These are NOT NiMH cells.
[QUOTE=radi0j0hn, post:2, topic:367926]
These are NOT NiMH cells.
[/quote]
Correct
Bought this and the batteries are junk. If you fully charge the batteries and leave them in the charger, but unplug the charger they drain to nothing in a day or two. I had 3 batteries leak on me onto the charger. Batteries don’t hold a charge very long. With my Xbox controller they last 4-5 hours of play time fully charged. In my remote control they lasted a few weeks. I would highly recommend staying away from these products.
This is probably not going to count as a quality post but here it goes anyway.
If this sounds too good to be true, it is.
These are “rechargeable alkalines”, good only for “shallow” draw devices (remotes/flashlights) and if you wait until they are dead to recharge them, they will quickly loose their ability to hold a charge.
Don’t take my word for it, read it here:
http://www.amazon.com/review/R3AEXU90P7A670
I almost bought them but not after reading this.
86 comments last woot, also $19.99 last month:
http://tech.woot.com/forums/viewpost.aspx?postid=5172940
Yes or No please with an explanation as necessary.
So Eneloops are totally different and not even the same thing despite the fact that they are both batteries?
That said, would the charger be a worthwhile investment (For Charging Eneloops) and maybe the included (iGo) batteries could go in remote controls?
Would this charger work as good as or better than the standard Eneloop 4 battery charger?
What is the minimum number of batteries that you can charge? Do you have to charge 4 at a time or can you do just 1 or 2 or 3?
I have the 4 battery version of this charger that I got from a previous Woot. I use the rechargeable alkaline batteries for my electronic deadbolt locks and my lawn sprinkler timers; both low draw devices. They work well and I haven’t had any problems with the batteries or the charger.
For me size matters, at least in the application I use them for. I bought a number of these batteries and chargers a few months ago and they have worked fairly well for me because they are just a bit smaller in circumference than NIMH batteries and about the size of regular alkaline.
This size factor is important to me because the motion/sound activated lights I use them for are from China and all have battery spaces that are too tight for four of the regular NIMH rechargeable batteries. You can squeeze them in but at some point one or more will pop right out. Regular alkalines fit but are out of the question since they would have to be replaced often.
These batteries work in the lights I have and although they have to be recharged more often than Eneloops at least they fit. The charger that comes with these batteries is the only one that can be used. A regular NIMH charger will not work for these batteries. The charger itself is okay but takes a long time to charge the batteries. Do not let them drain completely, which is a non factor for NIMH batteries, which by the way, can be recharged using this charger. Remember that point - that you can not charge these batteries in another charger but you can use the charger to recharge normal NIMH batteries. I have a good charger for my NIMH batteries so I don’t need these other than for the IGo batteries. A nice feature of this charger is that it will charge any number of batteries whereas many NIMH chargers require at least two batteries at once.
If you have tight spaces to fill in your battery compartment I would recommend them, if not, go with Eneloops.
I have both the 4 slot and 8 slot chargers. The 8 slot specifies that you can’t mix technologies (Alkaline and NiMH) at the same time, I don’t remember that restriction with the 4 slot charger.
Of course, in both you can use any number of slots, no need to pair them. Charging 1 battery is fine.
The flashlight I wanted to use the AAAs in turns out to have too tight a tolerance, these batteries are too fat to fit.
But then the primary reason I bought these is for NiMH charging. I’d rather wait a day for a charge then destroy the batteries with a rapid charge.
OK, it needs to be said.
These batteries have a significant advantage that overshadows their downfalls (don’t like deep discharges; low capacity).
They are 1.5 volts. Not 1.25 like NiMH and other rechargables (Eneloop, or anything else you find called “rechargeable” - all NiMH). And they exhibit all the good behaviors of alkaline batteries: they can sit in a drawer for years and if they’re fully charged, they’ll be fully charged when you need them.
What does that prove? Well, they are useful in everything that a regular rechargeable ISN’T useful for: remotes, flashlights, thermostats, wireless keyboards/mice, rarely-used game controllers… those all are designed for non-rechargeable batteries because they operate around 3.0 volts, not 2.5 like what NiMH rechargeables do. NiMH also exhibits self-discharge at a much higher rate than alkaline. So if you let them sit in a drawer, they’ll be dead.
That’s why I’ve got a stock of both - NiMH for the cameras and… eh… that’s about it. And I’ve got a bunch of iGo alkalines - these same batteries (but a 4-position charger) - for everything else. They work beautifully, and I occasionally swap batteries in the devices whenever I think about it to keep them from falling completely dead.
Despite their disadvantages, they’re very useful in ways NiMH traditional rechargeables don’t. I couldn’t care less about the “non-toxic” or “green” effects… but they’re just technologically superior in some ways than NiMHs are.
Five bucks off…that alone doeesn’t make this much of a deal. Add in the $5 shipping…even less so.
Where is the Woot I made hundreds of purchases from?
Does anyone know what the mAh rating is on the batterys
I have bought both the AA &AAA. I use rhem in clocks remotes flashlights. My mom is always using the flaslights and i just periodically remove and recharge. I am sure these have saved me some cash more important i am not running out of the most commonly used sizes
Don’t buy these, i did last time they had them on sale and this guy is correct. They lose their ability to hold charge within weeks. Gt Duracells they are much better as rechargeables
Bought these a while ago, - found out that they ruined my nice $50 battery charger I had, when I accidentally used another charger to charge these batteries (the other charger almost caught on fire).
I have the iGo batteries from like 2 woots back, the ones where you got 16 batteries and 2x 4xcharger without the LCD.
Great for some things, terrible for other.
Camera flash for my DSLR - great. might burn through all 16 in a 6hr shoot but otherwise great
Actual Flip camera? youre gonna get 15mins outta them, and thats fresh off the charger.
[QUOTE=aojle, post:10, topic:367926]
I have both the 4 slot and 8 slot chargers. The 8 slot specifies that you can’t mix technologies (Alkaline and NiMH) at the same time, I don’t remember that restriction with the 4 slot charger.
Of course, in both you can use any number of slots, no need to pair them. Charging 1 battery is fine.
The flashlight I wanted to use the AAAs in turns out to have too tight a tolerance, these batteries are too fat to fit.
But then the primary reason I bought these is for NiMH charging. I’d rather wait a day for a charge then destroy the batteries with a rapid charge.
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As for the AAA being too fat… I found that they have TWO labels on them. I carefully peeled one label off and the one underneath looks the same. I guess quality control was asleep. You have to peel carefully so you don’t peel BOTH labels off. but they will fit afterwards. Or you can write the manufacturer. They said they would replace them.
[QUOTE=lestaxes, post:16, topic:367926]
Bought these a while ago, - found out that they ruined my nice $50 battery charger I had, when I accidentally used another charger to charge these batteries (the other charger almost caught on fire).
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DUHH, Read the instuctions, It says “Charge ONLY in Igo chargers”
[QUOTE=smartheart, post:12, topic:367926]
Five bucks off…that alone doeesn’t make this much of a deal. Add in the $5 shipping…even less so.
Where is the Woot I made hundreds of purchases from?
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The 24.99 list is for the charger and 8 batteries. So $5 off and 8 MORE batteries (free). that sounds better.