Would you scrounge for free alkaline batteries?

Likely you have thought of this if you have access, but if not here it goes. At my place of employment there are several used battery bins. I recently decided to check out if/how many of these might be useful for light use. I used primarily AAA lights, so I have acquired about 50 of these. Of those, roughly half are 1.2V or lower, which I decided not to deal with. The remainder, 3 or basically new at 1.6+, a couple of 1.5+v, roughly 12 in the 1.4+V range, and several 1.3+V ones. I saved a couple of the 1.2V ones and basically kept about 1/2 the lot. If the batteries did not decay over time, basically a several year supply. Guessing only the 1.4V or better are good for utilizing high of my lights, which I rarely do, so all in all not a bad way to spend a few minutes.

Anyway, some thing to consider if you consider using alkaline batteries, if not then no need to comment . . .

Along those lines, I was surprised how few of all the batteries in the bins showed any signs of leaking. Including those who measured down in the 0.3 to 0.8V range.

My little bobofett light will slurp the last juices out of AA alkies ’til they’re dry. AAs that won’t even run my wireless optical mouse, will happily light bobofett at moonlight+ levels, perfect for late-night poking around in the dark.

It’s about 20-30lm on a fresh alkie, 5 or so when “dead”. It’ll also stay on faaaaaar longer when kept lit constantly. (Takes more juice to ignite.)

So yeah, I’ll keep the “dead” alkies from the mouse and other doodads, and burn them off the rest of the way in bobofett. So hellyeah I’d scavenge for alkie AAs.

After the SHTF, you’ll see All the non-flashaholics scavenging them……

Most of my flashlights are 18650 based, but I keep some old Maglite two and three AA and Fenix E25’s around along with a supply of alkaline AA’s. I also have several sipik type one AA flashlights to give to the neighbors in case of an emergency. I slowly use up the AA’s in a couple of AM/FM radios to keep them fresh. Personally I’d just put any I come across in the rotation to eventually be given to the neighbors in case of an emergency or to be used in the radios.

Bobofett light, Is that a star-wars flashlight toy?

John.

Naw, it’s this one that I keep in my pocket.

http://www.microcenter.com/product/466497/R22_1W_LED_Flashlight

With change, keys, etc., chipping away at the cheap ano (or paint; never bothered to look too closely), it looks kinda beat to Hell (like bobofett’s helmet), but still lights up like the day I got it. The points of the knurling are chipped away exposing bare metal and making that section look gray instead of black, the edges everywhere are similarly worn away, you name it.

Poor critter’s been through the wringer… but is still going strong.

I’ve gotten most of my emergency stuff AA-compatible now so I’ll only need one cell type if the SHTF. The downsides are limited amperage and the likely unavailability of this popular cell in bad times. Always enough Alkis to get me through in stock here :smiley:

As long as you protect from the inevitable alki-leaks, having a free supply of usable cells can only be a good thing :+1: Many critical-use operations rotate flashlight cells based on use-time; airport flight-line personnel used to get a lifetime supply of D cells because of this but that may have changed now. Smoke ’em if ya got ’em :slight_smile:

Rather than measuring voltage, I check used cells with a home-made wire holder and a 3V incan flashlight bulb. A new cell lights decently but constantly over a few seconds time, a used but OK cell nets a bright glow that is constant, and anything less gets tossed. This method isn’t scientific but shows what the cells will actually do for you in use under a load in the fastest way possible.

Phil

I like your test Phil, quick and practical. I will see if I can use an older maglite in a similar fashion, not sure if I have any other similar bulb.

On a related note, I started a run test today of a AA kirkland battery with a best used by date of 2003. It measures 1.52V prior to installing in my Thrunite Archer 1A V3. The website states 17 days run time on moonlight mode, which is where I am using it. I would not want to bushwack through a jungle in moonlight mode, but for getting around in the dark it is functional. I have not ever tested the runtime on moonlight of this light with a new battery, so it will be interesting to see how it runs out.

I am sitting on over 200 alkaline batteries lol How can i stop them from leaking? I know i should cycle them but i dont think i can use that many.

I bought 120 AA and 160 AAA i have used heaps of AAA but i kept 100 or so for emergencies.

I would love to know this also. But I will say of the couple hundred I have looked at lately only 5-10% show any signs of leaking or damage, and that is very minimal.

Joule thief would be what I would do if I could scroung for alkaline batts

I collect mystery AA/AAA’s and store them in small used glass bottles (like from relish, pickles, jams, etc…), positive terminal up. That way, if they leak, at least it’s contained.

I scored a couple of Xtar WK50s (the ugly pink ones) for $7 each and use them every day to drain AA’s. Use a JETBeam Jet-u and Fenix HL10 for the AAAs.

It’s kind of funny. In the process, I find myself using primary AA/AAA’s much more than my Eneloops and Li-Ion batteries. We’ve stopped buying alkalines so I envision a time where we will be totally rechargeable, but at least now, we’re not accumulating any more of them.

Hey, I like that Barbie Pink! Keeps people from stealing it…

Never ever ever ever ever buy more alkileaks than you plan on using within the year. I speak from hard leaky experience.

Worse when you buy a 50-pack and “forget” them for a few years. Perfectly good cells, but they’ve already got one foot in their leaky grave.

When I say “I collect”, I mean from around the house, in junk drawers, remotes we no longer need. And you’re right, no one wants to steal the pink one, except my wife. :smiley: And like I said, we no longer purchase alkalines. Just using up what we have. :slight_smile: I just find it funny that I have all these rechargeables and I’m not using them much YET! lol

So I finished this test a while ago but failed to update this thread. The battery provided enough voltage to provide REGULATED output for 18.3 days. That’s 439 hours from a 20 year old battery. To me that is amazing. The battery did get a few day rest part way through the test, as my original light was acting up, so I returned it and continued the test on with the replacement.

I measured the voltage and current of the battery twice a day, which also gave the battery some short rests. Based on tne current measurements from the original test I calculated the battery provided a tad over 3000mA-hr of current. Current level provided was 5 - 10 mA.

I started another test with a battery expired in 2016, a young pup compared to the original. It is also starting at 1.53V. This time I am just running the battery for several days at a time between taking short pauses to measure the battery voltage.

I’m wondering if you’ve finished your most recent test? I’m interested in the results.

~Hugh

I had tons of alkaleaks with voltage up to 1.4v

I work for Sound and Light event company and our wireless mics uses alkaleaks.

I collect them especially those mics that has been turned on for less than a minute for a year and a half.
Now I had no idea why I kept 3 tupperwares of AA alkaleaks.

Been using it on my EDC Fenix LD12 but the batteries in LD12 lasts pretty long even on high.
My supply is unlimited.

I did finish that test but failed to update this as mentioned, thanks for the reminder. This battery completed 16 full days of use, and died somewhere during the first half of the 17th day. As I mentioned above the first battery got a few days off in the middle of the test, as the first battery used was in a light that had a connection problem. I returned that light and got a new one, and continued the test. The first battery recovered only 0.04V during that time, from 1.34 to 1.38V. It took about a day for the battery to drop back down to 1.34V during the next discharge phase. The other difference in testing the first battery was I measured the voltage twice a day. For the 2016 dated battery, I only measured the voltage 5 times. Of course the final difference is there were two lights used for the 2003 battery, and only 1 for the 2016 battery. It looked like the current draw was very similar between the two at the voltages where the test data overlapped though. If anything the second light current draw was a bit less.

I think alkaline is _sort of _similar to Nimh, in that it has a flat voltage portion of the discharge curve, at least at low current. Both batteries spent the most time during discharge between 1.4 and 1.25V compared to other voltages. I have a second 2003 dated battery. perhaps I will duplicate the test as I did with this second one, where I measure the voltage only occasionally, and see if I get 16+ or 18+ days.

I would never even think of looking a used batteries of this type. I have had to many leak and damage or destroy the host equipment. I do use a bunch, but I am trying to convert my wife to using lithium batteries or NiMH LSD batteries and managing the charges for here. Not worth it to leak one in a Pineapple, Zebralight, Olight or even the A01 or variants of it.