Panasonic Eneloop Rechargeable Battery Pack (8x AA + 4x AAA + Charger) $49.99 Delivered @ Costco (Membership Required)

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• 

  jlien on 29/05/2024 - 13:30

  +3

  now i remember why i first started coming to ozbargain. Unsure if the charger it comes with has gotten any better in 15 years though

  • 

    GhostofB on 29/05/2024 - 15:36

    I haven't looked in a couple of years, but the answer then was no… I bought a Nitecore and it's fantastic.

• 

  rumblytangara on 29/05/2024 - 13:35

  That charger is pretty bad. Purely timer based, and will overcharge any battery that's not totally flat.

  • 

    jj8aus on 29/05/2024 - 14:02

    Which one should we get?

  • 

    ifreddo on 29/05/2024 - 14:14

    What do you mean by overcharge? These things don't stop charging once the battery is at capacity?

    That sounds very dangerous.

    • 

      GhostofB on 29/05/2024 - 15:38

      The one I bought a few years ago instructed not to charge longer than (IIRC) 12 hours… I bought a Nitecore charger to replace it.

    • 

      rumblytangara on 29/05/2024 - 16:20

      There are people who review this stuff: https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/test-review-of-cha…

      This is the simplest charger possible, it just charges at a very slow, fairly fixed rate for a set amount of time- sounds like 12-16 hours? It doesn't measure capacity.

      To measure capacity accurately on nickle type batteries, you need to be able to measure a very small voltage fluctuation near the end of the charge state. To get this voltage fluctuation, you need to charge at a fairly high current (which would finish charging in ~2 hours, which this charger doesn't do).

      Whether this is a problem, I don't know. I can't remember the safe 'trickle charge' for NiMH cells and can't be arsed looking it up. It won't be 'dangerous' because it's a nickle battery, it's not going to blow up like a lithium might. It just might not be healthy for the Eneloops.

    • 

      Russ on 30/05/2024 - 01:45

      That sounds very dangerous.

      With NiMh batteries, overcharging the batteries makes them heat up, usually to about 60 or 70 degrees.

      That heat could cause first-degree burns, but in reality your automatic reactions will make you drop a battery that hot, before any significant damage is done.

      But getting that hot will cause pressure to build up inside the battery, which will rupture the over-pressure seal near the positive pip of the battery. Once that has happened, the electrolyte in the battery will dry out within a year or two, or the electrolyte will leak out and corrode nearby metal.

      This is why most battery chargers sold by battery manufacturers are "dumb" (timer-based) chargers: they know you'll be back every few years to buy replacement batteries.

      But a decent smart charger and your batteries will last much longer, and will also charge your batteries considerably faster.

• 

  jolt on 29/05/2024 - 13:53

  +1

  Are you better off with an equivalent combo from Ikea?

  2 x AA 1900mAh 4 pack = $20
  1 x AAA 750mAH 4 pack = $8
  Charger = $12

  Total = $40

  Or $44 for the 2450mAh AA's

  • 

    smartazz104 on 29/05/2024 - 14:01

    That includes delivery?

    • 

      jolt on 29/05/2024 - 14:38

      +1

      Good point!

      But the charger is actually cheaper so it only totals $43 including delivery, or $47 for the 2450mAh AA's.

  • 

    lordra on 29/05/2024 - 14:18

    Are they like for like?

    • 

      jolt on 29/05/2024 - 14:39

      I believe so, even with the higher capacity Ikea batteries it still ends up cheaper..

      • 

        GhostofB on 29/05/2024 - 15:46

        +2

        Oils ain't oils though. These particular Eneloops have a huge number of charge cycles, which is their main strength. From my research there's no equivalent Ikea battery.

        The Eneloop Pros on the other hand do have an Ikea equivalent, but they're not a high charge cycle battery like standard Eneloops.