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Duracell Quantum AA alkaline battery test


LarryF

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I thought I'd start a new thread so it would be easy to find and be more easily searchable. So far the Quantum alkaline AA's are looking very good; 2.2 Ah for the Quantum versus 1.2 Ah for a Panasonic AA at a heavy drain (SM transmitter) of 400 mAh. That's an 83% improvement. (!)

 

The second run is at 500 mAh and I got 2 Ah. This is an SM drain toward the end of the battery life. Pretty impressive. I still have to run the Panasonic at 500 mAh but it will probably only make 1 Ah.

 

Adding to my original post, the Panasonic at 500 mAh made 1.1 Ah while the Quantum made 2.0 Ah for an 82% advantage again.  It looks like the Quantum claims are very real.

 

In an SM at 100 mW, the Panasonics ran for 97 minutes until the SM shutdown. The Quantums ran for 175 minutes. This is an advantage of 80%, in line with the precision battery load.

 

I hope Duracell doesn't go nuts with the pricing.

Best Regards,
Larry Fisher
Lectrosonics

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" I hope Duracell doesn't go nuts with the pricing. "

so far, typically, they are not 83% more costly

Home Depot has 8 pack of AA or AAA  $7.48

                           8-pack of E2 (Li) AA $17.97

Walgreens had Quantum on special:  AA /12pk reg $15.99 sale: $9.49

Edited by studiomprd
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" I hope Duracell doesn't go nuts with the pricing. "

so far, typically, they are not 83% more costly

Home Depot has 8 pack of AA or AAA  $7.48

Hi Mike,

Lithium batteries might be competitive on a power versus cost basis. I assume lithium AA's are costing about $1.50 to 1.75 in bulk.(?)

I would hope Duracell would put these between alkalines and lithiums for pricing. Whoops, I just saw the rest of your post at $1/ea at Home Despot. I assume the price will drop after they aren't the new shiny thing. One minor negative; they are heavier than lithiums.

Best,

Larry F

Lectro

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I added to my original post but the Panasonic at 500 mAh made 1.1 Ah while the Quantums made 2.0 Ah for an 82% advantage again.  It looks like the Quantum claims are very real.

 

In an SM at 100 mW, the Panasonics ran for 97 minutes until the SM shutdown. The Quantums ran for 175 minutes. This is an advantage of 80%, in line with the precision battery load.

Best,
Larry F
Lectro

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I tried the bounce test on some AA's at my house yesterday, and couldn't get it to work. I suspect the heat! (100+ in Northridge, CA this week.)

 

The Quantum batteries sound very good for some purposes, basically like a "more perfected" Alkaline chemistry to me. Dollar-for-dollar, it sounds like they work out to about the same as Lithium. 5 hours for a Lithium AA in an SMa at about $1.75; 3 hours for a Quantum in an SMa at about 90 cents.

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I tried the bounce test on some AA's at my house yesterday, and couldn't get it to work. I suspect the heat! (100+ in Northridge, CA this week.)

 

The Quantum batteries sound very good for some purposes, basically like a "more perfected" Alkaline chemistry to me. Dollar-for-dollar, it sounds like they work out to about the same as Lithium. 5 hours for a Lithium AA in an SMa at about $1.75; 3 hours for a Quantum in an SMa at about 90 cents.

Hi Marc,

Good cost comparison. In the SMQv, a pair of the Quantums (Quanta?) might may make an "all day" battery setup for half the cost of the Lithiums. We will try a comparison run down in the same SMQv transmitter next Monday and Tuesday.

Best Regards,

Larry F

Lectro

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Hi Jack,

They drop like an alkaline. At any point on the falling voltage line, they have higher voltage. It's as if they are seeing half the load. Or another way of describing it, is that a single Quantum looks about like two Panasonics in parallel under the relatively high current draw in my tests.

By the way, the Panasonics are a perfectly good battery and are equal to any other standard major brand battery, with banging Bunnies or not. (I don't want Panasonic sending a late night ninja squad to my bedroom.)

Best,

Larry F

Lectro

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OK, here is the last test for awhile on the Quantum batteries. We loaded some into an SMQv at 100 mW and they ran for 8 hours and 56 minutes (8.93 hours) and the Panasonics ran for 6 hours and 16 minutes (6.27 hours) or a 42% advantage to the Quantums. So under light loads, the Quantums have a 45% advantage, using their manufacturer's rating at 3.92 Ah rating versus a standard alkaline at 2.7 Ah. Under a moderate load using two batteries (SMQv at 100 mW) they have the same 42% advantage and under a heavy load using a single battery (SMv at 100 mW) they have an 80% advantage.

 

These numbers are in line with the battery rated light load capacity (+45%)  and the heavy load using the precision battery load (+80%) at 400 and 500 mA. In conclusion, these batteries at a little more cost than a standard alkaline would be a good buy. Or if you need a running time between a standard alkaline and a pricey lithium.

 

1. Total running times can be moderately extended using the sleep mode on the transmitters to give the batteries a rest.

2. Cold weather is not a friend of alkaline batteries. Go with NiMh or lithiums.

Best Regards,
Larry Fisher
Lectrosonics

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Thanks for the thorough results Larry!

 

A follow-up question: Do the low-battery indicators work accurately at the transmitter and receiver for this battery? I assume one would use the alkaline setting.

 

And another: I'm always wary with alkalines of acid leakage. Is there any way to tell if the risk is the same or better with the Quantums? 

 

Thanks again.

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Thanks for the thorough results Larry!

 

A follow-up question: Do the low-battery indicators work accurately at the transmitter and receiver for this battery? I assume one would use the alkaline setting.

 

And another: I'm always wary with alkalines of acid leakage. Is there any way to tell if the risk is the same or better with the Quantums? 

 

Thanks again.

Hi Derek,

Looking at the discharge curves, they look the same except the voltage falls at a slower rate, i.e., the Quantums just look like a 40 to 80% bigger battery. As far as electrolyte leakage, we won't know till some of these batteries get to be ancient. The use by date is 2023 which indicates they think they will last for awhile. Incidentally, it isn't "acid" leakage but a "base" (opposite of acid)  potassium hydroxide, similar to lye (sodium hydroxide). I only mention that because you would want to neutralize it with a mild acid like vinegar or simply lots of water. Potassium hydroxide will etch/and/or eat aluminum such as our battery compartments much faster than an acid.

Best Regards,

Larry Fisher

Lectrosonics

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You mean operating in the cold. I was always under the impression that cold extends the shelf life of alkaline batteries. My grandmother used to store her batteries in the refrigerator.

Hi Jack,

As Mike said, cold slows down the deterioration of batteries but it also slows them down so much, they don't work well. Modern alkaline batteries have such a long shelf life, it doesn't do as much good to store them in a refrigerator. If they are frozen, they can lose their seals due to hardening in the cold.

Best,

Larry F

Lectro

p.s. Potassium hydroxide (dry) is a base and in an aqueous solution, as in a battery, the gel is alkaline (high Ph). "Base" and "alkaline" are loosely defined, however, and one can wander over into the definition of the other. Other oddness: NiMh and NiCd also contain potassium hydroxide as a gel electrolyte but aren't referred to as alkaline.

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