I haven't seen this years test, but Consumer Reports tests batteries every
year and Radio Shack alkalines are often at the top of the list.
John Hermanson
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Camtech, Olympus Service since 1977.
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Phone/fax 631-424-2121 http://www.zuiko.com
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----- Original Message -----
From: <HI100@xxxxxxx>
To: <olympus@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Sunday, January 21, 2001 10:19 PM
Subject: Re: [OM] Batteries
| xyyc@xxxxxxxx writes:
|
| << Is there any one AA battery that has a longer life than others when
used
| in light meters and flash guns, and especially the F280?
| >>
| In low current applications which would generally be something like a
light
| meter ( but there might be a high current design with LED display for
| example) most cells should have a similar capacity. Even non alkaline AA
| cells have similar capacity at very low current. (But alkalines have
better
| shelf life due to mainly to better sealing). The difference between "high
| power cells" and normal cells is mainly in the plastic seperator and the
| depolarizer chemicals. In rapid discharge high current applications the
cell
| voltage does not drop as quickly with improved seperator and better
| depolarizer. This translates to much better life because the cell stays
just
| above the electronic circuits cut off point rather than just below.
Flashes
| are very high current devices but the cyclical nature of the load allows
some
| recovery between discharges. Flashes that include an active voltage
feedback
| control loop can extract more energy from the battery than those that
don't
| because they can run better with worn out batteries.
|
| So branded Alkalines are probably modestly better than generic
devices
| for flash use but for meter use it probably does not matter unless the
meter
| has an LED display. Alkalines are better from a leakage and storage point
of
| view than non alkaline cells, so are worth it from a damage to equipment
| point of view.
| For flashes with a voltage control feedback loop like the BG2 or
| Sunpack 544 it probably makes little difference but the T32/20 will
probably
| do a little better with branded cells since they are more sensitive to
cell
| voltage drop off.
|
| Regards,
| Tim Hughes
| >>Hi100@xxxxxxx<<
|
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