Rechargeable Battery Voltage

[Gem99ultra]

I recently bought a pile of rechargeable batteries, D, AA & AAA hoping to shut down the constant and expensive battery replacement in so many items such as trail cameras, flashlights, remotes, etc. However when they came in I discovered that they were all 1.2V rather than the normal 1.5 regular batteries.

The 1.2V batteries obviously don't put out as much power and last about 1/10th as long as a normal Duracell, etc.. As an example, a set of 4 D-cell batteries in my trail camera will generally last a couple of weeks. A set of the rechargeable's only last 2 days.

Extended charging of the rechargeable's doesn't seem to bump the voltage up any. Is there a way to bump the voltage up on these batteries? Or have I just tossed money down a rabbit hole?

 

[Alan W.]

There are pros and cons
Voltage is a bit lower
Will not put out power as long as an alkaline
Tend to be a little larger in diameter
Can be recharged a lot of times
Much cheaper in the long run

I made the change to rechargeables when my son was small. The toys eat batteries. My father has a tester that will not work with rechargeables and in some items they will not fit.

They have saved me a lot over the years and I still have a few of the first ones I bought that are still working.

 

[Jaylegger]

The 1.2V batteries obviously don't put out as much power and last about 1/10th as long as a normal Duracell, etc..

Though marked as 1.2v, after charging the resting voltage (after a month) is about 1.37 volts for the NIMH batteries I purchased. Though these rechargeable don't begin with as high a voltage as alkaline they hold a higher voltage longer under load where the alkaline drop of relatively quicker.

Here's an interesting site that tests many of these batteries, both alkaline and NiMH so comparisons under specific loads can be compared. curious what brand of rechargeables you purchased?

Battery test-review AA/AAA individual tests

 

[RNeumann]

You tossed money down a rabbit hole. Their are few applications that benefit from that battery technology. The science/chemistry in those batteries wasn’t good then or now. If it worked everyone would be doing it......
Btw- the batteries in your cell phone and other rechargeable devices uses totally different technology.

 

[plowhog]

I get good service from D cell AccuEvolution rechargeable batteries. These are NIMH, 10,000 mAh. If you try those I believe you will like them, but the initial cost is high.

I also have a solar panel that plugs into my charger. So I can use the AccuEvolution batteries with "free" electricity. But in practice I often charge the batteries at night plugged into the wall.

Here is an example of a very high capacity NIMH battery, 12,000 mAh, but it cost $31 for a two pack. That's a lot of money for two D cell batteries:

X2PD-2 - X2Power Rechargeable NiMH D Battery 2 Pack at Batteries Plus Bulbs

Batteries plus advertises that they have 8,000 mAh for much less-- but they are still pricey.

My impression is that if you are going to take the plung into rechargeable, you need to spend the $$ up front to get the high capacity batteries. Otherwise it is a frustrating time.

Here are qty 8 10,000 mAh NIMH batteries for $61-- about $7.50 ea:

Tenergy 10100 D-cell (8PK) 10000mAh 1.2V Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH) Button Top Batteries - Pack of 8

 

[LittleBill21]

You tossed money down a rabbit hole. Their are few applications that benefit from that battery technology. The science/chemistry in those batteries wasn稚 good then or now. If it worked everyone would be doing it......
Btw- the batteries in your cell phone and other rechargeable devices uses totally different technology.

You might want to educate your self on Eneloop batteries. i have close to 100 LSD NIMH batteries technology has dramatically changed in years. they also can put out considerable more amperage then any alkaline on the market. they also don't leak, and now have a shelf life of 10 years no recharge at 70%

the only down side is the voltage. but realize they settle out around 1.2v so just because some devices claim low battery, they will still run for days because 1.2 is the main voltage range.

but yes some devices want the higher voltage. i haven't bought alkaline in years. except for some special cases

 

[LittleBill21]

I get good service from D cell AccuEvolution rechargeable batteries. These are NIMH, 10,000 mAh. If you try those I believe you will like them, but the initial cost is high.

I also have a solar panel that plugs into my charger. So I can use the AccuEvolution batteries with "free" electricity. But in practice I often charge the batteries at night plugged into the wall.

Here is an example of a very high capacity NIMH battery, 12,000 mAh, but it cost $31 for a two pack. That's a lot of money for two D cell batteries:

X2PD-2 - X2Power Rechargeable NiMH D Battery 2 Pack at Batteries Plus Bulbs

Batteries plus advertises that they have 8,000 mAh for much less-- but they are still pricey.

My impression is that if you are going to take the plung into rechargeable, you need to spend the $$ up front to get the high capacity batteries. Otherwise it is a frustrating time.

Here are qty 8 10,000 mAh NIMH batteries for $61-- about $7.50 ea:

Tenergy 10100 D-cell (8PK) 10000mAh 1.2V Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH) Button Top Batteries - Pack of 8

go price protected 18650 if you want to see high prices. i paid 23 a week ago for 1 3500ma cell.

 

[RNeumann]

You might want to educate your self on Eneloop batteries. i have close to 100 LSD NIMH batteries technology has dramatically changed in years. they also can put out considerable more amperage then any alkaline on the market. they also don't leak, and now have a shelf life of 10 years no recharge at 70%

the only down side is the voltage. but realize they settle out around 1.2v so just because some devices claim low battery, they will still run for days because 1.2 is the main voltage range.

but yes some devices want the higher voltage. i haven't bought alkaline in years. except for some special cases

I’m familiar with NIMH battery technology......... this 35 year old technology has been largely phased out. Phones, cars, power tools etc have all moved away from that technology. While it seems you have found it to be an alternative for your application it’s proven otherwise for most of the world.

 

[LittleBill21]

devices which uses AAA,AA,D,C can only use this technology, so im not sure your point, certain version of lithium are end of life as well, but thats not the point of the OP's comment. the majority of replaceable battery items for home users is still Alkaline,NIMH,NICH technology.

if you think we are anywhere close to phasing them out, your prolly still 10+ years out.

 

[mostly_gas]

One thing to bear in mind is the NIMH don't like winter. Battery capacity goes down faster on the rechargeable ones during cold weather. Below about 50F performance drops off. I use a battery charger that allows me to see battery voltage and senses full battery charge rather than depend on timing.

 

[Gem99ultra]

The batteries I bought are EBL 2300ah (White). Although they're rated as "a good battery", (thanks Jaylegger for the link) it does look like I found that 'rabbit hole'. Guess that's what I get for focusing too much on ah vs price.

It seems that they will charge up to 1.5V at 135 minutes. After that, the voltage goes back down to their rated 1.2V. And voltage drops dramatically after about 60 minutes of constant use. Seems dumb to me, but then, what do I know.

Lesson learned: You get what you pay for - IF you're lucky.

 

[LittleBill21]

The batteries I bought are EBL 2300ah (White). Although they're rated as "a good battery", (thanks Jaylegger for the link) it does look like I found that 'rabbit hole'. Guess that's what I get for focusing too much on ah vs price.

It seems that they will charge up to 1.5V at 135 minutes. After that, the voltage goes back down to their rated 1.2V. And voltage drops dramatically after about 60 minutes of constant use. Seems dumb to me, but then, what do I know.

Lesson learned: You get what you pay for - IF you're lucky.

your car battery works the same way charges up to 14, settles around 12.5. not sure what your expecting , but charge voltage /= resting voltage.

if your device wants 1.5v though, there will still be a bit left in the rechargables when the unit shuts down, there is not much u can do about it. but most devices will use at least 2/3 of the charge, which is usually good enough for most