Pulled the D cell and 9V battery from my Simpson 260 today as I'd bought
a pair of Tenergy Centura D cells the other day at Micro Center and they
finally finished their break in cycle on my charger. (I still need to
get a 9V NiMH charger... right now I'm just using the 9Vs out of the
package, which is less than optimal, but when you don't have something
you don't have it.)

I know I just replaced the D cell in there within the last year, but the
"Duracell Procell" alkaline cell in there WAS LEAKING! Dated good until
March 2014. Fortunately it was just a little bit of creeping white
powder on the negative end around the wrapper, and never even got to the
contact in the battery holder. *whew!* (It also means that the cell
was probably 5-6 years old when it was installed as Duracell advertises
a 7 year shelf life. Don't know where it came from, I probably got it
from roommate's battery stash. But still, if it says good until, I
expect that to mean good until!)

Now I realize that I am probably very hard on cells as these are my
TOOLS and as such may end up being used in a hot garage, left in the
trunk of my car both parked in the sun and driven over rough roads etc.
- but still... I've had a LOT of leakers this year and I don't remember
ever having a run of luck this bad with cells.

I suspected that if I was going to have a problem it would be with the
"9V" battery as the NiMHs that I bought were the 7 cell version for a
nominal 8.4V. Well, I was wrong - the meter zeros fine on the high
resistance setting (which uses the 9V battery) but I'm almost out of
adjustment (maybe 1/4 turn left) on the Rx1 scale which uses the D cell.
(the Rx100 scale also uses the D cell but adjusted fine with a good
amount left on the pot.) But it seems that that is just the way it
is... I checked it with a D cell out of my mag lite and measured the
open ckt. voltage of that cell right at 1.50V and only had to back the
pot off a tiny amount to re-zero on the Rx1 scale. (OC voltage of the
NiMH is just about 1.40V; they're nominal 1.2V cells. Not sure why a D
cell is used for the Rx1 and Rx100 readings, I doubt it flows that much
current... must just be so you don't have to replace it so often, or
maybe it's just a legacy from back when most cells were carbon-zinc, but
I didn't think the 260 design was that old.)

The Centuras did test out at just about their rated capacity (8000 mAh)
on my charger, although they showed up with only about 1/4 charge. So
the one that I'm not using I'll have to check capacity on them in a
couple months to see if they are truly low self discharge. Tenergy does
not advertise them as "precharged" or "ready to use" however, so they
may just ship with a minimal charge on them.

DAYAM. One more device left with alkalines in it... that's the
mag-lite that I borrowed a cell from to test. At least those aren't
leaking... yet.

I did get some of the cell adapters from the Chinese guy; paid him for
them yesterday. So it'll probably be at least a week or two before I
see them; I'll let you all know how they appear/function when they get
here. I have enough spare AA NiMHs that I can use the Mag-Lite to store
them; then at that point I will have NO alkalines left save for ones
stashed and not in devices! You've no idea how happy this makes me, my
inner greenie weenie is all warm and fuzzy and I've just been getting
PO'd at alkalines so much lately that I can't get rid of them fast enough.

nate

--
replace "roosters" with "cox" to reply.
http://members.cox.net/njnagel

Sept 11, 2013

Bother, that's no good. I've had some Energizer leak,
this year. New in package. Now you've had a Duracell
Procell leak. And I had 50 plus Rayovac D alkaline
leak this year. I'm wondering is there nothing
sacred? What other brands and options are there?

Maybe we should get AA to D adaptor anysizers, and
use AA Energizer Lithiums?

I guess with this killer hot 90 degree day, I'd be
wise to check all the alkalines in various devices
in my vehicles.

..
Christopher A. Young
Learn about Jesus
www.lds.org
..

On 9/11/2013 12:28 PM, Nate Nagel wrote:
Pulled the D cell and 9V battery from my Simpson 260 today as I'd bought
a pair of Tenergy Centura D cells the other day at Micro Center and they
finally finished their break in cycle on my charger. (I still need to
get a 9V NiMH charger... right now I'm just using the 9Vs out of the
package, which is less than optimal, but when you don't have something
you don't have it.)

I know I just replaced the D cell in there within the last year, but the
"Duracell Procell" alkaline cell in there WAS LEAKING! Dated good until
March 2014. Fortunately it was just a little bit of creeping white
powder on the negative end around the wrapper, and never even got to the
contact in the battery holder. *whew!* (It also means that the cell
was probably 5-6 years old when it was installed as Duracell advertises
a 7 year shelf life. Don't know where it came from, I probably got it
from roommate's battery stash. But still, if it says good until, I
expect that to mean good until!)

Now I realize that I am probably very hard on cells as these are my
TOOLS and as such may end up being used in a hot garage, left in the
trunk of my car both parked in the sun and driven over rough roads etc.
- but still... I've had a LOT of leakers this year and I don't remember
ever having a run of luck this bad with cells.

I suspected that if I was going to have a problem it would be with the
"9V" battery as the NiMHs that I bought were the 7 cell version for a
nominal 8.4V. Well, I was wrong - the meter zeros fine on the high
resistance setting (which uses the 9V battery) but I'm almost out of
adjustment (maybe 1/4 turn left) on the Rx1 scale which uses the D cell.
(the Rx100 scale also uses the D cell but adjusted fine with a good
amount left on the pot.) But it seems that that is just the way it
is... I checked it with a D cell out of my mag lite and measured the
open ckt. voltage of that cell right at 1.50V and only had to back the
pot off a tiny amount to re-zero on the Rx1 scale. (OC voltage of the
NiMH is just about 1.40V; they're nominal 1.2V cells. Not sure why a D
cell is used for the Rx1 and Rx100 readings, I doubt it flows that much
current... must just be so you don't have to replace it so often, or
maybe it's just a legacy from back when most cells were carbon-zinc, but
I didn't think the 260 design was that old.)

The Centuras did test out at just about their rated capacity (8000 mAh)
on my charger, although they showed up with only about 1/4 charge. So
the one that I'm not using I'll have to check capacity on them in a
couple months to see if they are truly low self discharge. Tenergy does
not advertise them as "precharged" or "ready to use" however, so they
may just ship with a minimal charge on them.

DAYAM. One more device left with alkalines in it... that's the
mag-lite that I borrowed a cell from to test. At least those aren't
leaking... yet.

I did get some of the cell adapters from the Chinese guy; paid him for
them yesterday. So it'll probably be at least a week or two before I
see them; I'll let you all know how they appear/function when they get
here. I have enough spare AA NiMHs that I can use the Mag-Lite to store
them; then at that point I will have NO alkalines left save for ones
stashed and not in devices! You've no idea how happy this makes me, my
inner greenie weenie is all warm and fuzzy and I've just been getting
PO'd at alkalines so much lately that I can't get rid of them fast enough.

nate

Sanyo Eneloop. Have a couple hundred in a moderately high cycle
application for better than a year now and no issues yet.

On 09/11/2013 02:40 PM, Pete C. wrote:

Sanyo Eneloop. Have a couple hundred in a moderately high cycle
application for better than a year now and no issues yet.


Indeed. Most of my AA and AAA powered devices are using either Eneloops
or Maha Imedions. Unfortunately Sanyo doesn't make them in C, D, or 9V
sizes, I'm testing some Tenergy Centura which are supposedly almost as
good (and available in those formats.) The Maha AAs are inexpensive but
for some reason their C, D, and 9V are really pricey...

nate

--
replace "roosters" with "cox" to reply.
http://members.cox.net/njnagel

"Nate Nagel" wrote in message ...
On 09/11/2013 02:40 PM, Pete C. wrote:

Sanyo Eneloop. Have a couple hundred in a moderately high cycle
application for better than a year now and no issues yet.


Indeed. Most of my AA and AAA powered devices are using either Eneloops
or Maha Imedions. Unfortunately Sanyo doesn't make them in C, D, or 9V
sizes, I'm testing some Tenergy Centura which are supposedly almost as
good (and available in those formats.) The Maha AAs are inexpensive but
for some reason their C, D, and 9V are really pricey...

nate

--
replace "roosters" with "cox" to reply.
http://members.cox.net/njnagel

Ditto here. Until recently, I can't remember ever having a leaking alkaline battery. I would be willing to bet that most of these bad ones are made by one OEM company.

Or, they were all outsourced to China factories?

..
Christopher A. Young
Learn about Jesus
www.lds.org
..

On 9/12/2013 7:50 PM, Guv Bob wrote:

Ditto here. Until recently, I can't remember ever
having a leaking alkaline battery. I would be willing
to bet that most of these bad ones are made by one
OEM company.