Welcome on-board bbjsw10 :) and thanks for the link.

Have fun,

Denis.

I just received my order from all-battery. Thanks for that tip. I got 24 AA and 12 AAA, and some AA-to-C and AA-to-D adapters. It all cost $50 shipped. That should be enough to cover most/all of my household needs.

The AA's are $1.24 - $1.30 each, depending on volume. Cheaper than just about anywhere else, including Harbor Freight mentioned earlier.

Do the AA-to-C adapters really work?

In the end all you would have to do is recharge the Batteries more as there is less power in the AA than C.

On a SIDE NOTE - could I use a C battery in an application that needed "AA"?
I have some partially used C batts from one of Girls Toys. wanted to "Suck it dry" in the MP3 Player... Are there risks with connecting a C into a AA ( or even a AAA) device?

steve

No risks. The C just has more capacity. The voltage is the same so you're safe.

I use disposable batteries in my LED flashlights because they tend to last two or more years in there, compared to rechargeable batteries that have a faster self discharge rate then that so I buy a box of 12 D cells at a time having that box last 3-4 years, I do the same with the "AA" batteries for my bike light, again a box of 16 batteries last 3-4 years, multi meter battery is a 9V that tends to last 5 years, cordless drill is Lithium rechargeable, electric bicycle is Lithium as well, electric car is lead acid deep cycle, forklift at work is lead acid deep cycle, lap top is Lithium, same with cell phone.

I have a box of NiCad rechargeable batteries that I no longer use because of their self discharge being almost as fast as disposable batteries going dead with use in my LED lights.

I have never been happy with one single item I have ever purchaced from RadioShak. My chargers are dead sortly after I get them. Maybe its the batterioes or both. I'm looking into the solar charger. Can work for cellphones too- I think.

You should check out the new low discharge AA NiMH batteries if ya wanna get rid of the disposables permanently. Supposed to be at ~75% after a year and somewhere around 50% after three years, although at $1-3/battery they are certainly pricey.

Walmart has a 4 pack of LiFePO4 AA batteries for $10. (They're Westinghouse 400mAh, 3.2v.) Since they're 3.2v, they're only usable in devices that take two or more batteries. (Make jumpers out of scrap metal or copper tubing.) They should work excellent for remote controls and similar stuff.

I'm actually going to get an adapter that converts two of those AAs into a 9v for my multimeter. (The DSP in that meter eats batteries almost as fast as Jean Ma eats potato chips... Those Lithiums should give me twice the runtime of a 9v, plus there's much less charge loss when not in use. And two of those AAs are cheaper than a NiMH 9v.)

in a perfiec world, they will have less, because all batterys have a current throughput life, and in that way, it decreases their life. practally, if a NiMH battery hasnt been cycled in a while, it does exhibit some memory effect, but it is quickly erased by cycling, so it extends their practical life before you recycle them.