"Vic Smith" wrote in message
...

stuff snipped

IMO a flashlight without batteries in it is useless.
Always want it fast, and ready.

Pretty much. Who wants to fumble in the dark looking for batteries or
loading them into unit when the lights go out? I've found that if any
device is left on, they can cause the alkaline cells to leak. I've had them
ALL leak - Rayovacs, Energizers and even Duracells. The only exceptions are
NiMH, which I've never had leak under any circumstances.

Anybody using Eneloops?
I've been using them for all my wireless stuff and digital camera for
about a year now and really like them. They hold a charge longer than
the Targa and Ever-Ready rechargeables I was using before, and don't
degrade after repeated chargings like those did.

I've been testing them for the last year. Very useful in high drain stuff
like portable TV's, cameras, etc. Seem to hold a charge for at least six
months - I've got a digital charger that tells you how many mA's of charge a
battery takes so in about six months from now I'll know how well they hold a
charge over a year. I charged a batch up that I bought this summer and just
put them away. Package claims 80% charge retention - we'll see.

While they are pricey, it does seem that will be very useful in LED
flashlights because of the long charge retention. Using NiMH cells in
flashlights usually means recharging them every 3 months to make sure they
still work and that's a PITA. So is going for a flashlight and finding it
ruined from a battery leak.

--
Bobby G.