Showing posts with label longevity. Show all posts
Showing posts with label longevity. Show all posts

2/25/2011

Duracell Rechargeable AA NiMH Batteries, MIGNON/HR6/DC1500 (8 Batteries) Review

Duracell Rechargeable AA NiMH Batteries, MIGNON/HR6/DC1500
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
While the other reviewer complains about 2050mah and indeed that's how the Amazon description reads today, the package I received is copyrighted 2003 and the batteries read "AA/HR6/DC1500 NIMH/1.2v 2300mAhStandard charge 230mA for 16h".I have posted a note to Customer Service to correct the advertising - it's slightly cheaper than market-price, especially with super-saver-free shipping.

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Product Description:
Don't miss a picture, power your digital camera with Duracell Rechargeables. Duracell Rechargeable Batteries enable you to recharge for long lasting power up to 1,000 times--so you can focus on the great photos you're taking instead of replacing batteries. The powerful AA batteries--2,650mAh capacity--are ideally suited for high-drain devices such as digital cameras, and the AAAs are perfect for PDAs and hand-held games. You may also choose from a variety of chargers, from the economical overnight charger to the rapid 30 Minute Charger.

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1/07/2011

Rechargeable NiMH Batteries, 2650mAH, AA size, 8 batteries per pack DC1500 Review

Rechargeable NiMH Batteries, 2650mAH, AA size, 8 batteries per pack  DC1500
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
Believe the positive reviews of these batteries, they are the best you can buy, and that even means the other brands rated 2700mAh (or more). I have more than 60 of these, I use them in torches, remote controls, wireless mice / keyboards, anything that will take them.

If you have a charger like mine (Maha WizardOne MH-C9000) that will take a capacity reading, do a comparison for yourself against Energizers, generic, chinese cells, anything. And you will find like I did that the Duracells have higher capacity and lower leakage than any high capacity AA cell. After a slow charge, you will find,

Duracells: All read very close to 2650mAh

Energizers: Rarely more than 90% of stated capacity

Others: Almost never their stated capacity. BTY brand bought on Ebay from 'superglobalstore' were abysmal, and measured 800mAh (2500mAh stated)In terms of leakage:

Duracell 2650mAh AA: These hold their charge a very long time, not quite to the Eneloop level but much more capacity and current delivery capability than Eneloop.

Energiser: These are VERY leaky, after a month they are nearly discharged completely, Duracell are still at about 85% capacity.

Others: I have not waited to test but my hopes are not high.Another indication of the quality of these Duracells is their weight. Duracells are 30.4 grams each, Energizers are also good at 29.4 grams. But you try some other cheap brands and they are impossibly light, some at 15 grams or less. If Duracell could make them lighter with the same capacity I am sure they would, so clearly the weight is required to achieve the stated capacity.

To be fair, I had one of these Duracells that leaked severely and was flat in a few days, but the remaining cells (more than 60) all hold charge like champions. I know because I have them in test equipment that hasnt been touched for 12 months and they still fire up nicely. Same with remote controls, which have trivial discharge rate during operation and only need replacement when the cells discharge on thier own.
The Energizers are the closest I could find in quality. They are quite good if you charge them and use them immediately, otherwise they discharge too fast, and are not quite up to their capacity rating either. But they can supply a lot of current quickly for things such as flash units (as can the Duracells).

Unfortunately you get what you pay for with batteries, and Duracell are close to the most expensive, but I find them well worth it.

====================================

IMPORTANT UPDATE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I wrote the above review about 8 months ago; At the time I felt these were the best batteries available. Recently I needed some more, so I bought another 20 of them. TO MY SURPRISE THEY ARE GARBAGE. The superb ones I got initially are like those pictured here, with a green and black body. The new version ones have a gold top more or less where the green area is in the picture. Its the typical duracell style gold top, but rechargeable and the same capacity.

I dont know why, but the new batteries I bought are VERY leaky and dont hold a charge longer than a week or two. And their discharge rates vary so that some are still half charged when the others are empty. Compare this to the ones I reviewed before, which last in some devices for 12 months or more.

I should mention again that the good ones have the green top and the crap ones have the gold top. I do not know if this is a rule that can be relied upon but I do regret giving folks the impression that all AA Duracell 2650MAh rechargeables are high quality. PLEASE RETHINK BUYING THESE.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Rechargeable NiMH Batteries, 2650mAH, AA size, 8 batteries per pack DC1500

Product Description:
Duracell NiMH Round Cell Rechargeable AA Batteries offer an economical choice for heavy daily-use, high-drain devices such as PDAs, pocket TVs, digital phones and digital cameras. In a typical digital camera, alkaline batteries may only last from 20 to 40 minutes and can only be used once. These NiMH batteries last nearly 1 1/2 hours and can be recharged up to 1,000 times.

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12/16/2010

PowerGenix PGX-4AAZiNc-1.6v High Voltage Rechargeable AA Batteries - 4 Pack Review

PowerGenix  PGX-4AAZiNc-1.6v High Voltage Rechargeable AA Batteries - 4 Pack
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
On first glance, the PowerGenix Nickel-Zinc Rechargeable Batteries seem to offer many advantages over ordinary rechargeable NiMH cells: higher voltage, higher energy density, lighter weight, longer cycle life, and so on. But before you rush to replace all your rechargeable batteries with NiZn type, let's examine each claim carefully to separate marketing hypes from technical facts:

"30% Higher Voltage" [FACT]
The NiZn cell has a nominal voltage of 1.65V, which is 30% higher than that of a NiMH cell (1.25V nominal). When freshly charged, its terminal voltage is even higher at 1.85V!

"33% Higher Energy Density" [HYPE]
The PowerGenix AA cells are marketed as "2500 milli-WATT-hour" (energy capacity). Most people may confuse this with "2500 milli-Ampere-hour" (charge capacity). But the data sheet for NiZn AA cell shows that its current capacity is only 1500mAh (this is verified by my own testing). It turns out that an 1500mAh NiZn cell actually contains the same amount of energy as a 2000mAh SANYO eneloop AA cell.
- Energy in eneloop AA cell: 1.25V * 2000mAh = 2500mWh
- Energy in PowerGenix AA cell: 1.65V * 1500mAh = 2475mWh

"30% weight and size reduction" [HYPE]
The weight of each NiZn AA cell (25g) is about the same as NiMH AA cell (27g for eneloop). For certain applications, it is possible to use three NiZn cells (3*1.65=5V) to replace four NiMH cells (4*1.25V=5V). But doing so also shortens run time by 25%.

"Longer Cycle Life" [HYPE]
PowerGenix claims service life of NiZn cell 'meets or beats' that of NiMH cells. However, technical data found on PowerGenix web site says NiZn cell is rated for 200 cycles (at 100% deep-discharge), shorter than the 500-1000 cycles cited for most NiMH cells.

"Longer shelf life" [HYPE]
It is probably true that NiZn cell offers longer shelf life than Lead-Acid batteries (which are notorious for high self-discharge rate), but how does it compare against low-self-discharge NiMH cells? In the PowerGenix "Charging Procedure" section, it says you have to recharge the NiZn batteries once every 30 days!In summary, the only verifiable benefit for PowerGenix NiZn cell is its higher operation voltage. However, even this may turn out to be a curse rather than a blessing. For example, the light bulb in a typical two-AA flashlight is only rated for 2.3V. But a pair of freshly charged NiZn cells produce 1.85*2=3.7V, which is enough to burn out the bulb. If you intend to use those NiZn cells in your digital camera, make sure the latter is still covered by warranty!

Finally, NiZn cells cannot be recharged using ordinary NiMH chargers. You have to purchase the special PowerGenix ZiNc 4-Position Charger, and be careful not to mix up different types of AA batteries and chargers. So unless you are desperate for higher battery voltage, it is probably not worth the extra expense and risk.

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Product Description:
PowerGenix 4 Pack AA 1.6v High Voltage Nickel Zinc Rechargeable cells 2500 mWa

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