NiMH rechargeable batteries

[herman]

The LaCrosse BC-900 is a charger, not really an analyzer. You can run discharge and refresh cycles with it and you can run a discharge and recharge cycle and it will tell you a number that is supposedly related to capacity, but in real world testing the number you get is only vaguely related to true capacity. Measuring true capacity from batteries is a real art and to get real quantitative results needs some quite special gear.
Bill

What other analyasis do you need? It runs a capacity test which is the only value I need. So far, based on over 20 batteries tested, the test are coming out pretty much at the rated values on new batteries and has flagged several older batteries as bad...which I suspected they were. It's not a lab grade instrument by any strech but it will do what the average photographer needs, determining the aporx capacity of rechargable batteries.

 

[mike_s]

Thomas distributing does make/sell a "load tester" for NiMH batteries. I bought one for AA's because a standard battery tester for alkalines thinks that it's good even when it's almost dead.

 

[ayeshacantrell]

Eneloop .........all the way

 

[AndyT]

Eneloops for me too - simply because they hold their charge so well.

 

[bvanant]

I can't speak for the average photographer, but for the most part the published specifications on batteries is close enough and as they age the "capacity" can change quite a bit from what the LaCrosse suggests. Don't get me wrong, I have several of the LaCrosse chargers but what I want to know as a photographer is how many times can I fire my strobe using the 4 AA batteries that are in it. In that respect neither published mAh nor the LaCrosse values are very informative. My 2100 mAh Eneloops can fire my Inon strobes more times than my 2950 mAh rechargeables in spite of 15% less capacity. For knowing if batteries are charged, I use an STS load tester. For understanding capacity issues, for me the best test is a real world strobe firing test, every 15 seconds until it won't charge anymore.

Bill

 

[Proteus_fl]

Thanks. Picked up some eneloops. It came with a basic charger, at this time it should keep up with my battery needs.