Are rechargeable AA & AAA lithium Ion batteries worth the cost

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  • Опубліковано 24 січ 2025

КОМЕНТАРІ • 28

  • @michaelchomiczewski7937
    @michaelchomiczewski7937 Місяць тому +1

    Great video! I hope you get a chance to do a follow up video investigating the EBL's curious "charger" circuit. And dare I suggest - can you please do a similar review of XTAR's 4150 mWh cells and their chargers? One can never have too many data points and you very well may discover something (good or bad) others did not catch (more details below).
    If you happen to get newer iteration of 1.5 V Li-Ion rechargeable cells (that don't suck -- like the EBLs ), they come with an updated battery management circuit that provides 'battery low' function where the internal voltage regulator drops the voltage from 1.5V to 1.1V to trigger the... "battery low" warning in your device; say a smoke detector (that will also make that flashlight go dim). One manufacturer that does that is XTAR. (Older XTAR cells where just as primitive as the EBLs you tested but XTAR now have a newer version that solved this problem by dropping down to 1.1 before later cutting output completely when internal Li-Ion cell gets too discharged).
    Incidentally, same XTAR includes both mWh and mAh ratings on their cells. (their new cells are rated at 4150 mWh / 2500 mWh -- which is more conservative rating than simply dividing 4150 by 1.5). I have not tested this their claim; others - including respectable reviewers (e.g. Lui Gough) - have and saw claimed numbers being pretty close to reality; between 2377 and 2498.9 mAh. Unlike SO many other Chinese-made rechargeables of all chemistries we have seen over the years making wild claims and falling way short of them.
    Chargers XTAR supplies with their cells (when bought as a kit; but also sold stand alone) can charge their 1.5 LiIon cells as well as NiMh. Same Lui Gough (WAY more knowledgeable than I can ever hope to be in such matters) claims bundled XTAR charger not only can charge their 1.5.V Li-Ion cells - it is also one of the best NiMh chargers out there (i.e. charging NiMHs more completely than many other 'smart' chargers').
    My use-case for 1.5V LiIon is devices that simply refuse to run on NiMh because of their lower 1.2V voltage. Namely a couple of scales I have, as well as an ear thermometer and a clock. I have yet to test one in an 'atomic' clock to see if internal buck converters will interfere with AM time signal acquisition. I do not have any high power draw devices though (like cameras or flash units).
    So yes - your milage may vary depending on what brand you try out and what your use case is (how many months do you need these in stand by for example?). With luck, most of the shortcomings you have come across can (and have been) mitigated by a better design of internal circuitry.
    Link to Lui''s XTAR writeup:
    http [colon slash slash] goughlui.com/2024/08/28/mega-review-xtar-4150mwh-2500mah-1-5v-rechargeable-li-ion-aa-battery-l4-usb-c-charger/

  • @beachsidetech
    @beachsidetech 8 місяців тому +4

    Have you tried the 9v ones? I have and they have fake capacities and buck converters. The capacity given is for the 3.7v lithium cell inside, not the 9v switched output.

    • @GrahamHoughton12
      @GrahamHoughton12  8 місяців тому

      I have a couple of PP3 ones - I will investigate to see if there is a boost converter fitted and what size of lithium core battery is installed.

    • @gr-lf9ul
      @gr-lf9ul 2 місяці тому +1

      If it's a Wh capacity, it's all the same, give-or-take the converter efficiency coefficient, which hopefully isn't much under 90%

  • @orcinusorca3145
    @orcinusorca3145 День тому

    When one does the conversion in the other direction (as one should) as a cross check, one can see that they are in fact not as close to equal as you say
    1.2V x 1900 mAh is 2280 mWh.
    This becomes important as many modern electronics are sensitive to low voltages and often require 1.5 V which the 1.2 V batteries cannot provide even when new/fresh.

  • @gr-lf9ul
    @gr-lf9ul 2 місяці тому +2

    What is their life span? Do they preserve their capacity better than NiMH in the long run or have any other advantages?

    • @michaelchomiczewski7937
      @michaelchomiczewski7937 Місяць тому +1

      They do not preserve their capacity longer than NiMH cells. The buck circuit constantly draws a minute amount of power even when not used. You can expect the battery to go dead after 6 months of storage (not my testing, but that seems to be the consensus among reviewers who tested for this specifically)

  • @billturner2613
    @billturner2613 Місяць тому

    Superb information,very professional.
    At what point would you say a NiMH battery has to be replaced.I have tested 2 x 2700 NiMH and 1 has 2300 storage and the other 1900 at what point do you think they should be disposed of.

    • @michaelchomiczewski7937
      @michaelchomiczewski7937 Місяць тому +1

      I wouldn't throw them away until they become literally unusable. I would get a charger with a refresh function and try it on the underperforming cells. But even if not improved - I wold STILL not toss them. Unless your application fails immediately upon inserting the underwhelming 1900 or 2300 cells - I'd continue to use them until they simply no longer work in the device you use them in. So what if you have to replace the batteries every 2 weeks? They are just about free... because they are rechargeable 🙂

    • @billturner2613
      @billturner2613 Місяць тому

      @michaelchomiczewski7937 Many thanks for your reply, have a Merry Christmas and a good new year

  • @neiljackson5137
    @neiljackson5137 2 місяці тому

    Great video Graham. Which battery type would you say is best suited for heated socks? I struggle with cold feet whilst out in the hills in winter and although the socks work a treat, they absolutely eat AA batteries so I have to carry quite a few spares.

    • @GrahamHoughton12
      @GrahamHoughton12  2 місяці тому

      @@neiljackson5137 these batteries do keep their output constant up to the point where they just cutoff without warning. I have only used then in torches on non critical situations but the sick warmer may keep warmer longer rather than cool as battery voltage falls on traditional batteries

    • @neiljackson5137
      @neiljackson5137 2 місяці тому

      @@GrahamHoughton12Thanks Graham, would you say I’d be better off with Li then over the Ni I’m currently using?

    • @Infiniti25
      @Infiniti25 22 дні тому

      I would be wary of wearing Lithium batteries close to my body due to the risk of explosion if punctured, overheated to the point of thermal runaway, point the battery control circuit fails etc...I value being able to walk moreso than saving money to heat feet. You may consider if you are diabetic and are suffering from peripheral neuropathy and make appropriate dietary changes if necessary. Otherwise look into getting more layers on your feet and look at boots with no metal in them so that they can't hold the cold against your feet effectively...think U-haus standards where they eliminate cold bridges between the outside and inside layers of a building.

  • @eautore
    @eautore 7 місяців тому

    Would these be suitable for the surepet catflap?

    • @GrahamHoughton12
      @GrahamHoughton12  7 місяців тому +1

      Up until the point that the batteries cut off completely and then the flap would not work!

  • @hedydd2
    @hedydd2 8 місяців тому

    It puzzles me that lithium ion camera batteries do give a state of charge indication. Having said that, I have a new SmallRig battery that substitutes for the Sony NPFZ100 and it has only been used once so far but I swear it was at 45% charge indicated by the camera yesterday morning when it suddenly dived to a red flashing discharged warning. I’ve recharged it but a fully charged original Sony battery is in the camera just now. I charge it using its own USB C port, not in-camera and I do not have a stand-alone charger for these batteries. I have, until now, charged the original inside the camera using the Sony supplied USB C charging lead.

    • @GrahamHoughton12
      @GrahamHoughton12  8 місяців тому +1

      The difference is that in the 1.5 cells the lithium 3.7v core battery uses a buck converter to achieve the 1.5v out put. The charge status of the 3.7v cell is never monitored. The voltage output just shuts off when the battery management chip in the battery sees the 3.7 v drop to 2.6v

  • @quitlife9279
    @quitlife9279 25 днів тому

    Very informative and helpful, thank you!

  • @charlesfisher2134
    @charlesfisher2134 8 місяців тому +2

    Could you put cc please.

  • @ricklatouch2263
    @ricklatouch2263 8 місяців тому

    I used to use rechargeable AA & AAA all the time with my old camera - well worth it in my opinion.

    • @GrahamHoughton12
      @GrahamHoughton12  8 місяців тому +1

      Are they nicad/NiMh or these new lithium types?

  • @protarget1
    @protarget1 7 місяців тому +2

    There are loads of fakes batteries on all popular selling sites. The only sure way to tell if they genuine is the weight.

    • @PSM99999
      @PSM99999 11 днів тому

      That's a great tip. Can anyone supply some data for this - ie the weight of various named brands' AA Li-ion cells?

  • @Shaun.Stephens
    @Shaun.Stephens 4 місяці тому

    So you didn't test these yourself to see how long they last in something like a remote? You just quoted the manufacturers numbers?
    I have 2 different PP3 Li-Ion 'batteries' and the quiescent current is quite high, they lose all charge after a couple of months and have quite a low maximum current output so have a very niche usage.
    Oh and I would only use these in a torch if I had a spare fully-charged set in my pocket - or even a spare torch! Eneloops or primary cells give you plenty of warning by dimming whereas these could suddenly leave you in the middle of a very dark minefield with no light.

    • @GrahamHoughton12
      @GrahamHoughton12  4 місяці тому +1

      You are right in saying the cut off is instantaneous with no "usual" warning by the device that the cut off is near by a dimmer light in the case of a torch or a capacity indicator. I haven't found a use for these cells beyond using them where it doesn't matter when they expire to be honest not a very good purchasing choice.

  • @Free__Speech
    @Free__Speech 5 місяців тому

    Am moving away from powerbanks & moved to AA/AAA Ni-MH battery & use powerbank with them. Lithium batteries are useless & dangerous compared to NI-MH