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The Green File / La filière verte > Comment "Batteries"

Batteries
by Colin Campbell, April 29, 2010
Since Nov 1 when we switched to rechargeable batteries for our head sets and wireless mics we have prevented 2500 “aa” batteries from entering the waste stream
    Re: Batteries
    by Ross Nichol, April 30, 2010
    Bravo! Sounds like worth making the change here too.

    R
      Re: Batteries
      by George Davidson, April 30, 2010
      I am guessing you are using the new Lithium Ion rechargeables??
        Re: Batteries
        by Colin Campbell, April 30, 2010
        We are using the Panasonic Ni-MH in rehearsal conditions we have run them for up to 8 Hrs in the mic packs and the head sets we change about every 4-5 show obviously we have multiple sets so one set is charged or charging while one is in use and no problems so far
          Re: Batteries
          by Paul Fujimoto Pihl, December 10, 2012
          We've been using the Duracell 2400 mAh AA's and they've been great for our mic packs. We track cycles, and once they've been through enough, they get passed down to the wireless beltpacks for clearcom, which seem to be less picky about slightly lower voltages.

          I also found some great li-ion 500mAh 9V's. Icubex sells them for cheaper than anyone else I've seen, and they run handheld wireless mics just fine.

          We've made a huge dent in our hazardous waste stream as a result.

          Also note, many of the big box reno stores will take rechargeable batteries back as hazardous waste. They aren't accepted at most of our hazardous waste depots around here for some reason.
          Colin Campbell wrote:
          >We are using the Panasonic Ni-MH in rehearsal conditions we have run them for up to 8 Hrs in the mic packs and the head sets we change about every 4-5 show obviously we have multiple sets so one set is charged or charging while one is in use and no problems so far
          Re: Batteries
          by Brian Wainwright, December 11, 2012
          Lithium Ion would be preferable to the others because they can be recharged at any time .... no 'memory' problems.
          In fact, some cell phone companies recommend topping up the charge as frequently as possible for optimum battery life.
            Re: Batteries
            by James McKernan, December 11, 2012
            Horizon Solutions in London featured a great battery for wireless this past conference.
            They are in London Ontario. We use them at York University and quite like them.
            Re: Batteries
            by Paul Fujimoto Pihl, March 18, 2014
            Brian, I think that's a bit of mis-information. NiMh batteries don't suffer from memory problems either. In fact, at least one manufacturer recommends you leave them on the charger to keep them topped up on their high-capacity batteries. Lithium-Ion batteries by contrast may have higher capacities, but Lithium-Ion batteries actually last longer if you max their charge out at 80% of capacity or so. That's why the smart chargers (which you must use for lithium ion or risk overcharging and a fire) do a fast charge up to about 80%, then slow charge the remaining 20%. They put out way more waste heat charging in the last portion of the charge cycle.

            The latest generation of nimh batteries includes low-self-discharge characteristics, which are good for things like auto sensing flush toilets and taps, clocks, remote controls, etc, that don't draw lots of power.

            We've been using nimh batteries here for our wireless mics and headsets for a number of years with great success. The added bonus to using nimh over Li-ion is that they are cheaper, and easier to find. There is a great article here that compares runtimes of a bunch of different batteries, and explains a little more about the practical aspects of implementing rechargables in your sound rigs.

            http://churchtecharts.org/home/2011/3/14/rechargeable-batteries-the-1-year-test.html

            Hope this helps all!

            -Paul



            Brian Wainwright wrote:
            >Lithium Ion would be preferable to the others because they can be recharged at any time .... no 'memory' problems.
            >In fact, some cell phone companies recommend topping up the charge as frequently as possible for optimum battery life.
            Re: Batteries
            by Bruce Bennett, June 3, 2014
            Hi Paul,
            What do you use for chargers?
            Have you tried many different models?
            Thanks,
            Bruce
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