Rechargeable alkaline batteries, anybody used them?

I saw some rechargeable alkaline batteries in a supermarket yesterday and wondered if anyone here has used them.

They seemed expensive to me, but I expect they are cheaper online.

4 X AA's + 2 x AAA's and mains charger were just over €30.00

Their main advantage would be that they deliver 1.5v instead of the 1.2v of NiMh's. They are also supplied ready for use and will apparantly hold their charge for up to 7 years.

These are the ones I came across.

EDIT: It seems they are not meant for use in high drain situations, like cameras. They are more suited to low use/low drain items like remotes & torches etc.

I assume that they are Ray-O-Vacs?

Good idea being 1.5v but of very limited use.

If you completely exhaust them you might if your lucky get
one more charge

If you have anything that uses say 10-20% of the power
between charges they will charge up a few hundred times.

They were the same price as Ni-Cads in the UK and they
needed their own charger although I managed with a Tandy
pulse charger.

They were sold off cheap in the end.

I wouldn't touch normal Ray-O-Vac alkalines with a
barge pole they have damaged quite a lot of my equipment
with leakage

EDIT: Just noticed the link. Branded Pure. Ray-O-Vacs
were the original inventors so I don't know if these
are the same?

It seems that the 1.5v claim is a bit erroneous.

Quote from Wikipedia:


Not much use for DSLRs & flashes then.

I looked into the supposed benefits of using these very same batteries but, after a bit of research on the web, came to the conclusion that, for me giving the number of rechargeable MN1500/AAs I use, the switch would not be economically viable.

I also wondered about the 'real world' benefits of 1.5 vs 1.2V. What I read, however, seemed to suggest that with most modern battery powered electronic equipment the ability to maintain a high current output is of far more significance.

In the end, and having wasted a not inconsiderable sum on cheap and not so cheap batteries in the past, I decided to standardise on the use of Sanyo Eneloops. An improved version of the original type has been introduced recently, as has an higher current drain variant link.

The other factor that is often overlooked is the quality of the charger, which is often the determining factor when considering the reliability and lifespan of the rechargeables used. After, conducting the usual OCD-style research, I went ahead an purchased a model from Powerex/Maha link, although I know from experience at work that the top models from Ansmann are also very good e.g. link, but difficult to find discounted to any significant extent (I was fortunate in that the Powerex/Maha was on 'special' at Maplins when I bought it).

To summarise, I have found the Eneloop/Powerex combination to be of high quality, reliable and suitable for use with all of the electronic equipment, including photographic flash, powered by MN1500/AA batteries in my possession. I cannot comment, however, on their suitability for use in DSLRs such as the KX or KR.

Hope you find at least some of this informative and/or helpful, Peter.

Best wishes,

Jon

In the short time I have researched these batteries this morning, I've come to the same conclusion, that it's not worth switching from my Eneloops.

"If it ain't broke, don't fix it" rings true here.

These recharegable alkalines aren't apparantly meant for high current drain and/or frequent use applications anyway.

I've used my Annsman Energy 8 charger for many years with no issues so far.

If you want say 6v using 4 cells instead of 5 is a MASSIVE real world advantage

"After a "Deep Discharge", they can be brought to their original high-capacity charge only after a few charge-discharge cycles."

This sounds wrong to me? It was the reason they originally
failed.... they couldn't be brought back.

+1 for the Maha Powerex AA's. Very good batteries.
Regards

I tried them. They're usable in flashes, but not too hot in cameras. The voltage drops too quickly.

Its all been said, stick with (Eneloop) or (GP ReCyko).
You wont go far wrong with either.

Take care.

Chris R.

there are also Nickel-Zinc (NiZn) batteries, those are rechargeable and give 1,7v like lithium does and they are meant for high drain like camera's and flashes.
Not all equipment like them though, i've hear some cheaper and older flashes being damaged by them.

here is a comparison what they do to your flash.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GsLKj_mjnGU

This a bit extreme though XD
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UwMy8qdf7Vg&feature=related