EEVblog

[@excitedbox5705]

These 2 brands have built their image on being longer lasting than other brands so it is an obvious scam. A customer won't look at capacity because they assume they will be the longest lasting one. Most people don't know what mAh are or mean and will easily get ripped off.

[@EEVblog]

True

[@TheWareek]

I was about to say that its not a scam because they state what you are getting, BUT then I read what you said and have to agree with you they have built an image as being longest lasting.

[@lee3r24]

Basically the marketing department was very successful

[@BrekMartin]

Energiser rechargeables have always been behind other brands, including their AAs.

[@jcc4tube]

They gotta pay for all that advertising somehow.

[@nikomo]

New tongue twister: she sells D shells for C cells by the sea shore.

[@notatheist3632]

She sells c cells as d cells by the sea shore

[@rokhamler3352]

You win the internet for a week

[@stupidhat1779]

Clever!

[@bencesarosi7718]

Sounds like a Disney song

[@demonshaz]

He sells c cells as a d cell

[@alexmildenberger680]

Missed an opportunity to call the video "The Secret of NiMH"

[@jimwilliams1536]

Nice.

[@seymoronion8371]

Underrated comment. ;)

[@fuzzywzhe]

Fun Fact: NiMH stands for the National Institute of Mental Health. Other fun fact, this is where the Mouse Utopia Experiment was performed by John B. Calhoun - an ethicist. So now you know the grim roots of that film.

[@EngiMeer]

I was thinking that too but you lot were already on it... i just saw this video today ....

[@MattsAwesomeStuff]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/jX2oZ2iGj5hjqq8 -- Context for anyone who doesn't understand 80s off-brand animation.

[@paulcalmond]

Would have improved video benefits by dismantling the RS higher capacity D cell

[@Townie_au]

I agree

[@shifter65]

Wait, you won't tear apart the RS one? I need closure!

[@imaok4721]

I'm the same, I'm gonna have to go shop and buy one just to finish off.

[@MrDoneboy]

Exactly. Hope Dave doesn't have stock in RS batteries.

[@vertigoalopolus]

Was hoping you would take the RS Components battery apart for comparison.

[@l3p3]

That would have been a waste since we actually know what is inside and since it is still too useful to be destroyed.

[@AnthonyGoodley]

Yes me too.

[@Underskore]

Eh, it would look the same but a bigger roll

[@chrisspellman5952]

I mean all he would have found inside is Terry Crews yelling "POWER!"

[@HighestRank]

Chris Spellman good guess.

[@mahlapropyzm9180]

It's left 3/4 empty for future marketing - just add a few more turns on the roll and they can advertise the extra capacity as "New, improved, more bigger". With all that empty space there are several rounds of pulling the same stunt (with attendant volume and price increases) for minimal changes to manufacturing or technology. There's a word for that: Ker-ching!

[@trevorlambert4226]

You would think that's the path they'd take, but if that's what they're doing, they're playing the long, long game. They've had these undersized D and C cells since before NiMH even existed, very likely all the way back to the introduction of NiCd cells.

[@digibluh]

but d and c cells aren't popular like they were in the 80-90s. Only place i have seen them the most are flashlights.

[@webranger1962]

Did you want to pay $4 a battery or $7 a battery? I'm going with $4 a battery because it doesn't matter.

[@zedg7473]

@@webranger1962 hmmm idk the actual price so I'm just going to be generous and say its $8 for 8Ah and $3 for 2.5 Ah. That equals to $8 for a single battery instead of $9.6 for the "cheaper" one for the same amount of amp hours. But realistically it would actually be $12 for the cheaper one since you can't buy 0.2 of the battery. But considering these are rechargeable and the batteries are not being used in parallel, the only reason why I would go with the smaller sized brand would be if I didn't care about capacity or I needed more than one battery. So I guess it just depends.

[@TP-nh2oi]

In my local hw store they sell the 3000 mAh Varta D cells at € 18,90 a pair, exactly the same price as a pair of 3000 mAh Varta C cells. Probably the idea is just to avoid a too high price point but still provide a battery that fits in a device, in case you need one. And it has been 2 years, still the same 3000 mAh.

[@DrakkarCalethiel]

In that Energizer battery is enough space to fit in a couple of batterizers. gotta get that 800%

[@EEVblog]

Energizer did threaten batteriser over their trademark, so they must be working on their own...

[@mistakenotou7681]

Batterizer might make sence with nimh some devices are not good with 1.2 volts but parasitic drain might cause problems

[@andrewbergspage]

@@mistakenotou7681 also, batterizer draining the cell down to 0.6 V will make it not much of a rechargeable in short order.

[@mistakenotou7681]

@@andrewbergspage yeb that will kill a nimh

[@dyershov]

New Indiegogo campaign: a reverse batterizer. It allows you to charge your rechargeable batteries to 800% capacity. we can also stick it in the ass (sorry, bottom) of the empty D-cell battery.

[@trevorlambert4226]

This has been ongoing for at least 30 years. I can remember back in the 80s seeing D NiCd cells with a capacity equal to AA (600mAh). When NMHi was introduced, same thing. They just took the AA cell, stuck it in a D size package and charged a lot more money for it. There was a time when it was pretty common to see AA with higher capacity (2.65Ah) than D cells of the same brand. This was across the board for all NiCd and NMHi cells sold in retail. To get a proper sized C or D cell, you had to get an industrial brand like SAFT. There was another trick they did with 9V batteries, which was to only include 6 cells, giving nominal 7.2V. This was despite the fact there was room for a seventh cell, which would have brought it much closer to the nominal 9V (and give 17% higher capacity). Again, if you bought an industrial 9V, it would be 8.4V. The brand name ones would be 7.2V, plus a piece of foam to fill up the void at the bottom of the battery. NiMH technology has pretty much stagnated, or maybe it just reached it's physical limits a long time ago. Back in around 2000, you could already get 9Ah D cells. 20 years later, and they're still selling ones with that, or less capacity and it looks like the top hasn't gotten much over 10Ah.

[@98dizzard]

NiMH has still come a long way in the last 15-20 years. Capacity has somewhat stagnated, but that is because of the move to LSD chemistries. Despite the lower capacity, LSD batteries are better suited for almost every application. They have also improved significantly in charge cycles.

[@MichaelEricMenk]

Good thing I got D cell casing that fits 2AA in each casing, giving me 5Ah. But I did it because I had lost me D cell charger..

[@randymc61]

They were still using alkaline manufacturing designs for nimh. 6 alkaline cells was 9v (1.5v X 6). They didn't change the design for NIMH, (although they were less Volts per cell) so 6 cells only came to 7.2 volts (1.2v X 6).

[@klausstock8020]

@@randymc61 Actually, no. The non-rechargable batteries had six cylinder cells inside, while the rechargable ones had a stack of button cells (usually with some elongated "button shape" to better match the cross section of the 9V block battery case). You could vary the height of the stack by using a different number of cells or cell with a different thickness (and capacity). Cheapest way was to use less cells and filling the extra space with foam. I also remember that non-rechargable cylindrical batteries sometimes had smaller cells hidden inside (sometimes with the outer case being of plastic, not even metal). This was usually the case for excotic form factors. Instead of having a complicated machine which builds cell with the right size, the manufacturer just needed a machine which produces "adaptor shells" and these receive smaller cells of a more popular form factor inside. Found that out as a little kid - I would -crack- "reverse engineer" depleted or broken batteries to see what's inside. And that was at least 35 years ago.

[@AlexandreLollini]

There is also the problem of weight : I use to have a huge boombox that used 10 of those D cells, at the time I was using pimary cells, it weight a ton. And the playtime was several days. If I had some NIMH that weighted less and offered me a day of use that could have been interesting. But well, most of the time if you can have max capacity, you'd better get it. I use mostly AA from Ansmann, and those perform as well as primaries. The oldest I have are AA 2100mah that self discharge in two weeks, but damn when those are charged they have good power and capacity. I see no point in stopping using the oldest ones, those are perfect as long as i know they self discharge. Newer ones do not or self discharge in months. Lithiums 18650 are even better but those don't go in the same devices. Really : 20 years old NIMH still ROCKS ! That is renewable engergy guys !

[@Seegalgalguntijak]

"Buy brand names" they said. "You'll get more for your money" they said.

[@QDStrength]

You do get more Air

[@DxBlack]

@Great Value Bleach _"C D-eez NUTS!"_ -Energizer, probably.

[@OnlyKaerius]

I don't consider duracell/energizer to be good brand names. Instead I look for brands like Foxnovo, Eneloop, King Kong, or EBL.

[@benjaminmiddaugh2729]

Always clarify which more the brand is selling you. If you want a different more, pick another brand.

[@alexanderfl-ts3171]

It was true 15 years ago and before. Now everyone trying to compete with chinese cheap stuff, which means everyone "cut edges" as much as possible to just somehow stay on surface. Means now everyone competing in making trash.

[@teardowndan5364]

2200-2500mAh is in the same ballpark as high-capacity AA cells, may as well get battery size adapters and buy AA. Some D-size adapters allow you to use 3-4 AAs in parallel for higher capacity and current.

[@EEVblog]

Yep, then you can use them in different devices

[@johnfrancisdoe1563]

Teardown Dan But packing 3 or 4 AAs into a D-sized box doesn't give you the full D-size volume of battery chemicals, and thus not the full energy level.

[@teardowndan5364]

@@johnfrancisdoe1563 Full capacity? Neither the Energizer nor Duracell deliver anywhere near D-cell capacity, they're merely at the higher end of what is available as AA. Which one is the bigger rip-off? 2500-3000mAh D-cells at $8-10 a pop or 2200-2500mAh AA-cells at $2 a pop? You can outperform the Energizer and Duracell D-cells with a pair of AAs for half the price.

[@mahlapropyzm9180]

@@johnfrancisdoe1563 but neither do Energizer or Duracell - the whole point of the video.

[@karlharvymarx2650]

You stole my thunder... well mumble. My AA Amazon Basics are 2400 mAh and weren't even sold as high capacity, just low self-discharge. I think I'll just wrap some paper or whatever around a couple instead of buying D cells for my Duracell flashlight. (It is a very well made flashlight at least.)

[@KWatson1984]

D shells over sub-C cells has been happening as long as there have been consumer rechargeable batteries.

[@KJ6EAD]

We've always had the option of going to Digikey or Mouser and buying the full capacity industrial versions of these where a D cell would have a capacity of 8.25Ah.

[@czarzenana5125]

You can even buy converter plastic containers. NiMH is so old, I remember it from when I was young. Man I'm old now.

[@Kanglar]

She sells D shells over sub-C cells by the sea shore.

[@matsv201]

Yea. is even very rare to get a true D cell. Even true C cells are failrly rare

[@chickensseeall]

@@matsv201 true C cells are just today's D cells apparently

[@JamesLewis]

It's an industrial "sub-c" cell... they've been doing that for years.

[@johnsnell1929]

Absolutely! I remember when I was a teen back in the 80's (no NiMH's yet, just NiCads) I tore apart a Radio Shack "standard capacity" D cell NiCad only to find it was exactly that - a larger plastic shell holding a sub-C cell inside. At that time, normal Radio Shack rechargeable AA cells were around 450 mAH, and the standard C and D cells were both 1100 mAH. (All PURPLE, remember those?!) I think they had only recently rolled out a line of High-Capacity C and D cells as well, for a much higher price, of course. I forget what the C was, but I remember the D had 4000 mAH. Anyway, one day Radio Shack had a huge special on their standard NiCads, so I bought a big bunch of the C's and D's and tore off the shells of them all to build battery packs out of the sub-C's inside! It gave me cells for I think close to the price of AA's at the time but about 2-1/2 times the capacity. (Hey, this was the 80's, so we didn't have eBay or Amazon, and I hadn't discovered Jameco or Digi-Key, yet!) I don't get so upset about this as a fraud, as long as the capacity is clear or not otherwise misrepresented. I probably would feel differently if this were done with primary cells, as the extra capacity is much more the point of getting larger cells, there. (Anyone aware of this being done with primaries?)

[@ryantoomey611]

Might as well just buy a AA to D adapter! You will get same capacity.

[@daftflamious]

why would he buy another one of those? the whole video is about how the d cells contains a ~2000mah nimh aa cell.

[@brittneypaul2089]

@@daftflamious You pay full-D cell prices for those. It is cheaper to buy AA cells and D cell adapters.

[@Magisktification]

@@daftflamious D cells containing C cells is what i saw. I dont know if your country has extra fat AA's. Yeah you can get AAs at the same capacity as theese Dcells how ever, infact you can get AAs that outperform theese!

[@Magisktification]

@@brittneypaul2089 But is it really cheaper in the long run? My guess its better buying thoose rs ones or something similar, that will outperform any 2 AAs you can find.

[@lighteningwawa]

Maybe for easier charging on AA chargers?

[@Audio_Simon]

I used to have a set of battery size adapters. Concentric cases that could take an AAA and bulk it right up to D cell size.

[@HuntersMoon78]

I have some AA adapters up to D cell size.

[@McTroyd]

They're 3D-printable now. I have an old keyboard in my house that needs C-cells, and it's the only thing that does. C is the same height as AA, so with a round 3D printed shim... And the battery life is "good enough."

[@UberAlphaSirus]

Exactly, and that what these two batterys are doing. Filling the space. Back in the day, c and d sizes where needed due to crap capacitys. When AA got more juicy, they had more umph than the c and d demands from old products, so who would want a D cell that can supply 20+ amps to run your yamaha keyboard.

[@michaelparker2449]

Yeah I've got some D cell adapters that can hold 3 AA batteries in parallel, but the only problem is the batteries often don't discharge at the same rate so don't put out the full capacity of all 3.

[@GodzillaGoesGaga]

The only real use for D cells is for a big flashlight that can be used as a club !!

[@TheAnalogKid2]

Take apart the RS 8000mAh!!! Bloody amateur!

[@eurobum2012]

The RS cell actually says 800 (eight hundred) mAh on the side. He was showing it right to the camera while saying "eight thousand" LOL

[@vincentrobinette1507]

Too nice of a cell. That's a keeper!

[@theR6969]

Euro Bum , charge current 800ma 16 hours .. capacity 8000 mAh. I noticed the same so I paused the video. you should too.

[@DoctorWhom]

It's probably 4x the cost of the other ones...

[@joec7275]

@@vincentrobinette1507 to nice of a cell? Thought the purpose of this video was to compare 3 types, a little miss leading and dishonest if you ask me. I mean just pushing a certain brand with absolutely zero evidence it is built better than the two brands he takes apart.

[@SkeletonSyskey]

Calls Ni-MH "Old School" meanwhile, I still have Ni-Cd.

[@EEVblog]

Yep I'll pay that

[@samgab]

Meanwhile, I still use Leyden jars...

[@preslavenev5351]

Meanwhile my remote has baghdad batterys.

[@cougarhunter33]

@@preslavenev5351 I grabbed some uranium as the earth was forming and use that to run my hotdogger.

[@frogz]

Meanwhile my carbon zinc are all crumbling away

[@UltimatePerfection]

You haven't opened RS cell to show what proper cell looks like inside. All in all this was just D measuring contest.

[@MrFastFox666]

It's probably just battery all the way through with no empty space.

[@theuncalledfor]

@@MrFastFox666 Apparently there are D-cells with even higher capacity, so I'd assume they left a little empty space in the center of the battery and/or didn't wind the layers very tight.

[@Halberdin]

"D measuring contest" I see what you did here. :-D

[@ppdan]

I just use Eneloop AA with C and D size adapter. This way you only have to buy one type of batteries.

[@Gameboygenius]

It's got what batteries crave. It's got electrolytes.

[@mikey3816]

Ouch my balls!

[@jamesf9610]

I'm going to Starbucks

[@Gameboygenius]

@@jamesf9610 We don't have time for a hand job!

[@bnlhu]

But what *are* electrolytes?

[@notosure2148]

@@bnlhu It's what plants crave

[@gorillaau]

The accounting department nickled and dimed these products.

[@arcaneminded]

well played

[@Pentti_Hilkuri]

The guts are most likely AA cell guts, so money saved by having one type of innards instead of three.

[@HighestRank]

Pentti Hilkuri clearly the video showed that not to be the case.

[@Pentti_Hilkuri]

Did I watch the same video? In my video there was smaller innards in a bigger shell and a C cell in inside a D cell that probably had the innards of an AA cell in it, and the capacities were similar to an AA cell.

[@redtails]

so much space inside them, you could use them to smuggle drugs

[@daf0975]

Sush!

[@km5405]

that's a great idea, they would be hesistant to take it apart as well. ... especially if it was energizer one containing *gasp* LITHIUM

[@Yrouel86]

Something like that it's already being done actually. In a recent episode of border patrol I saw a shipment of powerbanks and cheap fans contained 2 18650 cells in parallel where one was functional and made the device appear to be working while the other was full of meth. They where caught because the xray image showed the cells completely different and then obviously upon close inspection the weight difference was huge plus the fact that only one cell showed some charge.

[@reeepingk]

@@Yrouel86 Yeah I saw that too. The other tip off was that the fans still worked with only one battery plugged in. But in this case the x-ray wouldn't show anything different because the drugs would surround the entire battery part, and the battery would still work. Honestly not a bad plan to tell you the truth. Although if it were me I'd probably use something self contained (like an AAA cell) inside the bigger cell as to not get the electrolyte on my drugs.

[@paulhawkins6415]

So, that advert where they shove a battery up the energizer bunny's clacker is really a drug smuggling tutorial !

[@BrienMalone]

20 minutes and you didn’t crack them all open!? Argh!

[@Shaun.Stephens]

You got through the whole thing? Wow! I could only handle small amount of that whining noise so kept skipping forward and gave up before the halfway mark.

[@TheBlackadder-Edmund]

yes, shame he didn’t crack the RS one, it also has more chances that the Mah is exaggerated if built by a third party and measuring the capacity would have been useful... interesting anyway

[@jbbolts]

why crack it open when you its actually useful? lol

[@TheBlackadder-Edmund]

jbbolts fair enough... but then this video should have never existed in the first place 😜

[@donmoore7785]

@@TheBlackadder-Edmund You whiners can go make your own videos. Geesh.

[@chris746568462]

Don't some chargers monitor the temperature of the cell? It can't be very effective through a plastic case.

[@tokeeptrackofrandomsubs5899]

There are chargers that use temperature rise as one of the termination factors, a good charger though would primarily use -dV/dt with temperature rise when the battery is full as a backup in case it was missed somehow. And then ideally on top of that have a time based cutoff too set sensibly for expected capacity of the cell (no more than 20-30% more than expected max charging duration). Oh and some chargers also determine fast charge termination based on voltage and then trickle charge for a few hours to top them up to 100% (or indefinitely if designed for non-LSD cells). A charger using temperature increase during charging as a primary termination factor? yea it'll probably have an issue with it if it senses the temperature on the side of the battery. If its temperature sensor connects to either the positive or the negative side though it might not be as bad, but then you'd also measure some heat produced by the charger which might make reliable termination more challenging?

[@Blox117]

the heat has to go somewhere, so it will go through the plastic

[@stinkycheese804]

Yes, there are chargers that do, and yes it wouldn't be very effective. Granted this would mostly be a factor with a shorted cell, otherwise a typical charger can't put more than an amp or two into them which with their higher capacity, is still not all that rapid a charge rate.

[@matthewnewhouse4634]

Temperature affects the resistivity of objects (higher temps mean higher resistivity). This means that they could just measure the current and internal resistance to figure out the temperature

[@maximilianmustermann5763]

The very popular BC-700 type chargers definitely have temperature sensors, but I guess they are just using them as a fail-safe mechanism. At least I have been using a bunch of them for the last fifteen years to charge dozens and dozens of Eneloops, and I've never had a problem. I can't even remember having a bad Eneloop cell ever. The oldest ones I still use are at least 10-12 years old and they still have 1700-1800 mAh. So the chargers can't be bad.

[@leonkernan]

Big Clive ended up with little burning bits all over the place, keep the explosion containment pie dish handy!

[@xenonram]

@Chetar Ruby He's done NiMH, many a time.

[@techllama]

@Chetar Ruby In this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qnPKZaufoqmlqc0 he takes apart NiMH and one bursts into flames.

[@vadnegru]

And this video was recommended to me after Clive's 😄

[@KarlBaron]

Unraveling a battery without an explosion containment pie dish... risky business! Around here the 100 yen shops (dollar stores) sell "battery adapters" to adapt AAAs/AAs to C/D cells. If I ever end up with some device that required C/D cells that's what I'd end up buying instead of one of these scams (that I'd also need a new, bulkier charger for)

[@rickyreynolds17]

Karl Baron deffo a big Clive fan here! 👍

[@userPrehistoricman]

Didn't an NiMH cell light up on Clive's channel after unravelled it?

[@petersage5157]

@@userPrehistoricman It was an 18650 lithium cell. Didn't really catch fire (at least not on camera), just smoked a lot.

[@compgeke]

Nope, it was a NiMH. kzbin.info/www/bejne/qnPKZaufoqmlqc0

[@cougarhunter33]

I wonder if he would like to try the methylated spirits taste test.

[@vaalrus]

Back when I was using Nimh and NiCd packs in my survey gear, I went to great lengths to track down actual full-weight D-cells for my laser level units. They were (naturally) more expensive, but worth it when you’re miles from anywhere. I thought this up-cycling of small cells in large cases was common knowledge… Especially in the late 90s and early 00’s before Lithium cells started coming on line for standard cells, and Nihms were expensive..

[@JoeStuffz]

I used to think that Energizer was the highest quality, but I'm starting to see signs of corners getting cut. The manufacturing for the alkalines is made less and less in the USA. I switched over to Rayovac for alkalines because it's not only cheaper, but Rayovac batteries are USA-made. Duracell's alkalines are often USA-made, but it's getting harder to tell

[@randymc61]

Except, Energizers are the only ones I don't have to worry about leaking if I leave them in something for a long time. Every other brand has resulted in ruined radios, flashlights, clocks, etc. I'll trade a bit of power for not ruining my stuff any day. (and Duracell is the worst)

[@firstmkb]

The question is, what are your choices (and source of information) at retail where most people purchase batteries? I have never seen RS batteries on shelves next to Energizer and Duracell, so never knew 8,000 mAH was an option. Information is a necessary component of a competitive marketplace. So, what are the odds that two major manufacturers chose the same approach independently?

[@MrScotttraynor]

with those "ratings" just get one of those AA->D,C plastic coverter thingies?

[@mistakenotou7681]

They did the same

[@HighestRank]

Only if the installation was not permanent and you intended to reuse either-the battery or the cell.

[@mistakenotou7681]

@@ingulari3977 i hope no one thinks you are serious altogh i think its unlikely to cause problem but it doent look like a good idea

[@bland9876]

I have some weird ni-mh cells that are the length of Triple A but the girth of a double a :(

[@markcummings150]

Packaging should include a mandatory statement “WARNING OBJECTS IN PACKET ARE SMALLER THAN THEY APPEAR”

[@proluxelectronics7419]

'D' cell products are sized for a reason, Not to use more space..

[@savage101.]

Why then?

[@johnfrancisdoe1563]

Guillermo Zaandam Obviously because they need the extra electricity.

[@flatfingertuning727]

D-cell alkalines batteries are cheaper per amp hour than C cells, so a device which uses alkaline D cells will be cheaper to operate than one with the same current draw that uses C cells. If, however, one has a D-cell boom box that one will use every day and can recharge every evening, rechargeable C cells will be cheaper and just as useful as the D cells, but weigh less. If one will go weeks without power, a set of D cells would be more useful despite the extra weight

[@joinedupjon]

@@flatfingertuning727 That's what I was going to say - could be seen as a benefit in the consumer market for many applications. worth noting that energizer 2500mAh C cells cost about the same as energizer 2500mAh D cells - energizer aren't ripping people off by selling them expensive fresh air, they're ripping people off by costing too much per mAh across the whole range in the first place compared to RS (who aren't known for being a cheap supplier)

[@Chupacabras222]

I already see marketing department turn that into advantage: more air inside = less weight of battery = device with their batteries are less heavier and more mobile = their batteries are better then heavy RS crap ;)

[@IanGrodyRules]

Well, both are owned by the same company, Procter and Gamble. correction: Duracell are. P&G have fingers in lots of pies and their scamful ways are seen across ALL of their products. 500ml washing liquid, is now 470ml in a 500ml bottle. etc.

[@alphabeets]

Ian Grody just another way of masking the effects of inflation...

[@bcubed72]

"washing liquid?" You mean "laundry detergent?"

[@loungelizard836]

You can still buy AA to D adapters, they cost less than buying a D cell. I always thought that was what was inside D cell NiMH because the capacity was about the same!!

[@hi-friaudioman]

What the hell dave? You didn't cut open the RS cell for comparison. I really wanted to see the volume inside that one for reference.

[@daveb5041]

*I bought NiCd in the 80's from Panasonic that the D cells were same in weight as their C cells and capacity too. Seems like all my rechargeable D cells were actually c cells*

[@michalveselenyi3801]

and actually there is an AA cell in both of them :D

[@zeroangelmk1]

@@michalveselenyi3801 and a AAA in the AA :D

[@pulkinpulman2028]

what you using them for

[@daveb5041]

@@pulkinpulman2028In the 1980's? Probably toys. I remember all D being too light and never found any D's that were larger in charge not just a C in a D package.

[@hectorandem2944]

The Walkers/Lays crisps of the battery market. 50% product 50% air 100% well played, marketing team - you baited me again

[@RDSk0]

At least Lays has a reason to do that - the air protects the crisps from crumbling into a powder, and you pay for the weight anyway.

[@hectorandem2944]

@@RDSk0 Sounds what a Walkers/Lays marketing exec would say... 🤔

[@reeepingk]

@@hectorandem2944 No it's totally true man. Without the extra air during shipping all of the chips would be crushed to essentially dust. You've gotta remember these things are probably shipped in massive boxes on pallets. Not only that, but they have to provide ENOUGH air to be protecting at sea level while also not exploding when being delivered to cities at altitude. It's really funny, when I moved to a high altitude place I was extremely surprised to see all the chip bags puffed up (as well as things like yogurt lids, etc.)

[@tybofborg]

​@@reeepingk Uh huh, and what's the totally true reason to make the bags opaque so that you can't inspect the air/product ratio?

[@MrPaukann]

@@tybofborg, they are not transparent to protect the product from uv light. That's why all beer bottles are dark, there is actually a law in my country that requires the use of dark bottles for beer. Have you ever had a pack of crisps in your hands? You can feel how much is in it with your hands.

[@coyote_den]

"What is the difference?" mostly air.

[@tetsujin_144]

Yeah for a long time I tried to use rechargeable batteries instead of alkalines for just about everything, and made sure my chargers were able to charge all the different sizes... Then I realized that the rechargeable D-cells sold at retail had the same capacity as AA's, so I stopped getting them. Totally dumb. I think they maybe do it so the charging time won't be outrageously long or something. Or maybe to limit the damage if they rupture or leak. But it defeats the point of using them.

[@kaitlyn__L]

Yeah. I just use spacers for C and D from AA now. As you said, same capacity as these smaller ones. If I need 8Ah I could get one of those, but for me they're only powering things around the house, and it's easier to keep a stock of charged AA Eneloops around to replace in the spacer than keeping spare charged C or D cells. Plus I can use them in everything calling for AA too. So now I have a lot of AAs, some spacers, and a few AAAs as well for keychain torches and TV remotes that require them. All charged up because they're low self discharge, for pennies each time on the night rate.

[@BMRStudio]

Aka, how to sell branded air :)

[@LerRhann]

Lays?

[@MrBchott]

Why didn't open the 8000 mah one on cam... This looks like an add for the 8000mah one.. Next time open all 3..

[@EEVblog]

There is no point. The weight tells you it's going to be a full-roll constructions. The thing I was interested in is why the Energizer and Duracell weighed so much left and had so much less capacity.

[@DarkSlayerCT]

I doubt it’s 8000 mAh

[@firstlast-cs6eg]

@@EEVblog I agree, you should have checked. Or at least tested them to see if they lived up to their rating. Probably the 8000 will be higher, but we won't know, will we. Did you not want to break the 8000 for using it? Aside from seeing whether its fully rolled or not, I'd like to see what kind of construction quality is in the 8000.

[@Menelutorex]

@@EEVblog i have batteries with sand so weight doesnt matter untill checked ...

[@dalriada842]

I don't use any rechargeable D cells. I stopped using non-rechargeable D cells when I discovered the same scam with them. I have adaptors that hold 3 AA cells. That cuts down on the number of battery types I need to buy.

[@dalriada842]

@mxt mxt I use both types, depending on the application. In the D cell adaptors I favour non-rechargeables though.

[@neiltonks]

I seem to of missed something, at the start you said the capacity of the batteries stated on the pack was correct. So what is the issue?. They are doing exactly what they claim. Regardless of what's inside. How much more expensive was the RS one than the Duracell?

[@wellactually9265]

Yeah, thats what i said too. Like making up an issue from a non issue. No ones misleading anyone.

[@johncarlaw8633]

Energizer 2500 $11.66 RS 8000 $19.85 They won't fool people who do a little research and know what the numbers mean but they will gain a margin from people who believe the advertising. They spend a lot of money on advertising and seem to think the returns outweigh the cost. The extra space inside is where the Energizer Super Plus MAX Improved Next Generation Heavy Duty Xtr3m3 Power lives.

[@alexanderfl-ts3171]

If i'm not wrong in ads they claim as extra long life batteries(as a whole brand feature), so have 2500mAh in package which can hold 10000mAh and call it extra long life is kinda direct lie. Another thing is price ofc not linearly coralate with capacity, so they more expensive per mAh then RC 8000mAh one. So again kinda scam when someone sell you 1/3 full bottle at price of half full and call it cheap. Another thing is charge-discharge cycles: bigger capacity battery you will recharge less often than small capacity, since they(due to similar chemistry) have more or less same charge-discharge cycles count, you will wearout smaller capacity battery faster then huge one, in same applications and same time frame. This is more from "Planned Obsolescence" subject. Finaly: bigger form factor should means bigger capacity, thats why initially they made D package, and put there capacity of almost AA battery is plain stupidity, i mean if device require D package battery, usually it require big capacity, otherwise you will recharge batteries every now and then. This is the case when you initially paid less, but in long time perspective you will spend more money replcaing them more often. This trick they often use so customer thought he's smart and saving money, but eventually he dont.

[@brittneypaul2089]

10,000 mAH 'Tenergy' cells from China are way cheaper than the name brands.

[@chrisantoniou4366]

@@brittneypaul2089 Yes, but can they be trusted to be "as advertised"?

[@james-5560]

No explosion containment pie dish. Poor

[@God-yb2cg]

rolf

[@jameslaine2472]

LOL, wrong channel; that's Big Clive's method.

[@97Giorgos97]

😂

[@mrdiggie3321]

This just adds to the list of reasons why I no longer buy Duracell.

[@W4TRI_Ronny]

I only need one. Without exception every radio I have bought second hand that had batteries left inside to rot were Duracells. One time I pulled out a set of RayoVacs that were fine. No charge but no leak!

[@basshead.]

I like UltraFire batteries. Their batteries have massive capacity.

[@teresashinkansen9402]

Mine was leaky cells, every single leaking cell on my devices was Duracell. Now i buy a generic brand from homedepot, they are pretty good and much cheaper lol.

[@MrHack4never]

Doesn't some devices use D-cells for their higher continuous amperage? These would be a bad choice then

[@tw11tube]

Yes, they do. But in old devices, the choice of D-cells over C-cells might be due to the amperage of zinc-carbon cells. Those old devices would be fine with the 2200mAh NiMH cells. Also alkaline cells have a more pronounced drop in performance and usable capacity under high load than NiMH cells, so the low-capacity D-cell NiMH cells might be on-par in usable runtime with off-brand D-cell alkalines on high-current devices.

[@nathanmead140]

@@tw11tube stuff like a radio/tape player/good speakers for the TV\xbox\playstation (any model) That needs 10 D size batteries? It's powered by AC too but when I take it with me I use battery's because I don't have a portable charger with a AC outlet for a laptop yet

[@matthewmiller6068]

Wonder if the had a surplus of sub-C size when power tools went to Lithium and repurposed the existing stock

[@HDXFH]

Matthew Miller very likely

[@vincentrobinette1507]

Sub "C" cells ruled the cordless power tool, and laptop computer markets for years. They were produced in mass, and were readily available. It doesn't surprise me in the least, that they are a "go to" for just about any 1.2 Volt rechargeable application.

[@Polite_Cat]

but their new versions are 3000mah so it seems like they continue to make them that way

[@ralphM1114]

Never in my life have I imagined that batteries could get this interesting, much less a 20-minute video. Thanks, youtube recommendations.

[@KiR_3d]

advertising overpriced cells using nice bunnies _is_ a scam! IMO :)

[@paco4756]

They actually make adapters like this.

[@coreyfro]

These primary cell companies hamstring their rechargeable batteries so people buy their promary cells, instead.

[@vincentrobinette1507]

That could be right. At 250 Ma discharge rate, a 1.5 Volt size "D" alkaline cell can produce 12 to 15 AH! About 6 times more capacity, than their rechargeable, and about 8 times more energy, because they are 1.5 volts, instead of 1.2. They can also sit on a shelf for a year, and keep more than 80% of that capacity. The caveat: once discharged, you have to buy new ones. I've tried, but never successfully, to recharge alkaline cells, but it never really works. It could even be dangerous.

[@coreyfro]

@Liam nimh are resilient to over discharging.

[@coreyfro]

@@vincentrobinette1507 you can get quality D cell NIMH which are 12AH, and while alkaline cells suggest a higher voltage, they cannot provide the power output of NIMH. The advantages of alkaline cells is they dont self discharge are,readily, so for applications where they sit on a shelf like an emergrncy flash light or have slow power draw like a smoke detector, alkalines are you best option

[@vincentrobinette1507]

@@coreyfro You're exactly .right. You will find, that the voltage rating of high amperage flashlight bulbs, is 1.1 volts per cell. A "D" size alkaline cell drops to less than the 1.2 volts for NiMh, or NiCd, at less than 2 amps. I'm sure you've seen LED flashlights warn NOT to use rechargeable batteries. That's because the cells don't lose nearly as much voltage under load. That could cause the LED's to go into "thermal runaway", because of the negative temperature coefficiency of LED PN junctions. The softer, lower performance of the alkaline cells provides the ballast necessary to protect the LED's. Alkaline cells also share a characteristic with Lead Acid batteries, called the "Peukert exponent". That means, the higher the discharge rate, the less capacity you will get out of the cell. In high drain devices, a 2000 Ma rechargeable cell will give longer run times, than a 3,400 Ma alkaline cell.(AA size) That's why I like alkaline cells for smoke detectors, Television remotes, clocks, and other devices that use so little current, that the self discharge rate of rechargeables will run them down faster than the device.

[@deerlakediver5554]

No scam here. Read the labels. Pay for the capacity you want. Volkswagens cost less than Mercedes, and have different capacities.

[@troyjollimore4100]

But, in this case, you'll be paying exactly the same for the VW as you would for the Merc. That's the point...

[@deerlakediver5554]

@@troyjollimore4100 check again. Amazon sells all three. The price of each is relative to capacity.

[@demef758]

Long ago in the days of NiCAD, I dealt with some of these same battery manufacturers, who spilled the beans on their products. As I remember it, they had an "industry standard" cell that they called "2/3 C" that they used in as many of their products as they could. ("sub-C" also comes to mind.) By using this standard cell in most of their products, they kept their costs low. Thus, most of their different battery form factors, like C and D, used this same 2/3C cell. No difference at all between a C-cell or a D-cell. If you are an OEM and want a rechargeable battery pack containing spot welded-cells in your product (think "Black and Decker," etc.) these were the cells that provided decent capacity while minimizing the cost of your battery pack. It sounds like that's what's going on here. While I agree that the big name brand cells are quite expensive compared to off-brand cells, you have to remember that most consumers are completely ignorant about electronics. "mA-Hr" means nothing to them. All they know is that they want a rechargeable battery in a D-cell package that costs the least. "2500 mA-hr versus 8000 mA-hr ... what difference does it make?" Amazon sells "Amazon choice" NiMH D-cells that they call "everyday cells," then conveniently omit any capacity data in the ad. No doubt it, too, is a 2500 mA-hr cell. Cheap (about $1/cell), and that's all most consumers are looking for. The much-higher capacity D-cells sell for 3-5x this price. Which do you think the un-savvy consumer will buy?

[@my3dviews]

I had Energizer Ni-cads (that I took apart) that did the same thing back in the 70s. The D cells were just a C cells with a plastic cover to make it match the size of a D. So, this video wasn't surprising at all to me.

[@JamesPotts]

They've been doing stuff like that since the 80s. I remember an "exposé" on the topic.

[@uploadJ]

70's .... this is *not new*.

[@Rickmakes]

I like the idea of a lighter weight D cell for certain applications but they should also have a full capacity model.

[@NarrowGauge1]

TimTam biscuits are getting smaller in size (capacity) all the time while the outer packaging remains the same. Less chocolate = less MAh

[@gorillaau]

Excellent analogy.

[@awesomusmaximus3766]

I'm kinda surprised they were sub C's i was thinking they were gonna be AA's repackaged I use 10,000 mah D size batts in my torch

[@SuperVstech]

Well... they simply COULDN’T build the battery to be MORE POWERFULL than their alkaline front line moneymaker cells... nobody would buy the disposable moneymaker cells... they build them just enough.

[@PowerScissor]

My Eneloop AA rechargeables inserted into a 3d printed "D cell" adapter outlast the Energizer scam of D cell batteries.

[@simonm1447]

This D cell adapters are officially offered, unfortunately they offer no Eneloop as true D cells.

[@PowerScissor]

@@simonm1447 Yep, I have the official ones. That's what I modelled the ones to 3d print after. Shame it's so hard to find a quality D-cell NiMH.

[@simonm1447]

@@PowerScissor In Europe there are Ansmann NiMh cells available as D cells. They are good quality, but cost more than 10 Euro per cell. They have 10k mAh.

[@maximilianmustermann5763]

@@simonm1447 at least they're open about it and say "we don't make D-cells, but here, have a D-cell adapter for the AA cells" Instead of making a "D-cell" that's just an adapter with an AA-cell and sell it for 3x the price.

[@simonm1447]

@@maximilianmustermann5763 yes, D cells with hidden smaller batteries inside is cheating people which don't know about it.

[@thoughtlesskills]

But how much would my 12D boombox weigh with those RS bats?

[@tjsynkral]

That cell is a standard NiMH package seen in a lot of power tool batteries (back when power tool batteries still used NiMH). It probably is more cost effective and better engineered for energy density to use the standard package than to find a bigger custom package. That's why those bricks that plug into Lithium power tools and laptops have 18650's inside. Was kinda hoping you would put these on a discharge tester and show the real capacity.

[@stephenarling1667]

Best idea for general use rechargeable C or D is to use spacers with standard AA NiMH cells. Eneloop brand is generally best by a wide margin. If you really NEED top capacity NiMH or NiCd cells in C or D size, they are available, at much higher cost. Some special-use types, such as are used for assembling power tool battery packs, are designed to withstand very high charge and discharge rates.

[@stewiegriffin6503]

I noticed this 3 years ago. and knew already without even opening it, that they have put AA or C battery inside D, , because AA battery has about 2,5 Ah capacity. But thanks for confirmation.

[@mikesradiorepair]

50 seconds in and I can tell you what they did. It's probably a AA battery stuffed in a D cell case. They make adapters to do that.

[@volvo09]

I'm betting that too. I used to have some "real" 5500mah rechargeable D's and when I went to buy more I saw these crappy energizer / duracell ones and said what a piece of shit... So I went on eBay.

[@mikesradiorepair]

Nope, wasn't a AA but wasn't much more than that. What a rip off.

[@volvo09]

Yep, looks like a "sub c" which is a common size in tool / rc nicad's and nimh cells. The Duracell surprised me though, I was really expecting the same thing in both.

[@EEVblog]

Close!

[@greghalliday4226]

Can you show how to put the back together again? ;-)

[@VibrantlyBrantly]

Just turn around, hold up a mirror and replay the video in reverse. 😉

[@user-vn7ce5ig1z]

12:10 - It's because that first layer was not stuck, so it came off easy with the electrolytic paste intact, but after that, you were peeling it off so the paste was flaking more. You can see this because the width of the dark part is equal to 2πr (r is the radius of the battery canister). (The whole point to a bigger cell is more capacity; this defeats the point. Are they outsourcing to China now? 😒)

[@legolegs87]

It is often okay to outsource manufacturing to China. It is not okay to outsource design to China.

[@vizionthing]

This is what happens when marketing rather than engineering end up doing the design

[@tommyma6562]

I have been using Eneloop rechargeables for more than 20 years. Most of them are still working strong. Very low deterioration. No leaking even for the oldest one. Price was a bit higher but worth every penny. Great product. Absolutely better than those highly advertised national brands in the US.

[@leofernekes343]

Love the sketchy move: "Measuring the Current of a Voltage Source" - Encourage more newbies to destroy their meters! Whoooo!

[@HarmanRobotics]

This video would have been 8,000 times better if he had tested the actual capacity of the RS cell.

[@czarzenana5125]

He didn't test any of them, he just took them apart.

[@omniryx1]

Yeah, he was awfully willing to take manufacturers' claims at face value, wasn't he?

[@Alexlfm]

In my experience all these rechargeable D cells are around the 8000 mark. Even the ones that claim to be 10 all test around 8. I’ve tried a lot of different brands and they all seem to be more or less the same. I question how many manufacturers there really are. I’m guessing only one or two since obviously the “big boys” don’t make a real D cell.

[@baronvonlimbourgh1716]

@@Alexlfm those 10k cells probably will give that amount when discharged really slowly at some specific temperature.

[@rossk7927]

I guess a lower capacity also gives them a faster recharge time... I think i'd prefer the capacity myself ;)

[@crynne66]

That RS battery is on sale in Ireland for 17 euros each while the energisers are 13 euros for a pack of 2. The RS is more than twice the price

[@kickazz9473]

Amd you get 3 times the capacity... Sooooo

[@deusexaethera]

I believe the size of the cell inside the Energizer battery is called "Sub-C".

[@hussssshie]

That big of a cell for 1.2V@220mAh... You can smell something fishy without taking it out the envelope.

[@vincentrobinette1507]

To "try it before you buy it", just pick up the package. If it's heavy, and shows high capacity, it's a safe bet. If it claims high capacity, but seems significantly lighter than disposable alkaline cells, be suspicious.

[@eduardoavila646]

It would be cool to compare the insides of non rechargeable batteries to the same brands and other brands but made in different ages like the early 00's, 90's, and 80's. I felt that aways the duration of these non-rechargeable batteries got worse every year.

[@GTSN38]

That's wrong, batteries last longer now than ever. Rechargeable batteries was a joke when I was a kid, they lasted about an hour then took a day to charge up again.

[@eduardoavila646]

@@GTSN38 I wasn't talking about the rechargeable ones, but the normal "batteries" the alcaline ones for example. Its because english is kinda stupid on that, rechargeable batteries (we call here "baterias") are called batteries, and what we call "pilhas" are also called batteries in english. I'm sorry for that. Anyway, corrected my original comment.

[@KeanM]

Wow! In my experience devices designed to take D cells actually "need" the extra capacity, so this sucks. It could even be life endangering, although I'm not sure much modern safety related gear would use D cells. The only thing I still have that takes D cells is a large Maglite torch I use during power outages at home. Had it probably nearly 30 years, and I don't think I've put new batteries in it since buying my house about 20 years ago. It runs a little dim now of course.

[@seinfan9]

Maybe you should replace them, Commander Keen.

[@johngaltline9933]

The thing of it is, while a typical alkaline D cell is rated at about 15,000mAh, that is at about 25 mA load. When you put a quarter amp load on it the capacity drops to the same 2500mAh range of the name brand rechargeables. It looks to me, like the big companies did the math to make a cell that lasts as long as an Alkaline. If you want extra capacity beyond that, then you can go for one of the brands that fill the entire can and give you 8000mAh. I'd have to actually compare prices to see what is a rip off or not, but one does expect to pay a premium for a name brand. I've used dozens of brands and hundreds of AA cells for my photography equipment over the last 10+ years, and what I've found is that Duracell brand holds up the best over time, I have sets of AAs with over 500 charges and 10 years of service. Most of the premium brands seem fairly equal and are good choices if substantially cheaper than Duracell, rayovac and amazon basics tend to work well. Finally every set of energizer I have ever bought has had at least one cell fail within 6 months and they hold less charge then other brands. Perhaps this has changed in the last 5 years, but I no longer buy them. I don't have any c/d cell equipment that is in regular service, but I'd probably opt for the higher capacity if it was something I used every day. For occasional use I'm happy with using AA NiMH and adapters or just buying a set of alkalines for my 4 cell maglight every 2 years.

[@KeanM]

@@seinfan9 Considering it isn't even an LED torch, it probably isnt worth it. But my wife likes using it (it is easy to find), so maybe I'll add some D cells on my next order

[@KeanM]

@@johngaltline9933 Regarding reduced capacity at load, are you talking Alkaline or NiMH? I checked out the Duracell and Energiser Industrial Alkaline cell datasheets, and they're both rated for around 20 hours at half an amp (down to 0.8V), so that is still 10Ah. The consumer versions, or the NiMH, could well be less capacity. I generally just buy Energiser Industrial bulk packs of AA and AAA which is what I go through the most of. Only use NiMH in devices that chew through batteries like my UHF scanner and handheld GPS. For Alkaline I've personally found Duracell to be more problematic, but as usual that's just annecdotal. For NiMH, I usually buy eneloop or Maha brands, or just use whatever comes with the device.

[@KeanM]

@@johngaltline9933 And just for reference, the Ansmann 10Ah rated NiMH D cell is rated for 9300mAh at 0.2C (2A) and even 8500mAh at 1C (10A). That is discharging down to 0.9V, although it isn't much less if you terminate at 1.0V. Mind you they ain't cheap, at about AUD$20 each wholesale, vs $15 for a pair of those crappy 2.5Ah Energizers, and $20 for a box of 12 Energizer Alkalines. I just noticed that the Energizer Alkalines are actually advertised as 20.5Ah, but that is at 25mA like you said, and realistically more like 10Ah on a 500mA load. Anyway, this is why they were once so great for things like torches and safety products (marine and such) because of the long life. Times have changed though with LSD NiMH and lithium types. Still tossing up whether to get some more Energizer Alkaline D cells for that torch, or just use some AA to D cell adapters. I think the former as the heft of that torch is a large part of its "attractiveness" (by that I mean ability to defend against an intruder... LOL)

[@exgenica]

This kind of C and D-cell underpowering has been going on for at least 20 years that I know of with name-brand rechargeables including the shack that starts with "R". This was done even with the poor old NiCd cells. I just used relatively cheap cell physical form adapters that could take the cheaper AA cells and turn them physically into a C or D cell size as needed.

[@Teefsmaw]

Great video! I would say, that its not a scam but a demand and supply thing. On behalf of simplifying production and focus more on development of efficiency in battery scale to power ratio.

[@BerndFelsche]

Plain old zinc D cell has 8 Ah @ 1.5V so 12 Wh The pretend D's have nothing like comparable capacity so ye olde boom box will fall silent before the party gets going. They may as well flog AA to D cell adapters.

[@tubical71]

that plain old zinc cell also has a much higher resistance....i collect BoomBoxes, a hitachi TRK8180e runs about 4 hours straight with zinc cells before you need to cut the volume due to distortion but the 4900mAh set do this without the need to lower the volume... But the best thing is to cheat and simply put AA types with a holder in the D-cell compartment...i run that 8081e with 8 Cells (=12Volts) but if you use 12 AA NiMH and a holder you get much more "uumph" out of it...for about 1 1/2 hours....;)

[@deadfreightwest5956]

This is nothing less than a salt and battery!

[@soverysleepy]

heavier batteries weighed down the rabbit down so much they had to lighten them up lol

[@InvidiousIgnoramus]

The hell? Isn't the point of physically larger batteries supposed to be the larger capacity? Edit: I've always made it a habit of getting the highest capacity I can find anyway, but this is pretty ridiculous.

[@rodney7799]

How come you didn't open up that other battery so we could see and compare it?

[@artistjoh]

I love how passionate you get about the construction of ‘C’ and ‘D’ batteries. Your enthusiasm carried me with you to insight into what the differences really are. This reminds me of Goro Yoshida, the guy who started Canon cameras. He said that he took apart a Leica camera and when he saw how cheap and simple the parts were, made from cheap metals he became angry that a Leica was (in those days) sold for the equivalent of a year’s salary. He believed he could match the same quality and features and sell it for much less money. Which he and his co-founders eventually did.

[@EEVblog]

Thanks

[@coreyh3170]

A d cell classification is the size and voltage not capacity. That's will always vary but considering its rechargeable theres really no difference other than the frequency of charging. The time to charge and time to discharge when graphed will be the same amp per amp.

[@keketonttu]

LIDL sells 4500mAh D-cells. 4euros for two batteries.

[@djroadie22]

Yes I tested them . Are 800mah

[@tubical71]

@@djroadie22 true, my boombox only ran for about half an hour....;)

[@keketonttu]

@@djroadie22 Tested a new cell and got 3,3Ah @ 0,7A. I will try again with little lower current, probably that will get higher results.

[@DustinRodriguez1_0]

I'm not too terribly surprised they do this. I purchased a large pack of Eneloop cells a few years ago and while they didn't do exactly this, they did include a bunch of 'adapters' you could use to fit the AA cells (which are very good, Low Self-Discharge and all) in places that call for C or D cells.

[@lyfandeth]

Now take a look at what we call in the US "6 volt lantern" batteries. Those always were made from four "F" cells. Now the cheap ones use 4 D cells, same case sizea. 1/2 power at best, and NEVER an amp rating printed on them.

[@AmericanLocomotive1]

Hey Dave, just a heads up but the guts of NiMH batteries are pyrophoric, meaning they can catch fire when exposed to air. Hope you didn't put it in a regular trash can!T

[@vincentrobinette1507]

I didn't think they were. What alkaloid is in it that would be reactive to air? I'm going to have to unravel one, just to try it.

[@SLEAGD]

@@vincentrobinette1507 , it is not alkaloid but hydrogen storage "secret sauce" alloy containing various rare earth elements and stuff. Slightly similar actually to spark producing pyrophoric metal in lighters.

[@m1k869]

@@SLEAGD is correct. But discharging should oxidise the MH and should lower the risk of spontanious inflammarion. It can happen which happended to BigClive at one of his teardown videos.

[@chaos.corner]

If it catches fire, the flood will put it out.

[@vincentrobinette1507]

@@SLEAGD You're thinking of lanthanum and other elements in the same column of the Periodic Table of the Elements. Their ability to store hydrogen, is why these are called "metal hydride" cells. I don't think they are likely to spontaneously burn, but it could definitely be flammable. The danger might be a spark caused by the electrodes shorting, while the hydride electrodes are exposed to the oxygen in the air.

[@turpialito]

Fave Dave quote: "Don't turn it on, take it apart!"

[@uriituw]

They might be cheaper. I don’t see it as a scam or a rip-off.

[@HarmanRobotics]

Yeah, I think Dave is getting a little carried away with the hyperbole. It would be a rip-off if the cell's actual delivered capacity was less than claimed, but as he says in the beginning - they do deliver what they claim. The ignorant consumer may associate the "D" size with higher capacity, and thus may *feel* ripped off when their device quits working sooner than expected, but these cells work, they do "what it says on the tin" - it is not fair to accuse the manufacturers of ripping people off. Educating people is a great thing to do, with good information the consumer can make better purchasing decisions. There is no need to act as though you have just discovered some sneakiness and exposed some foul play.

[@kwinzman]

@@HarmanRobotics exactly

[@vgamesx1]

I agree that they are sometimes cheaper however, they're still almost certainly more expensive per mAh, even if the 8000mAh cell cost 3x as much you'd still be getting more capacity per dollar but let's see what amazon has to say about that. Energizer: www.amazon.com/Energizer-Rechargeable-Batteries-NiMH-2500-count/dp/B0031JYRCY/ref=sr_1_10?keywords=d+cell+nimh+battery&qid=1555053988&s=gateway&sr=8-10 (I didn't see a 4-pack, so I'll settle on two of them for $16) EBL: www.amazon.com/EBL-10000mAh-Capacity-Rechargeable-Batteries/dp/B00IDV1AMA/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=d+cell+nimh+battery&qid=1555053988&s=gateway&sr=8-3 For $16 (technically cheaper) you're getting a total of 10,000mAh vs $25 for a total of 40,000mAh or here's another way of putting it, for $8 more for six Energizer cells and 15,000mAh, so at the same cost not even half from a lesser known brand. So no its not a scam because you get what's on the tin, but definitely a rip-off when you can pay a little more for considerably more (even outright double) capacity...

[@Chupacabras222]

I absolutely agree with Dave. From technical point of view, it is not a scam, because numbers are correct, they deliver declared capacity. On the other hand, Duracell and Energizer declares that they provide longer runtime then other brands. So they definitely mislead customers to think that battery with sticker "Energizer" and "Duracell" are going to be better (Dave pointed out that "John Public" guy is not going to compare numbers, because they do not even know there is some number to look for). I consider this scam or fraud or lying or cheating, it is definitely not OK.

[@LawrenceTimme]

@@Chupacabras222 so it's a scam because people are stupid and can't read a label, that's sad you have such low expectations of people.

[@michaelshock3843]

Very informative! I have a set of Energizer AA Ni-MH cells rated at 2500 mAh, meaning that their D cell has no more capacity than their small batteries! Time to get better batteries!

[@mnemennth]

These are not exactly news... they've been making them like this since the days of NiCd when I was in school, so at least a couple decades. Both A cells in a dummy case and "partial load" cells. Back in the day, (some 20-30 years ago) a proper "full-load" D-size NiCd cell was rated at 10AH, but they also cost around $12-15 a cell. ;) Try selling THAT to today's consumer, who's used to getting 4 AA size NiMh batteries for $10.

[@CyberRecycle]

as a technician i always use RS Components for all my etech needs. never disappointed. 👌 [edit] u can't compare products designed for techs with products sold at supermarkets. consumers are gullible

[@BrevardCountyFloridox]

Is RS some uk brand or something (asking from America)

[@captiveimage]

@@BrevardCountyFloridox yes, it's predominantly a UK brand, but there's a big presence in Australia too. Can't speak for the Australian crew, but in the UK they have a reputation for excellent service (their delivery time frames are as good as Amazon with next day deliveries) and their products are excellent. They're not a cheap supplier, but they cater for the industrial market, not retail consumers, though they will sell to the home market too.

[@BrevardCountyFloridox]

@@captiveimage oh ok thanks... That explains why we cant find it an US stores.

[@captiveimage]

@@BrevardCountyFloridox your welcome.

[@homebody0089]

You're exposing the secrets of NiMH I'll see myself out

[@Streetninja-ve6ls]

Nicely done.

[@jimgrady7458]

Great....now I have to empty out my kitchen drawer and cut open all my batteries. Thanks, Dave. :)

[@EEVblog]

Be careful, it's not a 100% safe thing to do.

[@jimgrady7458]

@@EEVblog Hold my beer :)

[@mistakenotou7681]

@@jimgrady7458 are you still in one piece? If so then a few safety tips. 1 for the love of god dont do it 2 dont disassemble nicd or super dodgy nimh cells ( they are usually nicadsarked as nimhs ) cadmium is super toxic 3 dont disassemble lion cells they can catch on fire and make toxic fumes if you really want to dont do it indoors 4 all cells might catch one fire so dont do it near flammable stuff 5 use safty glasses and glows cells will contain toxic and corrosive fluids 6 dont do it if you are alone in home 7 You might discharge cells first

[@jackedup8790]

Did you take apart the RS battery b4?

[@Hyxtryx]

The reason must boil down to one thing: The profit for the company. They've got it all figured out. They would prefer that you buy their regular batteries because you will have to buy new batteries more often, and they make more money. If they make the rechargeables 3X as powerful, they will cost at least twice as much and nobody would buy them. And if they did buy them, they'd be buying even less replacement batteries. Rechargeables cost more, and most people don't buy them. Making them more powerful and more expensive will just make that worse for the company. I don't know how RS does it. Never heard of them.