AA Rechargable batteries

[ncboman]

I use ...

Duracell
Energizer
Kodak
Rayovac
Lenmar Nomem Pro

They're all ok but I've found the Kodak perhaps the best as far as overall life.

When they're spent my charger just flashes instead of charging. When that happens I've found instead of charging both batteries, if I put a fully charged battery in beside the questionable one, I can get the 'flashers' to charge again.

Which batteries do you like and how do you rate em?

[Sidekick]

I don't use many triple AAA's but I've got some Energizer AA rechargeables that I bought for a digital camera and I've never been that impressed with them. Digital cameras can be power hogs so maybe I'm not being fair with them and they might be fine in something that doesn't use so much juice.

I do have a really good flashlight that I use every day. http://www.batteryjunction.com/military-t20-m.html It uses a pair of Tenergy Li-Ion Rc123a batteries that have lasted me well over a year with daily use. A great flashlight and really good batteries. I forgot it was in my coveralls pocket and washed it the other day. I was worried at first but other than being really really clean it was fine. Brightest and best light for the money you'll find anywhere.

[Bushman]

Sidekick, I used one of those CR123 lights for work too, but at $10-$12. for two batteries, I would just expense them. Lots of light from a small package (mine was one of those Scorpion Stream Lights) but now I'm finding that I don't need that much light just for hunting. My Sure-Fire Aviator uses those same 123 Lithium batteries and has 3 LED's or that central bright bulb. Truth be known, I like my little four green LED plastic flashlight the best and it uses three Duracell AA alkaline batteries. The same AA batteries power my GPS, so while I carry a couple of extras, I can always take batteries out of one to use in the other.

For just messing around home, I use the 18 or 21 LED aluminum flashlights that Menard's sells for like $6.00 or free on your birthday. How can you go wrong? They use 3 AAA Duracell's and last a long time. AA and AAA Duracell's are so cheap that I've never fooled around with any rechargeables. Maybe I'm just a victim of the advertising hype, but Duracell's have never leaked on me. Not so with some of the others and that is reason enough for me to only buy the Duracell's.

Remember the Black Bear Flashlight guy who used to post here? That was sure out of my league when you could be packing a flashlight that could start a newspaper on fire!!! If I needed something lit up that much, I would get closer or wait until morning.

[Sidekick]

The cr123 batteries I use in my flashlight are rechargeable. And the light puts out 220 lumens and is no bigger than a mini maglight. That's more light than a 4 cell maglight and the batteries stay charged for almost a weeks worth of use. I have two pair and swap them out every couple days. But I work the night shift and spend a lot of time out in the steelyard looking for stuff and I use my light every day so I need a good one. I was going through several mini maglights every year and constantly replacing bulbs. This one just works and works and works....If you ever look for another light get one with the Cree emitter. They're the brightest thing out there right now and getting cheaper all the time.

[ncboman]

I use a lot of AA batteries.

Counted up last night and I have over 40 rechargable batteries in use. 6 cameras, 2 gps units, several flashlights, and grandson's toys, would get expensive if not for the rechargables.

[Sidekick]

Wow! I don't use near that many. I buy a 10 pack about twice a year at most. I might look into some rechargeables though. I have a few items where they make sense. Especially for my mp3 player. I have gotten so sick of what's on the radio that I loaded up a crapload of music and plumbed it into the old bluelight pioneer receiver I have out in my shed. Works pretty good.

[alan]

I am replacing my rechargaeable Motorola AA pack that came with my talkabout radios with regular AA's. The pack provides 3.6 volts while 3 AA's provides 4.5 volts. The radios seem to suck the life out of those paks, especially when used on 1 watt channels. When fully charged they go down to 2 bars very quickly.

[gailt]

I use sanyo eneloops I like them so much I'm getting rid of my old rechargeables.