Registered: Dec 2000
Location: Austin, TX USA
Posts: 178

I have tested the battery life of regular Energizers versus Energizer E2, and can barely tell the difference.

Using Runtime (http://home.germany.net/101-216666/) I average 14 hours and 15 minutes of life from regular Energizers, and 14 hours and 30 minutes from E2. That is only a 2% increase in life for a 21% increase in price!

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ThirdMan

Registered: Sep 2000
Location: Mountain View, CA
Posts: 211

Yea

Yea I agree they are pretty pricey for not much of an advantage. You can see the actual testing at http://www.red-mercury.com/e2_vs_energizer.htm

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Registered: Jan 2000
Location:
Posts: 2

Go with lowest cost alkaline

I have been buying some off-brand alkalines (Ex-Cell) at Odd Lots. The price is $0.99 for a four-pack of AAAs. I also use Runtime to track my batteries and these cheap (er, low-cost) batteries have been giving me about the same runtime as Energizer alkalines. I've been averaging about 22 hours runtime lately (run Backup module daily, Hot Sync about every other day).

That's about a penny per hour of runtime. I doubt any E2s can match that cost efficiency.

FYI: I also end up changing my batteries about every 18-19 days. I calculated that I can power my VDX for about $10/year. That may be better than any of the rechargeable solutions people have come up with.

**Correction (added later): I meant to say "about a penny PER BATTERY per hour of runtime." Since it uses two batteries, I could have just said "about two cents per hour of runtime."

Last edited by MarkN on 03-19-2001 at 11:58 AM

Registered: Nov 2000
Location:
Posts: 714

Hm, I thought when I bought a Prism I could leave this behind...but now I have a travel charger that uses batteries & so does a Springboard. I think I'll try the Costco brand, supposed to be made by Duracell.

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Matt Nichols
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Registered: Dec 2000
Location: Silicon Valley, California
Posts: 173

NIMH?

I thought NIMH rechargeables were supposed to be the most cost-effective way to go. No memory effect...

Registered: Jan 2001
Location: Midwest
Posts: 232

In my 43 years, I've seen all sorts of battery "advances". In almost all cases, nothing actually changed about the battery other than the packaging. Even a 2% increase in performance would easily encourage most battery companies to market them as "amazing new technology SUPER STRENGTH Longer Lasting" batteries.

When someone actually figures out how to double or triple the life of a standard sized battery we will hear about it not just on battery commercials. It will be front page news everywhere. I'm waiting for rechargeable AAA Lithium Ion batteries. After that I suspect someone will figure out how to put a spec of plutonium into a triple-A and make a battery that will outlive us. They'll be expensive, but you'll only need to buy them once for each device you own. When you finally wear out the device, you'll SAVE the batteries, to be moved to the next device you purchase. Also, there will be only one cell size available; AAA. since it would provide more than enough continuous power to run any device, you'll simply slip it into a cell adapter to fit in larger cell battery compartments. Cell adapters would become available everywhere, as would the plutonium AAA's. The plutonium in each cell would be Nano-tagged. That way if anyone used the metal from hundreds of cells to make a nuclear bomb, the tags would conspire together to "signal" the FBI with their location and suspected intention of use.

OK, enough battery rambling. My fingers are tired.

Dave ;-)

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Registered: Oct 2000
Location:
Posts: 29

quote:

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Originally posted by DBrown


<snip> The plutonium in each cell would be Nano-tagged. That way if anyone used the metal from hundreds of cells to make a nuclear bomb, the tags would conspire together to "signal" the FBI with their location and suspected intention of use.

OK, enough battery rambling. My fingers are tired.

Dave ;-)

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Enquiring minds want to know what happens if the assembly were done in FL - at what point would the required consensus on accurate count warranting FBI notification be reached

Registered: Mar 2001
Location: Nebraska- the Good life
Posts: 695

Save $$$ on alkalines- read a recent (I wish I remembered when it showed up) report in here comparing various name and 'off' brands.

I was amazed at the results! Some of the 'cost per hour' savings are incredible just by using store or generic brands, even if they are not on sale!

Grab the magazine (usually at the library, or you can subscribe on-line), find some battery brands that tested well and are available to you, and stock up when they go on sale!

ALSO- "Industrial batteries" are often available at commerical tool and suppy stores. These are USUALLY the same as the name-brand version- just in a boring package, but you usually have to buy them in case lots. Although not the cheapest source, Grainger (www.grainger.com) is an example of this!

Registered: Mar 2001
Location: Nebraska- the Good life
Posts: 695

Please don't shoot! When I made the comments about the article on cheaper batteries, I somehow edited out the source- it is Consumer Reports magazine.

Over the summer, I believe, they reported on generics, and had several excellent rated generics we can use instead of the 'big boys'!

Sorry!

Registered: Jan 2001
Location: Midwest
Posts: 232

Rechargeable Alkalines... Best Buy!

When after Christmas my house suddenly had two new visors in it, I went into "I'm gonna find the best battery" mode. I've had a very nice universal battery manager/charger for a long time, but hadn't stopped to figure out which type of rechargable battery was going to be the best to use in the Visors.

I went to Radio Shack and bought 4-packs of NiCAD, NiMH, and some marked down rechargeable alkalines. The salesman actually tried to discourage me from getting the alkalines, saying they hadn't been too popular and might be discontinued. The RS alkalines were marked down to $10/4-pack. Still, they were the most expensive batteries I bought that day. The four-pack of NiMH's had been about $7.

My Platinum actually can be set for all four battery types, including Alkaline, NiMH, NiCad, and rechargable alkaline. Since December 26th I have been cycling between rechargeable alkalines and NiMH's. I gave up on NiCADs since they were pretty useless to have in the Visor when I had my eyemodule in use. With every change of batteries I would change the Visor to reflect the proper type.

The rechargeable alkalines seem to recharge faster in the same recharger, and they hold a useful charge about 50% longer than the NiMHs I was using. Still, they were more expensive, and at that point about tied in my perceptions as being the best battery for my Visors along with NiMHs.

Then about a month ago I was in my local ALCO discount store, and saw several 4-packs of rechargeable alkalines in a marked-down-merchandise display for $4.50 a pack. I bought two packs.

So with a lesser price than NiMH's, Rechargable alkalines have become my "BEST BUY" battery.

Yes, you may need a new charger if you switch to rechargeable alkalines. But since this technology seems to be getting marked down, the chargers are usually marked down as well. Look around. I'll bet that you can find rechargeable alkalines for LESS than the going price for NiMHs.

Am I worried about the technology being discontinued? No. I'll get my 200+ recharges out of the batteries I bought, then switch to whatever new technology is the best buy at that time. Today, Rechargable Alkalines seem to be the bargain.

Dave ;-)

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Registered: Jun 2000
Location:
Posts: 49

big lots fuji 7200

The best batteries i have tried by far (for the price ) are fuji 7200 alkaline. $1.49 for 4 AA or AAA and they last about the same as duracell/enegizer. ALso big lots has been carrying repacked duracell ultra m3(which actually do last longer) for $1.99 per 4 pk.

New update. Big lots just got in 8 packs of the fuji 7200 for $2.69 which is still less than a 4 pack of duracell or enegizer.

Last edited by artemis125 on 04-14-2001 at 05:15 AM

Registered: Dec 2000
Location: Austin, TX USA
Posts: 178

battery saga continues

After my bad E2 experience, I went to the other extreme and tried out Eveready Super Heavy Duty batteries. $1.49 for 4, which is about half the price of Duracells. Their performance was worse than I expected. I got about (on average) 7.5 hours of usage out of them, and to get that I had to run below 2.0 volts, which means my Visor complained at me constantly.

Plus I noticed that when I did something intensive, like wireless web, the voltage levels would plummet down to 2.1 volts until I let them 'rest' for a while (power off), at which point I would regain .2 to .4 volts. Go figure.

As soon as I use up these SHDs, I am switching back to good ol' Duracells.

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ThirdMan