Radio & Flashlight batteries

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Storage: Keep out of sun and cool as possible...Ok to store in Frig (if you have juice). Shelf life: general purpose 18 months...heavy duty 24-30 months....alkaline 36 plus months.....lithium 48-60 months. GP and HD batteries are carbon zink. Best deal would be ni-cad if you have a solar charger. You should be stocking up now...buy the sales! Think D, C, AA, AAA, 9V & 6V. Buy name brand, not off-brand....remember the oats always cost a little more before they have been through the horse.

-- ronbanks (phxbanks@webtv.net), January 20, 1999

Answers

Sorry...frig is a vulgar slang word....Webster's....my mind said fridge.....I am not making this correction just so I can get over to answer section. I get very few responses to the many things I have posted over the past few months but they are appreciated, so I want to take this occasion to just say, "thanks Mom"!

-- rb (meagain@web.net), January 20, 1999.

Excellent advice on buying quality batteries, Ron. The best rechargable Ni-Cads I've seen were at hobby shops. Those radio-controlled model guys take their gear very seriously.

Hallyx

"Experience is the name that everyone gives to their mistakes." ---Oscar Wilde

-- Hallyx (Hallyx@aol.com), January 21, 1999.


Thanks for the info. Ron, where can I get a decent solar battery charger without spending a lot? Also, the ones I did see made me wonder...if you're not supposed to put batteries in the sun, and you put the charger with battery inside in the sun, doesn't that negate the good you're trying to accomplish? Is there such a thing as a charger where the solar part is separate?

-- Zoe (a@a.a), January 21, 1999.

Studies have shown (Consumer Reports, et al), & personal experience has revealed, that it makes sense to purchase batteries by price, not by name.

Example: Costco sells Kirkland "AA" batteries in a 40-pack for less than $9. I've been using them for about six months. They stack up with any name brand battery.

-- Bingo1 (howe9@pop.shentel.net), January 21, 1999.


Caught a program on Dateline (I think) that confirmed the same thing but only addressed alkaline batteries. The cheapest alkaline often performed better and never performed worse than the Duracell and Energizer brands. And that included the new "super" battery lines that have recently been introduced.

They did not address ni-cads, so the going for the cheapest may not apply there.

-- David (David@BankPacman.com), January 21, 1999.



Ni-Cads are expensive to start with so why not get a brand name. As regards regular batteries I agree with Bingo & Consumer Reports that price is more important than name. Zoe...you can try Sunstar at 1 888 278-6782 .....they have a solar (11 in one) charger and might answer your questions.(They are back-ordered) It is direct sun on the batteries that really kill them so inside a charger with solar cells pointed to the sun (with ni-cad) it is no problem. I have seen and used some imported brand x GP batteries that were cheap in price and cheap in quality. One point Consumer Reports made was a special low price on a general purpose makes it a better deal (longer life for the money) than a regular price on a HD or alkaline. Reminds me of their article (4 pages) on toilet tissue (price vs quality).

-- ronbanks (phxbanks@webtv.net), January 21, 1999.

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