Test/review of Panasonic AA BK-3HGAE 2700mAh (White)

Panasonic AA BK-3HGAE 2700mAh (White)







Official specifications:

  • Maximum Capacity: 2700mAh

  • Minimum Capacity: 2500mAh

  • Nominal voltage: 1.2V




Maximum temperature raise at different discharge currents: 1A:+1,1°C, 2A:+3,1°C, 3A:+5,6°C, 5A:+11,1°C, 7A:+15,9°C, 10A:+17,8°C
Panasonic is both selling eneloops and Pansonic cells, they are not the same.











The curves looks very much like other 2700mAh cells.















Conclusion

It looks like good batteries with high capacity, but the difference from 2500mAH rated batteries up to these is not very large.



Notes and links

How is the test done and how to read the charts
Compare to other AA/AAA batteries: Alkaline/NiMH/Lithium

Thank you again, Henrik, for all the incredibly useful reviews. I noticed that you made no mention as to whether these cells are LSD, and I took a quick look on the package and didn’t spot the telltale “Ready to Use” phrase. If these cells are not LSD they are perhaps less interesting to those of us in the Eneloop fan club.

Thanks for the review HKJ.

These seem impressive i did not know there was 2700mah cell.

There are a couple of brands, but they do not give much extra capacity compared to 2500mAh and they cannot match 2000mAh eneloop in lifetime (or even get near).

Kind of off topic but I have some Ansmann 2700 and 2850mA NiMh. I thought they were a good brand. After just a few years use and with a fresh test cycle they come out about 2000mA, have a miserable internal resistance (around 300-500 on my Opus), and poor current support. They keep that trend up and they’ll be pathetic in a couple more years.

Not sure any of these high cap AA will amount to much long term.

If I got a few years out of some batteries I’d feel I got my money worth out of them. I use 2400-2500 LSD cells they only last 400-500 cycles. Walmart has the Duracell online for $8 if I get two years that’s a dollar a battery. The Walmart by me still sells the made in Japan ones. I had heard somewhere some Chinese ones were in some stores. Don’t know the truth behind that

Are IR measurements accurate on the Opus? I seem to get different readings at different charge levels.

Some years back I had some high capacity Panasonic cells. I found they lost ~0.5% charge per day, and repeated high discharges in a torch/flashlight caused the battery to lose capacity. The capcity went down from about 2700mAh to more like 1600mAh in a year. I was discharging them twice a week over six months, so maybe 50 times. Perhaps these are better?

None of the chargers at this level are “accurate”. It’s more like you now have a stick with measurements on it and as long as you use it the same way you get approximate readings to compare a battery to itself or others at a crude level. There is a way to measure it that is accurate but I’m not willing to bother.

IR changes with state of charge and temperature, that’s normal. There are a number of contact and resistance issues with the charger itself that makes the reading not terribly accurate. I make sure the contacts are clean, and generally take several measurements and kind of average them, throwing out the wild cards.

My good batteries show IR below 100 for AA. When they start showing above 150-200 they are definitely not doing as well.
Larger batteries should show lower readings than smaller batteries. I have some crap AAA that show 500-700 on the Opus. But they still work in little LED motion activated night lights just fine.

As always, thanks for the review, HKJ.

Thanks for a surpricingly interesting review.
Perhaps I’m too romantic in this, but something familiar stroke me by studying the two pictures of the cells.

  1. The detail proportions are the same as the cell I have in my hand right now.
  2. The color and structure of the insulation shim (gray) are exactly the same.
  3. The assembly angles of the wrapper in the ends are exactly the same.
  4. The metal surfaces looks the same.
  5. They are made in Japan.

What do I have in my hand? -A Fujitsu Black from FDK!

FDK seem to be making these non-LSD batteries. The provider also dares calling them Panasonic Eneloop, but I know nothing about their quality.
Just had to say…

I have Eneloops that say they can be recharged 2100 times do you believe that number? There must be strict standards of recharge. I have read you only get that many recharges if its partial charging say 1/3 drained not from fully drained?

What is the most charge cycles a BLF member has done any one counting?