Batteries...

[Ashish34]

Ok, might seem like a small questions, but here it goes:
1) Which rechargeable battery is better (for regular AA/AAA batteries) - NiCd or NiMh?? And if one is better, why do you feel it is better?
2) I've noticed that rechargeable's only have a voltage of 1.2V, and regular batteries have a voltage of 1.5V. I've never tried the rechargeables before (except once with an igniter for a hobby rocket, which failed with the 1.2V recharables despite the rechargeables being fully charged; but the igniter lit with regular 1.5's). So, will the lower voltage make a difference in many of the commonly used devices? (MP3 players, flashlights, some telephones, etc.)
3)I have a cordless phone (relatively new) that uses a Nickel Cadmium (NiCd). Do these batteries degrade very quickly (lose their capacity) if charged all the time (before it is completely decharged)?

The main reason I ask is that I spend far, far too much money on batteries (the main reason being my "I-shouldve-known-why-it-was-on-sale" MP3 player eating batteries at the rate of one per week, with me playing it maybe an hour or so a day, for maybe 4 or 5 days out of the week).

Thanks much

~ApT~

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Comcrap (Compaq) mobo<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by ashish34 on 09/01/03 01:30 PM.</EM></FONT></P>

 

[davemar14]

NiMH batteries are better. They are more powerful and do not have "memory". As for the voltages you are right. The rechargable batteries are 1.2V and regular batteries are 1.5V. I am not sure if the batteries would power your Mp3 player. I am pretty sure it would work, but I would contact the manufacturer to make sure.

 

[BunnyStroker]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but don't disposable batteries have a fairly linearly negatively sloped output voltage vs. usage curve? Which means that 1.5 V battery you use starts out delivering a little more than that and ends up way below it?

Anyways, you won't hurt anything trying the 1.2 V batteries. I suspect they will work fine.

<b>1.4 Ghz AMD T-Bird underclocked to 1 Ghz...just to be safe!</b>

 

[vagabond]

It's not just MP3s, PDAs, cell phones, vibrators ... . Almost everything you use these days are battery run.

NiMH batteries do not have the so-called "memory effect" that NiCd batteries have. NiMH has a "flatter" performance curve. In "flat" I mean that the NiMH battery discharges more constant over a certain period of use compared to non-rechargeables. Take for example an alkaline battery. Start using it and it's strong for say the first 1/3 of its life and then it starts degrading geometrically. Not so with NiMH.

A note on chargers. Invest on a good charger otherwise you'll be buying rechargeables as often as non-rechargeables and that's the point of rechargeables isn't it?

Look <A HREF="http://www.thomas-distributing.com/maha-educate-batteries.htm" target="_new">here</A> for more information. The strongest AA batteries being produced at this time are 2600mAh I believe. You have to get a charger that can handle the job. They're not cheap but worth the money in the long run.

I just bought an Ansmann 6 Pack charger that has a micro-controller. It charges AA batteries with capacities from 500 - 2600 mAh and AAA batteries from 180 - 1000 mAh. It's equipped with a discharge button, auto switch for fast to trickle charge and it has auto-sensing; this means I can charge/discharge NiCds and NiMH at the same time. I don't even have to charge them at the same time. Each charging bank knows when and what I put into that bank. This thing cost me 67.21Euros

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