UKC

What are the best AA to use in a Petzl Myo 3 Head torch? Duracell Ultras?

In reply to KA:
Nimh ?

In reply to KA: i will say this woithout anyone EVER convincing me otherwise....go for the energizer lithium! they are LIGHT, have superior performance in cold weather, and they last forever! and did i mention they're light!?

In reply to KA: nice guys use rechargeables, Energizers do seem to last a long time though

In reply to KA:

Lithium are supposed to be the best, but only got one set for the camera and now use rechargeables.

In reply to Justin: I used 2500mAh rechargable batteries, and they were pretty crap...

In reply to KA: I've some Hahnel rechargeable AAs and they seem ok.

In reply to Chris Tait:

Completely agree with Ken - the lithium are the 'pigs tweakers' of batteries for the reasons he mentions. I've had AA in my radios for a year, icluding week in Alps and week in scotland last winter and still going strong !

Argos are doing them 2 for one last time I bought or try 7dayshop.com

Nickel-Metal-Hydride batteries will outlast (from 2500Mha) lithium batteries by about 3-4 times. An NiMH set of batteries will last a whole day in a digital camera, and more, whereas a lithium (Energizer Ultra) will last only a few shots before it dies.

Get some rechargeables and a charger, it'll save money too, and you'll not have to replace them for ages in a head torch.

In reply to SoHotRockstar:
yes they are good for high power short duration.

However they self discharge at quite a high rate compared to other rechargeables so that has to be remembered

Nicads will retain charge longer but hold less charge and also suffer from "memory" etc

Rechargeable alkalines have no memory and retain charge for years but again have less capacity than NimH and also an increased internal resistance as they discharge that lessens power output - still very useful

If you get a Rayovac triple mode (Nicad/NimH/Alkaline) charger you will find you can recharge AAA AA and D type Duracells as well - several cycles before discarding though better to keep topping up as they last indefiniely then

In reply to Anonymous:
I took a solar charger to nepal,charges ether 2 or 4 batteries at a time,cost only £29 from cotswold,worked fine

Basically its for my ML assessment, which is two nights of night nav... Therefore its not really duration I need, since I guess I'll need it on (mostly on the LEDs anyway) for 5hrs or so a night... I ve got rechargables which I d normally use, as its cheaper, and more environmentally friendly, however, its just not got anywhere near the power on the xenon bulb I would like.

In reply to SoHotRockstar:

???? Energiser Ultra are not lithium;
http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=-115&doy=7m10

This is the cheapest Lithium I know = £2.50 each Special occasions only i.e. my ML assesment;
http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=13043&doy=7m10

In reply to IainM:

AA

http://www.7dayshop.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=100201

£1.15 each

AAA

http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/catalogId/3801/partNumber/9804207.htm

£1.50 each

In reply to KA:

Uniross do (a set of 4) decent 2300 Nimh and a fast charger (3 pin plug and car charger) for about £17. Pretty good value.

Alternative (possibly best in cold weather) are Lithiums - EverReady Energizer (blue battery) seem to be best.

DJ

In reply to KA: Energizer Lithiums - they weigh 70% of normal AA, hold a lot more charge than the 2300MaH NiMH or NiCAD and worked well in my head torch at -20C.
Very expensive in UK, got mine on special in Home Depot in USA. Have once seen Energizer Lithium AAA in Frys in California but otherwise only AA.

In reply to ian2u: good point about cost of lithium over there; here in canada, they're fairly inexpensive. but the blue/silver energizer lithiums lasted FOREVER for me...i use them in my camera equipment, and at altitude in the VERY cold they were flawless. for a climber, the weight issue is a good one for lithiums.

In reply to KA:
OK, a brief summary:

2300mAh NiMH Rechargeables - last as long as a good alkaline cell. Better in cold weather (Ok down to around -10/15). BUT die quickly when they go. Good bet for treehugging kudos. Use this as your std battery.

Lithium - great as spares as they are so light and hold charge for ages. 4-5 times lifespan of the other 2 main cell types, but at about 4 times the cost of an alkaline. Good for down to -40. What I'd take on exped if no access to portable recharger units (eg. no sun!)

In reply to danm:
another vote for energiser lithiums. £3.69 here
http://www.batteriesdirect.co.uk/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=62&prod...
do aaa's as well

In reply to ian2u:

How much more do they hold, exactly? Non-rechargeables seem very reluctant to publish this data. Please let me know where you get information on the milliamp-hours rating of non-rechargeable batteries. I've looked everywhere (obviously that's not true if you know where this info can be found, but you know what I mean).

I use 2350mAh Hahnel. Provided they are used pretty much straight out of the charger, they seem to outlast any non-rechargeables.

In reply to Simon White: Normally use Uniross 2300mAH rechargeable in Garmin Vista GPS, they usually last for 2 days. Energizer Lithium last for 4 to 5 days for same sort of usage. Same with iRiver MP3 player. Not scientific but from experience I would say they last at least twice as long and of course dont lose their charge. Ideal for long trek / climb in cold regions where the expense is worth it.

In reply to ian2u:

I'm sure you're right about the lithiums. I've not used them as I have a good collection of NiMH rechargeables. On a battery-hungry application such as a GPS they would undoubtedly be an advantage but there's still the question of waste disposal. I've not had to throw away a used battery for as long as I can remember.

If anyone has access to scientific data on the capacity of non-rechargeables could they post please? The best the manufacturers give us is always along the lines of "lasts up to 7 times longer than some others" which is about as uninformative as it's possible to be. At least when comparing, say, a 1700mAh rechargeable with a 2300mAh, one can make a reasonably informed judgement.