Subj : Nimh Batteries To : Ed Vance From : Barry Martin Date : Sun Jan 12 2025 07:23:00 Hi Ed! As Ky said: > Was using Rechargeable Batteries in a Camera a good idea or not? KM> It won't do any harm, but the problem is that cameras are fussy KM> about voltage, and rechargeables often don't have enough voltage, KM> even when fully charged. If they work in your unit, great. If KM> they don't, stick with disposables. KM> My camera that takes AA batteries would not power on with NiMH KM> rechargeables. That's the condensed version of my manuscript on battery voltages! KM> I have not tried lithium rechargeables. Some will output the lower 1.2v while others the full 1.5v -- those that do will pretty much advertise the fact predominately. KM> I don't use Duracell/Kirkland batteries anymore, tho, because KM> nowadays most of them leak, sometimes even before being used!! Echo that! Over the years I've used a lot of batteries of various brands. IMO the grocery- and dollar store brands don't last. May not leak, but don't have the longer runtime of the national brands. Duracells have leaked, damaging the device. Energizers - I don't recall any leakage issues, in fact last Fall I came across a flashlight which had a pair of batteries inside which had an expiry date of 11 years prior! And I think the shelf-life at the time was around 7 years, so these batteries were close to 20 years old! Flashlight didn't light up but also no signs of leakage, swelling. As for the Rayovac brand, I don't have an opinion. Have used but not that often and not recently: I don't have any reason to try as Energizer have not let me down. KM> The rechargeable batteries that come with cameras are crap, in my Probably because they're giving you the bare minimum of what they can get away with to get your camera/device working when you buy it. KM> experience -- don't last at all (200 shots if you're lucky, which KM> is nothing with a digital camera), and go flat really fast if KM> they get even a little bit cold. Some of them are really KM> expensive, and the aftermarket batteries are even worse crap. Cold weather is not a battery's friend. Something to do with the chemical reaction occurring to create the electricity but for my usages all I have to remember is "cold = bad". For car batteries I spend the extra money and get the battery with the biggest CCA (cold cranking amps) that will fit. For more fun devices like outdoor thermometer sensors and clocks I use lithium-based batteries. Regular batteries (yes, even the Energizers) will stop working when it gets somewhere below freezing. The semi- exact temperature seems to make a difference with the device: have a clock outside and it would stop when it got into the 40's! Swapping in a lithium - no more problems. (And yes, did try another regular battery before the lithium,) ¯ ® ¯ BarryMartin3@MyMetronet.NET ® ¯ ® .... Onion rings are vegetable donuts --- MultiMail/Win32 v0.47 þ wcECHO 4.2 ÷ ILink: The Safe BBS þ Bettendorf, IA --- QScan/PCB v1.20a / 01-0462 * Origin: ILink: CFBBS | cfbbs.no-ip.com (454:1/1) .