Lights - do you use rechargeables or not?

[hackbike 666]

Recharegeables all the time.

No poll for this one?

All batteries recharged after 7 commute spell.
Spare lights carried.

Spare batteries carried....Non recharegables.

 

[fossyant]

Panasonic Hybrids Rechargeable AA's in the Hopes 1's (with a spare set that I use on rotation) and Panasonic Hybrids/Energiser rechargeable AAA's in the rears/Knog Toad.

A smart (individual cell) charger at home and work.

 

[Origamist]

Yes, 18650 Li-on. Spares carried and charger at work and at home.

 

[Bay Runner]

I use 7DAYSHOP.COM rechargeables they last for ages & ages

 

[brokenbetty]

I use a Magtenlight on the front (like an inside-out hub dynamo, but it can be fitted without removing the wheel - review here: http://www.cyclechat.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=49901) and a battery light with rechargeables on the back.

Front lights seem to eat batteries and I am not organised enough to buy or recharge before it goes flat. Before the magtenlight I had a USB chargeable one so I could charge it at work, but even that usually got forgotten about.

I really appreciate the reliability of a dynamo light.

 

[gbb]

Except when I forget and have to buy some crappy front light from a hardware store which falls into the road and breaks after the first pothole.

Been there, done that

I was using NIMh rechareables, but in packs of 10 for my LED setup. This meant many regular charges and would have been a pain if i couldnt do it at work.
I do use AAA or AA rechargeables in small lights, but i think output and light is better from Alkaline.

Moved onto Li-on for the front LED setup. Far far fewer charges, far easier to charge...only a shame they're so damn expensive.

 

[fruitbat]

Just wondering what the preference is amongst those of us that use lights requiring standard (AA, AAA etc) batteries. Do you use rechargeables or not?

Am I the first to say I don't use rechargeables? Front lights (main and backup) as well as both rear lights are all LED. My commute is less than two miles and its not often I need to use lights on the way in, just coming home. I change the batteries about once a year, whether I think they need it or not. I think rechargeables would be much more hassle with this low usage.

 

[Plax]

Rechargable batteries for me, with a few spare batteries in my bag at the ready.

 

[Hacienda71]

I have just been given some magnetic induction ones with a capacitor which mean they stay on after you stop riding. Not fitted them yet but suspect they will do as a back up for my main battery powered lights if rechargeables fail suddenly.

 

[661-Pete]

I assume we're talking here about AAs/AAAs, not the high power fronts with their own big battery pack?

Apart from that, I have used rechargeables temporarily, but mostly it's ordinary one-time alkalines.

If I switched to rechargeables I'd have to make sure of always carrying spares. I'm worried about the 'suddenly dying' syndrome. And with the rear, on a busy road, it's not easy to be constantly checking that it's OK (try waving a hand behind your backside...)

While we're on the topic, what's the input on battery 'memory' (Ni-Cd's especially)? True or false? And is it a problem only on Ni-Cd, not on Ni-MH or Li batteries? Because this affects whether you should re-charge early or wait for the battery to die.

 

[2Loose]

While we're on the topic, what's the input on battery 'memory' (Ni-Cd's especially)? True or false? And is it a problem only on Ni-Cd, not on Ni-MH or Li batteries? Because this affects whether you should re-charge early or wait for the battery to die.

Always recharge early, no matter what type of consumer battery.
Discharging a battery cell completely can stop its ability to be recharged.

See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memory_effect

 

[Davidc]

While we're on the topic, what's the input on battery 'memory' (Ni-Cd's especially)? True or false? And is it a problem only on Ni-Cd, not on Ni-MH or Li batteries? Because this affects whether you should re-charge early or wait for the battery to die.

Well documented, and I've met it. It's a NiCd issue, doesn't affect the others. A real pain in emergency lighting batteries.

 

[Amanda P]

My front Fisha lights are powered by packs of six 2400 mAh NiMH batteries. I mostly use Smart 1/2 watt superflash rears, powered by AAA NiMHs.

Cheap NiMHs are usually 1000 or 1200 mAh. It's well worth the extra money for high-capacity ones.

 

[Davidc]

Always recharge early, no matter what type of consumer battery.
Discharging a battery cell completely can stop its ability to be recharged.

See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memory_effect

Good advice.

One way of destroying NiMH cells is to reverse charge them. If you have 2 or more in a light, and one runs flat before the other(s) then the one with charge left can reverse charge the other.

I don't know if the same applies to Li cells, but it's quite possible.

 

[gaz]

I use a mix of both at the moment, i'm waiting on delivery of a new battery charger and then i will be moving over my 10x AA and 4xAAA batteries that power my two front and 3 rear lights.