Are LSD batteries overrated?

[gadabout]

@StorminMatt

I think my point is that I feel like most people don’t use other batteries because of bad experiences had with them in the past. For instance, the whole thing that someone here posted about non-LSD batteries losing 25% of their charge overnight and 1-4% per day was put out by Sanyo when they introduced the Eneloop back in 2005.

I agree this is a bit over the top. My experience with using NiCad and NiMH cells over the past 35 years is that they do (did) suffer a very real loss if stored for any length of time. But I was under the impression that about 1-2% per day was considered normal. I certainly found most of the ones I had to be pretty useless if I hadn't charged them for a couple of months so "topping up" before use was standard practice.

@StorminMatt

Honestly, when I consider newer, quality non-LSD batteries that I have, NONE are anywhere CLOSE to this bad. In fact, …it takes over THREE MONTHS for a Tenergy Premium battery to self discharge to the point that it has less capacity than a LSD Tenergy Centura.

I certainly agree that we need more of this kind of hard data. There are many threads with nuggets like this but it can take a lot of research to compile all the available info.

@StorminMatt

Although time will tell if these batteries last five years, it would at least appear that non-LSD batteries have NOT sat still since the introduction of Eneloops and other LSD batteries. Yes, there will always be cheap, ebay batteries. But anything halfway decent appears to be WORLDS better than what was available 10 years ago.

I'm afraid I can't comment there as I stopped buying any other kind. You may well be correct.

@StorminMatt

It is for THIS reason that I question whether LSD batteries are universally the best choice like people make them out to be. I guess I should note that brand seems to be VERY important with non-LSD batteries.

I'm still a little unclear on the advantage of purchasing the non-LSD varietys. Is there much of a cost saving or is it just the issue of increased capacity that you find appealing?

Do you think that in general the LSD cells stand up better to poor charging practices? Or is it more due to the general overall quality of the cell?

I think the reason that brand is important is that there are probably less cheap LSD cells available. The ebay junk cells that I've seen are invariably the standard variety whereas the LSD cells seem to be associated with quality manufacturers and premium brands. (Sanyo, Powerex, Duraloop, etc)

Then again, how do you explain the dreadful Energizer rechargeables? Even the big names can get it awfully wrong sometimes.

[Chloe]

LSD cells from lesser known brands (e.g. Enelong, Pisen) don’t have as high cycles as latest eneloops, e.g. 1000 (1st gen) vs. 2100 (4th gen):
http://www.fasttech.com/products/0/10001963/1140600
http://en.pisen.com.cn/picture/show/1343.shtml

Higher capacity don’t have as much charge cycles, e.g. Eneloop XX.

So just buy what you think best suits your application and habits.

P.S. if you’re still in doubt just buy the one with the best mascot:

[gadabout]

Hi Chloe,

I think your first link was meant to be http://www.fasttech.com/products/0/10001963/1140600-enelong-12v-2100mah-pre-charged-rechargeable-hybri

I haven't heard of either the Enelong or Pisen brand. Do you have any first-hand experience with them?

[Chloe]

Thanks, gadabout! I only have experience with Pisen Li-ion (good, so far) but I think others have tried their AA (see fran82’s comment).

[Blinky1]

It seems that eneloops have got so much attention that people get the impression that LSD NiMH’s are just better than the normal ones all the time.
In reality the normal good quality/high capacity NiMH’s are better in regular use.

[DB_Custom (Dale)]

But it’s not all about Eneloop. Maha Imedion cells are as good or better than the Sanyo brand. This experience comes from a hard hitting professional Canon flash unit with a 150’ reach. 4 of em actually. With 2 cameras and 4 flash units, I don’t ever really know what combination of flash I’m going to set-up for a shoot, so to have the cells ready to go, anytime, everytime, is a must.

Also, they don’t leak. I have ~40 cells, some of them the original Eneloops that have been used hard, put up hot, charged late, dropped on concrete, you name it…not a single leak to date.

Just took AAA Energizers out of my wireless keyboard that were wet, corroded and one of the springs in my keyboard is corroded. Yuck! They were working fine, just went to remove them to dust the keyboard and found a mess.

Keep Imedion “D” cells in a 3D MagLite with Elektrolumens Triple XM-L2 drop-in. They easily handle the 9.4A needs of this beast. The loyalty thing is based on reliability. Why waste money on an unknown? There are brands that are famous for their reliability, and in a flashlight that sits atop the fridge waiting for the power to fail, reliability is paramount!

Use a device regularly? Use it to the end of the cells? Go ahead and get the higher capacity cells, provided it’s not a high demand device and you routinely have the option to spend a few hours charging cells before you head out. I can charge 16 at a time, so it’s not a real deal breaker, but still choose the LSD cells for their absolute dependability.