Earlier quoted context omitted.
Anyone know who makes the Costco Kirkland brand AAs?
Producer likely to change depending on who does them cheapest at the time.
And sometimes varies by region.
Great AA Alkaline Battery Test (2016)
91–100 of 195 posts
Re: Great AA Alkaline Battery Test (2016)
#92Not included in this analysis is leakage rate... by which I mean ooze leakage.
I have found that some batteries have a much greater likelihood of leaking ooze than others (yeah Rayovak, I'm looking at you!)
Except in the case of crappy toys, the damage that this causes radically outstrips the cost of the battery.
As a result, I buy batteries not based on electrical performance, but track record in not ruining the things I put them into. I am very happy to accept 50% less energy if I can avoid destroying my $200 gadget.
Re: Great AA Alkaline Battery Test (2016)
#93Let me leap in here to ding Duracell. They used to be my goto battery, but over the past few years (there was a hedge fund takeover, which IME rarely results in improvements to long-standing quality products) they've turned into liabilities - specifically, they are extremely prone to leaking once even a little bit discharged. To this day I open old kit and there can be duracells in there with "use by 2010" or even ea…
But I think their NIMH batteries are good. Project Farm reviewed them, they were near the top. Of course I'm looking for good ones that are cheaper..
Re: Great AA Alkaline Battery Test (2016)
#94I think the main issue with AA Alkaline is the proliferation of cheap low-self-discharge NiMH cells (aka: Eneloop, but also Energizer and other brands have good LSD NiMH available). A huge number of appliances seem to be designed for the 1.35V NiMH chemistry now. Perhaps a random TV-remote still prefers Alkaline but most seem to work fine with NiMH. ----- Buying a pack of 20 NiMH cells and rotating your collection be…
I've switched to rechargables for home electronics years ago. It makes me feel better doing my share of lessening environment impact caused by disposable cells. One notable exception for which I am still buying alkaine batteries is the August Smart Lock. When using NiMH batteries it starts complaining about depleted battery in a week, while it still Ok and works for much longer. It was reported to them and they advis…
I think this explains the problem, though If you could configure the battery type, a software fix would work:
Re: Great AA Alkaline Battery Test (2016)
#95Earlier quoted context omitted.
I agree, rotating collection of charged cells is the way to go but: - need to establish a system of keeping track what's charged - train family to participate - train family to stop buying alkaline (mainly because in the alkaline recycling process you'll lose a lot of your eneloops) - grow immunity against complaints from family
> - need to establish a system of keeping track what's charged This seems to be the root of all of your problems. Just charge all of the cells that aren’t in use. When you take drained cells out of something, they go in the charger. Charger is always plugged in and right next to where you store the cells. If there’s ever any question, just stick the cells in the charger. Don’t bother playing all of the games to avoid…
The good chargers hold 8-16 batteries, so there's always a set on there being charged. The chargers seem electrically smart and maintain the batteries well.
This process works wonderfully. We've got ~100 Enloop's of various generations around the house in TV Remotes, XBox Remotes, Garage Door openers, and toys. This process works well.
Re: Great AA Alkaline Battery Test (2016)
#96> This can be implemented basically with a fixed value of resistance, but because of the way resistance interacts with voltage, it’s actually very gentle on the battery. As the battery voltage falls, the current falls accordingly, so the delivered power falls even further. For modern appliances, this type of loading is not common. Dumb question - is it at all possible to design a modern device which operates this way…
> It's been a really really long time since my EE classes - are transistors just unable to operate this way?)
Yeah, most CPUs nowadays have dynamic frequency adjustment to maximize battery life. Lower frequencies also mean transistors can operate at lower voltages, so by reducing the operating frequency, you can reduce the voltage and therefore power draw on your battery.
Re: Great AA Alkaline Battery Test (2016)
#97Not included in this analysis is leakage rate... by which I mean ooze leakage. I have found that some batteries have a much greater likelihood of leaking ooze than others (yeah Rayovak, I'm looking at you!) Except in the case of crappy toys, the damage that this causes radically outstrips the cost of the battery. As a result, I buy batteries not based on electrical performance, but track record in not ruining the thi…
> As a result, I buy batteries not based on electrical performance, but track record in not ruining the things I put them into.
So do I. I'm now using low self-discharge NiMH batteries (mostly Eneloops) in pretty much every device that uses batteries, and I've never had one leak. I also use smart chargers to check battery health when I recharge them. A bit more initial outlay, but much cheaper in the long run, as the batteries can be recharged 1000s of times, and they hold their charge for many months.
Re: Great AA Alkaline Battery Test (2016)
#98On the subject of AA alkaline batteries - one thing I learned a long time ago somehow I'll share that people seem amazed by is that you can approximate their charge by bouncing them on a hard surface. Drop an AA battery negative/flat side down an inch or two onto a hard surface like a counter or table. A new battery will just land and thud. A dead battery will bounce repeatedly(you'll hear it more than see it).
I wonder what phenomenon is driving this. A spent battery weighs more?
IIRC, new batteries contain a semi-liquid electrolyte, which damps the bounce. When discharged, it becomes much more rigid, so the battery bounces. Compare dropping a gallon jug with ~a cup of water in it vs a cup frozen into ice to see what i mean.
Re: Great AA Alkaline Battery Test (2016)
#99I think the main issue with AA Alkaline is the proliferation of cheap low-self-discharge NiMH cells (aka: Eneloop, but also Energizer and other brands have good LSD NiMH available). A huge number of appliances seem to be designed for the 1.35V NiMH chemistry now. Perhaps a random TV-remote still prefers Alkaline but most seem to work fine with NiMH. ----- Buying a pack of 20 NiMH cells and rotating your collection be…
Most of my remotes are still using the batteries they shipped with. It's hard to make the case for replacing batteries when the originals last 15+ years (and counting).
Re: Great AA Alkaline Battery Test (2016)
#100> This can be implemented basically with a fixed value of resistance, but because of the way resistance interacts with voltage, it’s actually very gentle on the battery. As the battery voltage falls, the current falls accordingly, so the delivered power falls even further. For modern appliances, this type of loading is not common. Dumb question - is it at all possible to design a modern device which operates this way…
Apple did this with iPhones, where the CPU throttles itself when the battery can’t keep up with the peak demand anymore. They got sued for it (mostly because they didn’t tell anyone and people bought new phones when the old ones started mysteriously slowing down).