Time To Recycle Those Old NiMH AA's And Enjoy Some Sony Quality!
Written: Oct 03 '08 (Updated Oct 03 '08)
Product Rating:
Pros:
Batteries are pre-charged, easy to recycle.
Cons:
Slightly heavier than normal NiMh batteries.
The Bottom Line:
Save money with rechargables. Sarah Palin and John McCain are promoting energy independence, purchasing rechargeable batteries is a sound investment towards this goal.
rgathright's Full Review: Sony Cycle Energy AAA 4pk 2000 (NHAAAB2K) Battery
The main reason I bought these batteries was to help extend the battery life of my Sony D-NF340 CD Walkman. While developing software in Dynamics AX, I listen to ambient music by Hearts of Space, Enya, Enigma and several other MP3 tracks that total about 12 hours of playtime. Lately as my NiMH batteries have been wearing out, I have to change the batteries every other day. As with any plastic device, changing batteries will wear out the contact tabs and interlocking pieces.
Appearance The outside case is marked with the words "Sony Cycle Energy" in a pale blue, bold font set against a white background. The batteries are heavier than any other NiMH battery I have ever owned. Care And Charging I have been a heavy rechargeable battery user my entire life. The #1 rule of the road is to give your new set of NiMH batteries a good charge as soon as you buy them. The reasoning is simple; the batteries have been on the shelf for as long as six months and have lost their charge due to natural depletion.
To avoid a dead set of batteries, always recharge your NiMH batteries within 6 hours of depletion, recharge sooner if they were subjected to fast discharge. Just like Lithium-Ion batteries in laptops, these batteries have a high risk of losing their ability to recharge if discharged at high rate and left unattended.
Scientific studies have proven that using fast battery chargers (1 hour or less) decrease the lifespan of NiMH batteries. I have used a slow trickle charger for the past year and the batteries have the same usage time as they did when new. Quick charging is always harder on the batteries, because of the higher current, which causes more heating, which degrades the chemistry of the battery faster.
Finally, never let your AA's overheat. You will damage the sensitive electrolyte inside, degrading their ability to hold a charge.
Usage And Battery Life 9/29/2008, I used the battery in my Sony D-NF350 MP3 CD Player for the first time today. Starting at 7:30 AM, the player did not showed a full battery indicator right up until I left work at 5 PM. 9/30/2008, Sony D-NF350 MP3 CD Player turned off overnight because it finished the 12 hour CD. Started up again this morning @ 6:15 AM to find a full battery indicator! When I left work at 5 PM, the indicator was down to 2 out of 4 bars. 10/1/2008, I am happy to report the Sony D-NF350 MP3 CD Player started up again this morning with a full battery indicator! These NH-AA-B4K batteries are the first to survive until day 3 in this cd player. The CD player was still working when I left work at 5:30 PM today but only had one bar. 10/2/2008, The CD player came on but with only 2 our of 4 bars then dropped to 1 bar 30 minutes later and finally just died after about 45 minutes.
Recycling And Web References Wikipedia NiMH discussion: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nickel_metal_hydride_battery NiMH Battery Guide: http://michaelbluejay.com/batteries/ Please visit http://www.rbrc.org/consumer/ and use the location tool to find a Ni-Mh drop off point near you! In my town of Lake Charles, LA there is a drop off point at a Radio Shack 3 miles away and a Lowe's 3 miles away.
Specifications Package contains four AA batteries. 2,000 Milliamp hours
Summary With the focus by Sarah Palin and John McCain on energy independence, purchasing a set of rechargeable batteries is a sound investment towards this goal. We can all make a difference. I am happy to have stumbled across these Ni-MH batteries on Amazon. For those of you in a hurry, it is also comforting to know they come precharged. With the ability to hold 85% charge after one year in storage, you can rest assured these batteries will find a welcome home in your remote control and flashlights!
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