4. “All Charged Up! – II”

Recommendations:

d. I’ve personally own a Rayovac IC3 15-min charger (AAA/AA sizes, 4 battery capacity, 120V) as well as a 15-minute NOMA (AAA/AA sizes, 2 battery capacity, 120V) rechargeable battery system.  I prefer the NOMA by far as it also charges standard rechargeable metal-hydride or nickel-cadmium (Ni-cad) batteries in 30 minutes, whereas, the Rayovac requires about 12 hours.  Thus even regular rechargeable ni-cad and metal-hydride batteries charge in short period of time extending their usefulness.  In the future, if your 15-minute batteries are worn out and no new batteries are available, you can always purchase the older style rechargeable batteries.  Thus, your batteries can be recharged quickly enough during periods when the power infrastructure is working.

Additional, NOMA  has a nice swing-out 120 V plug making it very convenient whereas the Rayovac 120V IC3 charger has a bulky external power adapter.  On the positive side, the Rayovac can charge 4 batteries at once as opposed to the NOMAs 2 battery capacity on the unit I purchased.

* The batteries can be charged as many as 1000 cycles, 500 being most likely closer to the actual average.  There is no memory effect so it’s best to “top them” up as required.

* The 15-minute battery technology has also been used by many other brand names such as Sony and Energizer.  I annot comment on their strengths and weakness (primary of the charger unit)

e. Another battery type I prefer based upon my experiences is the Canadian made Pure Power XL rechargeable alkaline battery system..  Only purchase the newer types with use “XL” (eXtra Length) batteries which last longer and can be charged far more often.  The advantage over the 15-minute battery systems is storage life.  These batteries hold a charge up to 7 years!, thus, they are great for.  The unit I have charges up to 4 batteries at once (AAA/AA sizes) and unfortunately uses 120 V input sources only. 

* The batteries can be charged as many as 500 cycles, 250 being most likely closer to the actual average.  There is no memory effect so it’s best to “top them” up as required.  The batteries last longest if recharged more frequently than allowed to run down.

f. Also purchase some good quality disposable alakine batteries and store them in your freezer.  In Canada, on sale, I can find *NEW* batteries often in packages of 20 or more for under $5.00.  Always check the expiration date as you want the batteries to last as long as possible.  Rotate your stock as required.

Tips:

g. Many times, the recharger unit is practically thrown in for free.  At a local store they had Rayovac IC3 AA batteries for $ 13.99 (Canadian) for a package of 4.  I purchased the NOMA unit for $20.00 including the superior recharging unit, and 8 batteries (liquidation sale).  I purchased 3 units giving me 2 spare chargers should I require them, or should I need to charge more than 2 batteries at a time – which will be the case in an emergency.  The now-obsolete Rayovac units, I shipped over to my residence in the Philippines.  Look for bargains and liquidation events or dealers.

h. Purchase a low-cost DC-AC inverter with a cigarette lighter connection AND clamps for a large battery.  In a pinch you can charge your batteries using your cigarette lighter or from a small scale solar power system.  The latter you an make yourself for a relatively low cost.

i. If you’re in an area where there is the possibility of floods, hurricanes (typhoons, cyclones), tornadoes and so forth, make sure to store your spare batteries and recharger units stored in water-tight plastic pails.  You can often purchase plastic food pails at bulk food dealer often for free – or for a buck.

j. Try to charge the batteries in a location where the damage of an battery explosion is minimized.  I’ve had top quality alkaline batteries internally short out (putting it into water cooled it down – I was lucky).  As I live in an apartment, I recharge when I can on the balcony and orientate the recharger so any explosion is directed away from my unit.  Of course, I make sure it’s sunny as water and electricity do not mix.  Likewise, I also make sure to use a power bar with a top quality surge, spike and noise suppressor.

k. You can purchase some batteries in bulk.  If you’re purchasing (say) Pure Energy batteries, purchases of 10 or 20 or more batteries results in savings from bulk dealers.  Again, as they have a 7-year shelf life batteries can be thought of as a form of savings or an investment.

* Don’t underestimate your cost savings with a rechargeable battery.  Each battery can replace 250 – 1000 conventional alkaline batteries depending upon how they are used.  That is in terms of recharge cycles.  As some batteries like Pure Energy can last up to 5 times longer than an alkaline battery, this figure may be substantially higher.  A package of 10 alkaline batteries could replace a shelf-full of regular, disposable batteries.

l. You can purchase adapters which allow AAA and AA batteries to power up devices such as cell phones, USB devices and some lower power AC adapters.  They can add run-time or provide emergency recharges to low current devices such as MP3s and digital cameras.  For instance, my flight time from Canada to the Philippines is 24 hours, with another 4 hours at the airport and an 8 hour drive upon arrival.  In short, my ‘commute time’ is 36 hours.  I usually listen to business and investment news on my MP3 player (recorded podcasts).  So I use such a device to re-charge my MP3, which otherwise, would last only about 13 hours on a full charge.  Who says all preparations can’t be useful in everyday life?

m. Metal hydride, lithium-ion, hybrid metal hydride, and rechargeable alkaline batteries have no ‘memory-effect’ like nickel cadmium (ni-cad) batteries – thus you can keep them ‘topped up’. 

n. Certain types such as metal hydride do discharge quickly on the shelf and thus it’s important to re-charge them before use.  Also due to shipping restrictions, you may not be able to ship batteries outside the nation or origin depending on regulations.  For instance, Amazon wouldn’t let me ship from the US to Canada.

o. You can purchase a wide variety of items which operate off of AAA or AA batteries including LED table lamps.  Search the web….Google and other search engines are invaluable resource locating tools – use them.  This is, IMO, a far ore practical solution than a multi-thousand dollar solar electrical system for emergency use.  Many such items can even be purchased at bargain and ‘Dollar Store’ outlets.

So, why feel drained?..put a charge back into your life no matter what life throws your way!

aMGHOW (V1.0)

Disclaimer:  I’m just an “average Joe”, what do I know?  Do take what I write for entertainment purposes ONLY, consider my posts to be written by a imbecile, or even as the mummers of a mad-man!  In other words, in no shape or form do I accept any liability for what I: have written, will write, or am writing!  Likewise for what I have copied, will copy or am copying!  Hey got to cover my past, present and future!  Likewise, no full posts or excerpts shall be copied off this site or sued without asking for my permission first.  Hey, it’s cool if some men use it but sorry, this stuff isn’t for feminists.