Ok, I'm a cheapskate, but help me out? Knowledge, edge of.
Got a solar light, which has worked well for a few years. It cost about £40 I think at the time.
Now it's getting dim. Rather than spend another £40-£50, I took the cover off and it turns out it has easily replaceable AA batteries. They say they are 1000mAh 1.2V Ni-MH.
Amazon has loads of AA rechargeables, but at different numbers, like 2300mAh etc, for a few pounds.
Do the batteries HAVE to be 1000mAh or can I stick anything in there as long as it physically fits?
Last edited by: Crankcase on Tue 29 Sep 15 at 09:30
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>> Does the batteries HAVE to be 1000mAh or can I stick anything in there as
>> long as it physically fits?
Yes. Kind of, maybe not. Any NiMh of the right size will work, but your higher capacity ones will never get fully charged. And eventually become lower capacity ones.
Its a case of suck it and see if you have spare ones knocking about you have no other use for.
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Thanks. Sounds like 1000 would be the best option then - but I can't actually find any from a manufacturer I've heard of, not that I don't suppose all batteries the world over aren't made in one giant Chinese factory anyway.
I'll take a punt on something then, and if not, new light time, which would be an awful bore.
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NiMhs are cheap, stick any old one in and see how it goes. Gotsta be better than buying a new light.
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>> Thanks. Sounds like 1000 would be the best option then - but I can't actually
>> find any from a manufacturer I've heard of
I'm guessing the original fit one isn't supplied by a popular manufacturer either? None of my solar lights have ever been.
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No, just a green sleeved thing with numbers printed on it, entirely unbranded externally. Bought some unknown to me hokey things now so we'll see.
Last edited by: Crankcase on Tue 29 Sep 15 at 10:45
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>> No, just a green sleeved thing with numbers printed on it,
My shaver battery was like that. I googled the numbers and found an exact replacement from Poland.
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>> Its a case of suck it and see if you have spare ones knocking about
>> you have no other use for.
>>
I put 1600mAh batteries in my garden lights after the old ones wore out and they still work fine. The advice linking ideal NiMH trickle charge current to capacity is woolly at best, so as Zero says you've nothing to lose.
Last edited by: VxFan on Wed 30 Sep 15 at 01:14
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Higher capacity rechargeable batteries should be fully charged if you use an "intelligent" battery charger - the highest capacity example I have at present is 2900mAh and it saves a lot of time due to their extended usage time.
I bought a Duracell fast battery charger from 7dayshop.com a while back for £16, which can charge up to eight batteries of different sizes and capacities at the same time but, unfortunately, it's been replaced. But there are still plenty on offer:
www.7dayshop.com/battery-chargers-and-testers
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BEWARE... I bought some AAA or AA batteries from 7 day do Dah and they were marginally shorter than standard, not by much but enough to render them useless in some appliances.
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I had some like that once - a bit of padding with kitchen foil sorted it. Seemed to work without exploding in my eyes, which is what I always assume will happen when I do anything remotely practical.
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I have not had any problems with ALDI and LIDL rechargeable batteries, I use them in LED torches, hand held inspection lamp, a weather station, and the combi boiler programmable thermostat remote control gadget.
Last edited by: Old Navy on Wed 30 Sep 15 at 09:36
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>>I have not had any problems with ALDI and LIDL rechargeable batteries>>
Aldi normally stock those distributed by Medion, a well known German distributor that offers quite a few OEM products under its own name and that of Tevion, both in Europe and the States.
Lidl owns the Silvercrest brand, which manufactures electronic products.
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>> I had some like that once - a bit of padding with kitchen foil sorted it.
Or just stretch the spring contacts slightly, or pack out with a couple of metal washers.
Last edited by: VxFan on Wed 30 Sep 15 at 10:20
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>> BEWARE... I bought some AAA or AA batteries from 7 day do Dah and they
>> were marginally shorter than standard, not by much but enough to render them useless in
>> some appliances.
Typical builder, can't measure anything correctly.
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>> >> BEWARE... I bought some AAA or AA batteries from 7 day do Dah and
>> they
>> >> were marginally shorter than standard, not by much but enough to render them useless
>> in
>> >> some appliances.
>>
>> Typical builder, can't measure anything correctly.
>>
I beg to differ dear Chuff Chuff. According to your Missus mine is marginally longer and wider than yours. My vehicle of course. 0:-)
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she said its clapped out, dirty and battered.
Your vehicle of course.
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>> BEWARE... I bought some AAA or AA batteries from 7 day do Dah and they
>> were marginally shorter than standard, not by much but enough to render them useless in
>> some appliances.
>>
Now that's interesting, at the weekend is was trying to recharge for 7day AAAs, and they were a sloppy fit in the charger, quite tricky to get all 4 in contact at once. That explains why.
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Solar light batteries - Zero
