Battery 'mAh'?

[Klir]

Hi,

Could someone please enlighten me about the 'mAh' on rechargeable batteries?
I'm looking for a couple of new AA one's but im not sure which ones to get.
Would a pair of 2700mAh's be better than a pair of 1300's?
And also are the 'NiMH's the best type to get?

Thanks in advance, Klir.

 

[tontoshorse]

Its just milli amps per hour. (the capacity)
Therefore the higher the number the longer they would last from a full charge.

PS Ive found this site very helpful.

 

[Klir]

Thanks for the fast reply and my answer
And tyvm for the website.

 

[bodoman]

Hi,

Could someone please enlighten me about the 'mAh' on rechargeable batteries?
I'm looking for a couple of new AA one's but im not sure which ones to get.
Would a pair of 2700mAh's be better than a pair of 1300's?
And also are the 'NiMH's the best type to get?

Thanks in advance, Klir.

NIMH are certainly the better ones to get and with the highest MAH rating.

Went through all the options on AA,s a few years ago, and discovered that they dont work to their full capacity until they have been charged up at least 6 times

 

[ush flynn]

NIMH are certainly the better ones to get and with the highest MAH rating.

Went through all the options on AA,s a few years ago, and discovered that they dont work to their full capacity until they have been charged up at least 6 times

these days it might be worth your while looking for lithium batteries these days rather than NiMh as these will last far far longer

 

[SeanT]

yes, but are rechargeable lithium batteries commercially available in common sizes?

 

[Alun]

yes, but are rechargeable lithium batteries commercially available in common sizes?

AFAIK lipo cells are only available as a voltage pack. no AA etc.

They are becoming incresingly common in the model place/car world, due to lighter weight and high current capacity.

Wont be long though...

 

[senu]

these days it might be worth your while looking for lithium batteries these days rather than NiMh as these will last far far longer

Yes, but not as AA...unless your kit can use both

For instance the Canon 350 and 400D battery grip have an AA adaptor in addition to the regular Li ion Cell. The ability to use AA whether as alkaline or rechargeable can be a life saver when you run out of Li ion in an emergency

 

[steve.o]

Altough Li-ion AAs last about 5x longer than normal alkalines I dont think you would see a vast difference compared to a decent set of NiMH (say 2500-2700mAh). The only real benefit is that Li-ion batteries hold there charge much better than NiMH. The higher priced disposable Li-ion AA's serve well as a back up but I wouldnt say they are a suitable replacement for NiMH yet.

The next big thing will be once they can get the voltage of an AA sized Li-ion cell down to 1.5v. Currently you can buy the rechargeable Li-ion CR-V3 cells which is essentially the same size as 2 AAs. These are typically 3-3.25v and only compatiable with certain devices. So maybe the manufacturers should incorporate these types of batteries into their designs more.I know of a few Samsung digital cameras (cant remember the model numbers) that accept all 3: Li-ion cell, AA and CR-V3. It's not hard to implement!

Sorry for the long post and if you missed it on DPReview a few months ago, check out the future of rechargeable batteries from the clever people at M.I.T - they will charge in seconds not hours. LINK