By Jock Elliott, KB2GOM
A friend, Bob, is a professional in the two-way radio business with deep experience and expertise. I mentioned to him this post and told him about my strong preference for radios that would run on off-the-shelf alkaline batteries.
He had a few things to say about batteries for emergency radios that I thought might prove instructive for those interested in the subject:
“Back in the day, NiCAD batteries were known to develop ‘memories,’ when they would be recharged without being fully discharged. The strategy with them was to allow them to fully discharge and then recharge them.” The best work-around was to have two batteries, one fully charged and ready to go when the current one went “dead”.
“By contrast, if you deep discharge a Lithium Ion battery, sometimes the charger will see the low voltage and will not try to recharge “believing” that one of the cells is dead. Best practices with Lithium Ion is to regularly exercise the batteries and not let them sit as they will deep discharge to a low-voltage level resulting in the inability of the charger to effectively recharge them
He adds, “To my knowledge, almost every single instance of a Lithium Ion battery catching on fire in the charger was because the charger used was not the one that came with the battery. Bottom line: use only the charger that came with the battery.”
Bob says his strong preference for rechargeable batteries is Nickel Metal Hydride, which don’t seem to develop a memory and can be stored in a charged state for many months.
He concludes: “The best bet for emergency radios that may not be used for long periods are alkaline batteries. They offer the best shelf life.”
And there you have it from a radio professional whose advice I trust.
Leaking cheap alkaline batteries. Eat through the outer covering , then liquid has leaked out. The negative end was corrosion free. I cannot get over how good an insulator the Verdigris is.
Why the battery leaks.
https://data.energizer.com/pdfs/alkaline_appman.pdf#:~:text=The%20equation%20for%20a%20simple%20alkaline%20cell,H2O+%202%20e%20%E2%86%92%202MnOOH%20+%202OH%2D.&text=Hydrogen%20gas%20is%20a%20byproduct%20of%20the%20chemical%20reaction%20in%20all%20alkaline%20batteries. The chemistry of an alkaline cell
https://www.betterbattery.co/blogs/blog/how-to-clean-and-dispose-of-corroded-batteries?srsltid=AfmBOopXmINZsJZjblhJfxDmcdP3F5z7gvXi9G8FNmuO5e2phNXb_ijw
Mangosman,
Thanks!
The battery guide is particularly useful.
Cheers, Jock
I agree that even though they now cost five times more the non-rechargeable Energizer 9V, AAA and AA batteries are worth it in remote controls antique radios and test equipment due to their “almost” never leaking corrosives.
90% of the time Alkaline batteries only leak corrosives in the special case where they have been discharged first down to zero volts, then driven to below zero volts by still positive voltage batteries in the stack. A stack of 2, 3….6 or 8 alkalines will never have exactly the same capacity and the “good one” will drive the least one below zero and then leak.
Leakage will also happen, particularly in Duracell and Energizer brands because those to brands have made their “vent space” too small in their race to be “longest Lasting.”
Panasonic alkalines still have vent spaces that are larger.
Eneloops (originally Sanyo, now Panasonic) are worth the extra first cost and last longer. The original Japanese factory that made Eneloop AAA and AA is now owned by Fujitsu.
In C and D sized Nickel Metal Hydride rechargeable batteries I have found truthful capacity and good life in Amazon Basics.
EBL brand name NiMH C and D sizes do not live up to their advertised capacities (D advertised as 10,000 test 7800 when new) but have lasted many years, working out to less cost than alkalines.
In Amazon reviews of C&D Amazon Basics Batteries search for the words “Opus BT-C2000” smart charger and you can read my test results.
>> Panasonic alkalines still have vent spaces that are larger.
Thanks, that is good to know. Energizer… *grrrrr* I’ll never touch those again.
>> Panasonic alkalines still have vent spaces that are larger.
Thanks, that is good to know. Energizer… *grrrrr* I’ll never touch those again.
If your radio is ok with the lower voltage of 1.2v/cell vs the 1.5v of Alkaline. I have a few radios that did not work as well. Because if this.
That recommendation is likely to be to the horrendous RF noise many of those generate when down-converting from 3.8V to 1.5V.
Modern radios use Software Design which means a microprocessor is used for reception. The voltage of these processors matches the voltage of a lithium cell, meaning there is no power loss to reduce the voltage from alkaline batteries.
There are power banks sold for cell phones which can also charge the internal batteries in the radios.
The advantage of a lithium battery in an emergency radio is that you can charge if from a vehicle where most have either a USB socket or you can buy a cigarette lighter plug with a USB output.
Why is it rare for an electric vehicle to catch fire of its own accord? Fires ii lithium batteries are caused by thermal runaway. This is where the internal temperature in the battery exceeds between 150 – 220 Celsius. Then the chemical reaction can accelerate without outside interference.
Thus electric vehicles have many temperature sensors within the battery. The data is fed into the battery management microprocessor which is monitoring the current as well. A battery has an internal resistance which increases as the state of charge decreases. So if the internal temperature is increasing the resistance of the battery management system will increase to reduce the current, there by reducing the power delivered to the battery. This is why EVs have air conditioning for the battery and is one of the reasons why the charge rate is so low between 80 % and 100 %.
Thus the must likely time a battery will catch fire is when the charging or discharging currents are too high particularly in hot weather.
It is mostly electric scooters and bikes which catch fire when left on charge. These cheap charging systems are inadequate to prevent thermal runaway/ Once fully charged the output fed to the battery is tiny so once it has cooled it will not catch fire.
mangosman,
Can you not charge NiMH batteries from a vehicle as well?
Cheers, Jock
I use both NiMH & alkaline batteries in my emergency radios. For the ones I use with alkalines, I keep the alkaline batteries in a plastic bag next to the radio, just in case they leak (ask me how I know.
The issue with alkaline battery leakage is the result of cost cutting on materials and components, especially post pandemic. Battery life has also become a lot more variable. The big name brands used to consistently outlast the discount generics but now they often perform closer to them. Duracell and Energizer retail bluster packs are the best performers within these two brands because they don’t sit in warehouses or on shelves very long. Those Amazon bulk plain-boxed Duracell and Energizer batteries often perform worse. Not sure if it the result of sitting in warehouses or if they are repackaged stock from returns. The cheapy AC Delco and other generic names are about as good as the Ray ‘o vacs. Who knows who makes them, but they often perform worse than the big brands. Amazon brand batteries switch manufacturers regularly so they vary batch to batch.
For those worried about battery fires, many are caused by people recharging unrechargeable batteries, but these fires can be extinguished. The much bigger threat are 18650 batteries (and their cousins) that require respect when handling. Don’t buy any of these without built in safety features (responsible stores like 18650batterystore have good safety info) and follow their storage, use and care instructions. Don’t buy 18650 and similar batteries on Amazon or eBay. Counterfeits and wildly inaccurate performance claims dominate. Some newer radios use 18650 batteries. Remember there is a safety lifetime for these. If they start to bulge, split, or wrapping start to peel, or if they run hot, discontinue use and discard safely.
Phillip,
Thanks for your comments and your concerns about 18650 batteries.
Cheers, Jock
My wife (a reporter at the time) attended a presser that Sanyo put on for their new ENELOOP cells, and brought me home a sample pair of AAs and AAAs, with a charger. These are very low self-discharge cells that have some other advantages in the chemistry. That was about 15 years ago.
I recently changed out a the pair of AAs in my CCrane SSB, which had only lasted a few days rather than a full week of constant on-time. It turned out they were the original Sanyo samples — all the others are branded Panasonic. I own handfulls of them now, for radios, test instruments, flashlights… and I know that, if I leave the item sitting for a couple of years, (a) it will turn on, because the battery still has power; and (b) they didn’t leak like you expect something like a Duracell to do. A bit more expensive, a bit less capacity (at first), but well worth the investment.
I also have cultivated a bunch of lithium cells, which are promising if you treat them right. AVOID the lithium-powered 1.5V AA cells in a radio application — the ones I tested had massive amounts of buck-converter noise.
Michael,
I’ve been looking at the Eneloops. They don’t seem to make a rechargeable D NiMH cell, but they do make adapters that allow AAs to be used in the slot where Ds go.
Do you have any experience with them?
Cheers, Jock
No, I haven’t, largely because I no longer have anything powered with cells larger than AA. You should get the rated milliampere hours, and their current capacity is reasonably impressive.
Jock,
I’ve been using white Eneloop AA & AAA batteries almost exclusively since 2012, along with a “Titanium” branded charger. The Eneloops hold their charge very well, are useable for a year+. Most importantly, they never leak. I’ve lost hundreds of dollars of gear to leaky alkalines, won’t make that mistake again. (I still mourn for my Fluke meter that set of alkalines murderized.) With the D-cell adapters, the AAs work perfectly well in low-draw devices such as LED camp lanterns.
The downside to Eneloop batteries is that they don’t have quite as high an initial voltage. However, they work perfectly well in AM/FM/SW radios, flashlights, etc. Also, they need to go through a “refresh” cycle on the charger every year or so. After 13 years, I’ve had a few batteries go dud. Nothing dramatic, they simply didn’t seem to last as long as healthy batteries, and when put back into the charger it signaled that a particular battery was beyond refreshing.
BTW, the charger I have runs on 12v, and that plugs right into my ham radio gear & solar power system. It also came with a 12v wall wart, though I seldom use it.
I also have eight of the high-output black Eneloop batteries. They’re only supposed to be good for 500 charge/discharge cycles, but they do perform. They’ll run my FT-817 for about two hours of hard use. Otherwise, they charge up and can be used just like the white batteries.
One last bit of OCD: I keep my rechargeable batteries in three old tupperwares. Arranged in a drawer left to right, the first is ‘just charged,’ the second is ‘charged,’ the third is ‘dead.’ When changing batteries (usually from a radio), the dead batts go into ‘dead’ and the fresh batts come out of ‘charged.’ When enough (more than say, four) accumulate in ‘dead,’ they get charged and put into ‘just charged.’ When the ‘charged’ box is empty, all of the ‘just charged’ batteries get moved over to ‘charged.’ This way, batteries stay in the rotation, and none get forgotten in the back slowly draining down.
Well, all that was a little much! Still, I do get good service out of Eneloops, and have moved entirely away from alkalines.
-Rob
Rob,
Well, perhaps that is a bit OCD, but it is very useful OCD!
Sounds like the optimal setup might be Eneloop rechargeables for day-to-day use and throwaway Li Ions on the shelf in case a hard crunch happens.
My turn for OCD: just to be clear, Eneloop rechargeables in D adapters ought to power my radios that take D cells, yes?
Cheers, Jock
Yes, Jock, I believe that AA’s in D adapters will do the job, though I have to say that none of my radios need D’s. Works just fine in LED lanterns though, and the draws are similar.
I really ought to add a small stock of Li disposables to my AA drawer before hurricane season gets going.
Taking the topic in a slightly different direction, I’d propose that for emergency use–and increasingly for nonemergency devices as well–I suggest nonrechargeable lithium batteries in radios, VOMs and anything else that takes AA cells. You MAY find that C- and D-size adapters will permit using double-A batteries where the larger cells are required, but they don’t always physically fit and the larger cells may be required because of higher current draw than AAs can supply.
The advantages of nonrechargeable lithiums, where they can be installed, over alkaline cells or rechargeables of any kind, is threefold:
1. With respect to alkalines, no risk of leakage (how many of us can claim they haven’t had to trash a radio, VTVM, flashlight, or other alkaline-powered item, or at least spend considerable time with vinegar and cotton swabs?).
2. No need to stay on top of a recharging cycle with NIMH or nicad batteries..
3. No need to stay on top of ANYTHING. Rechargeable lithiums typically have a stated lifetime of two decades or longer. Put ’em in and cross “check battery date” off your to-do list.
Granted, my perspective applies mostly to my AA-powered gear, but I consider success anything that frees up a neuron or two.
Avery W3AVE
Potomac, MD
Avery,
Thanks for your comments.
Interesting comments on non-rechargeable lithiums. I will have to look into them.
If my memory has not failed, our paths crossed long. long ago in a galaxy far, far away (USNWR).
Cheers, Jock
We did indeed cross paths back in the Passport days. I did a couple of hands-on reviews–ergonomic, not performance-based– for Larry of the then-new Grundig Satellit 800 and another radio whose identify escapes me at the moment.
Avery,
If you wish to reconnect, my QRZ address is good.
Cheers, Jock, KB2GOM
You want NiMH batteries? Walk into IKEA and walk out with a pack or two of LADDA batteries. The word on the street is that they are Panasonic Eneloops but cheaper (one third of the price for me). The reasoning is that they are all made in the same factory. The Swedish word “ladda” means “charge” in English. Quite an appropriate name, eh? Whilst you’tre there pick up the charger as well – dirt cheap.
With alll that said and done, a Tecsun PL-368, a USB cable, and a portable 20W solar cell phone/ipad charger is a great option. The charged batteries last forever and are easy to get hold off – they’re the old Nokia phone batteries…… like I need to explain that on this website, at least 20% of the people reading this probably own that model of radio!!
Barry,
No Ikea near me but it sounds like a worthy idea. Thanks for your comments.
Cheers, Jock
Excellent advice indeed! I would add something I have noticed in “recent” years is that the battery “corrosion” issue has resurfaced (forgive the pun!) with alkaline batteries. When I was a kid this was an issue, but somewhere along the line the battery companies seemed to fix this issue. For the past 15 years or so I have seen a number of name brand batteries corrode. The most common is when there is a very slight drain, say, an LCD clock display (or just a clock maintained by a battery), but even the old flashlight corrosion occurs now and again.
As a standard practice now if something is not going to be used for a while, I take out the batteries and either attach them with a rubber band around the unit, or put them inside along with the radio or camera flash etc.
I’d rather take an extra few seconds to load the batteries than to have something ruined or have to be scrubbed clean, especially as the springs that hold batteries in are delicate and annoyingly flexible!
Cheers!
I find the white Enloopes hold a charge very well for more than one year, while Li cells used in radios need recharging every three months in radios which draw little currant when not in use. Regarding battery drain, my favorite brand of all band radios was SONY, and now the TECSUN radios seem frugal. My Sangean portables with SW kill any cells left in them in a couple months. Disappointed in Li cell radios, I recently bought an Eton Elite Executive. It is too early for me to say how long enloopes will last in that without radio use.
I’ve been using white enloopes for decades in radios and LED flashlights of normal brightness and recharge in January and July. Only in the last few years have I occasionally found a cell which does not take a charge as quickly as other cells which I discard. All my other white enloopes still have plenty of power after 6 months, but I also top off my sealed lead acid batteries and check my stock of Alkaline cells at that time.
It is worth noting your car battery can recharge Li cells a huge number of times with a car cord. How ever, when the power is out I want radios and LED lights ready to go without fiddling with batteries or chargers, at least for my most important uses.
Richard,
Thanks for your informative comments.
One of the great things about posting here is what I learn from the comments . . . like yours.
Cheers, Jock
Robert,
“As a standard practice now if something is not going to be used for a while, I take out the batteries and either attach them with a rubber bad around the unit, or put them inside along with the radio or camera flash etc.”
Excellent thought. (I recently bought what appears to be a lifetime supply of rubber bands for about a buck.)
Cheers, Jock
Hi, Jock–we talked a lot back in the Passport days.
For emergency radio purposes, I would think the best choice, which eliminates both the possibility of discharged batteries and the crispy corrosive debris of leaking alkalines, are nonrechargeable lithiums, at least in radios that take the AA size cells. Adapters that allow AA batteries to fit C and D compartments are available but may not be exactly the right size in every case.
But after too many times I’ve lost various devices to battery leakage from alkies–I know, my fault for not removing them or putting them on a replacement schedule–I’ve committed to nonrechargeable lithiums, at least for AA applications.
Avery,
Point well taken.
One of my radios, the CCrane Solar specifically warns not to use lithiums. I have sent an email to find out why.
Good to know you are still here and “tickling the ivories.”
Cheers, Jock