discharging batteries

ASAAR wrote:
On Tue, 20 Jun 2006 03:10:24 -0500, Ron Hunter wrote:

I am not sure about the leakage factor either. However, I don't leave
them in the camera, but remove them when I return home and replace
the NIMH batteries and place the camera back on the 'dock'. And, yes, I
know Kodak has some models that will use alkalines. Unfortunately, I DO
know about the leakage factor in alkalines, which is a reason for not
leaving THEM in an unused device either, for years. I have some
equipment that I have to remove the alkaline batteries from because they
draw current all the time, and will deplete the batteries quickly,
causing leakage. Not a pretty picture!

Unfortunately, though rare, a small percentage of them will leak
even with no current drawn. I've seen it with fresh batteries still
hanging in unopened packs hanging on the rack, which has had me
wondering if perhaps they were previously stored for a few months in
a hot warehouse somewhere. I was messing with some CR123A batteries
last night (more about that in a bit) and realized that when you
mentioned the 10 year shelf life of the lithium batteries bought at
Sam's Club, while they probably were lithium AA batteries, they
*might* have been a very good buy if they were CRV3 batteries
instead. And if they were, that would explain the 10 year shelf
life, since the recent lithium batteries I've seen that were made
using 3v lithium cells have had 2015 expiration dates as opposed to
the 2020 dates on 1.5 volt lithium cells.

Getting back to the CR123A batteries, I was in a photo shop
recently and bought one made by Varta that was priced substantially
lower than the usual Energizer CR123A, $3.49, which is 1/2 to 1/3
the regular price. I swapped it in a high quality LED light and
found that the light flickered, seemingly due to an intermittent
switch. It turned out to be the battery, which when examined side
by side with the Energizer, didn't seem to be constructed as well at
either end, but mostly on the base, which is made of a metal that
has a slightly matte finish compared to the Energizer. I could get
the light to operate reliably by turning the end cap slightly, which
might have positioned the light's contact spring into a better
position on the base of the 123A. I also noticed that the Varta
appeared to be significantly lighter, perhaps 75% or 80% of the
weight of the Energizer, but lacking a small precision scale I
couldn't verify this. But if it's lighter, it's sure to have a
lower capacity as well. With the significantly lower price it would
still be a good buy, but while good enough for a light, I wouldn't
want to use Vartas in a camera on the off chance that a similar
intermittent loss of power might occur, which could also lead to the
loss of pictures if it happened while writing pictures to memory.


The lithium batteries I am using are Energizers, and I have no idea when
they expire. I suspect I will use all of them well before the most
conservative shelf life value. They do have a warning about leakage if
exposed to high heat. One of the 'imponderables' of buying anything is
that you really don't know how it was stored, or transported, and for
how long. Could a trip through the southwest US in a truck with no
climate control cause damage to whatever merchandise was in it?
Certainly it could in some cases. Perhaps that is why one package of
alkaline batteries I bought at Sam's was dead on arrival... Caveat emptor!

On Tue, 20 Jun 2006 11:40:10 -0500, Ron Hunter wrote:

The lithium batteries I am using are Energizers, and I have no idea when
they expire.

I wish all manufacturers marked the expiration dates legibly on
their batteries. Energizers print the dates on the package.as well
as on the battery. Maybe you need your bifocals? My AAAs show
2019 and the AAs 2020. A Duracell CR123A came installed in the LED
light so I don't know what was on its package, but it shows 2015 on
the battery. The Varta CR123A has Jun 2015 printed on the package
but no date information on the battery, just warnings in English
German and French.


Could a trip through the southwest US in a truck with no
climate control cause damage to whatever merchandise was in it?
Certainly it could in some cases. Perhaps that is why one package of
alkaline batteries I bought at Sam's was dead on arrival... Caveat emptor!

I remember you mentioning that before. It's possible, but also
that the delivery truck too a long "shortcut" on a rocky, bumpy dirt
road. Excessive vibration and shock is bad for batteries too.

Al wrote:
Anyone know of a GOOD source for replacement batteries for the Panasonic
dmc-fz30? I've ordered two knock-offs online and they have lasted only a
few months.


B&H sells OEM Panasonic DMC-FZ30 batteries for $49.95

http://tinyurl.com/ht2bm


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Transpose the c's and a's in my e-mail address to reply.

On Wed, 21 Jun 2006 16:19:44 -0400, Isaiah Beard wrote:

Anyone know of a GOOD source for replacement batteries for the
Panasonic dmc-fz30? I've ordered two knock-offs online and they have
lasted only a few months.


B&H sells OEM Panasonic DMC-FZ30 batteries for $49.95

http://tinyurl.com/ht2bm

Adorama and J&R usually have replacements for about $20 that
should be much more reliable than the often risky internet buys.
B&H should have good inexpensive replacements, but they're usually
more expensive than Adorama's and J&R's offerings. Some time by
only a little, sometimes by quite a bit more. But all should well
below $49.95. If there are any problems, B&H issues no questions
asked refunds. J&R only offers replacement or credit. I haven't
dealt with Adorama long enough to have learned their policy.