Low Self Discharge NiMH batterijen

Question to Knivesandtools:

What is the difference between ordinary rechargeable NiMH batteries and Low Self Discharge batteries like the Varta Ready2Use and when do you use them?

Answer of Knivesandtools:

NiMH batteries are the rechargeable version of penlite batteries. In the past there also were NiCD but that type is forbidden for personal use by the environmental laws. In addition, NiMH is much better for many applications than the old NiCD technology.

Selling high specifications. Therefore NiMH batteries were developed with increasingly higher capacities, up to 2800 mAh in AA format.

Under high stress that high capacity is not reached however and batteries with lower capacity even seem to perform better.

High capacity batteries also tended to lose their charge which emptied the batteries after 2 months.

This led to a new type of NiMH battery that currently is very popular.

Low Self Discharge NiMH batteries

This type of battery has a lower capacity indication but provides excellent performance under high stress and is less prone to loss of charge.

We carry the Ready2Use battery from Varta in our assortment. There are various other brands that provide similar Low Self Discharge batteries.

The capacity of Low Self Discharge batteries is approx. 20% lower than high capacity NiMH batteries under low stress, but under high stress the capacity is almost identical.

You therefore can perfectly use the Low Self Discharge version in most situations.

Only if you use your torch very frequently and you do not use the turbo setting will high capacity NiMH batteries perform better.