[Boatanchors] VOM Batteries that don't leak?

[Garey Barrell]

Bill -

The eneloops hold their charge for a year or more, specified as '85% charge after one year'..  This is their claim to fame.  AA are 2000 
mAH.  I use them in a little used camera, and six to nine months later they still have enough charge to operate the camera for hours.

73, Garey - K4OAH
Glen Allen, VA

Drake 2-B, 2-C/2-NT, 4-A, 4-B, C-Line
and TR-4/C Service Supplement CDs
<www.k4oah.com>

Bill Cromwell wrote:
> On 07/19/2013 08:37 PM, Ken Kaplan wrote:
>> Correct me if I'm wrong but aren't the rechargeable batteries 1.2v while the alkaline & carbon zinc ones are 1.5-1.6v? That .3-.4v 
>> difference often means it's recharge time more frequently on higher load devices. Not sure what eneloops are...
>>
>> Ken
> Hi Ken,
>
> Eneloops is the brand name of some rechargeable cells. I looked it up on the internet. I but my batteries locally and that brand is not in 
> stock. The NiMH cells have good "shelf life" so they won't self discharge as quickly as earlier Ni-cad cells would in something like your 
> V-O-M or VTVTM or DMM or flashlight or etc while it is sitting on the shelf unused for a day or two (or a week or two).
>
> With slightly lower terminal voltage from the battery your gear will draw slightly less current so it will probably NOT induce "more" 
> frequent battery charge cycles. One thing that will happen - regular, one shot alkaline cells have a longer, flatter discharge curve so 
> they will seem to last longer - and they certainly will. They will last quite a bit longer than one charge from a rechargeable cell. But 
> when they are done - toss them and buy new ones - again (and again (and yet again)). When I was younger and stronger and maybe dumber I 
> was involved in emergency *tactical* operations and I always carried a sack full of fresh alkaline cells for use in the battery packs that 
> could take them. Just because the rechargeable cells could not be relied on for the duration of tactical operations - due to that 
> discharge curve. With a fresh charge the .3 to .4 volt difference in a fully charged cell never made one bit of difference in operational 
> performance until the cells ran out of gas.
>
> 73,
>
> Bill  KU8H