especially the lower modes on 5mm LEDs. For 25-30 mins maybe. Just keep replacing them.
Needless to say, there is never a need to buy them. NiMH are cheaper long-term and better.
Fallingwater
Flashlight Enthusiast
Carbon-zinc D cells can be usually had for low prices and have enough grunt that they can run flashlights of respectable power. I still wouldn't run a Cree on them, but, say, three medium-brightness LEDs might be doable.
Carbon-zinc AAs can be used in low drain devices such as, say, a single, non-overdriven 5mm LED light. However, they won't be terribly happy even under such a low draw, and will probably give less than half the runtime of even a cheap Alkaline. Better to use them in clocks and remotes.
CZ AAAs shouldn't be used in anything else but clocks and remotes.
CZ 9V batteries, too, should only be used in such devices, since they have truly pitiful power and energy density.
I never actually buy CZ cells, but things I buy from DealExtreme often come with CZ cells inside them, to keep my clocks happy.
Carbon-zinc AAs can be used in low drain devices such as, say, a single, non-overdriven 5mm LED light. However, they won't be terribly happy even under such a low draw, and will probably give less than half the runtime of even a cheap Alkaline. Better to use them in clocks and remotes.
CZ AAAs shouldn't be used in anything else but clocks and remotes.
CZ 9V batteries, too, should only be used in such devices, since they have truly pitiful power and energy density.
I never actually buy CZ cells, but things I buy from DealExtreme often come with CZ cells inside them, to keep my clocks happy.
