Latest and best rechargeable batteries?

[KMG54]

I have a new scanner coming and was looking at batteries. I know their is countless threads about them, but was shocked when I saw many reviews about enerloops blowing up. What is the battery of choice now for a rechargeable double A?

 

[dlwtrunked]

Never hear anything about Eneloops (there is no "r") exploding, other than that caused by user error or charger failure. In fact, they (and re-branded Eneloops) are often considered the best NiMH. As most re-chargeable NiMH are Eneloops, one would expect to see more critical reviews about them simply because there is more chance of an issue. Eneloops are made by Panasonic/Sanyo.

 

[bb911]

My experience? I've had Sanyo eneloops (1900mAH )for many years - long before Panasonic came on the scene. They've been great. l bought some LADDAs (generic eneloops?, 2450 mAH) about a year ago, and they've been great, also. Having said that, my suggestion based on current prices and reviews is to think Powerex (maha). And if you want to check out an outlier, look into Interstate (The car battery folks).

 

[iMONITOR]

I have a new scanner coming and was looking at batteries. I know their is countless threads about them, but was shocked when I saw many reviews about enerloops blowing up. What is the battery of choice now for a rechargeable double A?

Never heard of eneloop batteries exploding, they are NiMH chemistry. You might be thinking of Lithium ION batteries?

 

[vagrant]

I have used Eneloop batteries since 2010. No smoke, no fire, no problem. Just recently I had to toss some of them (2010 models) as they would not hold a charge for long. These were used daily in a handheld scanner in the vehicle. This means 100+ degree summer heat as well as just about freezing in the winter. Other Eneloops purchased at that time are still working fine with devices in a climate controlled environment.

Other than a few teeth installed by my dentist, I doubt I have gotten a better bang for my dollar when it comes to the longevity and performance of those Eneloops.

 

[pb_lonny]

These are what I have used for years: https://shop.coles.com.au/a/national/product/coles-brand-battery-rechargeable-aa

 

[himages]

thats real good to know....I often use eneloops for my photo needs but found out that when I used them ALOT, the 'loops start to overheat in my flash....so I use the standard alkalines now., As long as I can still use my eneloops and use those chargers, I dont need more "special batteries" and special charger to run my future bcd436hp

 

[hexagon_keyhole]

I’ve been using Eneloops Pros for awhile when I used to use them for camera flashes before I got into scanning. They are perfect for high drain devices, but I think I’ve read here on RR that someone says scanners aren’t high drain device, and the cost of Eneloop Pros don’t give a positive return on investment or whatever. I still use Eneloop Pros though. They work well for me.

 

[NuthinFancy]

I use the regular Eneloop batteries with the white labels they work really well for my scanner use. they can be recharged numerous times.

 

[Mike_G_D]

I'll add my thumbs up for the Eneloops as well! Have been using the same ones for well over six years with many charge/discharge cycles and they still work fine.

I use a smart charger from La Crosse to charge them. Chargers with single cell independent charging capability are best for longevity of cells, of course.

-Mike

 

[dlwtrunked]

My experience? I've had Sanyo eneloops (1900mAH )for many years - long before Panasonic came on the scene. They've been great. l bought some LADDAs (generic eneloops?, 2450 mAH) about a year ago, and they've been great, also. Having said that, my suggestion based on current prices and reviews is to think Powerex (maha). And if you want to check out an outlier, look into Interstate (The car battery folks).

See eneloop vs Powerex?
See also The Best Rechargeable Batteries and Chargers Of 2020 - Reactual
Note: Manufacturer mAH comparisons are not to be entirely trusted as there are different ways to measure it.
(Historical: Panasonic bought majority stake, 52%, of Sanyo in 2009.)

 

[vagrant]

See also The Best Rechargeable Batteries and Chargers Of 2020 - Reactual
Note: Manufacturer mAH comparisons are not to be entirely trusted as there are different ways to measure it.

Yet, trust some random website (Reactual) where the guy gets kickbacks for his links when purchases are made? Were you being sarcastic? As text does not provide voice inflection I am unable to tell if you were being sarcastic about that site and its reviews.

I enjoy reviews from fellow RR members who typically and often actually utilize the gear as I would. A general consensus can be helpful.

 

[RoninJoliet]

I use Energizer rechargeable 2300 and I get six and a half hours on my Uniden 325P2 which is hard on batteries

 

[hexagon_keyhole]

Also adding to the piece of the puzzle is how you charge and maintain the batteries. I don’t think there’s a scanner that uses AA batteries that has intelligent charging, they are all time based charging. What this means is that when you tell it to charge, it charges and not taking into account the existing battery voltage level, and throws a constant charge voltage and keeps charging until it reaches the set time.

An intelligent charger, on the other hand takes into account the battery’s existing voltage level, scales the charge (a lot of power really quick and then tapers off), and exercises the battery by draining and then recharging it (to avoid memory effects).

From what I have learned from RR, rotate through a set of rechargeable batteries, and get a good intelligent external charger. Ideally, most “battery explosions” from what I gather happen while it’s being charged, and I’d rather have a set of batteries ruin a charger than in my scanner.

 

[OK956]

Another vote for the Eneloops.

I have some that are over 5 years old and have sat in a drawer for 5 years without ever being used and no charging cycles.

I put them in my Uniden 325P2 recently and they give me about 6 hours of use day after day no issues.

And side note... I charge them in the eneloop charger. I dont charge them in the scanner. I know it's an option but I feel better about them charging in their own dock vs the scanner itself.

 

[lwvmobile]

I bought a pack of 8 EBL branded AA 2300 batteries off of Ebay several months ago and have went through quite a few charges on them by now, and haven't had any issues with them. Seems like quite a few sellers sell them on there as they were the ones that popped up a lot when I was looking into buying some for my handheld analog scanner and Wii remotes, etc. Haven't had any issues with them, but like any rechargeable battery, I'm always thinking in the back of my mind wondering if they will catch on fire or something. They're cheap, but they seem to get the job done.

 

[vagrant]

I have 32 of the EBL AA 2800 mAh batteries. Thus far zero issues and good performance. I have only used them since 2018. I use the Eneloop charger for those batteries too. I am not sure they are really 2800 mAh, but for the price and performance I get they are worth it.

As a side note, I have used 14 of the EBL 9v Li-ion 600 mAh batteries since 2015. I use them in smoke alarms, multimeters and other devices. No problems and I use the EBL charger for those.