aa Battery's Race To 0.8v How Much Interest Is There?

[MarkCZ]

To add to Monte's post is a way to think about a battery, any BATTERY!
They are a container, they store energy!
Just like a 16.9 bottle of drinking water!
I can down a single bottle of water in under two minutes, my wife nurses one for several hours, but they both have the same measured amount of contents!
Well electronics is the same way, giving the same battery doesn't mean two different models or two different brands will gulp down a battery at the same rate!
But!, that doesn't mean the battery is the issue here! If you put a set of he Ray-O-Vac fusions in your detector they will run longer than the Exide's!!! and that's in ANY detector!
Putting a 188ma load on both of these and letting them do what they do until the same measured voltage drain point is reached is a way to measure the batteries content so to speak.
now, how closely the cells deliver their energy from one cell to another is a signal of (somewhat) consistency in the batteries internal materials, and workmanship in putting them together.
So, batteries are containers, they are the same size, but they all differ in total contents! Those Poland Bunnies, is a full size aa battery, but they're only half the contents of the A+ batteries.

Before I go!
I'm starting an experiment with maybe three groups of 4-cells of the murdered aa batteries, and I was going to use my Renu-It charger but its not working, BUT! I've got another idea that I've started on
to see if FRESH dated, dead (used up) batteries could be recycled if maybe only ONE time! so, I've got some cooking now!
So,nothing is DONE yet, and I'll keep you posted if anything interesting turns up!
Wait For It!!

 

[Johnnyanglo]

Here's the breakdown of cost for MarkCZ's A+ battery ratings.

 

[MarkCZ]

Seems there is a missing post where someone ask about what the current load was of my battery test?
Anyway I don't see it now,
But here is the picture of the meter displaying the current reading of a single aa battery and one of the
4.7ohm resistors.

Which is 188.3ma.

​

 

[MarkCZ]

Here's the breakdown of cost for MarkCZ's A+ battery ratings.

Thank You For The Contribution!!!

 

[Monte]

Johnnyanglo:
Here's the breakdown of cost for MarkCZ's A+ battery ratings.
'Thank You' for compiling this. One tiny error is the Albertson's Signature' batteries are $12.49 retail for the 60-Pack.. That's only a 1¢ adjustment down to $21¢, but since we're figuring numbers ....

I buy ANY of the A+ - to - 'C' Grade batteries when they are on a killer sale, such as a 48-Pack of the JobSmart for $5.00. Otherwise, I buy the 'Berry' 'B' Grade or 'Best' 'A' Grade batteries when I spot a 'special, and usually keep a supply of the 'A' and 'A+' batteries on-hand that reflect the better buys, such as the Signature batteries I have plenty of right now. There are NO Eveready, or Energizer or Duracell or other top-brand name batteries in my battery and flashlight emergency tote. Too much $$$$ and some just do not provide worthy performance.

Again, 'Thanks' for getting the prices for the different quantity packages.

Monte

 

[pack72]

Here's the breakdown of cost for MarkCZ's A+ battery ratings.

The next step is to divide each battery's per-unit cost by its average run time, to get a per-hour cost. Obviously this won't be per hour of operation in your detector, but it is a way to combine price and performance to get a value that can be compared between different batteries. If battery X costs twice as much per cell as battery Y, but its run time is 230% of battery Y's run time, then it is a better value. Or, if battery Y's run time is only 25% of battery X's run time, but you can buy 6 Ys for the price of one X, Y may be a better buy (as long as you don't mind changing batteries more frequently).

 

[MarkCZ]

The next step is to divide each battery's per-unit cost by its average run time, to get a per-hour cost. Obviously this won't be per hour of operation in your detector, but it is a way to combine price and performance to get a value that can be compared between different batteries. If battery X costs twice as much per cell as battery Y, but its run time is 230% of battery Y's run time, then it is a better value. Or, if battery Y's run time is only 25% of battery X's run time, but you can buy 6 Ys for the price of one X, Y may be a better buy (as long as you don't mind changing batteries more frequently).

Well, I'm glad I gave you mathematicians something to do

 

[Johnnyanglo]

Note - Monte, I only found Albertson's 60-pack advertises for $12.99 (Link >> Signature Select 60-PK).

Here's a more complete breakdown of MarkCZ's battery ratings of most batteries tested. Cost per Hour column added.

Batteries sorted by per Unit Cost (2nd column from right - from least to most expensive)

Batteries sorted by Cost per Hour (right column - from least hourly cost to greatest)

--Johnnyanglo

 

[Monte]

Johnnyanglo:
Note - Monte, I only found Albertson's 60-pack advertises for $12.99 (Link >> Signature Select 60-PK).

To you and all readers, my apologies. I bought that new package last month at Albertsons, and I double checked the sticker price on it when I made my earlier post of battery costs. It read $12.49. I was at Albertsons a few days ago and double-checked because I was buying a 60 Pack of AAA'alkaline batteries and, at that store, they had the AA's priced at $12.49 and that was also th price on the hook on the display. maybe a store oversigh5t? It only amounted to a penny per battery, but I just went on-line also and you're price is correct by what is online.

Doesn't effect my use of them because they have been the #1 performing battery for me in several devices other than metal detectors since four years ago.

Now, let me add another 'Thank You' for doing the math that I was going to do, but have just been too busy with other projects.

Like I said before, there is a lot of information for folks to gather from mark's extensive testing.

Monte

 

[MarkCZ]

Long ago there were rumors that Alkaline batteries could be recharged outside the Renu-It charger. The concept was pretty simple,
take a No Brain (non smart charger) and hook it to a 24-hr lamp timer and set the timer in a way as to interrupt the charging cycle
before the battery has enough time to get HOT!
So, seeing how I have a stupid charger and several lamp timers I've decided to see what might be the outcome of this Alkaline
battery charging concept.
Now, my brother Ron has actually used the Renu-It charger with some success, and with its fallout.
The success was he found that SOME brands of batteries did charge and some better than others, some didn't really recharge at all.
The fallout! He had some of the batteries leak and damage the battery contacts in his F-75 detector, after that he went to using
Tenergy rechargeable's.

So, here I have Nine Pounds of FRESH batteries of several different brands and I've got everything to do the test with, and I'm thinking
along the lines of just a single battery recycle!! not on and on until something of a fallout happens. I mean, what if its possible and
safe to recycle an A+ battery and say get 7-hrs more good use of it?? I don't have ANY hopes of regaining the original total drain times,
but if its possible to maybe recover 70% of that, would it be worth looking into??

Here is my plan,
setup the timer to do 30 minute on cycles and 1 hour off cycle between each on cycle, and use a total of 24 hours of total time
from start to stop, meaning that the batteries would get a total of 8 hours of charging over the 24 hour period. They'll charge for
30 min, cool for 60 min. Then in say two to three days check the no load voltage of the battery to see if its retained enough of a
charge to put it back through the drain test that killed it in the first place! The retained voltage mark I've set for this is
'Over 1.4v'.
Now, I can say this already,
The Exides are three days off the recycle and they still have the Green Light!
The Energizer "Industrial" have FAILED after only two days!,
The Energizer MAX (USA) came off the recycle charge 4 hours ago (to early to tell) but they look good at 1.6v.
I've got a set of the Ray-O-Vac Fusions recycling now.

And a note here, at the end of a 30 minute charge cycle the batteries surface temperature is between 87 and 90 degrees.

Here is what this arrangement looks like!

 

[MarkCZ]

Johnnyanglo:
Note - Monte, I only found Albertson's 60-pack advertises for $12.99 (Link >> Signature Select 60-PK).

To you and all readers, my apologies. I bought that new package last month at Albertsons, and I double checked the sticker price on it when I made my earlier post of battery costs. It read $12.49. I was at Albertsons a few days ago and double-checked because I was buying a 60 Pack of AAA'alkaline batteries and, at that store, they had the AA's priced at $12.49 and that was also th price on the hook on the display. maybe a store oversigh5t? It only amounted to a penny per battery, but I just went on-line also and you're price is correct by what is online.

Doesn't effect my use of them because they have been the #1 performing battery for me in several devices other than metal detectors since four years ago.

Now, let me add another 'Thank You' for doing the math that I was going to do, but have just been too busy with other projects.

Like I said before, there is a lot of information for folks to gather from mark's extensive testing.

Monte

And we're not done yet!

 

[MarkCZ]

Well a little update on how resurrecting the dead is going (depleted batteries)
The Energizer industrial's FAILED, in less than two days of their recycling the voltage had dropped back to 1.2v
The exide's were first off and they're holding nicely @ 1.48v I'm about ready to put them back through the drain test!
The Energizer MAX (USA's) came off the recycle charge Sunday @ 8:30pm and they are holding nicely @ 1.52v
The Ray-O-Vac Fusions already FAILED!
Duracell "Copper Tops" came off charge at 8:30pm this evening (Tuesday) and are at 1.6v (but its early for them yet)
The AC Delco's we're put in for recycling at 8:30pm this evening (right after I took the Duracells off charge).

I'm not planning on trying to recycle ALL of the desist, but I want to do enough to say if its possible to recycle a reasonable amount of usable run time out of them.
I've got one more set laid out to recycle and that's the Member Mart's.
So, keep an eye out for the drain test of the Exide's pretty soon!

Mark

 

[MarkCZ]

Well, my Alkaline battery recycling project isn't going so well so far!
Four days after I recharged the Energizer USA's they leaked!
The Exide's didn't retain enough charge to continue testing them!
The Duracell's may make it???
So, I'm going to adjust things a bit, I'm going to set the total charge time to 4 hours instead of 8 hours, its possible I'm over charging them.
For the test to make it to the next level I need them to hold a No Load charge of at lest 1.45v or 1.5v.
So, I'll see if reducing the total charge time will help things along some, but right now, the outlook is grim!

 

[u2robert]

Look at the big brain on MarkCZ.
I see you reload also.
Metal Detectors, Guns & Guitars.
What more can an old guy ask for?

 

[MarkCZ]

Look at the big brain on MarkCZ.
I see you reload also.
Metal Detectors, Guns & Guitars.
What more can an old guy ask for?

Well, enough youth to use them

Yep! I've been reloading sense around 1985, and for YEARS I did all my older brothers Ron reloading, he does his own now.
A couple of weeks ago I ordered a New Glock 27 which puts be back into reloading that caliber, I already had the dies, powder, and primers but I needed some brass,
then last night I landed these on fleabay. Still have to find some JHP bullets!

40 S&W 1000+ Count Cleaned Brass and Nickel Casings Range Pick-Ups | eBay

1000 + 40 Smith and Wesson brass and nickel casings. These are wet cleaned range pick-ups. Ready to be resized and decapped.

www.ebay.com

I even load for the .25acp.

Most of my powder, primers, scales, and manuals is stored in cabinets above the bench.

Here is a little novelty I came across a few months back.
It was made in 1974,
its been fired 7 times, and I got the original box of shells that was bought with the gun!
I have the box, and I went on ebay and found a couple of original magazines for it.
I paid $150.00 for the gun, and the darn used mags cost me $50.00 a piece!!!!!

Its a Lama mini 1911 .380 acp And I reload for it as well (same round as my Ruger LCP-II)

To save the VERY hard to find original grips I ordered these for it, I found them on ebay, they came from Turkey and are genuine Walnut.

Also, me and my older brother Ron are CCW holders!

And many years ago my wife did take some Guitar lessons, but that didn't last to long and we sold the guitars.
If you ever have any reloading questions, other than 50BMG just ask!

 

[u2robert]

Yeah I have my CWP also.
Looks like a mini 1911
Lama did make 1911's back in the day.
Had one must have sold it.

 

[wvrick]

Hope to see how well Graphene batteries do in the near future.

 

[MarkCZ]

Hope to see how well Graphene batteries do in the near future.

Never heard of those but an Internet search shows them to be fairly new Li-ion battery out of China.
Mark

 

[wvrick]

Right, Graphene come from Graphite and is the best conductor of heat and electricity known to man. They allow higher temps and faster charge times, plus higher capacity at lighter weight.

 

[BH505Man]

And after over 300 hours and over 140 murdered batteries it all shakes down to this!!!
View attachment 278

Poor Monte. Whoever sold you those Chinese Duralock Duracell batteries really ripped you off @ 79 cents each.