Batteries for Your Gadgets?

[Sulaco]

I got tired of buying/replacing batteries all the time and decided to research rechargeables. I know a little about them from my days messing with electric R/C stuff. Wow, how things have changed in the last few years.

If anyone doesn't know, Sanyo's Eneloop batteries are affordable, have a shelf life as good as alkalines and are powerful. They also charge without memory issues. I picked up a cheap Sony charger and a ton of Eneloops and have just about replaced every battery I use. It will be so nice not having to buy batteries again anytime soon.

Anyone else jumped to rechargeables? I also bought a nice LaCrosse charger for travel and I'm really liking it as well. There's a reviewer on Amazon who's the resident expert on all things battery.

 

[Bufford]

I cannot remember the last time I bought throw away single use batteries because they are expensive and inconvenient when compared to rechargeables. When they go dead one is out of luck, but with rechargeables I can be up and running after a quick charge. There are many good batteries available. For the most part I use regular nickel hydride rechargeables in everything and rechargeable alkalines in voltage sensitive devices like blood pressure monitors. Twice a year in spring and fall I charge up the smoke detector 9 volt batteries. Throw away batteries have become obsolete with the rechargeable technology available today.

 

[OwenM]

AW 18650s with Pila charger and the Ray-O-Vac LSD equivalent of eneloops. Lithium primaries. I was an early adopter of protected Li-ions and used R123s from when they first became available, but moved away from using multiple sizes of Li-ions(18650,18500, 17670, 17500, 16340, etc) in an effort to keep everything simple after dropping flashlights as a hobby, and just using them as tools.
I get all the common size alkaline batteries for free, and still choose not to use them in anything except my work-supplied headlamp.

 

[Sulaco]

I tried finding a charger that also did 9-volt, but couldn't. I ended up with a nice one, though, but it only does AA and AAA's. I do need to get one which also does 9-volt and D. Those are the only two sizes I use other than AA and AAA's.

 

[beau5278]

I bought a Rayovac charger and started buying Rayovac batteries a little over 2 years ago,I have them in everything from radios,transistor,FRS,handheld CB,remotes,digital cameras,flashlights,remote headphones,you name it.I've yet to have to replace any of them because they won't hold a charge,I always try to keep so I have a couple extra AA and AAA charged in case something runs down or I want to carry an extra pair for a camera or something,in cameras they do seem to take a lot more pictures than throw away batteries and I figure they should be a lot better for the environment,the Rayovacs are pretty inexpensive compared to most.

 

[Sulaco]

Yeah the Rayovac LSD's are the same price as the Eneloops. I just heard tons of good info on the Eneloops so I went with them.

 

[powernoodle]

Sanyo's Eneloop batteries are affordable, have a shelf life as good as alkalines and are powerful. They also charge without memory issues.

At the Powernoodle compound, we use Eneloops exclusively on virtually all of our consumer products from tv and Wii remotes to flashlights. Where appropriate, I also use rechargeables in my EDC flashlights: RCR123, 14650, 18670, etc. I don't consider Eneloops inexpensive, but recharging is the only way to go. I do still use alkalines in things like wall clocks where the battery is going to be there for a couple of years without requiring recharging. Plus, Eneloops don't poop out their insides and destroys your electronics like alkalines almost inevitably do if not watched.

 

[Sulaco]

At the Powernoodle compound, we use Eneloops exclusively on virtually all of our consumer products from tv and Wii remotes to flashlights. Where appropriate, I also use rechargeables in my EDC flashlights: RCR123, 14650, 18670, etc. I don't consider Eneloops inexpensive, but recharging is the only way to go. I do still use alkalines in things like wall clocks where the battery is going to be there for a couple of years without requiring recharging. Plus, Eneloops don't poop out their insides and destroys your electronics like alkalines almost inevitably do if not watched.

This was the second biggest selling point for me going to rechargeables over alkaline. That and they are recyclable. The primary reason was cost savings though.