{"id":1396,"date":"2011-08-10T07:22:47","date_gmt":"2011-08-10T11:22:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/?p=1396"},"modified":"2011-08-12T07:39:07","modified_gmt":"2011-08-12T11:39:07","slug":"throw-away-ac-adapters-invest-in-rechargeables","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2011\/08\/throw-away-ac-adapters-invest-in-rechargeables\/","title":{"rendered":"Throw away AC adapters, invest in rechargeables"},"content":{"rendered":"

I receive a lot of emails from readers and listeners who are new to shortwave radio. The bulk of the emails I receive ask for advice about which radio to pick for travel, for home, or for work. A lot of emails, however, are from listeners who wish to improve the performance of their portable radios.<\/p>\n

One of the first things I suggest–especially if they’re hearing a lot of interference noise on the radio–is simply to unplug the AC\u00a0adapter (a.k.a., “wall wart”<\/strong>)\u00a0and run the portable off batteries. Why? \u00a0Quite often, those wall warts are injecting a lot of noise into your receiver. Find it hard to believe? \u00a0Give it a try!<\/p>\n

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Not all rechargeable batteries are created equal. Choose name-brand, higher quality cells. Dollar store batteries lack longevity and capacity.<\/p><\/div>\n

Solution: Rechargeable batteries<\/strong><\/p>\n

I get so annoyed with noisy wall warts, that I simply never use them. Instead, some time ago I started investing in rechargeable batteries. \u00a0Though one pays a bit more for them (than for alkaline batteries) initially, they can be recharged hundreds of times, and thus last for years.<\/p>\n

You can buy rechargeable batteries nearly anywhere these days, and the price has dropped significantly over the past few years, even for name-brand batteries.<\/p>\n

It’s worth noting that I’ve bought\u00a0rechargeable batteries at radio hamfests or dollar stores that were as cheap as $1US per AA cell. Big mistake–not only do these ultra-cheap batteries not hold a charge for long, but they also wear out more quickly.\u00a0Instead, stick with name brand rechargeables, like Energizer<\/a>, Duracell<\/a>, RadioShack<\/a>,\u00a0or (my personal favorite) Powerex<\/a>.<\/p>\n

About 85% of the shortwave portables I own are powered by AA cells, the remaining 20% off of AAA’s (you’ll find that I gripe about the ones that use AAA’s, by the way). When I buy a new portable–one that I plan to keep after reviewing on SWLing.com<\/a>–I invest in twice the number of rechargeable batteries that the portable holds. For example, my Sony ICF-SW7600GR operates on 4 AA cells, thus I bought a pack of 8 cells for its operation. That way, I can always have an extra set of charged batteries available when I deplete those in the unit.<\/p>\n

There are three main types of rechargeables available: NiCd (nickel cadmium), Lithium Ion, and NiMH (nickel-metal hydride). Without going into too much detail, I recommend NiMH batteries–they offer the best bang for the buck, are widely available, and with correct care, do not easily develop a memory effect<\/a>.<\/p>\n

A few tips for making NiMH rechargeables last longer<\/strong><\/p>\n

NiMH batteries are fairly fool-proof, but there are some simple rules of thumb you should follow to insure that they provide years of service:<\/p>\n