Ted Edwards wrote in message ...
Your friend was correct in recommending NiMH rechargeables,
you can get a decent set of 4 and a charger for about
$10 if you look for sales. Never need to pay more than
about $15.

Please don't do that! Those cheap chargers are either constant current
or timer terminated. Pay somewhat more and you can charge your
batteries whenever you feel like it without worrying about state of
charge. Ray-o-vac has a good charger but, personally, I like the Maha
line. My 204 isn't as versatile as some of the newer ones but it works
well. I paid Cdn$30 for it a couple years ago.
For example, see
http://www.thomas-distributing.com/batteries.htm
Ted

Ted,

That's partly correct. Yes, the cheap chargers are constant-
current, but no, they are not a problem. For most NiMH cells,
the "cheap" chargers are charging at a rate less than C/10, and
are no problem even if left plugged in all day. I bought my
sets from bydusa online over a year ago, and all cells are
still going strong. I paid $7.49 for the charger PLUS four
1800 mAH cells. Bought two sets, keep one charger at home and
the other in my camera bag with fresh cells in it. Makes a
good "battery holder".

Only if you want a "fast charger" do you need to step up to the
more expensive setup with microprocessor, and yes, you can get a
great one for less than $15. For 22.95 you can have the charger
and EIGHT NiMH cells (four AA and four AAA, I use the AAA in FRS
walkie-talkies). Model V-1000 package:

http://www.batteryspace.com

This thing works great, and it's dual-power, either AC or an
included cigarette-lighter adapter. I've also used it for
over a year. I keep this one in the console of my truck for
when I need to quick-charge cells, as it's not as small as the
slow charger that I keep in the camera bag.

best regards,

Martin