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Black Eneloops + Rechargeable Batts


filmfreak

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Greetings to all

Thinking about taking the plunge with black eneloops but I 've heard that they are slightly bigger than the white ones, resulting in not fitting into some battery caddies like the Denecke TC slates.
is anyone using Black Eneloops with Lectrosonics SMB & SMDB TXs ?
Are the batteries fitting allright ?
I 've been also thinking to get Maha chargers for the batts.
Any real world feedback or alternative suggestions would be much appreciated.

Best
 

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The white ones are good for Ambient Lockits, which have the tightest tolerance.

I use Imedion batteries for everything else these days. Not a BIG runtime, but consistent and reliable. I understand the Eneloop Black are similar. The Denecke slates will take even the biggest rechargeables. That was sorted out years ago when they modified the sleds and made room in the slate for the extra length. They'll "update" the slate if yours hasn't been done.

I use the 8 bank Maha and always soft charge the batteries. Works great.

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If you're going to buy Eneloops I do not suggest the black versions. Here is a link to info on Eneloop versions here at Wikipedia for proper model numbers to purchase before you buy.

 

The three main points which I believe should be made regarding Sanyo Eneloops are: 

  1. Buy 3rd generation white Eneloops, not the 1st or 2nd generation batteries
  2. Because they are the best value for mAh / run-time and total number of recharges allowed. The black eneloops have a much lower total recharge number (500 vs. 1,800 for white eneloops), so your long run times come at a sacrificial short battery life. Remember that in this industry we recharge our batteries constantly and they'll start to burn out.
  3. Change batteries at lunch = problem solved regarding run time. They will always last at least that long in my experience (not sure about single battery TXs, I use SMQVs or 9V capable transmitters). Basically don't be afraid of the 1,900mAh specs.

I'm on year four (4) of 1st and 2nd generation white Eneloops and I've now only had 1 or two batteries of 40+ die on me in that time (and I had to throw away a couple more because I abused the insulation sleeve off of them), and I push them hard. I also regularly run them in everything from Denecke slates to ERXs, to Nomad internal backup battery trays to SM series transmitters. They will not disappoint, and I have never had them fail to fit into a piece of gear.

 

My opinion is buy with confidence and don't look back. Enjoy. 

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I think a year of use (500 charges) is pretty good. Perhaps use white ones for slates and Lockits and such, for some extra years of usage, and use black ones in SMs for that bit of extra run time.

I like to keep my transmitter batteries and "other" batteries separated anyway.

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I agree with everything mentioned above. Except my conclusion was to not use Eneloops much at all as I have not been happy with their runtime. Instead I use Ansmann 2850 mAh, which will last very long on a single charge, but they'll fail much sooner in terms of months. But my charger is quite reliably telling me this, and I rarely have failures on set. Financially it's all better than disposables.

Only in the Lockits I 'll avoid the Ansmanns, as Robert mentioned these are quite choosy with regards to width. You can get them in, but they won't leave voluntarily.

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The white ones are good for Ambient Lockits, which have the tightest tolerance.

I use Imedion batteries for everything else these days. Not a BIG runtime, but consistent and reliable. I understand the Eneloop Black are similar. The Denecke slates will take even the biggest rechargeables. That was sorted out years ago when they modified the sleds and made room in the slate for the extra length. They'll "update" the slate if yours hasn't been done.

I use the 8 bank Maha and always soft charge the batteries. Works great.

 

+1 on Imedions. I often go for weeks between jobs, and I usually only charge the AAs last used. One benefit of the Imedions is their low discharge while in storage, which is advertised at 2% a month.

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  • 1 month later...

May not be in the proper topic thread, but hey, I'm new here. I'm looking to replace (upgrade) my 9 volt rechargeables that are used only in Comteks. Most of the iPower batteries I have (Lithium ion 520mAh) are failing after many years of use.

 

Recommendations for the most suitable battery in 9 volt snap top would be appreciated. A basic choice, I believe, has to be between Lithium Ion and Nickel-Metal Hydride. The other thing is I would love an alternative to the silly 4-bank charger(s), something that could handle maybe 10 batteries in one casing. I do have a good 10-bank charger but it is really only for Nimh batteries.

 

Pictured below is that I have been using:

 

post-1-0-80889600-1403544960_thumb.jpg

 

 

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I use the white Eneloops, or similar size / capacity, for things like slates, sync boxes and an MM1. Basically things that can still go a day (or more) on them. In the case of the MM1, also use them in things that I worry a bigger battery could get stuck in. The white Eneloop will last a 14+ hour day in the MM1, then I need to change it. Very acceptable.

I spent a few years with PowerEx batteries and have no complaints, but I think a lot of them are getting to the end of life, at least in transmitters. Partly just to keep it easier to sort, I have been buying the Imedions lately so I know what's newer.

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JW: " looking to replace (upgrade) my 9 volt rechargeables "

I strongly second what Jon G says about (NEVER!) using 9 V NiMH packages...

 

there are Shoshone and Beachtech Li options, but...

if the iPowers have served you well, then maybe it ain't broken, so don't go looking for ways to fix this sub-system.

Edited by studiomprd
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JW: " looking to replace (upgrade) my 9 volt rechargeables "

I strongly second what Jon G says about using 9 V NiMH packages...

there are Shoshone and Beachtech options, but...

if the iPowers have served you well, then maybe it ain't broken, so don't go looking for ways to fix this sub-system.

I totally agree with Mikey : Jeff get more I Powers!

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I agree with the iPowers for 9v. I recently added another charger myself.

An observation that is completely non-scientific: I noticed that some of my ipowers seemed to drop voltage quicker than they used to, or perhaps they didn't charge fully...? Anyway, I put them in Lectro transmitters and let them sit and run until they died, then re-charged them. After that, it seems that they came back to life and now hold a higher voltage when they are fresh off the charger.

 

On the AA side of things, I just saw these: 

http://www.lightinthebox.com/BTY-3000mAh-AA-Ni-MH-Rechargeable-Battery-Set--4-pack-_p193934.html?

 

Claims 3000 mAh and 1000 re-charge cycles.

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I agree with everything mentioned above. Except my conclusion was to not use Eneloops much at all as I have not been happy with their runtime. Instead I use Ansmann 2850 mAh, which will last very long on a single charge, but they'll fail much sooner in terms of months. But my charger is quite reliably telling me this, and I rarely have failures on set. Financially it's all better than disposables.

Only in the Lockits I 'll avoid the Ansmanns, as Robert mentioned these are quite choosy with regards to width. You can get them in, but they won't leave voluntarily.

Nice to have your charger pay attention to battery health. My Maha doesn't do this. Does anyone know what range voltage my Powerex AAs should read to be healthy? What voltage indicates imminent danger?

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

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mully: " Does anyone know what range voltage my Powerex AAs should read to be healthy? What voltage indicates imminent danger?"

many of us have experience with NiMH batteries, and are aware of the difficulty of "metering" them, and have discussed the issues in several ongoing threads.  Lectro Larry in particular has covered this several times for us; freshly charged with no load the may read 1.4 V, healthy NiMH cells produce ~1.2 volts under load over their useful life of delivering their power (mAH), and when exhausted, drop rather suddenly below 1.10 V...if they no longer deliver enough life, even after charging, they may be exhausted.

As to danger, perhaps grossly improper charging or discharging (short circuit) may possibly cause them to explode...

Edited by studiomprd
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I will search for the threads. To be clear, I'm wondering about their overall life, not during one charge. In other words, what voltage should new NiMH batteries that are fully charged read? Is there a voltage reading, when old batteries have taken as much charge as they can, that will indicate they are near the end of their life?

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

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