If so, which ones to buy?
The application is for my Apple Magic Mouse which seems to get through its two AA cells every month or so.
Consumption not helped by my never turning it off.
Rechargeables are the obvious answer, but if they would only work for a couple of weeks, it might be more trouble than it's worth.
I'm guessing it doesn't matter what charger I get.
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For the price of that green rechargere I can buy very good rechargeables - which last ages...
cgi.ebay.co.uk/AAA-Sanyo-Eneloop-HR-4UTG-4BP-800mAh-8pk-/160525700877?pt=UK_ConsumerElectronics_Batteries_SM&hash=item256013cf0d
Don't loose charge when unused, and good for 1000 recharges..
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OP wants AAs, I think. Recharging any battery which is otherwise going into the recycling bin has to be a saver, in the long run
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>> If so, which ones to buy?
Its all down to the capacity of the batteries you buy, 2800mh hrs will be very powerful
BUT rechargeable are not good at providing small continuous current.
>> I'm guessing it doesn't matter what charger I get.
correct
Under any circumstances, recharging has to be better than throwing them away.
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>>Its all down to the capacity of the batteries you buy, 2800mh hrs will be very powerful>>
Surely you mean that the batteries will last much longer before needing to be recharged?
The Sanyo examples are supposed to be the best around at present. Probably the cheapest place to buy them (including delivery) along with battery chargers is 7DayShop:
tinyurl.com/3r79hjs
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That's almost a giveaway price for that pack...:-)
IIRC rechargeables normally lose about one per cent of their charge daily if not in use.....
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>> www.mymemory.co.uk/Battery-Chargers/Uniross/Uniross-Compact-Charger-%2B-4-X-AA-Pre-Charged-Ready-to-Use-Rechargeable-Batteries?origin=Newsletter
I don't rate Uniross. I've had problems with them not keeping charge or just unreliable. Energizer on the other hand are brilliant. I have these in my camera and they never seem to run out. Despite not claiming to hold their charge for long periods of time they do, for months and months.
buy.energizer.co.uk/detail_ENAANI004F-Energizer-Rechargeable-AA-NiMH-2450mAh-Pack-of-4.html
Last edited by: corax on Mon 30 May 11 at 21:17
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Have the same issue and am tempted to buy one of these which seems to be the answer.
www.amazon.co.uk/Mobee-Magic-Charger-Apple-Wireless/dp/B004GCPJDQ/ref=pd_sim_computers_4
Whether its cost effective or not is another question - You can buy a lot of batteries for £40 but its a cool bit of kit.
Last edited by: CGNorwich on Mon 30 May 11 at 17:13
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Iffy's now brainwashed enough by Apple to know he has to go for this:
store.apple.com/uk/product/MC500B/A?mco=MTY3ODQ5OTY
How can he not ;-)
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>> Iffy's now brainwashed enough by Apple to know he has to go for this:
>>
>> store.apple.com/uk/product/MC500B/A?mco=MTY3ODQ5OTY
>>
>> How can he not ;-)
Quote:
"Unlike other chargers, the Apple Battery Charger senses when a battery charge cycle is complete and automatically reduces the amount of power it uses to 30 milliwatts — more than 10 times better than the industry average."
I suspect they are vulnerable to legal action since it is quite normal for a charger to sense when charging is complete, and to reduce the power to a very low level.
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>> If so, which ones to buy?
>>
>> The application is for my Apple Magic Mouse which seems to get through its two
>> AA cells every month or so.
>>
>> Consumption not helped by my never turning it off.
You want NiMH and there are two kinds. The original kind gradually discharge, typically 0.5% per day such that after 3 months you've lost about half the charge even without using them. The advantage of this type is that you can get high capacities e.g. 2600 mAh. (The mAh rating is a measure of the amount of stored energy.) The latest kind, known as Low Self Discharge (LSD) retain charge for ages, typically 80% after a year. But they only come in capacities of about 2000 to 2100 mAh. So, if you use your batteries up quickly and need high capacity, go for non LSD. Otherwise go for LSD. Two good brands of LSD cell are Panasonic Infinium and Sony Eneloop. By the way, it was Sony who invented the LSD cell.
Be careful about mAh ratings. Those from brands such as Sony, Panasonic, Sanyo should be reliable, but some brands seem to exaggerate. It tends to be worse for the high mAh cells, possibly because of the way the mAh is calculated (using a slow discharge).
As for the charger, avoid fast chargers e.g. 1 hour. They destroy batteries, not right away, but you'll get a shortened lifetime. 2 hours is okay. Also make sure you get a charger with individual charging. What this means is that some chargers can only charge 2 batteries, or 4 batteries at the same time, not 1 or 3. This is because they are charged in pairs. The problem with this is that the batteries might have very different charges in them at the start, so the charging will not be correct for both. In short, get a charger that can charge 1 battery, as well as 2, or even 1, 2, 3 and 4.
You can probably get a 4 cell charger, charge four cells, use 2, and keep 2 as backup (the beauty of LSD cells). Then when you insert the backups, charge the first set. Simples.
I buy my batteries from 7DayShop, very reliable in my experience, very competitive prices, but sloooow delivery. Some people complain about them, but I've had good service over 10 years or so. I am not connected with them in any way apart from a as a long term customer.
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Bought in bulk 20 packs Duracell AA batteries cost about 40p each. The magic mouse takes 2 and runs for around 4 - 6 weeks.
That's only £10 a year. Are rechargeable really worth the fuss ?
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>>That's only £10 a year. Are rechargeable really worth the fuss ? >>
Yes, yes and yes again, especially if you have devices such as portable radios, compact cameras etc.
I've been using rechargeable batteries for 20 years or more and the financial savings alone make them very worthwhile. Modern NiMH batteries with high capacity also last far longer before needing recharging than ordinary AAA or AA equivalents.
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>>I buy my batteries from 7DayShop, very reliable in my experience, very competitive prices, but sloooow delivery. Some people complain about them, but I've had good service over 10 years or so. I am not connected with them in any way apart from a as a long term customer. >>
Which is exactly why I mentioned the company earlier in the thread...:-)
Never heard any complaints apart from about two years ago when they had a faulty batch of some product or another supplied, but instantly contacted all customers who had purchased the product offering an immediate refund.
I probably buy 80 per cent of what I require from 7DayShop and, apart from the excellent service, the financial savings are very worthwhile.
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I forgot to add an answer to the question in the title. Not only are rechargeables any good, they are better then disposable. They last longer, perform better in high current draw devices such as some torches, they are cheaper and better for the environment.
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>> The application is for my Apple Magic Mouse which seems to get through its two
>> AA cells every month or so.
We have 4 of these things and as you correctly point out they eat batteries pretty quickly, especially if you are at the computer all day.
I bought a load of Sanyo Eneloops (reasons as mentioned by Leif) and leave some on the charger all the time. We then simply rotate whenever we get the low battery warning.
Someone else I spoke to about this told me he turned his mouse off at night and that improved things. I simply can't remember to do that every day.
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Thanks for the replies - I think they've covered all aspects of the topic very well.
Eneloops might be the way to go, although the Apple charger with six rechargeables for £25 is approaching a bargain given their usual pricing.
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Are rechargeable batteries any good? - Meldrew
