I currently have energizer charging stations and 8x AAs but I need to get quite a bit more so I wanted to see if I should stay the course or invest elsewhere.
As my devil on my shoulder I can always trust to look to you guys for an answer.
I would say angel, but my wife and my checking account says otherwise.......
Gregg Heckler wrote:
While I haven't tried Eneloops yet, I have used 20 PowerEx AA's and their chargers for at least 3years and they have performed flawlessly.
The poll is flawed because Sanyo makes more then 1 type of AA. They have 2700mAh, Eneloop (old & new), and other industrial cells. Those Energizer 2500mAh that I used to have was made by Sanyo and truly crappy and lost charge in no time. Now I only use Eneloop (also under different labels by Sony, Duracell, President's Choice, and maybe more). The Panasonic R2 NiMHs are also as good. Some of the smart chargers by Sony/Panasonic/Sanyo are actually as good as the more popular Maha but less obvious to the consumers because they didn't market them as heavily. Most of them have built-in plug with 100-240V and great for travel. But for work, the Maha C801D or C800S are probably the best choice because they can charge 8 cells at a time.
Energizers are freaking horrible. They can't hold a charge at all. I have a couple that I'll occasionally use if I charge them right before a gig. Otherwise, they'll lose 500mAh or so in just a couple days. Give them a month and they'll lose more than half their charge and it's VERY inconsistent (could lose 700mAh or 2000mAh). I'm working on demoting them to remotes around the house and stuff...would not recommend them for business applications.
If you don't like charging batteries every time you have a gig, Eneloops REALLY hold a charge for a long time. They are supposed to recycle faster and give a cleaner output, but I can't tell a difference in recycle times. The disadvantage is eneloops don't have the capacity, so maybe change them out once or more throughout a wedding.
The batteries that came with my Lacrosse charger seem to do pretty well. They are a good compromise between both types for me (greater capacity than eneloop, don't discharge like the energizers). Not sure if you can buy them seperately...
I personally like the PowerEx batteries, compared to other types such as Eneloops. Your usage will determine if you need max power or batteries that will maintain a charge when stored. Maha chargers in 4x or 8x configurations are top notch and will definitely extend the life of any battery you place in them. I mark all my batteries and use/charge them by sets.
Best,
Andy
I also use PowerEx, also bought a pack of 4 of IMEDION which is the same technology as eneloops but made by PowerEx. Haven't used them a lot because the standard PowerEx 2700 work really well.
Any comparision between eneloops and IMEDION?
A mixture of Powerex and super cheapies with a powerex charger. Always have far more power available than I need. Powerex charger works full time (doubles as a nightlight for my daughter) and I think looks after both the Powerex and the cheapies.
Powerex 2700 is so powerful that even losing a bit they still have more power than the weaker eneloops when I use them.
Gotta give you guys props on helping me with the charger as well! The maha is impressive and DEF sounds like its worth the money!
I think the only diff to step up to the 801 is that it has a power adapter and thus allows you to change out connection and go international?
(which is then not worth it for my usage)
And thankfully narrows it down for me and ill order the 800.
Constant draw like wireless mouse: Eneloop
Intermittent high power demand like speedlight: PowerEx
Charger: Maha 8-cell with deep cycling, fast and soft charge settings. I have four of them. 2 for home and 2 for on the road.
Cases for batteries: Thomas Distributing (4 [AAA] and 8 [AA] battery cases).
