Battery question

P

Pixeleet

[H]ard|Gawd
Joined
Feb 24, 2003
Messages
1,145
With my MS Optical Desktop with Bluetooth, I go through new mouse batteries about once ever 3-4 weeks and new keyboard batteries about once every 7-8 weeks. My parents are kinda 'meh' about always buying batteries for my wireless equipment. I don't think it's that often, but after you add it up over a course of 1-5 years, you see that battery costs far surpass the cost of the product.
It says to use Alkaline batteries only, but do I really need to follow this rule? What damage would I get in the products from using NiCd batteries (rechargables) instead?
If I have to use Alkalines, is there a cheaper place online to buy the batteries because the costs are raping me in-store.

Thanks.
 
Well, rechargeable batteries don't put out as much voltage as alkaline. Where AAA up through D cell puts out 1.5V when they're fresh, rechargables only supply 1.2V. As the battery loses its charge, the voltage drops. At the end of their life, an alkaline battery might put out 1V. A rechargable battery will put out even less. Battery powered devices are designed to operate at the reduced voltage, but honestly when you get down to 1.1V and below things don't work as well.

Unless you're talking about 9V batteries, in which case the difference is even greater.
 
Well, I would charge the batteries like, every 1.5-2 weeks, probably where they would be close to triggering the low battery warning but not too close to being too low of a voltage. I need to discharge it completely though somehow, otherwise the battery won't hold as much charge the next time around... :(
 
batteries are important i mean you need to run the mouse and keyboard but thats why i dont think i would ever go wireless even if it was blue tooth
 
I'd have thought the MS mice would use rechargeable batteries, a la the MX700 and MX900 series from Logitech.

I'd follow the directions and use alkaline, but then again, I never read manuals...
 
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