Best rechargeables for Jetbook?

[GhostHawk]

Well the Powergenix NiZn 1.6v rechargeables did great for me for a while.
But now all of a sudden instead of getting a week of reading I'm doing good to get a day. And now and then I put in a set of freshly charged batterys and get low charge warning right off the bat. So either somethings gone wonky with the charger, or these totally suck.

So I'm looking at switching over to the energizers.
Ken do you have a source for those battery's and chargers other than the grocery store?

Really hoping to keep the $$$ down as I invested more than I probably should have in these Powergenix NiZn's. (Which I will still use for things like flashlights, etc )

[Ken Maltby]

This is less than what they are charging at my local HEB grocery store:

http://www.thomasdistributing.com/sh...rsllit8gi3gna7

One thing though, at the HEB I can check that it says "Made in Japan" on the cells. I
am always leery that some companies have been known to introduce a product from a
high quality source, then switch to a more economical supplier after the product is
established in the market place.

These won't charge in the charger for the NiZn batteries, but will in most any AA NiMH
charger you may have on hand.

Luck;
Ken

[dougf4]

Here is a link to a very extensive test of various rechargeable AAs. It includes a side-by-side table that is very useful:

http://www.imaging-resource.com/ACCS/BATTS/BATTS.HTM

This tester used the batteries in digital photography which no doubt beats up the batteries more significantly than the JBL, but one would think that his results are still credible and indicative of battery performance in general.

Interestingly he has one Energizer in the #1 position (2300) and another way down on the list (1700). I guess it does matter to pick the right Energizer if that is what you are going to purchase.

This is a great thread which will go a long way in helping me choose my rechargeables. Thanks to all involved!

[GhostHawk]

Well after posting I went back to Thomas Dist and did a bit more looking around.


$30.97 Energizer Battery Charger with Eight 2500mAh AA Batteries
Is what I found, I notice those are 2500mAh cells not the 2300 you tested.
So in theory they should do just as well if not better.

Will post results when they arrive.

[Ken Maltby]

It looks like the tester at your link did a much more exacting test run than what I did
here. It may be just chance that we both included the Energizer 2300mAh in our testing,
or it may be their general availability. It may also be a coincidence that we both decided on the MAHA MH-C204W as our preferred charger, although it could be that we both did our shopping at Thomas Distributing and liked the specs for that unit.

Since completing my test runs I have used the C204W for charging the Energizers and
it does at least as good a job as the Energizer charger I used for the tests. What may be of some benefit (untested at this point) is the "conditioning" cycle function of the
C204W, they recommend using it every tenth recharge of a set of batteries.

Luck;
Ken

[Lady Fitzgerald]

I may not use most of my rechargeable AAs for 2-3 months then use the heck out of them (camera and external flash), then go 2-3 months before I need them again. I have a handful that I use on a regular basis. When I was using the high capacity Duracells and Energizers, I was spending a large chunk of my life charging the stupid things every month because they would run down on me in a month. They generally would last only a little over a year before I would start getting failures.

I tried the Eneloops and loved them. It takes at least half a year for them to run down on their own. I gave away all my other rechargeables and replaced them with Eneloops since I don't want to have to keep one set of batteries to use in devices I use frequently and another set for the devices that get only occasional use. It is far more convenient for me. I've had some over two years and have yet to have one fail on me.

I have a La Crosse BC-900 charger that I love. The early units had an overheating problem but the later units, like mine have been fixed. Since getting my BC-900, La Cross has replaced by the BC-9009. Again the early units had an overheating problem. Appartently, the ones now being sold at Amazon have been fixed.

In the OPs case, a simple slow charger with no adjustments (plug and play) would be best for his mother. Ideally, it should charge no faster than 500 mA. 200 would be better. It takes longer but the batteries will last much longer. Fast charging is murder on batteries.

[Ken Maltby]

Originally Posted by Lady Fitzgerald

I may not use most of my rechargeable AAs for 2-3 months then use the heck out of them (camera and external flash), then go 2-3 months before I need them again. I have a handful that I use on a regular basis. When I was using the high capacity Duracells and Energizers, I was spending a large chunk of my life charging the stupid things every month because they would run down on me in a month. They generally would last only a little over a year before I would start getting failures.

I tried the Eneloops and loved them. It takes at least half a year for them to run down on their own. I gave away all my other rechargeables and replaced them with Eneloops since I don't want to have to keep one set of batteries to use in devices I use frequently and another set for the devices that get only occasional use. It is far more convenient for me. I've had some over two years and have yet to have one fail on me.

I have a La Crosse BC-900 charger that I love. The early units had an overheating problem but the later units, like mine have been fixed. Since getting my BC-900, La Cross has replaced by the BC-9009. Again the early units had an overheating problem. Appartently, the ones now being sold at Amazon have been fixed.

In the OPs case, a simple slow charger with no adjustments (plug and play) would be best for his mother. Ideally, it should charge no faster than 500 mA. 200 would be better. It takes longer but the batteries will last much longer. Fast charging is murder on batteries.

So.... you don't have a JetBook Lite (JBL), right?

You are telling us that you use AA rechargeables in a "camera and external
flash", right?

And this tells us something about battery use for the Jetbook, how again?

I don't understand how recharging a set of AA batteries is such a big
production for you. It only takes a couple of minutes for me to replace the
batteries in my JBL and put the used ones into the charger and plug the
charger in.

If I were someone who could go two or three months without using my
ebook reader, I guess I would use a quick one hour charger or use regular
primary/throw away batteries. (I can't really picture anyone using an
ebook reader that way though.)

Luck;
Ken

[GhostHawk]

Well the Energizer charger and 2500 mAh battery's arrived Sat. They have a longer charge cycle, but if its more gentle on the batterys (less overheat) thats fine.

Installed the first set in the JBL Sat evening. Will let you know how it goes.

Think I'm going to contact Thomas Dist on the NiZn's and see if I can get a refund.
As they are not performing anywhere close to what they should be, or started out doing.
By the end I wasn't getting a single day out of them. They may be "green" but from what I've seen they can't handle steady use.

[jj2me]

Originally Posted by Lady Fitzgerald

I may not use most of my rechargeable AAs for 2-3 months then use the heck out of them (camera and external flash), then go 2-3 months before I need them again. I have a handful that I use on a regular basis. When I was using the high capacity Duracells and Energizers, I was spending a large chunk of my life charging the stupid things every month because they would run down on me in a month. They generally would last only a little over a year before I would start getting failures.

I tried the Eneloops and loved them. It takes at least half a year for them to run down on their own. I gave away all my other rechargeables and replaced them with Eneloops since I don't want to have to keep one set of batteries to use in devices I use frequently and another set for the devices that get only occasional use. It is far more convenient for me. I've had some over two years and have yet to have one fail on me.

I have a La Crosse BC-900 charger that I love. The early units had an overheating problem but the later units, like mine have been fixed. Since getting my BC-900, La Cross has replaced by the BC-9009. Again the early units had an overheating problem. Appartently, the ones now being sold at Amazon have been fixed.

In the OPs case, a simple slow charger with no adjustments (plug and play) would be best for his mother. Ideally, it should charge no faster than 500 mA. 200 would be better. It takes longer but the batteries will last much longer. Fast charging is murder on batteries.

Give it up, Jeannie.

If you look through this thread, you'll see that

• Ken insults everyone who likes Eneloops. What they really like is LSD battery technology, but he ignores that point, and accuses them of being fanboys (can there be such a thing, a fanboy of passive little measurable power sources?).
• He thinks draw by a jetBook is somehow a special phenomenon, so electricity works differently for him.
• He's never owned a true LSD battery, just the 2500mAh hybrid.
• His usage assumption is constant reading on the jetBook. No other use. I.e., never swap into a flashlight, or in three years when your jetBook breaks and you have 450 cycles left, that remaining battery life will be used constantly in a similar device.

Most of the world prefers the convenience of LSDs. Something about this just ticks off Ken tremendously. OK if he thinks it's because we're lazy (LSDs are just so much easier in everyday use) and hates lazy people, but say that if that's the reason. Don't insult and demean our information.

I appreciate the Zn battery tests, but the snarkiness and inability to process new information is tiresome.

[Lady Fitzgerald]

Originally Posted by Ken Maltby

So.... you don't have a JetBook Lite (JBL), right?

Right.

Originally Posted by Ken Maltby

You are telling us that you use AA rechargeables in a "camera and external flash", right?

Right. If you read a little closer, you will see I mentioned I also use AAs elsewhere on a more frequent basis.

Originally Posted by Ken Maltby

And this tells us something about battery use for the Jetbook, how again?

I'm reporting the results I've had with the Eneloops and the poorer results I've had with regular chargeables. Readers can decide for themselves if the Eneloops would be suitable for their usage. Again, if you read a little more closely, I gave the OP scenarios that could determine if the Eneloops or higher capacity would be more suitable for his mother's reading habits.

Originally Posted by Ken Maltby

I don't understand how recharging a set of AA batteries is such a big production for you. It only takes a couple of minutes for me to replace the batteries in my JBL and put the used ones into the charger and plug the charger in.

A set of two or four AAs wouldn't be a big deal. However, I do not have only a set of two or four AAs. My camera uses four AAs and the external flash uses another set of four AAs. I get three to four hundred photos on a set of batteries, depending on how often I use the zoom. The flash eats batteries at a higher rate per shot but doesn't get used as often (I frequently use the flash even in full daylight for shadow fill) so usage is about even between the camera and the flash. I have been known to take 1700 photos over a two day period. 1000 in a day is not unusual. I usually will carry two to four sets of four in my pocket if I'm not lugging my boat anchor...er...purse with me. I keep a few more sets in my luggage so I don't have to remember to pack or unpack when I hit the road (I have ADD so remembering things is a problem for me; having only one kind of battery per size also simplifies my life).

That's just for my Canon. I also have an older HP camera that I keep in my purse for those oddball shots I may need on the fly (candid shots, portable "scanner," etc.; it uses two AAs, something newer small cameras do not anymore). I carry a cell phone without a camera for emergency phone calls only. It stays off until I need it to conserve battery life. My three wireless computer mice use two AAs each as does my computer keyboard. My music keyboard (used infrequently) takes six AAs. Then there are the three analog clocks in my house (readable when I don't have my glasses on) that use one AA each. I'll let you do the math if you really want a total. Btw, this doesn't include the AAAs I use.

So surely you can see now that charging batteries IS a big deal for me, especially if I have to do it every month (non-rechargeables wouldn't be cost effective). It takes roughly 12 hours to charge a set of four batteries (I do not like to charge any faster than 500mA, and prefer 200 mA, to prolong the life of the batteries). The smart charger I use is expensive and having a battery of them would be both expensive and space consuming so minimizing the frequency of battery charges is highly desireable. Also, the life of any rechargeable battery is also dependent on the number of times it gets recharged so not having to charge batteries every month, even though unused, not only saves a huge amount of time, it extends the life of the batteries.

Originally Posted by Ken Maltby

If I were someone who could go two or three months without using my ebook reader, I guess I would use a quick one hour charger or use regular primary/throw away batteries. (I can't really picture anyone using an ebook reader that way though.)

Luck;
Ken

Again, I suggested alternatives to the OP for a scenario similar to the one you suggest. I didn't mention throwaways because the OP specifically inquired about rechargeables (throwaways are environmentally irresponsible). As far as you not being able to conceive someone not using an ebook reader infrequently, keep in mind not everyone is you. I personally plan on using an e-book reader only when away from the house. When at home, I either use my computer screen (zoomed in so I can kick back in my chair and not hover 14" from the screen or my 32" TV at a comfortable TV viewing distance (one of my mice serves as a remote). And as long as the newer e-books have DRM, I'll still be buying paper books.

Again, I must mention quick charging a rechargeable is deadly to its life. It much better to have a set already charged at a safe rate ready to pop in when needed than to drastically shorten battery life with a quick charger. Forcing a current through a battery to charge it creates heat. As long as the charge rate is low enough, not enough heat is generated to harm the battery. But the more current one forces through the battery, the more heat is generated. The more heat, the sooner the battery will fail due to heat related damage. If you use a one hour charger, you may as well throw the batteries on the grill with the steaks and burgers because charging them at that rate will literally barbeque them internally. I had problems with rechargeables when I first started using them because I was using those one hour chargers. I would get only a few charges before they started failing. When I learned better and switched to better and slower chargers, my battery life increased dramatically.

[Lady Fitzgerald]

Originally Posted by jj2me

Give it up, Jeannie.

If you look through this thread, you'll see that

• Ken insults everyone who likes Eneloops. What they really like is LSD battery technology, but he ignores that point, and accuses them of being fanboys (can there be such a thing, a fanboy of passive little measurable power sources?).
• He thinks draw by a jetBook is somehow a special phenomenon, so electricity works differently for him.
• He's never owned a true LSD battery, just the 2500mAh hybrid.
• His usage assumption is constant reading on the jetBook. No other use. I.e., never swap into a flashlight, or in three years when your jetBook breaks and you have 450 cycles left, that remaining battery life will be used constantly in a similar device.

Most of the world prefers the convenience of LSDs. Something about this just ticks off Ken tremendously. OK if he thinks it's because we're lazy (LSDs are just so much easier in everyday use) and hates lazy people, but say that if that's the reason. Don't insult and demean our information.

I appreciate the Zn battery tests, but the snarkiness and inability to process new information is tiresome.

Don't worry, my reply will probably be the only one. I've seen his type before.

Actually, anything can have its fanboys (and fangirls...ooops...that came out wrong). Frankly, if Ken doesn't like prechargeables, that is his choice, same as if I do like them, it's my choice. If he doesn't like that, he can just build himself a bridge and get over it.

[Seabound]

I think you guys are getting too personal, and I think your comments are unfair to Ken. As to Ken's "type", I actually find him to be one of the more helpful and reasonable people in this jetbook forum. And by "help", I mean good help, not the kind of help which tends to throw one off the mark, as is becoming quite common in MobileRead.

[Lady Fitzgerald]

Originally Posted by Seabound

I think you guys are getting too personal, and I think your comments are unfair to Ken. As to Ken's "type", I actually find him to be one of the more helpful and reasonable people in this jetbook forum. And by "help", I mean good help, not the kind of help which tends to throw one off the mark, as is becoming quite common in MobileRead.

Sure he is helpful, as long as you agree with everything he says. His "response" to my post was rather smartalecky. And his advice about using 1 hour fast chargers is flat wrong. I did not attack him (or even mention him or that he was the one who favored fast chargers) when I stated slow chargers are better for batteries but he definitely attacked me. Sorry, that kind of "help" I can do without. I freely admit I don't know jack about Ectaco readers but I do know something about rechargeable batteries, both from research I've done and from actual experience and THAT was what I was sharing. Frankly, I was being very reserved. You would not want to be in the way if I let loose with both barrels.

[Seabound]

Originally Posted by Lady Fitzgerald

Sure he is helpful, as long as you agree with everything he says. His "response" to my post was rather smartalecky. And his advice about using 1 hour fast chargers is flat wrong. I did not attack him (or even mention him or that he was the one who favored fast chargers) when I stated slow chargers are better for batteries but he definitely attacked me. Sorry, that kind of "help" I can do without. I freely admit I don't know jack about Ectaco readers but I do know something about rechargeable batteries, both from research I've done and from actual experience and THAT was what I was sharing. Frankly, I was being very reserved. You would not want to be in the way if I let loose with both barrels.

Well I don't think he was trying to help you. He was asking you valid questions relevant to this thread. Smartalecy, yeah sure, but hardly a personal attack.

[Ken Maltby]

With all the imaginary and creative descriptions of my supposed motivations and opinions, it is a shame that you missed the one I had hoped might be understood;
It is a good idea to consider the subject of the thread, before you post.

It also would help if you bothered to read the thread. There is one post where I
invited anyone to do the same type of device specific testing as I have posted
here, I even mentioned the Enloops as a candidate. So far I haven't seen any
such testing posted.

Just for the record, I do NOT recommend fast chargers on a regular basis. I only
mentioned the use of them or primary batteries -if- I were somehow caught with
no fully charged batteries on hand (such as if I were to go months without charging
any, like you I guess).

The Enloops appear to be good Japanese made AA rechargeable batteries, they
probably would work fine in the JBL. For most of us, whatever LSD capabilities they
may have would be of no real use, though. The test results here indicate as much.

It does seem odd to me that with all the other rechargeable battery makes out
there, there are only "Enloopies" who must become excited if there is any suggestion
that their favorite battery is not loved by all or not thought to be the perfect answer
to every battery question.

It is only an AA battery! There is no "Best", Most provide about the same level of
performance and utility when used in the JBL. If you disagree please provide testing
data, for use in the JBL, that can be compared to the test runs posted in this thread.

Luck;
Ken