[H]ot - Eneloop Power Pack - 8xAA, 2xAAA, 4 D adapters, 4 C adapters, charger - $29

C

computerpro3

LightningRod
Joined
Mar 29, 2003
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Considering these retail for $3 a cell alone (and that the second cheapest price on the internet is $38 shipped), this is a hot deal right now if you have Amazon prime

http://www.amazon.com/Sanyo-277265-...1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1264880816&sr=8-1

Can replace all of your batteries in the house along with the included adapters, and being low self discharge rechargables they still retail 80% of their charge after 3 years idle! Charger kinda sucks though, I'd recommend getting a better one like a Maha C9000 or if you can find it the Sanyo MQN05.


On a side note, I spent $80 on batteries in the last three days...geez...
 
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Not bad. If you're near a Costco or a member, I've seen this same set there for $19.99.

These batteries are great. They last way longer than normal alkaline and don't lose much charge while stored like NiCd batteries tend to.
 
Oxidative said:
Not bad. If you're near a Costco or a member, I've seen this same set there for $19.99.

These batteries are great. They last way longer than normal alkaline and don't lose much charge while stored like NiCd batteries tend to.
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Yeah the Costco deal seems very YMMV though, some stores don't carry eneloops at all, and the rest are marked anywhere from $17 up to $30. I figure for those who aren't Costco members, like myself, this is the best that you're gonna get.
 
I've been using these for a few years now. Wish the sale would've been a bit sooner since I've already acquired enough AA's to power all my devices.

The only caveat I've noticed is that either they're somewhat optimistic on how slowly the charge drains, or my camera doesn't like partially charged batteries. After 3 or 4 months sitting in the bag it complains that they're getting low. My mouse eats batteries in a month or two of use, so I can't really use to it gauge their longevity.
 
all the brands carry their own versions of the eneloops now. i have used the rayovac hybrids and the energizer rechargeables (the ones that claim to be pre-charged) and theyre both great. theyre not going to last any more then 6 months on a charge, but at least they dont flatten out after 3 weeks like most nimh's do.
 
krupted said:
all the brands carry their own versions of the eneloops now. i have used the rayovac hybrids and the energizer rechargeables (the ones that claim to be pre-charged) and theyre both great. theyre not going to last any more then 6 months on a charge, but at least they dont flatten out after 3 weeks like most nimh's do.
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Neither of those are as good as the Eneloops. The Rayovacs are close, but go flat after a year or so. Over on candlepower forums, the Eneloops have been repeatedly tested by people that are rather obsessed with these sort of things (they own $500 charger-analyzers!) and have consistently come out the best. The only other thing that's equal to them are the white topped Duracell Pre-Charged Nimh, which are actually literally eneloops with a different sticker on them.

Eneloops will absolutely last far longer than 6 months on a charge. If they don't, there is probably something wrong with your charger (missing terminations for example, which overcharges and increases internal resistance). As I said before, after several years they can retain 80% of their charge.
 
So what's the deal with the included charger (i.e. why is it sucky)? I'm guessing it's not a smart charger. What does the Maha or MQN05 get you over this one? The ability to charge one at a time, overcharging protection, etc.? Just need to be sure the advantages are worth it for someone like me who uses rechargeable batteries but does not find myself constantly charging them...I just have around 8 AAs that I use in my digicam and wireless mice but I plan on buying a Fenix or Surefire AA flashlight soon and will probably use rechargeables in that as well.
 
imyourzero said:
So what's the deal with the included charger (i.e. why is it sucky)? I'm guessing it's not a smart charger. What does the Maha or MQN05 get you over this one? The ability to charge one at a time, overcharging protection, etc.? Just need to be sure the advantages are worth it for someone like me who uses rechargeable batteries but does not find myself constantly charging them...I just have around 8 AAs that I use in my digicam and wireless mice but I plan on buying a Fenix or Surefire AA flashlight soon and will probably use rechargeables in that as well.
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You are correct - the included charger mandates that you charge in pairs and is a dumb charger based on a timer.

The Maha gets you:

Independant charging channels
Extremely precise charge rates/termination voltages (extends the life of your cells)
Custom charge rates (can slow charge, or quick charge, or something in the middle - it's up to you)
Break in cycles (conditions new batteries for optimal performance)
Can recover old/flat batteries with it's repair cycles
Tons of protection features (won't charge alkalines if inserted by accident, for example)
Can test capacity so you know exactly how much life is left in your cells

All in all, if you use a lot of batteries, it will pay for itself since your batteries will last longer. IF you can find the MQN05 anywhere, jump on it immediately - it does nearly as good a job charging that the Maha does, just without the analyzer and break in features. It's about $15 too! But I can't find one anywhere; they seem to be off the market.
 
It's not that it's "bad", just that it isn't good. It won't blow up, and I'd rather use it than an Energizer charger, but there are a lot better chargers out there. I'd say you'll get 70% of the performance of the batteries using it, which is still much better than normal nimh batteries. If you want the extra longevity and performance though, it's best to get a smart charger.

Actually, this is a great deal right now while it's on sale. Believe it or not, this IS a smart charger with two independent channels, and is actually a better charger than the one above. The only downside is the 2 cell capacity vs. 4, but you get two extra eneloops with it:

http://www.amazon.com/Sanyo-Eneloop...5?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1264910131&sr=1-5
 
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Thanks for the info cp3. I wish they had a deal like this for an eneloop pack with only AAs and AAAs. I can't remember the last time I needed C or D cells (kids toys and home flashlights?). Still, $30 for 8 AAs and a usable charger isn't terrible...I think I paid that much for my last two Duracell and Energizer 15-minute chargers bundled w/4 AAs each. I know those chargers aren't the most desirable, and the batteries weren't LSD like these so really this is a much better deal.
 
imyourzero said:
Thanks for the info cp3. I wish they had a deal like this for an eneloop pack with only AAs and AAAs. I can't remember the last time I needed C or D cells (kids toys and home flashlights?).
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They're not C or D cells, they're adapters. You just slide a AA in a C or D sized shell. Pretty slick since I consider C or Ds all but useless on their own.
 
Oxidative said:
They're not C or D cells, they're adapters. You just slide a AA in a C or D sized shell. Pretty slick since I consider C or Ds all but useless on their own.
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Yay for me just looking at the picture and not reading the description. :eek:

Thanks for the clarification. :)
 
so if you dont want the adapters or the charger, this deal isnt even very warm
 
What I think is optomistic about these is using a 2000mah AA battery in a D size adapter and thinking you have a D size rechargable battery. A quick search on Amazon shows even cheap D nimh batteries are giving up 10000 mah and some of the better ones were at 12000mah. Devices calling for D batteries are typically higher drain and these puny cells would get aggravating very quickly. You'd do just as well using a AA battery and wadding up some aluminum foil in the base to use it in D powered device. Silly isn't it?

If all you need are AA's these would be much better than the average AA nimh though, but I'd save the money on the kit as the adapters are pretty much useless.
 
Is the maha charger worth it? Ive got almost 20 nimihs ranging from 1-3 years. Most of them work okay.. some suck ass. I need to keep them away from the roomates haha.

Anyone have luck recovering old cells?

Id get the pack.. but shit I don't need MORE chargers.
 
OvrrDrive said:
What I think is optomistic about these is using a 2000mah AA battery in a D size adapter and thinking you have a D size rechargable battery. A quick search on Amazon shows even cheap D nimh batteries are giving up 10000 mah and some of the better ones were at 12000mah. Devices calling for D batteries are typically higher drain and these puny cells would get aggravating very quickly. You'd do just as well using a AA battery and wadding up some aluminum foil in the base to use it in D powered device. Silly isn't it?

If all you need are AA's these would be much better than the average AA nimh though, but I'd save the money on the kit as the adapters are pretty much useless.
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Incorrect - it's not all about mah. An Alkaline D cell might have 10000mah capacity, but under high current draw you might only be able to pull 1000-1500 mah out of it before it dies due to the chemistry - once the voltage of an alkaline drops to a certain point, the reaction fails. What this means is that you literally can't get the energy out of the battery. With the eneloops, you can pull ridiculous amounts of current (some people on candlepower forums are pulling NINE AMPS from them with no ill effects). This is a function of the flatter discharge curve of nimh chemistry, and is why it does better under high amperage load. In high drain applications (like some more powerful flashlights), you will get equivalent or more runtime from a 2000mah eneloop than you will from a 10000mah alkaline. The higher drain it is, the more the advantage shifts to the eneloop. This is not the case in low drain applications like clocks and dimmer flashjlights, as you'll be able to get the majority of the 10000mah out of the Alkaline before the reaction fails - but most low drain applications like that don't use D cells anyway.

What's really nice however are nimh LSD D and C cells, like those from Thomas Distributing. Then you have the best of both worlds!
 
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computerpro3 said:
Incorrect - it's not all about mah. An Alkaline D cell might have 10000mah capacity, but under high current ....- but most low drain applications like that don't use D cells anyway.!
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cool, you and overdrv sound like you know what you're talking about. I agree with all you both stated; i gotta say tho, just can't bring myself to buy anything under 2000 mAh, too short duration.
As for the 10/12000 mAh 'D' cells, I believe those are in fact NiMh (not alkaline), but maybe you've seen others? For the rapid-discharge issue, Li-Po's seem to be the worst ... either they drop below critical V (usually 3.6v) and 'meltdown', or on-board electronics shut the device down - either way, can't power the device.
 
Those Tenergy's aren't low self discharge - make sure you know that. You can't just leave them in a drawer for a month or two, they'll be dead when you go to use them.
 
Kadarom Douhrek said:
The MQN06U isn't a dumb charger.
It uses peak voltage for sure and somewhere on candlepower I saw 0dV.

It does charge in pairs though.
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Huh, I saw on candlepower that it was. If it's not a dumb charger than why is everyone over there trying to find the MQN05? I'll take your word for it though.
 
DrStrangeBrew said:
cool, you and overdrv sound like you know what you're talking about. I agree with all you both stated; i gotta say tho, just can't bring myself to buy anything under 2000 mAh, too short duration.
As for the 10/12000 mAh 'D' cells, I believe those are in fact NiMh (not alkaline), but maybe you've seen others? For the rapid-discharge issue, Li-Po's seem to be the worst ... either they drop below critical V (usually 3.6v) and 'meltdown', or on-board electronics shut the device down - either way, can't power the device.
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The 10000mah NiMh cells are great except you have to use them practically right away. They're no good for storing in a 3D Maglite, for example, because in six months they'll be half gone or worse.
 
computerpro3 said:
Huh, I saw on candlepower that it was. If it's not a dumb charger than why is everyone over there trying to find the MQN05? I'll take your word for it though.
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The 2 versus 1 cell charging is why the 05 is better.

I put four energizers in yesterday at the same time.
Last night one side had stopped charging while the other was still blinking.
This morning all 4 are charged.

Plus I ripped it open.:p
And there may have been a MQN06 without the U that was a dumb charger.:confused:
 
computerpro3 said:
The 10000mah NiMh cells are great except you have to use them practically right away. They're no good for storing in a 3D Maglite, for example, because in six months they'll be half gone or worse.
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Thanks for the info, good to know. I got some 5000 'C's, mainly to use for R/C cars & airsoft, which I usually charge just before using, so that's OK.

I will keep it in mind for the AA / AAA's, since those are for flashlights, walkietalkies, mp3, etc ..

btw, how can you determine "low self discharge" -- from the chemistry, an obscure spec rating, or just from experience ? :p
 
I've got some C and D adapters already (came with my LaCrosse charger). I never found they do a whole lot of good, myself - any device that calls for C or D cell batteries run down AAs very quickly - or the AAs simply can't put out enough power to run the device.

It's a decent deal if you need the adapters.

I just went with some more Rayovac hybrids at Target a couple of weeks back for $8 / 4pk.

they're not as good as the Eneloops but they are pretty decent IMO. They've certainly lasted longer than my crappy normal discharge Duracells I got from Amazon the year before. 3 years later and I'm down to maybe 3 Duracells out of 16 and they often get so low on power the LaCrosse can't detect them.

The Rayovacs have held up under time and perform very well.
 
DrStrangeBrew said:
Thanks for the info, good to know. I got some 5000 'C's, mainly to use for R/C cars & airsoft, which I usually charge just before using, so that's OK.

I will keep it in mind for the AA / AAA's, since those are for flashlights, walkietalkies, mp3, etc ..

btw, how can you determine "low self discharge" -- from the chemistry, an obscure spec rating, or just from experience ? :p
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It will be advertised as low self discharge. Only a few companies make decent ones right now - Sanyo (Eneloop), Duracell (white top ones only, not black bade in china ones), Rayovac 4.0, and a couple of lesser known brands.
 
Eneloops are awesome, just try to only buy during sales. This is decent, costco has a better pack as some said earlier. But YMMV on local stock and sales.
 
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