Was in the local Ocean State Job Lot for the first time and I was impressed. Huge selection of knock off products at extremely low prices. The thing that really cought my eye was some Panasonic Carbon-zinc AA batteries. $1 for a pack of 4. I didn't want to pick them up unless I knew for sure that they were ok to use. Would these be ok to use in things like a CD player, remote control, wireless keyboard... Things like that?
Carbon-Zinc batteries?
- Thread starter Nick R
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Hermann
Site Donor 2023
They will be OK but wont last very long. They will last a while in the remote, but anything with a motor or amp they might last an hour. If you have a Big Lots in your area, they have 20 packs of Philips AA alkaline's for $4, picked some up Sunday. And they even looked like new stock. Hecho en China.
My dollar tree has 8-12 packs of "sunbeam" AAs for $1. The CD player won't like 'em.
You can get some great deals on nimh rechargeables in unusual places. I get them from amazon to pad orders to the $25 free shipping threshold when i can't think of anything else.
You can get some great deals on nimh rechargeables in unusual places. I get them from amazon to pad orders to the $25 free shipping threshold when i can't think of anything else.
I buy those sunbeam batteries for a couple different items, they last about half as long as a name brand.
I use them in TV remotes mostly.
I use them in TV remotes mostly.
Here are my 2c's worth:
(1) I no longer use carbon-zinc/zinc manganese batteries due to their high internal resistance (low capacity as compared to Alkaline disposibles).
(2) when they become exhausted, they tend to leak electrolytes that will corrode any metal battery compartment contacts.
(3) they aren't that cheep to purchase, citing that off-brand (still US made, by the handful of battery makers) such as Ikea yellow-sleeves, superstore brand, etc. are only typically about 15cents per AA (I get Energizer D cells for 2 bucks for 6pcs, and they are fresh off of Wallymart with warranty good til 2013 typical).
(4) when alkaline battery leaks, the metal contacts can be safely cleaned and restored w/o impact by means of using cotton swap wetted with water.
(5) much higher capacity and lasts waaay longer than carbon-zinc/zinc manganese battery types (these are old-designs)
Q.
(1) I no longer use carbon-zinc/zinc manganese batteries due to their high internal resistance (low capacity as compared to Alkaline disposibles).
(2) when they become exhausted, they tend to leak electrolytes that will corrode any metal battery compartment contacts.
(3) they aren't that cheep to purchase, citing that off-brand (still US made, by the handful of battery makers) such as Ikea yellow-sleeves, superstore brand, etc. are only typically about 15cents per AA (I get Energizer D cells for 2 bucks for 6pcs, and they are fresh off of Wallymart with warranty good til 2013 typical).
(4) when alkaline battery leaks, the metal contacts can be safely cleaned and restored w/o impact by means of using cotton swap wetted with water.
(5) much higher capacity and lasts waaay longer than carbon-zinc/zinc manganese battery types (these are old-designs)
Q.
Originally Posted By: rudolphna
Was in the local Ocean State Job Lot for the first time and I was impressed. Huge selection of knock off products at extremely low prices. The thing that really cought my eye was some Panasonic Carbon-zinc AA batteries. $1 for a pack of 4. I didn't want to pick them up unless I knew for sure that they were ok to use. Would these be ok to use in things like a CD player, remote control, wireless keyboard... Things like that?
Carbon-zinc cells are good for low power / long duration. Stuff where the current draw is just a tiny trickle, but it has to go on for a year at a time. They're actually decent for smoke detectors and battery-powered wall clocks. Remotes would probably be OK too. Alkalines are better for just about everything else, and really the only positive for carbon-zincs is the low, low cost. Alkalines don't do any WORSE in those low draw applications, they just don't do better and cost a little more.
Oh, and carbon-zincs are more prone to leak and corrode stuff when they die. If it were me, I'd just by Duracells and forget it. Carbon-zinc is a dead technology for the most part.
Was in the local Ocean State Job Lot for the first time and I was impressed. Huge selection of knock off products at extremely low prices. The thing that really cought my eye was some Panasonic Carbon-zinc AA batteries. $1 for a pack of 4. I didn't want to pick them up unless I knew for sure that they were ok to use. Would these be ok to use in things like a CD player, remote control, wireless keyboard... Things like that?
Carbon-zinc cells are good for low power / long duration. Stuff where the current draw is just a tiny trickle, but it has to go on for a year at a time. They're actually decent for smoke detectors and battery-powered wall clocks. Remotes would probably be OK too. Alkalines are better for just about everything else, and really the only positive for carbon-zincs is the low, low cost. Alkalines don't do any WORSE in those low draw applications, they just don't do better and cost a little more.
Oh, and carbon-zincs are more prone to leak and corrode stuff when they die. If it were me, I'd just by Duracells and forget it. Carbon-zinc is a dead technology for the most part.
I don't see the point of buying carbon-zinc battery since most of the cost in buying is the store's profit/shelf cost rather than manufacturing cost difference. To me it is either Alkaline or rechargeable.
Kestas
Staff member
I've seen graphs that show the available voltage from carbon-zinc batteries versus alkaline batteries. We all know that alkaline batteries last longer in many applications, but what struck me interesting was that the voltage versus time graph of carbon-zinc batteries was a sharp drop compared with the alkaline batteries, which flat-lined around 1.5v for quite a while before dropping in voltage.
Originally Posted By: Hermann
They will be OK but wont last very long. They will last a while in the remote, but anything with a motor or amp they might last an hour. If you have a Big Lots in your area, they have 20 packs of Philips AA alkaline's for $4, picked some up Sunday. And they even looked like new stock. Hecho en China.
Are they Philips PowerLife batteries? I've used a few sets of those, they seem to last a really long time. They lasted me almost a year and a half in my TV remote.
They will be OK but wont last very long. They will last a while in the remote, but anything with a motor or amp they might last an hour. If you have a Big Lots in your area, they have 20 packs of Philips AA alkaline's for $4, picked some up Sunday. And they even looked like new stock. Hecho en China.
Are they Philips PowerLife batteries? I've used a few sets of those, they seem to last a really long time. They lasted me almost a year and a half in my TV remote.
Hermann
Site Donor 2023
Originally Posted By: ThirdeYe
Originally Posted By: Hermann
They will be OK but wont last very long. They will last a while in the remote, but anything with a motor or amp they might last an hour. If you have a Big Lots in your area, they have 20 packs of Philips AA alkaline's for $4, picked some up Sunday. And they even looked like new stock. Hecho en China.
Are they Philips PowerLife batteries? I've used a few sets of those, they seem to last a really long time. They lasted me almost a year and a half in my TV remote.
Yes they are
Originally Posted By: Hermann
They will be OK but wont last very long. They will last a while in the remote, but anything with a motor or amp they might last an hour. If you have a Big Lots in your area, they have 20 packs of Philips AA alkaline's for $4, picked some up Sunday. And they even looked like new stock. Hecho en China.
Are they Philips PowerLife batteries? I've used a few sets of those, they seem to last a really long time. They lasted me almost a year and a half in my TV remote.
Yes they are
Originally Posted By: Hermann
Originally Posted By: ThirdeYe
Originally Posted By: Hermann
They will be OK but wont last very long. They will last a while in the remote, but anything with a motor or amp they might last an hour. If you have a Big Lots in your area, they have 20 packs of Philips AA alkaline's for $4, picked some up Sunday. And they even looked like new stock. Hecho en China.
Are they Philips PowerLife batteries? I've used a few sets of those, they seem to last a really long time. They lasted me almost a year and a half in my TV remote.
Yes they are
I forgot to mention that after I took them out of my remote, I put them into my flashlight and they're still going strong.
Originally Posted By: ThirdeYe
Originally Posted By: Hermann
They will be OK but wont last very long. They will last a while in the remote, but anything with a motor or amp they might last an hour. If you have a Big Lots in your area, they have 20 packs of Philips AA alkaline's for $4, picked some up Sunday. And they even looked like new stock. Hecho en China.
Are they Philips PowerLife batteries? I've used a few sets of those, they seem to last a really long time. They lasted me almost a year and a half in my TV remote.
Yes they are
I forgot to mention that after I took them out of my remote, I put them into my flashlight and they're still going strong.
I don't buy AA alkalines or carbon zinc (aka "Heavy duty"), and haven't for years. For low-drain devices that need a battery with low self-discharge (like remotes), I use NiCds. They're dirt cheap and can last 4+ months before they require recharging. For high-drain devices or devices that require 1.5v, I use NiZn rechargeables.
As an aside, I don't buy NiMH anymore either. They're obsolete.
As an aside, I don't buy NiMH anymore either. They're obsolete.
Ni-MH are not obsolete. The newer low self discharge Ni-MH cells work very, very well. I have experience with the Duracell Pre-Charged, Sanyo Eneloop, Kodak Pre-Charged, and Uniross Hybrio. I like them all. They stay charged for a very long time.
I don't understand why you'd think NiMH batteries are obsolete... I've had great luck with my Sony ones I bought a few years ago. They still hold their charge fine whether I use it in a low-drain or high-drain device... bought another pair of Energizer ones a few months ago and they're fine so far too.
Yeah you want to talk about obsolete, talk about NiCad
Hermann
Site Donor 2023
Originally Posted By: Nick R
Yeah you want to talk about obsolete, talk about NiCad
They are great for devices that charge and discharge frequently, such as remote control cars and solar patio lights. And nothing lets go of its energy faster without overheating for high drain devices. I recently retired a set of patio lights, not because the nicads went bad, the lenses yellowed from UV exposure after 6 years.
Yeah you want to talk about obsolete, talk about NiCad
They are great for devices that charge and discharge frequently, such as remote control cars and solar patio lights. And nothing lets go of its energy faster without overheating for high drain devices. I recently retired a set of patio lights, not because the nicads went bad, the lenses yellowed from UV exposure after 6 years.
I've had quite a few failures of the el cheapo NiCads in my garden lights.
Been replacing them with AAA alkalines (Energizer industrial that I get flat from reception/technicians).
They run for many many months in solar charged LED light applications.
Been replacing them with AAA alkalines (Energizer industrial that I get flat from reception/technicians).
They run for many many months in solar charged LED light applications.
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