AA Rechargable Lithium batteries

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n1chu

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I have a BCD325P2 and a BCD436HP scanner that run on AA batteries. I like the 325 (2 AA’s) but battery life isn’t what I had hoped, the 436 (3 AA’s) last longer but not by much. So I ran the rechargable nicklecadium Eneloops. Or I would buy the Energizer extended life lithium disposable batteries but they aren’t cheap. I asked myself “Why don’t they make the same AA Lithium in a Rechargable version?” Then I noticed a RECHARGABLE AA Lithium battery sold by Amazon called “TENAVOLTS”, 2775mWh. They sell a 4 pack that comes with its own charger. The rating is not in mAh, instead mWh and I didn’t do the comparison as to how they related but gave them a try anyways. The TENAVOLTS have internal circuitry that drops the voltage level to 1.5 volts, necessary due to a lithium cell’s 3+ volt rating per cell. They fit just like a common AA alkaline. Battery life is improved. I haven’t done any real comparison testing yet but initial results look very good... maybe in the range of an additional two hours of operation? The cost for the TENAVOLTS is a bit steep at $35 per 4 cells and a charger, and they don’t charge in the radio. But charging time is quick, about two hours. I’m happy with them. The only thing left is to see how long they last!
 

kruser

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I think they use a circuit called a buck converter which is responsible for the 1.5 VDC per cell.
There was a thread here somewhere about these rechargeable AA size lithium cells. Someone claimed you don't really gain much runtime over conventional NiMH cells and that was because of an efficiency loss from the buck converter circuit not being very efficient.
There was also discussion and a warning about AA rechargeable Lithium cells that are "close enough" to fit in place of standard AA size cells but they are the full 3.7 VDC Lithium voltage which would fry most devices! You'd think they would not have created a Lithium cell that would drop in and fit in place of a standard 1.2 or 1.5 VDC AA cell but someone thought it was a good idea! I don't know what the designation is for these 3.7 VDC AA sized lithium cells but I think it's one of the xx450 type cells. I'm glad you picked the correct type and voltage!! Apparently there was a user here that did not and fried his scanner.

I never tried these cells like you bought so I'll be curious as to the runtime you see with them.

I did try the Energizer lithium cells you mentioned and I was not impressed with them. I used them in a 396XT or 436HP. I forget which.
For the high cost (like you mentioned!), the runtime they gave me was almost the exact same as regular alkaline cells. I never tried them in other devices but maybe they shine when used in high current devices more than they do in lower or medium current devices.
Since the first purchase of the Energizer Lithium AA cells, I never purchased them again and would not recommend them for scanner use.
I think I saw a 10 year life smoke detector that came with an AA size lithium cell so maybe it's really low current devices where the non-rechargeable lithium AA cells work good in.

Please come back and post your experience and runtime you are getting from the Tenavolts you bought!
 

n1chu

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Ok on all. The higher 3.7 volt cells that you mention have a slightly larger form factor than a regular common 1.5 volt AA size. They shouldn’t fit in a 325 or a 436 without forcing or modifying the battery case. Those who have tried them and ruined their radios in the process will get empathy but not sympathy from me.
I am using the 325 in order to get a better handle on average runtime and if I don’t get back to this page don’t hesitate to poke me. So far, I’d like to say the Enaloops were giving me about 4 hours and the new TENAVOLTS about 6 hours. I’m justifying the cost using the same estimates other rechargables tout... about 1000 recharges over the life of the cell. But it’s also understood as any rechargable ages it’s efficiency drops too.
 

jaspence

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I use the EBL NiMH 2300 mAh AA batteries in my scanner. I had it on election night and forgot to turn it off. It was on over 10 hours and the gauge showed about 1/4 left when I got up.
 

jaspence

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The charger from Ikea is also a good buy. Each cell is charged and conditioned individually. It holds up to 12 AA and/or AAA cells. It is not a quick charger, but has a trickle function so you can leave the batteries in it ready for use at peak voltage.
 

n1chu

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The charger from Ikea is also a good buy. Each cell is charged and conditioned individually. It holds up to 12 AA and/or AAA cells. It is not a quick charger, but has a trickle function so you can leave the batteries in it ready for use at peak voltage.
Do you have a part # or link to the exact charger at IKEA? Are you talking about a LITHIUM AA battery charger?
 

SteveSimpkin

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...
There was also discussion and a warning about AA rechargeable Lithium cells that are "close enough" to fit in place of standard AA size cells but they are the full 3.7 VDC Lithium voltage which would fry most devices! You'd think they would not have created a Lithium cell that would drop in and fit in place of a standard 1.2 or 1.5 VDC AA cell but someone thought it was a good idea!
...

The same is true when someone created the 12 Volt 'A23' battery and thought it would be a great idea to make it very similar in size to the 1.5 Volt 'N' battery. These days the A23 battery is more easy found in stores than the N battery and it is not easy to see the difference in size if you don't look at them side-by-side. More than a handful of vintage HP calculators that used N cells were destroyed when their owner accidentally installed 3 or 4 A23 batteries in them by mistake.

1605334030260.png
 

n1chu

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I’ve had time to compare the rechargeable TENAVOLTS 1.5 volt AA batteries to the rechargable Panasonic Enoloop 1.3 volt AA batteries and again, while my findings were derived by a process somewhat less than any accepted scientific testing process, I like the new rechargeable Lithium TENAVOLTS. I am seeing a measurable improvement in battery life between charges. I’m going to say they last almost twice as long. But, my Enoloops are not new.
 

n1chu

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The same is true when someone created the 12 Volt 'A23' battery and thought it would be a great idea to make it very similar in size to the 1.5 Volt 'N' battery. These days the A23 battery is more easy found in stores than the N battery and it is not easy to see the difference in size if you don't look at them side-by-side. More than a handful of vintage HP calculators that used N cells were destroyed when their owner accidentally installed 3 or 4 A23 batteries in them by mistake.

View attachment 94032
Those “close enough” Lithium cells are rated at 3.7 volts. A single cell Lithium battery provides more than twice the voltage compared to a AA NiCad/Nickle metal hydride or alkaline battery (1.3-1.5 volts). And while they are close to the physical measurements (form factor) of a standard 1.3-1.5 volt AA battery, they are NOT a AA battery. They are slightly fatter and will not or do not fit properly. A shame people confuse them for the standard form factor and ruin their radios.

This raises the question of why the industry produced a single cell lithium battery that could be mistaken for a standard AA size battery. From what I’ve been told, and this is not verified, the lithium cell was built for “industrial use”, not commercial use... meaning what they ended up with is what they went with, giving no consideration to how closely the size resembled the AA form factor.
 

kruser

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We had a group of young guys here that came real close to burning down their apartment building from installing the wrong battery type into a smoke detector. They passed out after putting food in the oven after drinking all night. The food dried out and caught fire. The fire cooked the electric ovens controls until it also went up in flames. The kitchen area caught fire and so on.
The firemen showed me the smoke detector they found that was not sounding.
The guys living in that apartment had removed a 9 volt battery probably because the low voltage circuit was making it chirp. They replaced the 9 volt battery with two AAA size cells so the battery compartment would shut! The detector was one that had the mechanical catch that tried to prevent the door from being shut if the user forgets to install a battery. Of course that design is far from foolproof!
Other things could also be done here like dual powered fire detection devices but that's for another discussion board.
This was just an example I recalled about how something so stupid as using the wrong battery could have caused death. Two AAA cells fitting into a compartment designed for a single 9 volt cell!

That one amazed the heck out of me even though I've seen a lot of really stupid things in my days!

The guys were lucky smoke was seen that winter morning just after daybreak. They all survived but people in attached units suffered smoke damage but luckily no bodily harm.

The stupid things people will do.
 

KK4JUG

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Kruser, people have done stupid things like that for years. Remember the old screw-in household fuses? One would blow and people would put use a penny to restore the circuit. People still wrap aluminum foil around blown cylindrical glass fuses. One would think the Darwin theory should have gotten rid of most of them.
 

kruser

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Oh yeah, I remember the coin in the fuse socket trick. I'm ashamed to admit it but I had an older relation that did that.
Wow, that brings back some memories from way back in the day!
I often wondered how he managed to never burn his house down.
 

dlwtrunked

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n1chu

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I have a BCD325P2 and a BCD436HP scanner that run on AA batteries. I like the 325 (2 AA’s) but battery life isn’t what I had hoped, the 436 (3 AA’s) last longer but not by much. So I ran the rechargable nicklecadium Eneloops. Or I would buy the Energizer extended life lithium disposable batteries but they aren’t cheap. I asked myself “Why don’t they make the same AA Lithium in a Rechargable version?” Then I noticed a RECHARGABLE AA Lithium battery sold by Amazon called “TENAVOLTS”, 2775mWh. They sell a 4 pack that comes with its own charger. The rating is not in mAh, instead mWh and I didn’t do the comparison as to how they related but gave them a try anyways. The TENAVOLTS have internal circuitry that drops the voltage level to 1.5 volts, necessary due to a lithium cell’s 3+ volt rating per cell. They fit just like a common AA alkaline. Battery life is improved. I haven’t done any real comparison testing yet but initial results look very good... maybe in the range of an additional two hours of operation? The cost for the TENAVOLTS is a bit steep at $35 per 4 cells and a charger, and they don’t charge in the radio. But charging time is quick, about two hours. I’m happy with them. The only thing left is to see how long they last!
My final post concerning the TENAVOLTS Lithium 1.5 volt AA battery... After cycling the batteries a few times using them in the 325, letting them run down, then charging them up; I got 7 1/2 hours run time before the 325 blinked out. I mentioned they were expensive at $35 for 4 but leveraged that cost over the 1000 recharges Nicads were touted to be good for, thinking these Lithium’s are also good for 1000 recharges. But I see where others who know more about the technology rate the longevity of Nicads at only 500 recharges. So, I stand corrected. But even at 500 recharges I’m still way ahead of the game, price wise. Baring any scientific testing that might show detrimental issues, I’m sold on these batteries.
 
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