USB chargeable batteries

[Alex Eisenhut]

Anybody ever used these?

https://www.ebay.ca/itm/AAA-Batteries-USB-Rechargeable-Polymer-400mAh-1-5V-Battery-ZNTER-ZNT7/222806863381?hash=item33e052ee15:g:FbgAAOSwBDlazyRl

Seems like they would solve some problems related to low terminal voltage of NiMH cells and also eliminate chargers.

There has to be a catch?

[Gyro]

There has to be a catch?

400mAh capacity and price are the two that I can see.

[Lord of nothing]

  When I remember right what the teach us at School its impossible to recharge batteries?!
Thats why the Accu was invented back then?!

[David Hess]

It might not be a terrible idea for some applications but it sacrifices capacity, discharge rate, and low cost.  USB rechargeable NiMH cells have been around for years.

[amyk]

BigClive did a teardown on the 9V version:

...and more recently, a related product that is oddly reminiscent of the Batteriser-

[Cyberdragon]

I did not look at the link, eBay links are blocked on my site. But I use Lithium 1.5 V AA batteries from iPowerUS, they should be similar. They are charged with a charger, not with a USB port.

I use them in a digital camera Canon PowerShot A530, which needs two AA batteries. With Eneloop batteries I could only take 20 photos, with these iPowerUS batteries I stopped counting after 150 photos. The camera needs briefly up to 2 A, that works without problems.

I have been using them in two cameras for over two years and I am very happy with them.
According to the description you can only use a maximum of 4 pieces in series.

Those would be pretty much the same as the Jugee batteries then. There is no mention of a series limit to those batteries though. I don't know know why they would though, the voltage across each cell is always 1.5V (unless it dies, so maybe they are worried about the batteries trying to backfeed in use, in that case the Jugees would be 5 in series max, 4 running + a dead one that shouldn't try to charge on only 4.5V).

[amyk]

That is likely the voltage limit of a part in the boost converter. In series, if one cuts out then the others are going to still try to push voltagecurrent through it.

[Datman]

The good and the bad of these batteries is that they maintain a perfectly stable output voltage until a full discharge: at that point, voltage goes down very fast, then battery meters doesn't work and you can't estimate remaining running time for your device. It would be good, instead, a controlled voltage decrease, i.e. from 1.6V to 1.35V for a 1.5V nominal voltage.

[Cyberdragon]

The good and the bad of these batteries is that they maintain a perfectly stable output voltage until a full discharge: at that point, voltage goes down very fast, then battery meters doesn't work and you can't estimate remaining running time for your device. It would be good, instead, a controlled voltage decrease, i.e. from 1.6V to 1.35V for a 1.5V nominal voltage.

The Jugee batteries do have a single step before depleting. The problem with deliberate voltage dropping is you lose an advantage over normal batteries where devices with motors will run at full speed for the entire battery life if the voltage is regulated.

[edpalmer42]

The good and the bad of these batteries is that they maintain a perfectly stable output voltage until a full discharge: at that point, voltage goes down very fast, then battery meters doesn't work and you can't estimate remaining running time for your device. It would be good, instead, a controlled voltage decrease, i.e. from 1.6V to 1.35V for a 1.5V nominal voltage.

The Jugee batteries do have a single step before depleting. The problem with deliberate voltage dropping is you lose an advantage over normal batteries where devices with motors will run at full speed for the entire battery life if the voltage is regulated.

I don't consider that to be a problem at all!  In fact, I refuse to use a battery that goes from 100% to zero without warning.  The voltage drop at the end (~ 10% remaining capacity) tells you that you have to recharge while still allowing you to use the device.  It's better than an alkaline battery which drifts down so slowly that you might not notice until it's too late.  The only way the voltage drop could be a 'problem' is if some device couldn't function on 1V1 per cell but that device would also stop working if the battery went from 100% to zero so it isn't really a problem at all.

Ed

[Cyberdragon]

He proposed a deliberate continuous drop though to mimic normal batteries, not just a single warning drop when low.

[all_repair]

I am using the batteries with microUSB port chargeable for my computer related accessories like wireless mouse and keyboard.  One does not have to search around for a charger when the batteries go flat.  Those who want a real chemical battery should stick to a real chemical battery.

[Cyberdragon]

I am using the batteries with microUSB port chargeable for my computer related accessories like wireless mouse and keyboard.  One does not have to search around for a charger when the batteries go flat.  Those who want a real chemical battery should stick to a real chemical battery.

Those things have crap capacity compared to terminal charge lithium cells, purely due the space wasted by components.