Best rechargeable AA battery and charger? at DVinfo.net

Lucas Hall · July 21st, 2003, 10:28 PM

I'm looking for a set of charger and rechargeable AA batteries to power my new Sony wireless receiver and transmitter. Can someone suggest the best name out there? I am eye'ing the Panasonic on Ebay, but there might be something else...Sony?

Thanks in advance,
Lucas

Vladimir Koifman · July 22nd, 2003, 05:45 AM

I've seen quite a few favorable mentions of MAHA batteries and charger.
http://www.mahaenergy.com/

Dan Holly · July 22nd, 2003, 02:07 PM

I'll update tonight if I can find a model number.
It came with my Sony Cybershot digital camera and I'm really-really happy with it.

John Hartney · July 22nd, 2003, 08:16 PM

Hi Lucas,

I use MaHa chargers... here's a good webseller:

http://www.thomas-distributing.com/maha-charts.htm

about a month ago, I bought the MH-C401FS. Its without a doubt the best charger you can get for AA and AAA batteries. It does full charges of any combination of 4 batteries (or less) in only 100 minutes!

That means you can have one AAA and two AA NiMh batteries in any stage of discharge, and the charger will analyze each independantly and give it the appropriate charge.

I also use the MaHa MH-C777 PLUS which allows me to charge just about any combination of NiMh or Lion batteries... I charge batteries for my pdx10 with it, and I use a Wendt X4 mixer and charge all eight AA batteries with it... I also use a HHB MD500 and charge the batteries right in their chassi using the 777...

Check em out!

Best,

John Hartney
werks.tv

Glenn Chan · July 25th, 2003, 08:52 PM

I recommend that you use non-rechargeable batteries. They last for hundreds of hours in microphones (not sure about your wireless). It's very very bad when batteries run out of charge, so I would use non-rechargeable batteries to avoid that. They do not lose charge like rechargeables do and they have more capacity.

Lucas Hall · July 25th, 2003, 09:02 PM

Well, I went the rechargeable route because I only use 8 hours maximum per event for the wireless system. Besides, it has power display on the wireless and the transmitter as well, which is very helpful...so that I know if it's near empty and can stop using before it hurts my system.
Lucas

Glenn Chan · July 25th, 2003, 09:19 PM

Nice, I didn't know these systems have this!

Gints Klimanis · January 4th, 2005, 04:59 PM

>I recommend that you use non-rechargeable batteries. They >last for hundreds of hours in microphones (not sure about your >wireless). It's very very bad when batteries run out of charge, >so I would use non-rechargeable batteries to avoid that.

Chuckle, yes it is bad. I'm going the rechargeable route for precisely the reliability reason. Rather than worry about the battery level of my alkalines and whether or not they'll last the event, I prefer knowing that I'm working with a rechargeable that has been charged before each event.

Dan Euritt · January 4th, 2005, 07:48 PM

alkalines are a poor choice these days... the capacity vs. cost of nimh aa's blows everything else away... we are talking about 2000+mah per aa battery!

these nimh aa's have a huge market in digital photography, which has helped drive the prices waaay down.

i use 'em to power the remote camera and mpeg2 recorder for the race cars, and i found that the same number of aa alkalines wouldn't even power the unit up.

motorola has a 15-minute rechargeable aa nimh system that is pretty cheap, it's worked well for me... you can get it at walmart.

Gints Klimanis · January 5th, 2005, 11:29 PM

Here's a good on-line source for batteries. Wow, a four pack of 2500 mAh Energizer batteries can be had for $12.

http://thomas-distributing.com/batteries.htm

Here are a pair of articles on NiMH batteries and chargers :

"The Great Battery Shootout!
by Dave Etchells"
http://www.imaging-resource.com/ACCS/BATTS/BATTS.HTM

Gints Klimanis · January 5th, 2005, 11:44 PM

Hi,

I'm looking for an AA/AAA/9V battery charger, preferably with
a slow charge mode. It's difficult to evaluate all of the chargers
out there. My current Panasonic charger really heats up the
batteries. Is cool or slow charging that important ?

This unit seems good as it handles 5 AA's and does
all sorts of "smart" stuff, but doesn't have a "gentler"
slow charging mode. The five battery compartments
happen to be useful for my Nikon camera flash unit,
so you can see my motivation.

http://thomas-distributing.com/ip-fc-501.htm

Any suggestions ?

Vinny Osborne · October 17th, 2005, 05:59 PM

Try this one: http://www.batterysupply.com/la_cros...ry_charger.php ....................Or this one:http://www.batterysupply.com/maha-mh...ry-charger.htm

July 21st, 2003, 10:28 PM	#1
Lucas Hall Regular Crew Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Boston, MA Posts: 45	Best rechargeable AA battery and charger? I'm looking for a set of charger and rechargeable AA batteries to power my new Sony wireless receiver and transmitter. Can someone suggest the best name out there? I am eye'ing the Panasonic on Ebay, but there might be something else...Sony? Thanks in advance, Lucas

July 22nd, 2003, 02:07 PM	#3
Dan Holly Major Player Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Anchorage, Alaska Posts: 336	Sony I'll update tonight if I can find a model number. It came with my Sony Cybershot digital camera and I'm really-really happy with it. __________________ Dan Holly Anchorage, Alaska

January 5th, 2005, 11:44 PM	#11
Gints Klimanis Inner Circle Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: San Jose, CA Posts: 2,222	Portable NiMH AA/AAA/9V battery charger Hi, I'm looking for an AA/AAA/9V battery charger, preferably with a slow charge mode. It's difficult to evaluate all of the chargers out there. My current Panasonic charger really heats up the batteries. Is cool or slow charging that important ? This unit seems good as it handles 5 AA's and does all sorts of "smart" stuff, but doesn't have a "gentler" slow charging mode. The five battery compartments happen to be useful for my Nikon camera flash unit, so you can see my motivation. http://thomas-distributing.com/ip-fc-501.htm Any suggestions ?

July 22nd, 2003, 05:45 AM	#2
Vladimir Koifman Regular Crew Join Date: May 2003 Location: Israel Posts: 115	I've seen quite a few favorable mentions of MAHA batteries and charger. http://www.mahaenergy.com/

July 22nd, 2003, 08:16 PM	#4
John Hartney Major Player Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Elgin, Illinois Posts: 206	Hi Lucas, I use MaHa chargers... here's a good webseller: http://www.thomas-distributing.com/maha-charts.htm about a month ago, I bought the MH-C401FS. Its without a doubt the best charger you can get for AA and AAA batteries. It does full charges of any combination of 4 batteries (or less) in only 100 minutes! That means you can have one AAA and two AA NiMh batteries in any stage of discharge, and the charger will analyze each independantly and give it the appropriate charge. I also use the MaHa MH-C777 PLUS which allows me to charge just about any combination of NiMh or Lion batteries... I charge batteries for my pdx10 with it, and I use a Wendt X4 mixer and charge all eight AA batteries with it... I also use a HHB MD500 and charge the batteries right in their chassi using the 777... Check em out! Best, John Hartney werks.tv

July 25th, 2003, 08:52 PM	#5
Glenn Chan Inner Circle Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 4,750	I recommend that you use non-rechargeable batteries. They last for hundreds of hours in microphones (not sure about your wireless). It's very very bad when batteries run out of charge, so I would use non-rechargeable batteries to avoid that. They do not lose charge like rechargeables do and they have more capacity.

July 25th, 2003, 09:02 PM	#6
Lucas Hall Regular Crew Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Boston, MA Posts: 45	Well, I went the rechargeable route because I only use 8 hours maximum per event for the wireless system. Besides, it has power display on the wireless and the transmitter as well, which is very helpful...so that I know if it's near empty and can stop using before it hurts my system. Lucas

July 25th, 2003, 09:19 PM	#7
Glenn Chan Inner Circle Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 4,750	Nice, I didn't know these systems have this!

January 4th, 2005, 04:59 PM	#8
Gints Klimanis Inner Circle Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: San Jose, CA Posts: 2,222	>I recommend that you use non-rechargeable batteries. They >last for hundreds of hours in microphones (not sure about your >wireless). It's very very bad when batteries run out of charge, >so I would use non-rechargeable batteries to avoid that. Chuckle, yes it is bad. I'm going the rechargeable route for precisely the reliability reason. Rather than worry about the battery level of my alkalines and whether or not they'll last the event, I prefer knowing that I'm working with a rechargeable that has been charged before each event.

January 4th, 2005, 07:48 PM	#9
Dan Euritt Trustee Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Carlsbad CA Posts: 1,132	alkalines are a poor choice these days... the capacity vs. cost of nimh aa's blows everything else away... we are talking about 2000+mah per aa battery! these nimh aa's have a huge market in digital photography, which has helped drive the prices waaay down. i use 'em to power the remote camera and mpeg2 recorder for the race cars, and i found that the same number of aa alkalines wouldn't even power the unit up. motorola has a 15-minute rechargeable aa nimh system that is pretty cheap, it's worked well for me... you can get it at walmart.

January 5th, 2005, 11:29 PM	#10
Gints Klimanis Inner Circle Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: San Jose, CA Posts: 2,222	Here's a good on-line source for batteries. Wow, a four pack of 2500 mAh Energizer batteries can be had for $12. http://thomas-distributing.com/batteries.htm Here are a pair of articles on NiMH batteries and chargers : "The Great Battery Shootout! by Dave Etchells" http://www.imaging-resource.com/ACCS/BATTS/BATTS.HTM

October 17th, 2005, 05:59 PM	#12
Vinny Osborne New Boot Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 8	Try this one: http://www.batterysupply.com/la_cros...ry_charger.php ....................Or this one:http://www.batterysupply.com/maha-mh...ry-charger.htm