Need Help - Household Battery Article

[JohnyMac]

At our last MAG meeting there was some concern over having enough batteries (AAA, AA, D, C, etc) for a supply chain or grid down issue. The group all turned their heads and looked at me for an answer. Well I didn't have one other than the jury-rigged way I charge batteries.

I do not have the time at the moment to research, buy, and then try out to give a review on; Consequently, I am reaching out to this illustrious group for help.

I would love someone or many to post a article on charging household batteries. Some of the components of the post would be what kind of batteries to buy, where to buy them, the charging system to charge the batteries and a link to buy them. If you are currently charging batteries via the grid, cool. If you are charging them via solar, even better.

Hopefully, a whole bunch of us will learn something.

Thank you,
73 & God Bless
JohnyMac

[pkveazey]

OK, here's my almost worthless response. When I was growing up down on the farm, all our flashlights were D cells and were the old Carbon batteries. Grandma would take the nearly dead D cells and put them on the stove and heat them up. Yep.... It actually would bring them partially back to life. Now, I have actually put Alkaline batteries in a trickle charger and brought them back to life. As soon as they start to get a bit weak, that's when I would recharge them. They can be brought back to maybe 75% to 80% strength. I've never tried to recharge and recharge and recharge them although I have no idea how many times you can get away with recharging them. I have a junk drawer full of AAA,AA,and C batteries that are NiCads and they really suck. The Nickel Metal Hydrides are way better at taking and holding a charge. Now, my favorites are Lithiums. They take a charge and hold it for a long time. I saved the best for last. I bought about 200 AA Alkaline, and about 200 AAA Alkaline batteries and put them in one of my stockpiles and when I need an ordinary battery, I pull out a pack of them and use them. I think that they will also make good trading items. I would have bought 1000 of each but if they lay around forever, they won't be much good.

[RB in GA]

... I bought about 200 AA Alkaline, and about 200 AAA Alkaline batteries and put them in one of my stockpiles and when I need an ordinary battery, I pull out a pack of them and use them. I think that they will also make good trading items. I would have bought 1000 of each but if they lay around forever, they won't be much good.

Thats's pretty much what I do as well.  I vaccum-pack them and put in them in bucket with a handful of o2 absorbers and stick em in the coolest place in my basement.  I've used this method for several years and rarely get a bad battery out of the stash. I just make sure to immediately reseal the bag. I'd estimate less than 5% wastage over the last 7 years or so.
I read somewhere that keeping them bagged at low temp in a refrigerator will extend alkaline battery life, but I couldn't actually tell a difference when I tried it.
I bought a handful of the Kodak rechargable batteries and the ac chargers a few years ago, but they were pretty much a waste of money.  I think I was able to successfully recharge them possibly twice.

[Jackalope]

   I just saw this, sorry for the late reply.  I also purchase batteries in bulk, AA, AAA, and CR123's.  I also have a supply of NiMH and rechargeable lithiums, along with a variety of chargers.  I've been buying the bulk batteries on Amazon.  I've also started using AA and AAA lithium rechargeable batteries that are made to recharge via a USB port.  These USB rechargeable batteries don't have as much capacity, but they're very convenient.

    Most of the chargers here on the homestead use USB power supplies, even the portable radio batteries.  My reasoning is that I can produce 5 VDC, much easier and simpler than 110 VAC.  Plus we have many USB battery packs that can do double duty, recharging phones, radios, or even generate lighting.

    I've tried to standardize my batteries, as much as possible, sticking with AA, AAA, and unfortunately CR123's.  Some of the equipment does use some of the larger lithium rechargeable batteries (18650's and 21700's), and I usually stock a few extras, just in case.  There are battery adapters too that at the core use AA batteries, but the body dimensions for C and D cells.  JC Dodge had an excellent article some time back about batteries and chargers: https://www.americanpartisan.org/2019/04/making-the-lightning-for-your-force-multipliers/

[Nemo]

I have been trying to get everything to the 18650s.  Getting standardized and at 5 volts a smaller solar self recharging battery can keep them recharging.

I have one similar to the one below.  But I think I need to get a newer, more capable, larger capacity one.

Nemo

https://www.amazon.com/30000mAh-Portable-Flashlight-Waterproof-Compatible/dp/B095W3JVQ4/ref=sr_1_3_sspa?th=1

[DMCakhunter]

I am having trouble posting pictures so I will use links to the manufacturer.

Have used rechargable AA and 9 volts for a while. In tv remotes, clocks, x box controllers, flash lights, smoke alarms and other stuff.
Mainly used ever ready and energizer batteries and chargers. Have had several of the charges die off so have switched to EBL chargers and batteries. They have more capacity and the chargers are not picky about battery pairings when charging. https://www.eblofficial.com/products/smart-battery-charger2605
The D batteries are really good but heavier than an alkaline so I tend to use them in flash lights and other things around the house.
The AA's are very good.
Have just started using this CR123 rechargable and I really like them. https://www.eblofficial.com/products/16340-usb-batteries-charger
especially being able to charge 4 of them from one usb port. The Tenergy cr123 rechargable batteries I was using did not have much life in a weapon light, but these are much better at 2400 mwh vs 600 mwh.

Also have the goal zero nomad solar unit with the 4 AA battery pack but charging is slow and the AA pack is very heavy.

I have a Goal Zero Nomad 50 solar panel and a yeti 150 and 400. Will get a nomad 100 panel and yeti 500 at some point.

[pkveazey]

I have a ton of AA and AAA batteries and a bunch of cards that have all the different sizes of the BUTTON BATTERIES. I decided to  stop using all sorts of flashlights that take different size batteries so I bought a bunch of High Power CRE LED Flashlights and they all use the TR 18650 Lithium rechargeable batteries. I bought a few extra TR 18650 batteries to use while I'm charging the others. I keep one of each flashlight in every vehicle, every backpack, my fanny pack. My flashlights will adjust from wide flare to extreme tight beam that will light up a tree from 1000 feet away. Did I throw out all my other flashlights? No, but they are scattered all over the house. Most of them are the pain in the ass one's that use 3 AAA batteries in a battery holder. When the SHTF and somebody needs a flashlight, I'll just give them one of those pain in ass flashlights. Well, at least they are good enough to keep you from stepping on a snake in the dark. When the lights go out, I use a light that will light up a room as bright as a 100 watt bulb but those things are AA battery hungry monters. I keep one in every room in the house so we will have light long enough for me to fire up the Generator. Hmmmm...... Maybe I should order a bunch of AA Lithium rechargeables for those battery eaters.

[pkveazey]

Well, the wife wanted me to order something from AMAZON and while I was on there I couldn't stop myself. I ordered 4 sets of AAA Lithium rechargeable batteries with charger, 4 sets of AA Lithium rechargeable batteries with charger, and 1 set of 9V Lithium recharg eable batteries with charger. I'll still use the Alkalines that I ordered and also use them for barter. The one thing that I wasn't crazy about was all the chargers use USB ports.

[JohnyMac]

I recently ordered a shiton (Accounting term) of NiMH batteries in all sizes plus a NiMH charger. The brand was Amazon's own brand as I read somewhere they were rated second best. They come 80% charged and we have been rotating them into flashlights and our Grundig radio we use for local AM broadcasts. Nothing to report as yet.

As a side note, MrsMac is not happy with using the rechargeable batteries as we have had poor results in the past.

I am getting ready to order some underwear for MrsMac and myself plus socks from Amazon today. I will order another batch of these batteries too.

As some have pointed out, I will buy regular alkaline batteries too when they are on sale as they make good bartering items.

More info to come. 

[CJS06]

I recently ordered a shiton (Accounting term)

Johny how does this add up to a metric assload?   

On a serious note, I have had very unsatisfactory results with all of the varied rechargables I have tried. I also stock relatively large quantites of the common batteries that we use.  Particularly AA, AAA, CR123, 2032 and 9V. Energizer Lithium varieties are what I have had the best results with and they store longer than traditional alkaline.

Chris

[Nemo]

Its 20% more than a Crapton Avoirdupois,   

And you do know that 1/16 of an ounce (av) is a dram.

Nemo

[JohnyMac]

Chris, metric assload = Giggles, AKA Kamala Harris.