Rechargeable batteries?

[attgig]

I'm guessing this is the best thread for this, but just wondering if anyone uses rechargeable batteries, and if so, what brand? I'm going through too many batteries, and it's kinda annoying, so I thought rechargeable was the better alternative. I've tried some cheap rechargeables that i found for cheap, but I got what i paid for and they really really suck - as in the charge doesn't last that long at all.

I'm primarily looking for some double a's. and as for nicad/alk/nimh... i have no clue as to what's what... i just want it to work, and work well.

TIA.


these were the cheap batteries i bought i think a year-year&1/2 ago:
http://www.all-battery.com/20pcsofaa2600mahhighcapacitynimhrechargeablebatterieswithcompacttravelcharger.aspx

[mcs328]

Consumer Reports just did a test and found that Energizer Alkalines are the best. The Costco Kirkland brand is just as good. For rechargeables they highly recommend the Sanyo Eneloop which Costco used to sell but now only in select stores.

[renovation]

i personal buy and use Energizer 2450 mah AA rechargeable battery. there the best i have found. i use them in my camera , exterior rechargeable solar lighting .(these lights have a solar panel that recharge a battery ) as for a battery recharger i bought a radio shack multi. size charger.

i have also found rechargeable battery's do have a life expediency that is not near what they boost. they will pay for them self in time .but the larger the battery size the deeper you have to reach into your pockets to pay for them.

[ray]

So i ordered a bunch of off-brand rechargeables from all-battery.com in the past. Garbage rechargeables that wouldn't hold a charge after about 1 year, so I would recommend paying a premium for those aforementioned.

I haven't invested in new ones yet, but from everything I have read the Eneloops are the best on the market.

[Napoleon54]

I've been using rechargable AAs since I got my first digital camera maybe 8 years ago I've had a very different experience than what's described above.

Two brands I've had since the beginning (~8yrs?): RadioShack 1500mAh and DigiPower (Generic) 1450mAh. These have been performing exceptionally for a very long time, hundreds of charges, retain their power, very dependable.

Third brand I got maybe 2yrs ago, Synnergy Digital (generic), 2800mAh: Got these with a new charger. Performs much the same as the two above. I don't notice any real difference between these and the others which are much older.

Fourth brand, which I've bought a few times between 2-4yrs ago is Energizer, a mix of 2300mAh and 2500mAh: These all absolutely suck. They stopped working almost entirely after maybe 40 charges. Won't charge, won't power anything. Energizer = Suck, suck, suck.

[Chgoman]

I can vouch for the Costco Enerloop rechargables. Good price, they hold a good charge, and they've lasted a long time.

[PrObLy]

Get the Sanyo Eneloop package when it's on sale at Costco (every couple months or so).

It comes with a charger, some AAs, AAAs, and C & D cartridges.

Also, I've tried out the Rayovac low self-discharge NiMh (comparable to the Eneloops) and they've worked well.

Low discharging rechargeables are pretty awesome. They will hold 70-80% of their charge over the course of a year while just sitting around doing nothing. Regular rechargeables are much lower.

The 2500 mAh Energizers would be good for things like digital cameras where you need a high capacity in a short period of time.... otherwise they don't hold a charge for crap over time and only get worse each additional time you charge them. They don't last nearly as long as the Eneloops in my wireless mouse.

After having some Eneloops for a couple of years, I feel that they are definitely worth the extra money over traditional rechargeables.

Don't worry much about the mAh ratings, as the higher charge rechargeables tend to lose their edge much quicker.

[Jeffbx]

I like Camelion from Meritline (http://www.meritline.com/rechargeable-aa-2600mah-nimh-battery-220---p-34292.aspx)

I haven't used them for long, but they make my external flash on my SLR crazy fast.

[attgig]

heh. I just stumbled on this via lifehacker:

http://www.codinghorror.com/blog/2008/03/adventures-in-rechargeable-batteries.html
http://gizmodo.com/5152116/battlemodo-energizer-vs-duracell-rechargeable-batteries


definitely interested in that bc-900 recharging station, but it seems like it's out of stock at amazon, and a firehazard now....

[mcs328]

I have Rayovac batteries and the BC-900 charger. The Rayovac batteries are not that great. Half of them are dead dead. The charger is great but I think I should have kept the instruction manual. I don't know what all the settings mean. The included lacross batteries are good so far but they seem to be bigger. I have a hard time getting them out of my XBOX 360 controller. Regular AA slip in and out without a problem. I'm looking for Eneloops the next time I see them at Costco which seems to be an adventure.

[attgig]

If I can find that charger, or if it comes back in stock soon, I'll make sure to scan/post the manual.