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Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!bonnie!akgua!sdcsvax!sdcrdcf!trwrba!cadovax!keithd
From: keithd@cadovax.UUCP (Keith Doyle)
Newsgroups: net.consumers,net.physics,net.analog
Subject: Re: lifetime of rechargeable batteries
Message-ID: <284@cadovax.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 12-Nov-84 14:43:08 EST
Article-I.D.: cadovax.284
Posted: Mon Nov 12 14:43:08 1984
Date-Received: Thu, 15-Nov-84 03:56:11 EST
References: <1789@garfield.UUCP>, <150@geowhiz.UUCP>
Organization: Contel Cado, Torrance, CA
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Xref: sdcsvax net.consumers:1420 net.physics:1924 net.analog:62


>>         I have recently bought a set of GE size  'D' rechargeable
>> batteries  and  have had to recharge them twice in the past month
>> and a half.  When I first bought them, I charged  them  up,  used

>  I just bought a 9 volt nicad battery and found out that 9 volt 
>nicads really only produce 7.2 volts.  Thats fine for my application,
>but are there some common appliances which won't work with 7.2 volt
>nicads, but will work with regular 9 volt transistor batteries.

It's obvious that the battery manufacturers just can't bring themselves
to produce a product that would effectively obsolete their disposable
battery products.  I remember some battery packs in some of the Tektronix
scopes that seemed to last for years.  Thinking that rechargables
were practical because of this, I bought some Eveready rechargeables,
AA, C, D, and 9 volt.  The 9 volt is of course only 7.2 and won't work
in some applications.  I found that these batteries would recharge about
5 or 6 times before they wouldn't hold a charge.   On the other hand, a
friend of mine found some 9 volt type batteries some time ago that were
made in Europe somewhere, that were actually 9.6 volts (or thereabouts)
and held a charge much better then the Evereadys.  I tried G.E's and
Radio Shack (ugh!) out of desperation, but still found no success.  My
old T.I. calculator batteries hold up better than these.  I've since
resorted to building power supplies for many of my battery operated
gizmos ( particularly musical instrument black boxes ), as I don't
like to patronize these battery manufacturers.  

I've also heard that light bulbs that last forever can be made, but you
can't buy them, because G.E. (etc.) would lose money.

Keith Doyle
{ucbvax,decvax}!trwrb!cadovax!keithd