harrym wrote:Rechargable batteries become unreliable after multiple cycles of charging and discharging. At some point you just don't know how long they will last. Disposable alkaline batteries are extremely reliable and have a fairly predictable and consistent burn time. This makes them the perfect backup light battery, and it's why cave divers trust their lives to disposable alkaline batteries.
I don't fault you for using/carrying a combination of rechargeable and disposable battery technologies (I do also), but parts of that blanket statement you just made are simply not true. At least, not any more.
Rechargeable batteries becoming unreliable after multiple cycles is somewhat true, but as you probably realize this varies greatly by technology. NiCads are crap, NiMH is better, LSD NiMH and Li-Ion are even more reliable. And apparently most rechargeables are less prone to leaking/corroding than alkalines when left in lights and other devices. Plus with modern regulated lighting, AA NiMH cells can offer twice the capacity of an alkaline in the same light. So of course there are different factors to consider for different applications.
The more important thing to note is with the use of an intelligent charger you can predict how long rechargeable NiMHs and Li-Ions will last. You can also identify potential problem cells automatically each time you charge your batteries. This method of testing is even more reliable than metering every alkaline cell to see if it's still good. Bottom line - continuing to perpetuate the old claim of (paraphrasing) "rechargeables are less reliable than alkalines" doesn't make it true. No offense.
Gotta love technology.