Battery Question - Help?

Please register or login

Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.

Benefits of registering include

  • Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
  • A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
  • You can make this box go away

Joining is quick and easy. Log in or Register now!

ScubaBrett22

Lionfish Slayer
Messages
444
Reaction score
0
Location
Boca Raton / Parkland FL
# of dives
100 - 199
I have a Battery Question i need good AA Battery's that i can pick up from Walgreen's or CVS if anyone knows a good type to use please do tell my battery's don't hold a charge long enough!!!
 
If you're using non-rechargeables, get the lithium type. They'll last about 5 times as long, but they're pricey. I always use rechargeables. The eneloops and other "precharged" types will hold a charge, so you can sub them right in and put the old ones on the charger, but rechargeables have only 1.2v instead of the 1.5v in the non-recharge type, so if your camera is voltage sensitive and needs the full 3 volts of 2 aa batteries, you have to stick with the regular type. I get 2-3 dives on a set, then I swap them and recharge them for the next day. Usually the "precharged" come in a 4 pack with an appropriate charger for between $19.95 and $29.95 depending on whether it's a discounter, but I've used the same set of eneloops for almost 3 years now. My regular high output rechargeables died after a few months, either from overcharging or sitting too long.
 
So what type of Rechargeable ones should i use? i am currently using 1.2v Duracell and they suck lol.
 
Either Sanyo eneloop or the Duracell or Rayovac "precharged" will hold about 90% of their charge for up to a year. If your camera quits when the voltage gets too low, like my SP-350 did before loading the firmware update, you need 1.5v batteries.
Some aa cameras will take the CRV-3 as well. My spare camera that I use on the surface would take over a thousand shots on a single non recharge CRV-3. There are some lithium rechargeable versions available online that have 3 or more volts. The ones I'm using have 3.3v, so low voltage is never an issue. Check the camera specs to see if you can use them. Again, the nimh rechargeables are lower voltage, so if voltage drop is an issue, either stick to the lithium ones or get non recharge type. If you let people know what camera you have, you may get advice from some who have the same model and have already experimented with batteries.
 
I also like the Sanyo Eneloops... Much better than our previous regular rechargeable GP batteries...
 
Can i buy any of these battery's at Walgreen's or CVS / Comp USA / Best buy / Walmart????
 
Can i buy any of these battery's at Walgreen's or CVS / Comp USA / Best buy / Walmart????

Yes. I usually buy mine at Costco, but if you look at the rechargeables in the battery section at any of the major outlets, look for the word "precharged". They normally come with a charger. Otherwise, there are lots of online outlets.

Buy Duracell Nimh Batteries Aa online at CVS.com

Amazon.com: SANYO eneloop 4 Pack AA NiMH Pre-Charged Rechargeable Batteries: Electronics

This is what I've been using since I got my camera in Dec. 2006. They still work fine. I got it at Radio Shack and they were a bit too pricey at $59.95 for battery and charger. My spare battery, I bought later, battery only on a half price close out for $10.00. I've seen lots of brands online, Lenmar comes to mind. What you want is a full 3.0 volts or more if the camera is voltage sensitive. Otherwise the minute the voltage is slightly low, the battery dead signal comes on and the camera won't function. Some cameras have no problem with lower voltage, others are very sensitive to it.

Rechargeable CRV3 Lithium Ion (Li-ion) Battery Pack and Charger. Universal Photo Battery. UL Listed/US Patent
 
Another vote for Eneloops.
 
Costco works, but in my pretty extensive testing, the Kodak version of the low internal discharge batteries were quite a bit better than either the eneloops or the Rayovac versions.
Bill
 
Since I'm in the practice of charging my batteries a couple of days before use I see no benefit to using Eneloops. I'm sure they would be beneficial for something not used on a regular basis. Last time I checked mah rating for Eneloops it was less than NiMH batteries, which is more important to me, since I'd get more shots per charge.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/teric/

Back
Top Bottom