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batteries, voltage, AND WARRANTIES. When is our 'perfect' battery not really perfect?
Today's full-capacity, low self discharge (LSD) NiMH rechargeable battery (the only type battery sold by Bearwobble) is by far the most versatile, reliable, cost-effective consumer battery on the market. One of the many advantages of this battery is that it does not lose voltage as it discharges or is put under load. In contrast, Alkaline batteries begin a steady decline in voltage from the time of manufacture until completely depleted. Similarly, Lithium and Lithium Ion batteries have a strong tendency to 'swoon', or suffer voltage drop while under heavy load - such as with a camera or other high drain device. Declining voltage or 'swooping' results in compromised performance and could harm your battery powered device.
FIVE OTHER 'SECRETS' YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT.
1. Size AAA, AA, C and D: New alkalines are rated at 1.5 volts, whereas NiMH and NiCd rechargeables deliver a constant 1.2 volts.
2. Button size: New alkalines are rated at 9 volts, whereas NiMH and NiCd rechargeables deliver a constant 8.2 volts.
3. Market share of 1.5 volt and 9 volt batteries (and devices that use them) is on the decline worldwide.
4. Due to the popularity of rechargeable batteries, many products have been designed to work best with the lower constant voltage delivered by rechargeables. However, you may occasionally find this NOT to be true - especially when multiple batteries are used in series. For example, a device that uses 4 AAA batteries in series gets 6 volts from four new alkaline 1.5 v batteries, and 4.8 volts from four 1.2v rechargeables. Many devices may be fine with any voltage within this range, while other devices may only operate properly within a very narrow range of voltage.
5. Will low or high voltage harm my device? Although high voltage is generally more harmful, it really depends on the device. Some devices are designed to operate at unusual voltages that can only be achieved with specialty batteries (often lithium or lithium ion). Especially with electronic devices, always stick with the manufacturer's recommendations or warnings. Failure to do so could wreck your gizmo and/or void your warranty.
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CONSUMER COMMENTARY ON BATTERIES National price & value comparison on batteries. See how Bearwobble.Com stacks up with the big boys! Article below is reprinted with permission by WV Life and Recreation, West Virginia's online information portal.
Bad Batteries - a silent but deadly strain on your pocketbook AND the environment!
Before breaking the sad news about the batteries we buy, let's get a handle on the SIZE of our battery problem.
Consider your home and workplace. Think of all the smoke alarms, phones, calculators, clocks, wireless devices, remotes, cameras, recorders, radios, toys, watches, computers, flashlights, special instruments, emergency equipment, and other portable gizmos that require batteries of various sizes, shapes, voltages, capacities, and discharge rates. Your home could easily have over 100 batteries installed in various devices, and your workplace even more. The problem is NOT battery powered devices. The problem is 'bad' batteries, mainly throwaways and poorly chosen rechargeables.
Many of these battery powered devices spend much of their life totally or partially out of commission - due to 'hardly ever' ready batteries. Battery makers make it easy for you to waste money on 'bad' batteries. That's why you'll find throwaways and low-tech rechargeables of every description in checkout lines, supermarkets, electronics stores, convenience stores, and in landfills everywhere!
OK! I toss a LOT more batteries than I realized. But 'bad' batteries are cheaper, aren't they?
Fortunately, no! In fact, a top-of-the-line alkaline battery currently on sale for 92¢ actually costs over a thousand times more in the long haul as a better performing Low Self Discharge (LSD) rechargeable NiMH that sells for $2.49 per battery.
Put another way, this 92¢ throwaway alkaline would have to be practically free, 12 BATTERIES FOR 1 CENT, to be price-competitive with a Bearwobble Low Self Discharge (LSD) rechargeable NiMH that sells for $2.49 per battery. Even if alkalines were free, they cannot maintain constant voltage (essential in some devices) and have a nasty habit of filling up landfills.
I get the point. But how does one separate the 'good' batteries from the 'bad' ones?
Consider these 4 points:
1. Users rarely consider capacity, or the quantity of electricity a battery holds. Not all batteries of the same size contain or hold the same quantity of electricity. For example, a fully charged size 'D' battery with a capacity of 10,000 Milli Amp Hours (mAh) holds 4 times as much electricity as a fully charged 'D' battery with a capacity of just 2,500 mAh. The cost per mAh (Milli Amp Hour) is far more relevant than the price you pay for the container than holds the electricity. In a moment you'll see how much electricity various popular batteries hold, and how radically the actual cost varies for this electricity. 2. Users unnecessarily buy devices that use batteries of special shape, size and voltage. The overall cost of powering such appliances can be exorbitant, compared to appliances that use high quality rechargeable batteries of a common shape, size and voltage. Hint: Try to buy devices that use size D, C, AA, AAA, and 9V batteries whenever possible. 3. Users overlook the convenience and savings associated with choosing the right rechargeable battery. True, the highly toxic, low capacity NiCd rechargeables of the 80's and 90's turned many against rechargeables. Nickel Metal Hydride rechargeables (NiMHs) are a vast improvement over NiCds. Yet the Low Self Discharge (LSD) type of NiMH rechargeable is steadily emerging as the most useful, cost-effective battery on earth. 4. Finally, Low Self Discharge (LSD) rechargeable NiMH batteries are hard to find, and even sophisticated buyers don't know how to separate the 'good' ones from the not-so-good.
OK. NiMH (Nickel Metal Hydride) rechargeables seem to be a great fit for all my stuff that takes size D, C, AA, AAA, and 9V batteries. But I'm still not sure why the LSD type is better than the non LSD.
Non-LSD NiMH (Nickel Metal Hydride) rechargeables solve some of the alkaline and lithium problems, but create others.
Low Self Discharge (LSD) NiMH rechargeables are much more serviceable than non-LSDs.
1 Caution regarding most brands of LSDs: Most size 'C'and 'D' batteries are really a size 'AA' battery inserted into a size 'C' or 'D' shell. These batteries give you considerably less capacity than a real size 'C' and 'D' LSD - and would require frequent recharging, especially when used with high drain devices.
OTHER STUFF: Bearwobble's AccuEvolution is a real size 'C', rated at 4500 mAh - compared to just 2500 for a AA inserted into a C shell. Bearwobble's AccuEvolution is a real size 'D', rated at 10,000 mAh - compared to just 2500 for a AA inserted into a D shell. The so-called rechargeable alkaline is not very rechargeable, is prone to leak or explode when being charged, and is no longed widely produced or recommended. Lithium non-rechargeables: Although the cost effectiveness of these pricy throwaways is questionable, lithium non-rechargeables are much better for high drain electronics than alkalines. Their capacity is comparable to a good NiMH. Lithium non-rechargeables lose charge at a rate of about 5% per month when idle - better than a regular NiMH, but no match for a Low Self Discharge NiMH - which is as low as 1.25% per month. Lithium non rechargeables are generally limited to the wafer and custom shape industry, yet they are also available in AAA, AA, and 9V size. Lithium Ion rechargeables: The cost effectiveness of these pricy batteries is also questionable. Lithium Ion rechargeables are most commonly used to power high drain electronics that require batteries of special shape and size, such as computers. Their capacity is comparable to a good NiMH. Lithium Ion batteries lose charge at the rate of about 5% per month when idle - better than a regular NiMH, but still no match for a Low Self Discharge NiMH - which is as low as 1.25% per month. Lithium Ion rechargeables are generally limited to the custom shape industry.
To compare the real cost of batteries, based on Milli Amp Hours > CLICK HERE
One more thing. Do you still have some old, highly toxic NiCd rechargeables sitting around from the 90s? These batteries don't have much capacity and run down quickly, even when idle. The NiCd should be disposed of professionally and never used around infants or pets. However, if you just can't part with your NiCds, they may be recharged, even partially rehabilitated) with a universal, NiCd/NiMH/Lithium, 'smart' charger, such as Bearwobble’s AccuPower 20,
Must 'bad' batteries put a silent but deadly strain on your pocketbook AND the environment?
Of course not!
Reprinted with permission by WV Life and Recreation, West Virginia's online information portal.
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