Batteries?

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es93546

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I use only Powerex 2700 mAh NiMh batteries from Maha. They are worth the extra cost because of capacity. Their newest charger has a recondition mode that should be run about every 6 months. Take a look at the YouTube channel "Project Farm." Type in the key words "AA Rechargeable Batteries." He did two videos, a test right out of the boxes and one a year later after purchase. Eneloops did not come out on top when subjected to some good testing. First was the Mallory rechargeable batteries, but they don't have the high capacity that the Powerex have, although many of the Powerex don't have the capacity as advertised, but they still have more than the Mallorys did. Powerex came out second in his testing. That is why I've used Powerex batteries for 15-20 years now, along with Maha's chargers, for my scanners. The latest MH-C980 charger has a fan in it to keep the batteries cool while charging. Heat is the enemy of batteries and doing a slow charge (3 - 3.5 hours) on this charger will prolong the life of the batteries.

I use the Mallory batteries for the GMRS I use around the house as wireless "intercoms" between my wife and I.

Just another opinion and everyone has one, . . . . . . . .
 

vagrant

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Ikea Ladda 2450 AA batteries would be a good choice. Order them direct from Ikea as they are less than going through Amazon if you order eight or more even when you add shipping. If you have an Ikea nearby...much less when you walk in.

Although it has been noted, it is worth noting again...Do Not Charge the batteries in the scanner. Turn that option off, or set it to Alkaline so it does not charge the batteries. Use an external charger that handles each battery individually. I have used the Panasonic (Eneloop) charger for years and zero problems.
 

es93546

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I encourage anyone using rechargeable batteries to watch the YouTube channel "Project Farm" on AA batteries when choosing what battery brand to buy. The results are somewhat surprising.
 

StoliRaz

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Ikea Ladda 2450 AA batteries

I use these too and highly recommend them. According to the guys over on Slickdeals, these are rebranded Eneloops. Same factory, same battery, made for Ikea. From my experience with them, I don't doubt it. They work just as well. They sell them in 4 packs for $8. Last time I was there I got 3 packs. Since my 436 and 346 each take 3 batteries, I can have a set for each with a spare for each.
 

jwt873

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I use Duracells with the white top and labeled Made in Japan. (Some say they are rebranded Eneloops and casually call them Duraloops). I have a pair of Nitecore chargers for quick turn around and a PowerX charger that has testing and conditioning functions.

This thread got me thinking.. I just realized that I've been using the Duracells for at least 6 years now. Many charge cycles and they're still going strong.
 

palmerjrusa

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Are the pros worth it over the regular ones


I would go with the regular Eneloops.
Check the technical specifications of the pro-Eneloops, they have a charge cycle life of only 500X compared to the regular Eneloops of 2100X.
After a number of charge cycles the pro-Enenloops' capacity will diminish as the cells age making their capacity similar to regular Eneloops

Also, the pro Eneloops are a lot less forgiving of abuse than regular Eneloops (this seems to apply to all high capacity NiMHs).

Regular Eneloops are the Gold Standard for NiMH battteries, I've regular Eneloops that are more than 10 years old and still retain most of their rated capacity, never had one fail.

The Amazon Basic brand NiMH AAs are a good second choice (not the high capacity ones though).

Avoid like the plague the major brand NiMHs and numerous Chinese obscure brands you see on Amazon. All such I've owned have failed, the Chinese obsure brands often just lie about their rated capacity (e.g. 2800mAh really means 2000mAh).

Agree re never charging batteries in your radio, a burning plastic smell and a melted plastic battery holder taught me that lesson.

The best charger out there is the recently updated:
Powerex MH-C9000PRO, Charger/Analyzer
 
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VOXScanningYT

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I encourage anyone using rechargeable batteries to watch the YouTube channel "Project Farm" on AA batteries when choosing what battery brand to buy. The results are somewhat surprising.
I have been watching him for a while. I like his testing strategies.
 

palmerjrusa

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Here is a link to the batteries I have been using in 325P2 for a couple months now. Pretty powerful if you ask me!

A warning about these rechargeable Li-ion batteries (I have a set of these EBL AAs).

Because these AA rechargeable Li-ion cells have an output voltage of around 3.7v they incorporate "step-down" voltage circuitry in the cell to bring them to 1.5V.
This step-down circuitry emits RF noise. Using these batteries in an AM radio will blanket out the commercial AM part of the spectrum with interference. I thought there was something wrong with my radio until I figured out what was going on (I replicated this phenomenon in other AM radios I own that use AA batteries, the extent of the effect seems to depend on how close the batteries are to the radio's internal electronics). I don't think it effects the VHF/UHF regions of the RF spectrum but it's possibe it could degrade reception somewhat. For this reason I think it's best to avoid these AA Li-ion rechargeable batteries in radio equipment.
 
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palmerjrusa

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Here is a link to the batteries I have been using in 325P2 for a couple months now. Pretty powerful if you ask me!

Also, EBL routinely overrates the capacity of their cells.
They claim their NiMH AAs have a capacity of 2800mAh.
The highest capacity current NiMH technology is capable of is 2700mAh, e.g. the expensive Powerex brand has this capacity but lack the low self-discharge rate of regular Eneloops.
EBL 2800mAh AAs in actuality have a capacity of around 2500mAh.

I bought 4 EBL NiMH D cells which have a stated capacity of 10,000 mAh.
Checking them in my smart charger using the discharge function revealed their maximum capacity to be around 7,500mAh.

For comparison, I also bought four of the Amazon Basic Brand NiMH D cells (for around the same price as the EBL D cells) which also have a stated capacity of 10,000mAh.
Checking their capacity via the discharge mode in my smart charger revealed a true capacity of around 11,500mAh.
Amazon was actually underrating their D cells' capacity!
 
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es93546

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Also, EBL routinely overrates the capacity of their cells.
They claim their NiMH AAs have a capacity of 2800mAh.
The highest capacity current NiMH technology is capable of is 2700mAh, e.g. the expensive Powerex brand has this capacity but lack the low self-discharge rate of regular Eneloops.
EBL 2800mAh AAs in actuality have a capacity of around 2500mAh.

I bought 4 EBL NiMH D cells which have a stated capacity of 10,000 mAh.
Checking them in my smart charger using the discharge function revealed their maximum capacity to be around 7,500mAh.

For comparison, I also bought four of the Amazon Basic Brand NiMH D cells (for around the same price as the EBL D cells) which also have a stated capacity of 10,000mAh.
Checking their capacity via the discharge mode in my smart charger revealed a true capacity of around 11,500mAh.
Amazon was actually underrating their D cells' capacity!

Too bad we don't or can't use D Cells in our handheld radios. 11,500 mAh sounds very useful. Now if Uniden would make the SDS-100 so one of these D cells would work in it I may get interested in buying this scanner.

Thanks for passing this info on. I don't really have a situation where I want a rechargeable D cell, but I'm sure going to think about it.
 

palmerjrusa

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I forgot to mention the following:

If anyone's interested in purchasing the Powerex MH-C9000PRO, Charger/Analyzer or Powerex batteries go to the Maha home page at:

Anyone that signs up for their newsletter should get a code for 10% off their first order. I did and got the discount when I purchased my unit.
I just checked and they were still offering this discount.
 
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