I’ve never used such batteries but after reading your review and HKJ’s on the Blackube some thoughts on the pluses of such a battery could be -
No alkaleaking!
Fast recharging
Lower self/shelf-discharge than LSD NiMH (?)
Better low temperature performance than NiMH, or alkaleak
Flat 1.5V versus falling from 1.7V for primary lithium
And some minuses might include -
Relatively expensive initial cost
5V charging, requiring proprietary charger; unless one has the USB version/brand of baattery
Loss of efficiency when used in 1.5V boost light, after having been bucked from higher lithium voltage
One application I’d like to try might be 2S in a direct-drive driverless LED arrangement. For example, if the 2S 3v is as flat as the single 1.5v cells one could use this to mod an incan 2-AA by simply dropping in a 3V LED on a suitable heatsink pad for a flat output single mode light.
If you look at the 2 Blackube reviews HKJ did the top USB charge [Gray] seems to have a bit more capacity and better amp support than that [Black]. The Tenavolt capacity is more in line with the [Gray], but the amp support more like the [Black].
People seem to have an issue with “yet another charger”. Jeez, our shelves and drawers are crawling with chargers, batteries, holders, and lights. I say, give it a rest. The charger is so small you can use it for a 4xcell holder if you want.
I do find some applications that don’t need a LOT of amp support, but do benefit from 1.5v actually do run better. I have 12 of these, and every one is in use somewhere. I like ’em. The product seems to be made well and the batteries have been consistent in all my tests.
For about $3/cell on specials (frequent), they are a reasonable buy and work pretty well. For the long haul……we are all beta testers I think.
To me the issue is primarily about compatibility/convenience. If you lose/misplace the included charger, you will not be able to recharge these cells in any other charger, unless you feed them 5V directly. Alas, if you order several sets of these Tenavolts, you will have multiple backups.
Occasionally the ‘special’ allows the use of the discount code to get only the batteries for another couple $$ off. Haven’t seen that the last 2 cycles though.
For full price these are ridiculous. When they get down to Eneloop pricing they become attractive if you have the right use for them.
A plain ol’ AA holder with flying leads and bare usb socket is all anyone’d need to be able to charge these on the fly. 2 soldered connections is all it takes.
I have a LOT of Eneloops. I just flat don’t believe that spec. Maybe a brand new, specially selected cell, placed in a 40* cool dry place….might……maybe….pull that off. No battery in real use will get close to that.
Wellp, I popped one into my E03, and brightness is comparable to a new alkaleak.
Of course, it’s way brighter with a 14500, but all those levels are quite bright. M is comparable to H (ie, little discernable difference in brightness), and L is still hella bright, way too bright to use late at night.
At least with lower voltage, modes are quite evenly spaced, and L is suitable for moonlight-duty with diffusion film.
Hjeh, now that I got mum set up with an LED desk-lamp (another vipon special) instead of having to use flashlights to read, etc., I might be able to completely do away with those detestable little leaky things.
Odd. Ran down a Tenavolt in my E03. Can’t recall running down a cell to nothing in a long time. My EBL 14500 that I had in it since I got it was used lots longer (and brighter in all modes) and after swapping it in still had/has some oomf in it. (Just checked, 3.45V, so could stand to be charged, but still…)
Anyone have observations that they run down fairly quickly?
I don’t mean this as an insult, but are you sure you had a fully charged cell? It’s impossible to tell except freshly charged, or empty and dead.
I have a dozen, all tested at 1.6Ah @ 0.5v, or slightly better. Good consistency.
I don’t get the specs. How does, say a 2000mAh NiMh pulling 500mA only run for 1hr+? Math doesn’t work out. Should be near 4 hours. That much inefficiency?
I’d expect the Tenavolt to go somewhat over 3 hours on high.
As soon as I opened ’em, I popped out the plastic thingy, loaded ’em all up, powered up the charger, spun each cell around ’til the bright part of the ring was on top, and let ’em burn. After a half-hour or so, poop! poop! poop! poop!, all 4 lights eventually went out. Charged, I presume.
NiMH is only 1.2V. It has to boost the voltage to the LED to 3.whatever. So if it boosts the voltage 3× to 3.6V, current would be 1.5A from the cell to supply 500mA to the LED, assuming 100% efficiency.
Granted, it’s the lousiest route as far as efficiency, going from 3.xV from the internal cell, down to regulated 1.5V, then back up to 3.xV to drive the LED. Still, I prefer the more evenly-spaced modes at 1.5V, even if not nearly as bright, vs all-bright directly from a 14500.
Besides, I gotta find something to use ’em in. :laughing:
Got a battery powered: nose trimmer, beard trimmer, 2xAA Sonicare travel toothbrush? Really perks up devices like that, small motors that are kind of laggy, especially as the batteries get old.
The only lights I put them in are small 2XAA or 4xAA motion lights I have all over the house. Some of them that I want to keep brighter and are harder to change out seem to do a bit better with these.
A minor point, but important to me, is that the battery grip in some of those lights is damn aggressive. I can shred the top edges of the cell prying it out, or break a fingernail (ouch!). Some cells I actually need a tool which can cause even more damage. The Tenavolt are a tad smaller diameter, much nicer and harder skin/wrap than any other battery I know (including Eneloops), and slipperier. They go in and out nicely. For a permanently mounted light near the ceiling I like that a lot.
The best cells I had for those particular lights were some REALLY old RayOVac 4.0 and Eneloops. They are getting tired and need replacing anyway. They have hundreds of cycles. Those old ROV have actually been amazing. Manufactured in 08/2011, I beat the snot out of them and most of them are still OK, not great, but still buzzing along. Good enough for stuff like that.
BTW, thanks for the efficiency explanation. Didn’t think about the multiple conversions going on. That would not help out at all.
The Tenavolt cell I took out of a xeno eo3 after it shut off running on high read 0.24V fluctuating wildly to about 0.60V. The tenavolt ran this light more like a 14500 than a eneloop - brighter with a lot more heat and shorter run time. In direct drive lights, the Tenevolts are great. The run at full brightness until they are almost dead when they start to dim and flicker. In most fully regulated lights, Tenavolts seem to run pretty much like standard eneloops.
