Rechargeable batteries

thehound

Save money and the planet at the same time. Rechargeable household batteries are now very good and last a long time (you can power cameras and other high drain devices with them).
Throwing batteries away to landfill leads to all the nasties such as heavy metals leaching into the ground.
You can get chargers with batteries from about £10 now (Robert Dyas). Could be a good hunt to start.
The payback time is only a couple of recharges and the batteries last for many charges. (Upto 1000 I think.)
I use them in my digital camera and as they no longer have a memory syndrome you can top them up before they run out.

If you don't recharge, check where you can hand in your old batteries for recycling.

pollys

Hi thehound, we've switched to rechargeable, our teenager was using plenty in her MP3 player. Our local council have just started collecting used batteries so as we switch over to rechargeable ones the old type are going in the bag they provide.

Queenie

I bought my first battery recharging set from Wilko's.

Wouldn't be without them.

GreenFish_2

Hi all,

Being of a technical persuasion, I've been using rechargeable batteries for about twenty years now. Here are some of my tips:

Universal Chargers

Most chargers you get from non-specialist shops only charge one or two sizes of battery. These are fine, until you buy another gizmo that needs a size of battery that they don't charge! What you really need from the outset is a Universal battery charger (one that can charge more than one size of battery). They usually only cost a few pounds more. They are easy to spot as the information about them will say which types of battery they charge.

How intelligent is the charger?

The intelligence of a charger has nothing to do with winning Mastermind, unless the specialist subject is batteries!

Most chargers you can buy are 'dumb' chargers. These keep charging until you switch them off manually. If you buy one of these, you really need to buy a timer switch so you can set your batteries to charge for the correct amount of time. It's easy to forget to turn them off. Overcharging batteries damages them and means they will run-out quicker. Even with a timer switch, using 'dumb' chargers is a bit hit and miss. You never really know how charged your battery is to begin with, unless you drain them every time, so you have to guess the charge time. The good thing about this type of charger is they tend to be cheap and easy to find in the shops.

Recently, 'smart' or delta chargers have started to appear on the scene. These monitor the batteries that are being charged and automatically switch off when they are fully charged. This means that the batteries are always fully charged and you can't overcharge them. They can be difficult to find though, I bought mine from E-bay and it appears to have come from France as the instructions are in French! I paid about £20 for my delta charger. If you are interested, try a Google search for UK suppliers.


Battery Technology

There are other things to consider other than the size of the battery when buying. The type of technology used by the battery will decide the cost, how long it lasts and how kind to the environment it is.

When buying rechargeable batteries, try to avoid the cheaper Nickel Cadmium (NiCad) batteries. They don't hold as much charge, they suffer from 'memory effect' (which means they hold less and less charge with age) and they contain Cadmium which is very toxic heavy metal. If you already have these, always try to dispose of them via a proper recycling facility (try your local council). In fact, it is illegal to throw these in the bin in some countries!

Probably the best type of battery to buy is Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMh). These are reasonably priced, hold about 2-3 times the charge of a Nickel Cadmium battery and (it is claimed) suffer less from memory effect. They are also much kinder to the environment.

Other types of battery are also starting appear, such as Lithium Ion. These hold about twice the charge of a Nickel Metal Hydride battery but tend be more expensive. Only buy these if your battery powered gizmo guzzles power or the price is right!

Battery Capacity

So, you've got your charger, found out the size of battery you need. You arrive at the shop to find two or three different makes of battery. Which do you go for? Well, use the technology guide above and avoid NiCad batteries straight off. What else can help you decide other than price? Having tried many makes of battery, I know that who makes them does not really matter; they are all much the same. The best way to choose is by looking at the storage capacity. This is linked to the type of technology, but two batteries of the same size and same technology will often have a different capacity. Capacity is a measure of how long the battery will last before it needs charging again. So, it is really how many songs you can play on your MP3 player or photos you can take with your camera!

For example, I have some AA size Nickel Metal Hydride batteries I use for my digital camera. One set holds 1300 mAh and another 1600 mAh. Don't worry about what mAh means, just remember that the bigger the number, the more the battery will hold. So, if you have a choice of two batteries makes, similarly priced, it makes sense to buy the one with the bigger capacity. More mAh = more pictures/songs per charge!

That's about all. Happy recharging!

Steve.

teeboy_2

Thanks for a really useful post Steve. I've seen rechargeable AAs at anything between 750 mAh and 2600 mAh - and like most people, didn't realise the significance of that number until recently - it makes a big difference. As you say, the bigger the better!!

With regards disposal of alkaline or worn-out rechargeables, facilities seem limited or non existant in the UK, unlike other countries. But I noticed the other day that my nearest Currys had a collection container near the till...

Cheers

caroline1973lefty

you can also get solar powered battery chargers, i'm having difficulty posting a link but if you search on kelkoo, I found one for £15 which I think I might treat myself to - it works for various different batteries, also mobile phones etc.

SusanCarter

Here's some solar chargers from Maplin. http://www.maplin.co.uk/Search.aspx?criteria=solar%20charger&doy=11m5&source=15
We ordered the £14.99 one last week when it was half price and delivery charge was £2.50 (cheaper than the cost of petrolto get to our nearest store).

tim_n

A small note regarding the mAH - higher isn't necessarily always better. The testing procedure on batteries mean the only sucessful way to test a battery is to test it to destruction. I believe manufacturers do tend to test a few from each batch to validate their claims of high mAH. The latest batteries that are around the 2000-2200mah or higher are harder to validate and vary wildly in capacity strength and length. ideally you should stick a few levels below the trend as the technology is better developed and branded rechargeables tend to last longer. 1300-1800mah is enough power for the time being ;- )

gromituk

Yes indeed. The Olympus 1800mAh ones I got with my camera last far longer than the Uniross 2100mAh ones I bought.

Quasar

I have been using rechargeable batteries for years and years. I have two sets (8) AA and one set of 4 AAAs. I use them in my remotes, portable CD player, and what have you. I reckon I have saved a small fortune in all this time, and now I'm looking to get a solar charger.

Weymouth_Man

Hi Quasar, Have you had a look at this link
http://www.maplin.co.uk/Search.aspx?criteria=battery%20chargers&doy=21m5&source=15 :beer: