Batteries

[pkveazey]

The subject of batteries can get controversial real quick, but I'm going to post this info anyway. If you have regular batteries and they go dead, you can trickle charge them and get a very small amount of extra use out of them. If you have Alkaline batteries, you can trickle charge them and get even more use out of them. If you don't trickle charge them they will get hot and can explode. If they feel a little bit warm to the touch, stop charging them. However, they will never be back like new. Ni/Cad rechargeable batteries can develop what is called a memory if you don't run them nearly all the way down. That means they will recharge but won't last long. Nickle Metal Hydride rechargeable batteries do not develop a memory and they last longer than Ni/Cads. Lithium Ion batteries are touchy little buggers and when you charge them, you must never charge them with more than 2 or 3 volts more than their normal voltage. Lets say you want to charge a 7.2 volt Lion and it takes at least 8 volts to charge it. If you charge it with more than 9 volts you are treading on dangerous ground. Excessive charging voltage will ruin a Lion battery. The good thing about Lion's is that they hold their charge for a really long time. I've read that they have a lifespan of about 10 years. They are supposed to be able to take a full charge as many times as you want but after a certain time period, Wham! they're dead forever. Lion batteries can be dangerous if short circuited if they don't have a current limiting resistance built in. Those little buggers can get red hot or explode. There are some new types of Lithium batteries (I think Lithium Calcium maybe) out that are supposed to be even better than Lion but I haven't seen any or used any. I'm guessing that the new exploding and burning cell phones probably have them because they are supposed to be really powerful. To quote Forest Gump, "That's all I've got to say about that."

[Erick]

Good Info!

I admit i have made little effort to track such things for recharging even tho I do use  recharging station

One of my strategies has been to buy the very best batteries money can buy (Energizer Ultra Lithium, there are also other Energizer Lithium batteries but unless they say "Ultimate" they are not the same)

They last a long time both in storage + in use.

I understand Duracell Lithium and the regular Energizer Lithium (not Ultimate) are about the same.
The Ultimate have a storage life advertised as 20 yrs.

I have good experiences with them in EOtech.

[JohnyMac]

Some great stuff gentlemen 

I recharge my batteries using a devise that I had to take apart and resolder. I have had two and I had to do the same to both. Once I get done my morning chores here in my radio shack (AKA the Bunk room) I will add a link.

I use my solar system for power to charge those batteries.

Again great subject. I don't think we have cover this topic in awhile if ever.

[pkveazey]

Oh, Here's another trick that only works on Ni/Cad rechargeable batteries. Ni/Cads have a habit of growing little whiskers from the positive to the negative part of the shell. Those little whiskers drain of the charge and they run down quickly. Here's what you do......... I'm serious about this. You take your 12VDC, 10 or 20 amp power supply and hook up wires to the plus and negative posts. Hold the Positive wire on the Ni/Cad battery positive end and strike the negative wire across the bottom of the battery two or three times. Sort of like striking a match. You'll see a spark each time. It will burn off the little whiskers and the Ni/Cad will take a better charge and hold it longer. DON'T Stick that negative wire on the battery and hold it there, unless you like to see batteries explode.

EXTRA INFO: For those folks who don't know the difference between a deep cycle lead acid battery and a automotive lead acid battery, here's a simple comparison. Regular automotive batteries have a very high Current rating and can deliver a great deal of power for a short period of time before going dead. A deep cycle battery can't deliver as high a power level but they can hold a charge for a really long time before going dead. If you are going to operate 12 volt appliances like radios or lights, the deep cycle is your best choice. If you need a blast of power to start a car, then use the automotive type. "Them deep cycles ain't cheap either."

[JohnyMac]

To add on to what pkveazey wrote concerning lead acid deep cycle batteries.

A lead acid battery will last for years of use IF you do not discharge them below 50% of their rating. So if it is a 100 amp deep cycle battery, only discharge to 50% (Use 50 Amps) level of the battery. ~12.2 to 12.4 volts.

[APX808]

I had bought a bunch of energizer and duracell batteries and kept them in their packages in a drawer and they started to sulftate before the expiration date printed in the batteries. They were regular batteries not ultimate with 20yr storage as mentioned before.

Just to have in mind in case you are planning to buy many of them, I ended up discarding like 20 or more batteries.

I would get rechargeable batteries and a solar panel or a solar panel with a voltage regulator to feed devices.

[Nemo]

Send those batteries back to the manufacturer (or name on them) and they will generally replace them.  I do that routinely.

Nemo

[JoJo]

Send those batteries back to the manufacturer (or name on them) and they will generally replace them.  I do that routinely.

Nemo

I'm not trying to rain on your parade but wouldn't the cost to mail them cost as much as the batteries?

[pkveazey]

I'm going to sound like I'm talking out if both sides of my mouth, but, I only buy alkaline batteries and then only when they are priced right. With that said, I usually look for Nickel Metal Hydride batteries on sale. I've actually found them occasionally at about the same price as the alkaline disposable batteries. When I see them for cheap, I grab a bunch. The only thing I don't like about rechargeable batteries is they are 1.2 volts instead of 1.5 volts. I use alkaline disposable batteries in my flashlights to get a little brighter light. When SHTF I'll switch to my rechargeable batteries. With even a rudimentary knowledge of electricity, a person can find a way to recharge them. Oh, wait, wait, wait. I have several of those 5 volt lithium ion thingies that people use for their cell phones and tablets. They cost anywhere from $5 up to whatever, depending on how much power they store. If you series three of those, you'll have 15 volts to play with. I've written so much, I'm starting to bore myself. Bye. TD

[Nemo]

I got a sneaking suspicion you're an electrician by trade.  I do not do that. 

I hit an underground 220 line with a shovel once.  Juice came up one leg, across the lower frontal regions and down the other leg.  Shovel went 40 feet in the air, I went 30 feet backward.  About 10 seconds after hitting flat on my lower rear region I got up and cussed the man who told me to dig there (and said start after he was sure he flipped proper breaker) for a steady 10 minutes.

Never repeated myself once.  Right proud of that.

Really don't like wild electricity like  that.  Won't stay in its box or wires like it should.  Must have been corrupted and tainted by the Russians.

Nemo

[pkveazey]

Yes, NEMO, I've done a bit of Electrical engineering. Your 220 story was electrifying. Pun intended. However, we had our head Electrical Engineer do a bit of troubleshooting of a 440 contactor in junction box and he was poking around in there with a SCREWDRIVER. He only did that once. It knocked him flat on his butt. He was lucky it didn't kill him.