Rechargeable 9V Batteries

[DaytonaGold]

I just purchased (2) Maha Powerex 9v 300 mAh Rechargeable NiMH Batteries, I must say that they are excellent for my Garrett Pro Pinpointer. Has anyone else here used rechargeable 9v's and if so what do you recommend?

 

[Critterhunter]

I'd opt for low self discharge if buying nimhs, because they will self drain otherwise and shorten run time. I get near a year out of a regular non-rechargeable brand name (Energizer) 9V in my Pro Pointer, so I don't see much point in using a rechargeable in it, where as I use rechargeables in almost everything else I can (lipos or nimhs in various things). On the other hand, I'm been toying with the idea of using a lithium based 9V rechargeable in my Pro Pointer some day. Lighter weight, won't self drain on the shelf, and higher capacity than what you can cram into a 9V nimh capacity wise. They require special chargers though so that's a cost consideration, and make sure it's a battery that won't be damaged by draining it past a certain voltage point. I run a 3 cell series lipo pack in my Sovereign GT to drop weight and also so it won't self drain when sitting. Luckily the low battery alarm on my GT sounds off around 9.8V or so, because a lipo should never be drained past 3V per cell (9V total in a 3 cell series pack). There are alarms those you can plug into batteries to sound off when the voltage hits a certain level and those things are only like $3 if you know where to look. Same deal with lipos or lithion, just like nimhs- Look in the right place and they are dirt cheap. RC plane/car circles seem to have the best price on them, but even then it takes some snooping on the net to find who sells stuff dirt cheap.

 

[DaytonaGold]

Interesting indeed, thank you for your input, very useful.

 

[fongu]

I used to use rechargeable batteries in my metal detector and really liked them. However, a couple went bad on me and I never got any replacements. I would like to find a rechargeable 6 volt battery for my flash light. The price of those batteries has gone thru the roof in the last few years.

 

[skookum]

High,
I also use these rechargable NiMH 9V block cells.
I really like them a lot.
Here technology has advanced, mainly due to the smoke alarm industry that needed low self-discharge units to power their product.
I use 3 of them in my Classic III Plus, 2 of them in my 1270 and one in my ProPointer.
I would not switch back to conventional batteries because it is so much more convenient to recharge than to have to buy new.
Plus, when detecting, I carry 2 fully charged spares in an ALICE compass pouch, along with my compass.
Just my 2 bits worth
HH
skookum

 

[Ism]

I use the Li-Ion 9v batteries. They are actually 8.4v but they work fine in the Propointer and my Vaquero.
Hold their charge for a very long time. They vary from around 500mAh to 750mAh.

I've only had bad experience with NIMH and NiCad as far as holding a charge and lasting a reasonable time.

 

[DaytonaGold]

thanks everyone for all of your input so far.