rechargeable batteries

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Richard
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rechargeable batteries

Postby Richard » Fri Dec 22, 2017 8:11 pm

Does anyone bother with these or do you just buy disposable ones now?
I think that it's a bit of a bother unless they are in-built, say in a shaver or mobile phone.
Same with cars, if a vehicle runs on petrol/diesel and recharges in-built 'on the run' rather like a dynamo, then it all happens seamlessly.
Come the day when 'all-electric' cars becomes the legal requirement then how are they to be re-charged?
Plugging into the 'mains' ? I can see problems with that!

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Geoff
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Re: rechargeable batteries

Postby Geoff » Sat Dec 23, 2017 2:19 am

Yes we use rechargeable batteries. Electric toothbrush, wireless mouse, camera etc. Anything that's going to eat them up pretty quickly. The single use ones go in our low drain stuff like clocks and remote controls.

I have no idea whether it's more economical financially as I don't know what it really costs us to charge them back up. It just feels better on the environment not chucking them away afterwards, but maybe that's just me.

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seahermit
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Re: rechargeable batteries

Postby seahermit » Sat Dec 23, 2017 2:35 am

I use rechargable batteries for radios, wireless doorbells, couple of torches, clocks etc.. Saved myself a fortune by popping them into a small charger from time to time. It only takes a few seconds and the cost of using mains power to do that is almost too small to calculate. So far, the rechargeable batteries have lasted YEARS. (Also saves umpteen trips to the shops to get replacement batteries!).

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Geoff
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Re: rechargeable batteries

Postby Geoff » Sat Dec 23, 2017 2:41 am

Agreed, it does seem to be the sensible way to go. I can recommend the Lidls rechargeable AA's. Currently on offer in glittery colours at £6.99 for six. An average rechargeable can be charged over 500 times. You do the math :)

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seahermit
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Re: rechargeable batteries

Postby seahermit » Sat Dec 23, 2017 12:00 pm

Thanks Geoff. What is useful is to screw your eyes up and check the tiny printed capacity rating. The cheaper batteries are rated as, say, 800 mAh (whatever that means) whereas the best ones can be as much as 2500 mAh. I have noticed that the higher rated ones last much longer between charges.

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seahermit
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Re: rechargeable batteries

Postby seahermit » Sat Dec 23, 2017 12:08 pm

P.S. I think I'm going to check what sort of batteries go into a wireless mouse and keyboard - are they ordinary AAA ones? I really need to reduce the number of computer wires, about twenty of them trailing down to the floor!

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Geoff
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Re: rechargeable batteries

Postby Geoff » Sat Dec 23, 2017 12:10 pm

Okay, you got me screwing up my eyes to check :cry: The Lidl ones are 2400mAh, so quite the bargain.

I am a higher than average user of my mouse (all day every day) and a wireless one will eat through it's two AAA's once a week. For the more occasional (normal) user they would probably last months. It's actually difficult now to buy a decent mouse that isn't wireless.

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Richard
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Re: rechargeable batteries

Postby Richard » Sat Dec 23, 2017 2:01 pm

I would want a charger that can handle all typical battery sizes as well as ni-mh and ni-cd without quibble and has a usb lead.

As for ratings, 800mAh and 2400mAh, surely that is like the 2Ah or 4Ah power tool rechargeable batteries, the higher the Amp hours rating the longer it lasts, not any more powerful (in its own bracket).
The higher the mAh, or Ah, the longer the battery will last.
2400mAh should last 3 times longer than 800mAh

Ah = Amp hours

mAh = milli Amp hours

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seahermit
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Re: rechargeable batteries

Postby seahermit » Sun Dec 24, 2017 12:07 am

All very interesting. I wondered what mAh meant. And a wireless mouse takes AAA batteries - I'll look for a new mouse (oh, some other year I think ..) and also grab some Lidl batteries.

My small charger seems to take all types of battery (I shove them in anyway!) and both AA and AAA ones. Chargers vary greatly in price, the cheaper ones are perfectly ok, just take longer to do the job (but what's the rush? Do the washing up meanwhile). Tesco do good basic ones.

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Richard
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Re: rechargeable batteries

Postby Richard » Sun Dec 24, 2017 6:11 pm

Sanyo Eneloop, Sony and Panasonic rchargeable batteries seem to attract good user-ratings.
For cameras you need higher capacity, say 2400 mAh rechargeables, as 800 mAh would drain too quickly.
Eneloop Pro's have a high energy capacity (2500 mAh), and they perform better than similar high-capacity AAs. They can only be charged 500 times (versus 2100 times for regular Eneloops). But most people will never charge their batteries that many times. For example, if you charged your batteries twice a week consistently, it would take 5 years to reach 500 charges.


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