And what do we think of rechargeable batteries?

G

Good question Grazie. I've had mixed experiences. Some last for many years, but others go for maybe 1 or 2 years, then they won't recharge any more - the charger light keeps blinking .....

Brand wise - I have some quite cheap Ever Readys from a grocery supermarket which are still good after 4 years, but other more expensive brands - we have an electronic chain store here called Dick Smith Electronics and their DSE (G'day Spot!) brand are inconsistent - some seem to keep on going, others not ....

Sometimes I buy a 30 pack of non-rechargeables from another Hardware chain for $9 and just use and throw away - sometimes it feels like better value.

How are others going?

same as you peter - however, i bought this 'cheap' charger that switches between alk / ni cd / ni mh and it seems to work wonders on cheap alkies - reinvigorates them to a like new status a couple of times (usually everyready heavy duty from the supermarket in bulk pack).

that said, i always use fresh batteries in my senny wireless (when i use it), and throw them away after. have nothing else left that runs 9v batteries ;-)

I bought the quite expensive Powerex MH-C9000 charger / conditioner unit that is very good, it tells you how much energy it put into each cell. A full recondtion cycle takes over 1 day. You can set both the discharge and charge current. I think I paid $90 for this unit.

The NiMH cells themselves these days come in two different types;

1) High capacity. In AA you can get upto 2,700 mAH which is a lot of juice. Downside is self discharge is quite high and just sitting around these cells, even the best of them, may not last too long. If you need a lot of power and you use them several times a week then they're the go.

2) Lower capacity, long life, low self discharge. Sanyo seem to have been the first to market with these sold as "Enerloop". They do work as advertised. In AA these come in at around 2,200 mAH. If you don't use your batteries a lot these can be excellent value, I use the AAA ones in remote controls and my torch.

The best NiMH cells are generally considered to be the Maha / Powerex brand.

Some gear such as the Senny G2 / G3 wireless mic systems are not entirely happy running off NiMH batteries. The battery indicator will show a charged battery as not fully charged. That's quite logical as NiMH batteries are only 1.2V. Sennheiser do sell their own NiMH battery pack and charger system, not cheap though. Those battery modules make contact with an additional pin in the unit to tell the unit it is being run from NiMH batteries so the battery state indicator works correctly. On the up side the Senny battery system allows the transmitter and receiver to be charged without taking the batteries out of the unit, you just drop the whole unit into the charging dock Given the cost probably great for a broadcaster.

Bob.

+1 for Eneloop AA rechargables.

I have been using these for about 2 years now on various bits of kit. Mainly flash guns and now with video lights like the z96.
These batteries are simply the best i have tested. Without exception.
As an example, i have a case of flash guns which i put together as part of a project we needed to do some years ago. All loaded with Eneloops. These were charged around one and a half years ago and just left in the case. The other week, we needed them and i thought, no way.. But, we switched them on and to my amazment found almost full charges in all the flashes!! No other battery that i am aware of can come anywhere close to this. Also, the sheer capacity is excellent.
They are not cheap compaired to other chargables, but what a difference!!!
Now using these with some z96s and getting great results.

Paul.

The discharge curve, for rechargables and alkalines is quite different, as is the actual full charge voltage. Most RE-chargeable AAs are about 1.2V. It would be nice if a tester could be calibrated or set for different battery types. Most portable audio recorders and have this option.
I've using the Rayovac Hybrids in my Sennheiser G2/3sfor a few years now and they run 12+ hours continuous without issue. They can be charged ahead of time as well due to the low 'self-discharge' characteristic. .

For now-and-then use maybe go with the recharge type.
But the radio network I freelance for dumped them.
Reason being, the batteries used in Marantz 661 recorders wouldn't hold a charge long enough, and died, often very suddenly and in the middle of an interview/event.
We use alkaline exclusively across the network as a result, and feel more confident.
I can't imagine testing each battery every time.
Rule of thumb on the video biz side is, new shoot-new batteries for the Sennheiser lavs.
That way no surprises.
Doesn't sound too green I know, but it save on hair greying.

I should have mentioned that the little tester I mentioned in the first post had a switch that you set to either regular or rechargeable, presumably to move the reference point from 1.5 to 1.2 volts. It also has nubs for testing 9v batteries.

As for using new cells for every performance, one show I recorded used about 15 wireless mics on the actors. Each one was loaded with a fresh 9v battery for every show by the stage crew. I asked and was allowed to salvage the "used" batteries afterwards. My smoke detectors now have a lifetime supply of batteries.