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Which Battery Should You Use?
from
Thijs Has, PE1RLN
on
November 26, 2009
View comments about this article!
"Editor's Note: Due to the popularity of some of eHam's older articles, many of which you may not have read, the eHam.net team has decided to rerun some of the best articles that we have received since eHam's inception. These articles will be reprinted to add to the quality of eHam's content and in a show of appreciation to the authors of these articles."
As you can see in stores and on the Internet, there are a lot of types of batteries you can buy. Unfortunately, most people don't know which battery they can use and buy the one with the highest capacity.
However, batteries with a lower capacity are still sold, so there must be a reason. Hopefully I can give you some tips and hints to help you making the right decision on buying the batteries.
First: how many types do we know and are useful for HAMs?
The list below shows a few:
Ofcourse there are more types, but they are not very useful for us.
These batteries are often found in cars and as back-up batteries in installations. They appear in two forms: with and without maintenance, the last ones are called Dry-cells. These have quite a high capacity and can deliver a high current (starting of the car etc.) while voltage doesn't really drop.
HAMs can use these batteries for using high-current equipment, such as shortwave transmitters or amplifiers. The disadvantage is that these batteries are quite heavy.
These batteries have a nasty disadvantage: memory-effect. That means that when the battery is not completely discharged and then charged again, crystals grow in the battery that diminishes the capacity and it is hard to get rid of it.
The advantage above NiMH batteries, that don't really have this effect, is that NiCd batteries can deliver a high current and can be charged in short time with a high current.
The voltage of each cell is not 1,5V but 1,2V.
These batteries have a very high capacity and should be used in cases where only a limited current is needed, such as portable CD-players, cellphones etc.
The biggest advantage is that they have far less memory-effect than the NiCd batteries. Along with the high capacity this battery is often chosen above the NiCds. However, the current delivered by a NiMH is lower and the batteries should only be charged with a low current! So, don't use a regular charger for NiMH batteries as they will de-hydrate!
Kenwood's newest portable has a Li-Ion battery inside. These batteries have a high capacity and can deliver a high current.
To charge the battery, the charging-voltage may not exceed the voltage of the battery with more than 0,5V and the battery should not be discharged till 0,4V below the normal voltage!
If you do so, the battery will certainly loose a lot of its capacity. Therefore you need a lot of electronics to be able to charge the battery, as you should.
These are the batteries you cannot charge. They have a voltage of 1,5V per cell and a capacity that lies between NiCd and NiMH.
Use these batteries only when your others are empty. They are the worst polluting batteries you can find, because they cannot be re-used.
These are the oldest batteries, but they are still sold. Why?
They have less capacity but a big advantage: they regenerate themselves. You can see that when using them in a flashlight. When you use the flashlight a few minutes, you'll see the light dimming. When you put it out and use it after an hour, you'll notice that the light is bright again. This effect can take place a lot of times. Other batteries don't have this effect, so use these batteries in your flashlight only. Also the high current, needed by Halogen-bulbs, can only be delivered by this type of battery.
That depends on the situation. High currents over a longer period require Pb batteries, but when you need a high current over a short period, for example in a handheld, you can use NiCd.
NiMH is used in scanners, where the current is limited.
Li-Ion can only be used when you charge it well. Modern electronics are to be used however.
How long can I store my batteries?
Now, that's where it usually goes wrong: rechargeable batteries have a self-discharging effect. That means that they discharge themselves in a short period. Pb cells don't really have problems with that, but NiCd get their memory-effect. Watch out for this!
NiMH batteries have a high self-discharging and should be used directly after recharging.
So, my advice is: use batteries immediately after charging and use them until they are empty. If you need to store batteries, store them when they are charged. Before using them, discharge them entirely and recharge. Nowadays automatic chargers have a discharge-function so that this is done automatically.
Hopefully I gave you some insight in how these things work and what you should buy in your situation. Of course, every situation is different from other, but you can make the right decision with these specifications.
73 and keep up the HAM spirit!
This article has expired. No more comments may be added.
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Which Battery Should You Use?
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by N1DVJ on November 26, 2009
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Not bad, but there are a few more points.
Lead acid batteries come in many varieties, not just a simple 'lead' battery. There's deep cycle, designed to be deep discharged as a ham would do (can be very detrimental to regular lead acid car type batteries) and sealed gels, for use in wheelchairs and toys. These last are the ones a ham should go for.
NiCd batteries offer high current, but they have a number of bad attributes. One is toxicity. VERY bad!! And when they are charged to venting, you get VERY toxic crystals. The memory effect? Mostly BS. Does it exist? Yes, but what most people THINK is the memory effect is nothing more than uneven charging in series packs. NiCds also also have a nasty habit of charging in reverse. In a multi-cell pack, when one cell goes dead, it sees current still forced through it, charging in reverse. It will actually take a charge this way, but unfortunately, it wasn't designed to. As a result, little 'spikes' form and can short out the battery. They are easily cleared with a pulse machine, but usually the battery is chucked. Chargers from MaHa and others can really bring out the best in NiCd batteries, so it pays to invest. Better units even have 'pulse dischargers' to really help rejuvinate a battery.
NiMh batteries are pretty good, but wrong charging can turn their cores liquid. Not good. Damage and even fire can result. When built into a 'pack' with a processor (the first 'Smart Battery' as in laptops) they can provide excellent service.
LiIon are pretty neat cells to use, but if you think NiMh were ruled out because of custom chargers, you'll really hate LiIon! Still, they are current darling of the battery crowd. To really see the advantage of LiIon they need to be a 3v cell, not a 1.5. If it's a 'pack' and not individual cells, it doesn't matter. A lot of these battery packs are 'smart'. That is, they have processors in them that communicate with the charging device or unit to be used in. Once you get that 'package', that's where they really show their advantage.
Oh, and alkaline ARE rechargeable. But... 99% of the alkalines on the market will LEAK if recharged due to the high pressures generated during the charge cycle. Rayovac came out with a line of these batteries designed to handle the pressure, and they work well, but they have their own caveats. They can ONLY be charged SINGLY. The charging algorithm does NOT work with a cell pack. Additionally, charging depth is destructive. If you have a recharged alkaline that you take X amount of power out of and recharge, then take X amount of power out again and recharge, that cell will have more life than another cell that you take 2X power out of and recharge. Their loss in performance is measurable from the start with charge cycles.
Their good point? They are cheap. They also do not 'self discharge' the way a number of other technologies do sitting on the shelf. These batteries are best used in emergency devices that don't see a lot of even moderate discharge. Every battery self-discharges to some extent, even lead acid (they will discharge fast if they 'stratify' internally) but here the alkalines are a winner in that they hold charge a long time.
Can you recharge generic alkalines using the custom charger? Well, Rayovac built the batteries so they recharge from the base end, not the top end, so regular alkalines won't contact correctly, but if you do kludge something up, they will charge. But remember, almost ALL of them will leak because they were not DESIGNED to handle the pressures that occur during alkaline recharge.
Bottom line? In most cases, unless you are using a 'pack' with an interface designed to really get the most of the technology, a lot of the benefits you see in some battery technologies just aren't going to be applicable.
You need to pick your battery with care, and with an awareness of how you are going to use it, and what resources you will be using to charge it.
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RE: Which Battery Should You Use?
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by KC8FRJ on November 26, 2009
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Great points and additional points.
Might I add an additional additional!
Rechargeable Li-Ion, while having the highest energy density, have a limited life span, usually 2 to 3 years. Manufactures are working on lengthening it. This is due to the oxidation of the carbon element. It is not a function of charging and discharging that causes the problem, it is unfortunately just a function of time.
Beware of sealed devices using Li-Ion batteries. They will need replaced in a few years, and there is no way around it.
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RE: Which Battery Should You Use?
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by WX7G on November 26, 2009
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This article is without substance. It promulgates myth-like ideas. I see no numbers; no specs by which to compare batteries under different conditions.
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RE: Which Battery Should You Use?
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by KT4WO on November 26, 2009
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I agree with WX7G.. This is a waste of
bandwidth.
KT4WO
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Which Battery Should You Use?
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by DO5TMX on November 26, 2009
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"Zinc-coal [...] Also the high current, needed by Halogen-bulbs, can only be delivered by this type of battery."
What about LiMnO2 batteries like CR123?
They were used in analog cameras and due to their dropping price have become increasingly popular for running high-powered flashlights.
There also are LiFeS2 cells that come in AA (FR6) and AAA (FR03) sizes.
I recommend www.batteryuniversity.com for further in-depth info on the different battery chemistries, maintenance, pros & cons.
73 de Max
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Which Battery Should You Use?
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by VK4JAZ on November 26, 2009
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Thanks for this very informative article. I have always been a little mystified by the huge number of alternatives available and never understood the differences between them. At least now I have a better idea. Great article and replies.
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RE: Which Battery Should You Use?
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by W4VR on November 26, 2009
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I don't use batteries to power my ham radio equipment, but I do use Lithium batteries to power my weather station outside unit and remote garage door openers in 30 below zero weather.....never had a problem.
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Which Battery Should You Use?
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by W9CN on November 26, 2009
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Here is some light reading for all of you interested in LiFeS2 batteries.
http://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/20030112597_2003133523.pdf
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RE: Which Battery Should You Use?
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by N2RRA on November 26, 2009
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To some this article may not hold merit because it doesn't have a data sheet behind it but then can't data be fudged a bit as well. What merit would that have?
This article couldn't come at a better time. I plan on exploring the SOTA (Summit On The Air) program and this article is just what I needed for my QRP portable endeavors. At least now I have an idea of what batteries to try out for my QRP portable station.
Thanks for a great article and "No Thanks" to those who didn't have anything to back up their non scientific claims.
73!
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RE: Which Battery Should You Use?
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by SV9OFO on November 27, 2009
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Actually, the article is like "Batteries 101" for new hams that never had looked for batteries other than the one that came with their cellphone. From that point of view, this article serves its purpose.
If one is triggered enough by this article to look after ways to enhance their station's power independence from mains, this article has done its job again. From this point on, search engines will uphold the quest for more info.
bring them on.
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Which Battery Should You Use?
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by N3QE on November 27, 2009
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As an introduction, not too bad, but why are we re-running golden moldies like this without at least some of the benefits of editing for more conventional english? "Zinc-coal" is some awkward translation of "Zinc-carbon". Other parts of the article are at best poorly phrased - e.g. lead-acid batteries being good for "shortwave transmitters", I'm sure a better term for the ham community would be "100W HF transceivers".
And the final recommendation - running batteries to discharge - seems to take the memory characteristic of ni-cads, exaggerate it, and then apply it to every rechargable battery type. This is most definitely not a kind behavior towards lead-acid storage batteries, even marine batteries will last much longer if you don't run them completely down all the time.
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RE: Which Battery Should You Use?
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by AI4WC on November 27, 2009
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Geeze....I have and use some of every type. Use them as the manufacturer says, then toss them (dispose of properly) and buy more. That's the way it is. Here's the rule: new batteries last longer than old ones. Buy good quality to begin with and expect to recharge or replace as you go. Simple.
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Which Battery Should You Use?
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by K9CTB on November 27, 2009
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As with most articles that appear here, everybody's an expert. Gets kinda boring.
Still the article itself is a good generalization for amateurs to use when selecting batteries for a specific application. We can always research more on our own. If you want a scientific diatribe with numbers and charts, without regard for generalities, go to UC Berkely or something. We're amateurs. We want to learn stuff. Thanks for reprinting the article.
73 de Neil
K9CTB
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RE: Which Battery Should You Use?
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by AD7C on November 27, 2009
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RE: Ni-Cad
These batteries have a nasty disadvantage: memory-effect.
Purely a myth. The so-called "memory effect" is a simple case of user error in overcharging the cell. If you don't ever overcharge a Ni-Cad cell, there's no need to discharge it before recharging it again.
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RE: Which Battery Should You Use?
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by K0BG on November 27, 2009
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The myth about deep-discharge continues yet again. Any (no matter the name, brand, type flooded/gel/marine, or the post configuration), lead-acid batteries are considered discharged when the voltage, under load, reaches 10.5 volt. Discharging lower than this, shortens the life/cycle of the battery.
The NiCad memory scenario is another myth as has been pointed out. It just makes me wonder how many amateurs have actually tested the myth.
And time marches on...
Alan, KØBG
www.k0bg.com
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Which Battery Should You Use?
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by WZ1P on November 27, 2009
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The new nano phosphate batteries designed for the Chevy Volt are now available form Buddipole.com for portable ham radio operations Look under 'portable power' on their website. The batteries are really on the cutting edge of battery design.
Just another option being offered. Not a sales pitch. (yes I do know them)
Dan WZ1P
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RE: Which Battery Should You Use?
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by N6PJB on November 27, 2009
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The Lion battery does not like COLD, either in use or charging.
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RE: Which Battery Should You Use?
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by OLDFART13 on November 27, 2009
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>>>>> I agree with WX7G.. This is a waste of
bandwidth. KT4WO <<<<<
Horsehockey, this a nice, Basic, article about different types of batteries. It brings out some nice discussion on the subject and teaches the differences of the type of batteries a ham might use.
Great job. Now let the discussion expand on it.
73, Steve
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Which Battery Should You Use?
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by KE6SLS on November 27, 2009
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The article seems to sort of glaze over the many types of batteries. Do some research and learn about them is my advice.
I now use LI-ON for my tools and one of my dualband HT's. They work very well as long as you know that they are time limited. I am replacing my first work batteries this year (two years after buying the tools) since they are now at that age where they will stop being dependable. I hope the technology continues to improve--they are very light and extremely hearty batteries that deliver huge amounts of power and recharge rapidly for reuse.
Ni-CAD batteries are great too. They are not as light as the LI-ON batteries, but if taken care of, will outlast them 3 or 4 times over. They are still in full production for power tools. My last set was 10 years old when I sold it, all were in good service too.
Good ole LEAD ACID batteries are the only power supply I have for my radio shack. I have a nice small solar panel and inline controller that maintains the battery and I never have to worry about power outages. I've never had a problem with this design since I started using them about 5 years ago.
There is a long way to go for battery design, so I am hopeful we will see even stronger batteries in the near future like we realize now with LI-ON batteries.
73
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RE: Which Battery Should You Use?
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by N1DVJ on November 28, 2009
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KE7SAK wrote
>RE: Ni-Cad
>These batteries have a nasty disadvantage: memory->effect.
>
>Purely a myth. The so-called "memory effect" is a
>simple case of user error in overcharging the cell.
>If you don't ever overcharge a Ni-Cad cell, there's
>no need to discharge it before recharging it again.
I know a number of people that would disagree with you. People like the power people at HP. However, I will agree that what most people CALL the memory effect is BS. People blame any degradation of NiCads on memory effect, and similar to what you said, it's actually misbalanced charge. The memory effect that I've seen referenced is very subtle, and not something that the average user would even notice. It's probably a case of a little knowledge is dangerous. People hear the term, they get a problem, and they immediately assume the problem is what they heard about.
K0BG wrote:
>The myth about deep-discharge continues yet again.
> Any (no matter the name, brand, type
>flooded/gel/marine, or the post configuration), lead->acid batteries are considered discharged when the
>voltage, under load, reaches 10.5 volt. Discharging
>lower than this, shortens the life/cycle of the >battery.
This is true, but some batteries are much worse than others. Even deep cycle batteries for wheelchairs should never be dropped below a critical point, around 10.5v do to plate damage. The batteries for riding toys people probably just don't care. As long as the battery last a few weeks till the kids wear off the 'newness' of the toy, that's all that matters. Let the kids ride them till their dead, at least the kids are occupied kind of thing...
But, take a standard lead acid car battery and drop it below it's safe discharge limit, and the detrimental effects are VERY pronounced and VERY immediatly apparent.
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RE: Which Battery Should You Use?
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by WA1WIG on November 28, 2009
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Not discharging Lead Acid 12V (nominal) below 10.5 volts is a "magic number" Below that voltage, the cell with the lowest capacity is probably fully discharged and continued draw from the battery will probably cause the weakest cell to actually reverse charge and potentially cause severe plate damage.
True deep discharge Lead Acid batteries avoid this potential damage with an interesting design.
Most Lead Acid batteries have modest plates with a large surface area. This saves weight and expense. They have a relatively high electrolyte content and the active plate material is exhausted before the electrolyte is exhausted. They are called "plate starved".
True deep cycle batteries have heavy plates and the electrolyte is exhausted before the plates are exhausted. When the electrolyte is exhausted, the battery has a very high resistance (one cell has just water as electrolyte). Further discharge and thus plate damage is nearly impossible unless stored in this condition. They are also difficult to begin a recharge in this state since at least one cell has very high resistance. This design is known as "electrolyte starved"
gerry
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RE: Which Battery Should You Use?
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by K6LHA on November 28, 2009
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DO5TMX wrote on November 26, 2009:
"I recommend www.batteryuniversity.com for further in-depth info on the different battery chemistries, maintenance, pros & cons."
I will heartily second that suggestion. Excellent information on electrochemistry of both primary and secondary batteries. A full download will occupy roughly 6 MB of file space in a hard drive but well worth it to get away from the general myths and over-simplifications found (so often) in amateur radio publications. Very good illustrations.
www.batteryuniversity.com
73, Len AF6AY
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Which Battery Should You Use?
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by N9AOP on November 28, 2009
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The memory effect in NiCd batteries is not a myth. It happened under very controlled conditions early on in the space program in satellite use. It can still happen with your NiCd batteries if used under these same controled conditions. I won't bore you with the details because if you want to find out, you can research the subject on the net.
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RE: Which Battery Should You Use?
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by AD7C on November 28, 2009
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"The memory effect in NiCd batteries is not a myth. It happened under very controlled conditions early on in the space program in satellite use. It can still happen with your NiCd batteries if used under these same controled conditions."
I'll not worry about it. I never take my NiCd's into space.
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Which Battery Should You Use?
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by NO6L on November 28, 2009
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Why would this be considered a "Classic" article?
I shall elaborate:
"Pb
...They appear in two forms: with and without maintenance, the last ones are called Dry-cells..."
Uh, no. I'm pretty sure they're called "Maintenance Free". They still have a liquid in them, even if they're some kind of "Gel-Cell". "Dry Cells" would be Carbon-Zinc". Yes, I know there is still a small, very small amount of moisture in them, but they're still very dry by comparison.
"...The disadvantage is that these batteries are quite heavy..."
No kidding, seeing as how lead is one of the heaviest elements, I should think so. So, where's the important information we're to get from this?
"NiCD
...These batteries have a nasty disadvantage: memory-effect..."
It's already been covered, but, anyone with even the least bit of "'net know-how" could look this very un-obscure bit of trivia up and see that in the world where humans use a different amount of capacity from use to use that NiCd cells can't suffer memory effect.
"NiMH
...These batteries have a very high capacity and should be used in cases where only a limited current is needed, such as portable CD-players, cellphones etc..."
Here's one I had to read a couple of times to be sure it said what I thought it did. Let me get this straight, a high capacity cell should only be used in low demand, "...limited current is needed..." (sic), devices? Okay, whatever.
"...biggest advantage is that they have far less memory-effect than the NiCd batteries..."
See above my above rebuttal concerning this.
"Lithium-Ion
Kenwood's newest portable has a Li-Ion battery inside. These batteries have a high capacity and can deliver a high current.
The best choice?
Maybe…
To charge the battery, the charging-voltage may not exceed the voltage of the battery with more than 0,5V and the battery should not be discharged till 0,4V below the normal voltage!
If you do so, the battery will certainly loose a lot of its capacity. Therefore you need a lot of electronics to be able to charge the battery, as you should."
Why is all the charge/discharge requirements mentioned as a pro or con instead as engineering trivia? These are managed by a microprocessor controlled charger. You generally don't have to be concerned with them. I also notice that he did not mention that Li-Ion cells have a "Charge Shelf Life" of years rather than months like NiMH and NiCDs. A very big talking point with them.
"Alkaline
These are the batteries you cannot charge. They have a voltage of 1,5V per cell and a capacity that lies between NiCd and NiMH."
Are you sure? I'm pretty certain there are NiCDs and NiMH cells that are on either side of the capacity of Alkalines. Of course if he had perused any online store that sells them he'd have see that. Oh, nice to mention "polluting batteries", irrelevant and politically correct, but nice.
"Zinc-coal
These are the oldest batteries, but they are still sold. Why?
...They have less capacity but...
...Also the high current, needed by Halogen-bulbs, can only be delivered by this type of battery..."
When did coal become an ingredient in dry cells?
Why? Because there's a market for them. Is this an issue?
Yes, you are correct, they have the least capacity.
But...
You also state that they deliver the high current needed by "Halogen-bulbs". So, which is it?
Other things come to mind that should have been mentioned. Like other viable battery/cell technologies and chemistries, like mercury, lithium and glass-mat lead-acid cells. Some research on what is on the horizon and may be exciting would have been an excellent addition. And not once in the article did the author differentiate between "Primary", non-rechargeable and "secondary", rechargeable cells. They should have also been grouped into these two categories, as well.
"So, what do I need?"
What comes to mind is three things; To research the information you intend to publish. Use a word processor that not only has spell checking, but grammar checking functions. If they're good enough for top authors and screen writers, why not contributors to eHam? Last, put together an outline before wasting time on the word processor so you won't have contradictions and superfluous information in your paper.
I say these things not in insult, but constructive criticism. Because, I've been there, done that.
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Which Battery Should You Use?
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by K0DCH on November 28, 2009
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Just an editorial comment:
Why is "ham" capitalized in this article? The word often appears capitalized in newspaper articles (why, I don't know) but can't the editors of eHam clean this up before they post articles?
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RE: Which Battery Should You Use?
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by N1DVJ on November 29, 2009
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"Why is "ham" capitalized in this article? The word often appears capitalized in newspaper articles (why, I don't know) but can't the editors of eHam clean this up before they post articles? "
Give me a break... Are you that anal about other things?
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RE: Which Battery Should You Use?
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by HB9ERT on November 29, 2009
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For all practical purposes it boils down to this (if you have the choice):
Instead of NiCd (banned in the European Union because of the toxicity) and non-rechargeable alkaline or Zinc batteries use NiMH. They also work rather well in low temperature (below freezing point). The type of charger used does make a huge difference in how long they work and how full they get when charging. Newer types have guaranteed capacity and low discharge rate (still some 80% after one month - see http://www.swissbatteries.ch/default.asp?optCurrency=EUR%3D0&langext=3 and look for accubattery and Swisscharger G5)). Saves a lot of money in all non-rechargeable applications.
If size and weight matters Li-polymer is the way to go. Disadvantages are the requirements on the charger (precise voltages, packs require electronics built-in) and lower performance in very low temperatures. You will find these in most if not all current mobile phones, computers and mp3-players for a reason. Also electric model aircraft mostly use these, sometimes in huge packs (helicopters etc). They can deliver very high current as well. If not charged correctly or damaged mechanically they will catch fire.
And Pb are just relatively cheap, relatively easy to charge and heavy.
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RE: Which Battery Should You Use?
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by WA1WIG on November 30, 2009
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>>Why is "ham" capitalized in this article? The word often appears capitalized in newspaper articles (why, I don't know) but can't the editors of eHam clean this up before they post articles?
Well, many spelling checkers ignore anything with all capitalized letters.
For pure fun
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amateur_radio_operator
"Amateur radio operators are also known as radio amateurs or hams. The term 'ham' as a nickname for amateur radio operators originated in a pejorative usage by operators in commercial and professional radio communities. The term "ham" should not be capitalized because it is not an acronym for anything (improper use includes referencing ham radio as "doing HAM".) The word was subsequently welcomed by amateur radio operators, and it stuck."
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RE: Which Battery Should You Use?
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by VE7RWN on November 30, 2009
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N2RRA,
I have had good luck using LiPo 3 cell battery packs for my FT817. They have good energy density vs weight. A proper charger is required, and the discharge voltage must be watched closely. 3 volts per cell is a safe stopping point. Less than that and the battery pack could be damaged, and given the cost, should be avoided. They don't like the cold, but I keep mine in a pocket close to my body, which seems to help. The best place to find them is radio control suppliers. If you know someone into r/c, you may be in luck. As the batteries age, they deliver less energy to power the electric motor, but will still deliver enough current for the '817.
Good luck on the SOTA,
73, Rob.
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Which Battery Should You Use?
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by DH5JBR on December 1, 2009
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One thing is missing about lead-zink batteries. They want exercise when they are not in use. I use them in the shape of starter kits with 17 Ah capacity. I only use them during the summer, but never during the winter period. To keep them in good condition, they need to be connected to a training device which exercises them by charging and dischargng them very slowly. I have been using it for two years now and the packs do last longer. I heard of sulfate building up on the electrodes, but the battery university will have all the answers. For me and my two packs a device for about $10 does keep us happy. Even if you have to pay for the trickle charge/decharge it is a lot more economical than having to buy new batteries every two years.
I also have a charger that is geared to Alkaline cells and I use it to charge the cells for my digital photo camera. The cells can usually be recharged about 20 times. I use the cells for a day and recharge them at night time. I always carry a spare set. After a 4-week holiday and about 2000 photos I have used two sets of 4 cells. Using this device, the cells last longer the earlier they are being re-charged. The idea is to migrate the cells from heavy to light duty as they age. Cells that have done several cycles in a camera, possibly with flash operation, and are likely to pass out will do am excellent job for some periods of several months in a clock.
I also have a medium wave kit radio (Conrad, search for my review) that works with a single AA-cell and very low current. This can use the oldest alkalines I have and give months of listening pleasure.
Do not be too harsh in critizising the contributions of the non-native speakers like myself, The original article was from a Dutchman. I think that he has done a good job considering that we are all hams (with a small "h"). It is just a hobby.
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RE: Which Battery Should You Use?
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by WA1WIG on December 1, 2009
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>>One thing is missing about lead-zink batteries. They want exercise when they are not in use. I use them in the shape of starter kits with 17 Ah capacity.
Not to worry about language, we are a worldwide community!
I THINK you mean Lead Acid batteries. For a long time the military has been using high frequency desulfators. They are sometime called resonate desulfators. However they simply apply high frequency fast rise time pulses. The fast rise time causes sulfate crystals to resonate and break up. Much like a pick on a guitar string, the pick does not operate at the string's resonate frequency, it merely excites it.
Such a desulfator combined with float charging is a superior way to maintain a lead acid battery. It does not use any of the limited number of charge cycles.
BatteryMINDer ( http://www.batteryminders.com )
has a line aimed at consumers. Better prices can be found on the net.
There are also stand alone desulfators designed to be used with existing chargers or frequently charged batteries. (They draw a tiny amount of power,just enough to generate pulses)
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