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(Your) Batteries and Battery Chargers

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gb Offline AimlessWanderer

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Re: (Your) Batteries and Battery Chargers
Reply #60 on: March 14, 2013, 03:52:50 PM
I avoid all this confusion by not using rechargables  :D


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cy Offline dks

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Re: (Your) Batteries and Battery Chargers
Reply #61 on: March 14, 2013, 07:43:48 PM
The time it takes to charge depends on the charging rate.
Slow, stupid, chargers take longer. They usually stop based on a timer which does not take into account the fact that the battery may not be flat when you try to charge it.

I just use "smart" faster chargers. (see my 1st posts in this thread)

With them eneloops take 1/2 to 3 hours to charge and the chargers stop when finished.
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bg Offline N_N_R

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Re: (Your) Batteries and Battery Chargers
Reply #62 on: March 14, 2013, 07:49:59 PM
I avoid all this confusion by not using rechargables  :D

But they say alkalines are more likely to leak and spoil a flashlight (in my case) or any other device ad rechargeables are better in this case..... Not that I had any batteries leak on me, thank God :D


@dks, thanks.... :D Well, I've put the Eneloops to charge and will keep the charger in the outlet for 17hrs to see if the LEDs/whatevers turn green.... I'm curious what will fry first  :whistle: :D


hr Offline enki_ck

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Re: (Your) Batteries and Battery Chargers
Reply #63 on: March 14, 2013, 08:22:04 PM
I had one of those dumb chargers you had to calculate the charging tines based on the chemistry and capacity of the battery. I think it was 17h for aaa and 22h for aa. :facepalm:


bg Offline N_N_R

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Re: (Your) Batteries and Battery Chargers
Reply #64 on: March 14, 2013, 10:10:26 PM
I didn't mean calculation... I meant ... if there isn't some standard for certain batteries & chargers and if the standard with this charger is 17hrs, the LEDs might become green on their own when the batteries are fully charged...

This is the charger or sth similar:

http://www.ges.cz/images/pictures/m/mqn03a4.jpg   with a lamp for every slot..


cy Offline dks

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Re: (Your) Batteries and Battery Chargers
Reply #65 on: March 15, 2013, 07:31:09 AM
I think you may have seen these before, but if you have not then there is a lot of information there:

http://batteryuniversity.com/learn/article/all_about_chargers

http://batteryuniversity.com/learn/article/charging_nickel_metal_hydride
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bg Offline N_N_R

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Re: (Your) Batteries and Battery Chargers
Reply #66 on: March 15, 2013, 08:00:01 AM
Thanks.... :D The batteries have been charging for 18hrs already, no green LEDs... :D :D It's either 22hrs for AAs as you say, or the charger is a real retard and I need to count stuff... lol


bg Offline N_N_R

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Re: (Your) Batteries and Battery Chargers
Reply #67 on: March 31, 2013, 07:00:16 PM
ok, have you had a .... rattling battery ?!

I mean, literally, you shake it, it rattles *crazy* It's a brand-new-looking Tronic AA. And it hasn't been used a lot either.


us Offline stealth007s

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Re: (Your) Batteries and Battery Chargers
Reply #68 on: March 31, 2013, 08:53:25 PM
ok, have you had a .... rattling battery ?!

I mean, literally, you shake it, it rattles *crazy* It's a brand-new-looking Tronic AA. And it hasn't been used a lot either.

I don't think I would use that one.
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bg Offline N_N_R

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Re: (Your) Batteries and Battery Chargers
Reply #69 on: April 06, 2013, 05:18:09 PM
Okay, now I have YET another Tronic battery which rattles when shaken *crazy* This time it's an AAA. lol. Hm.


us Offline New_World

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Re: (Your) Batteries and Battery Chargers
Reply #70 on: April 08, 2013, 02:24:32 AM
I avoid all this confusion by not using rechargables  :D

no confusion.
you're missing out.  ??? :D
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us Offline Heinz Doofenshmirtz

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Re: (Your) Batteries and Battery Chargers
Reply #71 on: April 10, 2013, 08:07:28 PM
I avoid all this confusion by not using rechargables  :D

no confusion.
you're missing out.  ??? :D
Agreed!  Nothing better than guilt-free lumens for your torches!  Not only will it save you $ in the long run, but it's good for the environment too!   :tu:
The first Noble Truth: life is suffering.  Only by accepting that fact can we transcend it.


cy Offline dks

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Re: (Your) Batteries and Battery Chargers
Reply #72 on: June 25, 2013, 12:40:49 PM
I intend to get this http://www.lidl.com.cy/cps/rde/xchg/lidl_cy/hs.xsl/index_37552.htm (provided LIDLs doesn't decide not to bring it) as it looks quite useful.

Charges all types of batteries, both Li-ion and Ni-Mh standard sizes but also camera/phone square batteries.

Anybody using something like that? Opinions?   ??? 
Kelly: "Daddy, what makes men cheat on women?
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gb Offline AimlessWanderer

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Re: (Your) Batteries and Battery Chargers
Reply #73 on: June 25, 2013, 01:33:30 PM
I avoid all this confusion by not using rechargables  :D

no confusion.
you're missing out.  ??? :D
Agreed!  Nothing better than guilt-free lumens for your torches!  Not only will it save you $ in the long run, but it's good for the environment too!   :tu:
I feel no guilt whatsoever from using single use batteries in my lights. I do however feel safer, and that's worth the premium costs (at least at my consumption rate anyway) There is the added bonus that I don't forget to put stuff on charge, or take it off charge. All I need to do, is make sure I have got spare batteries in my battery box. One reason I am currently smoking the amount I do is from not remembering to charge my Skycig case, and I'm not prepared to start adding in other things for me to forget to charge too  :D :D The convenience of single use is a big winner for me


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hr Offline enki_ck

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Re: (Your) Batteries and Battery Chargers
Reply #74 on: June 25, 2013, 02:00:59 PM
I avoid all this confusion by not using rechargables  :D

no confusion.
you're missing out.  ??? :D
Agreed!  Nothing better than guilt-free lumens for your torches!  Not only will it save you $ in the long run, but it's good for the environment too!   :tu:
I feel no guilt whatsoever from using single use batteries in my lights. I do however feel safer, and that's worth the premium costs (at least at my consumption rate anyway) There is the added bonus that I don't forget to put stuff on charge, or take it off charge. All I need to do, is make sure I have got spare batteries in my battery box. One reason I am currently smoking the amount I do is from not remembering to charge my Skycig case, and I'm not prepared to start adding in other things for me to forget to charge too  :D :D The convenience of single use is a big winner for me

Do you use alkalines or lithium primaries? I think you have enough flashlights that sometimes some of them don't get used for months at a time. I know I do. ;) And in case of alkalines you might be in for a surprise when one of them decides to leak during the  time. I lost an original DQG Tini cause of that. :facepalm: Forgot it even had a battery in it. And cause it was a flashlight from small run I can't even replace it.  :-\  Although I was using eneloops mostly at that point I swore of alkalines after that. Only Eneloops and Energizer Lithiums. 


gb Offline AimlessWanderer

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Re: (Your) Batteries and Battery Chargers
Reply #75 on: June 25, 2013, 03:16:05 PM
The AAA tend to be lithiums and tend to be carried less frequently, but most of the time I'm carrying my Quark AA2 which has alkalines. The CR123's get use sometimes, but the Quark isn't sat in the drawer for great lengths of time


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us Offline Agonistes

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Re: (Your) Batteries and Battery Chargers
Reply #76 on: June 25, 2013, 04:57:52 PM
i've got a goal zero charger and solar panel, which is awesome.  it will charge the batteries pretty much anywhere there is power or with the panels.  the goal zero 'brand' batteries that came with it are pretty long-lasting with a charge, although i haven't tested them significantly.


cy Offline dks

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Re: (Your) Batteries and Battery Chargers
Reply #77 on: June 30, 2013, 01:37:20 PM
Here it is.



Specifications:


It does not charge 18650 etc. round type Li-Ions (not directly, but it should be possible with some wires) but it charges the rectangular ones you get in phones, cameras etc. It has a rotating, adjustable power terminal (pins) system to accomodate most batteries and autodetects  +ve and -ve terminals, thus no fear of explosions.
It is limited by the Maximum Capacity it can charge, as shown in the manual (1700mAh) so I assume even if you tried to charge a 18650 you would not be able to charge it fully.






It Charges AA and AAA NiMh batteries, reasonably fast, to 1.4V. However the batteries are charged in pairs, so I assume that there are no individual charging circuits, something that I do not like.



It feels a bit flimsy, but claims to be made in Germany.

It can? also revive NiMh and Li-Ion batteries though I have not been able to see that. It will push charge in totally empty NiMh ones when asked to revive them, so you can use them for a bit. I tried to revive some flat Li-Ions but they were long gone and nothing happened.

It can be used as a power bank, with both NiMh and Li-Ions inserted in it (charged) to recharge devices that can be charged via a USB port (phones etc.) So you can use your old Li-Ion batteries to charge your phone or you can use the Li-Ion battery of one phone to charge another, which can be useful.

It also comes with a transformer for charging in a car.

Overall it is a useful device, that can charge and be used a power bank too, even with Li-Ions.
Kelly: "Daddy, what makes men cheat on women?
Al : "Women!"

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cy Offline dks

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Re: (Your) Batteries and Battery Chargers
Reply #78 on: January 14, 2014, 10:04:34 PM
The LIDLs LSDs now come in a 2300mAh version instead of the 2100mAh version, for the same price
IMG_4046.JPG
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Kelly: "Daddy, what makes men cheat on women?
Al : "Women!"

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cy Offline dks

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Re: (Your) Batteries and Battery Chargers
Reply #79 on: March 25, 2014, 06:45:56 PM
I got another, different, LIDLs charger, Tronic branded, to give as a gift.
I have not seen the model I have for some time.

This model charges up to 4 AA batteries instead of the 6 the one I have charges (which was about 50% more expensive) and also charges 4 D, C and 2 9V batteries; like mine does.

The device is smaller and weaker. Whereas the model I have can supply 1A per channel the new one I got to gift can supply 1A per channel for 2 batteries and then 1/2A per channel for 3 or 4 batteries. It tested it before gifting and it works well, but for 4 batteries it was noticeably slower.

It gives you an indication of the batteries charge before charging it, which mine does not do.

They seem similar, with independent charging channels and similar LEDs to indicate what is going on.

The pictures show more details
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* IMG_20140325_153833.jpg (Filesize: 102.4 KB)
Kelly: "Daddy, what makes men cheat on women?
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bg Offline N_N_R

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Re: (Your) Batteries and Battery Chargers
Reply #80 on: April 12, 2014, 03:04:06 PM
Ok, guys, does anyone have this charger- Skilhunt M2 or sth... http://www.skilhunt.com/product/Product.aspx?ID=e86112b9-0aa5-449b-ad97-aeb7ef3839b6

I've just bought it, but it's apparently so... intelligent that I can't get its logic. There's no manual, so:

- it charged two AAA Eneloops VERY fast apparently - 1.5hrs. Is this possible?

- did it really charge them? There are two LED indicators and they blink while charging. Then after 1.5hrs they've been shining continuously, without blinking. But does the stop of blinking means that the batteries have charged? Because 1.5hrs seems way too fast.

I've been reading online and at some places it reads that this very charger has 3 colour LED to indicate the battery status - I understand it that there should be threee different colours, not yellow only (mine's yellow only)

At one place I read that there's yellow and blue LEDs. But. Is it yellow on some chargers and blue on others? Or should the yellow move to blue once the batteries have charged completely ?!

I've left the batteries in the charger for already over 3hrs... waiting for some colour change. But perhaps they've already been charged completely and this completeness is indicated by the indicators' not moving up & down......


cy Offline dks

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Re: (Your) Batteries and Battery Chargers
Reply #81 on: April 12, 2014, 04:17:43 PM
I do not know your charger but my faster chargers charge AAA batteries in less than 1 hour.
Kelly: "Daddy, what makes men cheat on women?
Al : "Women!"

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bg Offline N_N_R

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Re: (Your) Batteries and Battery Chargers
Reply #82 on: April 12, 2014, 04:22:48 PM
Hm... okay, thanks.... It's nice that it charges them that fast, but I've read that it's not that good for the batteries? %)


cy Offline dks

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Re: (Your) Batteries and Battery Chargers
Reply #83 on: April 12, 2014, 04:30:22 PM
There is a lot of information about charging rates for AAA batteries on the internet but a lot of it is just rubbish.
There are various types of batteries, NiCd, metal hydride, LiIons etc in AAA size and people mix information for the various types, and for the various generations (eneloops vs older types) and so on and just present what they hear about one battery as the only fact for all batteries. I have been chaging AAA batteries in less than an hour for nearly 10 years and have not had any problems. Usually my batteries die when I let them go totally flat several times.
Kelly: "Daddy, what makes men cheat on women?
Al : "Women!"

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bg Offline N_N_R

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Re: (Your) Batteries and Battery Chargers
Reply #84 on: April 12, 2014, 04:33:40 PM
Lol, thanks, that's really nice to hear :D I've tried to read some articles on batteries several times, but I got so confused, indeed, by all the types of batteries and whatnot characteristics, that I stopped reading after the 5th sentence...


bg Offline N_N_R

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Re: (Your) Batteries and Battery Chargers
Reply #85 on: April 13, 2014, 05:46:53 PM
Not much to show here yet....

My three charges, Sanyo that I bought in 2008; GP that I received from a friend in 2009; Skilhunt that I bought yesterday.

Rechargeable batteries on the left and alkalines on the right, there are perhaps a few more somewhere:



nl Offline Serena

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Re: (Your) Batteries and Battery Chargers
Reply #86 on: April 13, 2014, 07:22:14 PM
Bought a Powerpack today to charge my phone. Nice little thing, easy to EDC…



bg Offline N_N_R

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Re: (Your) Batteries and Battery Chargers
Reply #87 on: April 25, 2014, 01:05:16 PM
Today I bought a pair of very cheap (for rechargeables) AAAs .. from Kaufland. Does anyone have any experience with them? On the package it reads: Accu rechargeable 900, the package is greenish/yellowish. They're about 3.5 times cheaper than Eneloops.


hr Offline enki_ck

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Re: (Your) Batteries and Battery Chargers
Reply #88 on: April 25, 2014, 08:36:52 PM
I was just in Kaufland today, I wish I'd read this sooner so I could have a look.

This way I'm just guesstimating but I'd say the Kaufland ones are NiMh batteries, they'll work ok if you use them, but the current won't be as consistent as with eneloops in very high powered devices as flashlights, and if you stock them, they'll lose their charge fairly quickly in a month or so even if you don't use them. With eneloops, charged batteries are ready to go even after months, a years of storage.

« Last Edit: April 25, 2014, 08:40:27 PM by enki_ck »


bg Offline N_N_R

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Re: (Your) Batteries and Battery Chargers
Reply #89 on: April 25, 2014, 08:48:31 PM
Thanks for the reply :D So far my only observation is that they got much hotter than the Eneloops while charging...


 

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