Harvey report: Rayovac update

[moment@pacbell.net]

I've been using the Rayovac for a year.  I agree with you, much better than
NiCad.  A good investment.

harvey wrote:

> In the original Journal segment, I mentioned buying and trying the Rayovac
> renewable alkaline system. Since that article, I have responded to several
> snail-mail inquiries as to the results of using the system. Although not
> very scientific, these recent findings caused some raised eyebrows for me.
>
> The 'batteries' (sic) cells responded as advertised during my local tests,
> except for a couple that simply refused to accept a charge. I believe they
> were flawed out of the box. These things happen.
>
> I became involved in increasing amounts of work far from home, and of
> course needed to power all my 'road toys'. Since the recharger, although
> quite small, was another thing to remember *and* carry, I abandoned the use
> of the system altogether. I returned to buying my 'AA' and 'AAA' alkalines,
> usually through my universal parts supplier -- Wally World.
> [Sidebar] Actually, I try to spend no more than 48 cents per cell, and buy
> whatever packaging comes closest to that -- whether it's a 24-pack of
> Toshibas at Sam's, a case of Brand 'xxx' at Big Lots, or an 8~10 plus 2
> free package elsewhere. I also suspect the two free bonus cells are not
> ready for prime time, but that's another story.
>
> Recently, while perusing some of the thousands of Internet sites dedicated
> to Palm Pilots, I ran across a discussion about the use of... you got it...
> the Rayovac system. One topic, that I had forgotten, was regarding the
> charging parameters. The renewals, like car batteries and *unlike* Ni-cads,
> enjoy and possibly benefit from partial discharge/recharge cycles. I
> decided to give mine another try, but first had to find the charger!
>
> I planned to use the existing charger and buy new cells, thinking that by
> now they would be past a reasonable shelf life, leaking or who knows what.
> I finally located the charger, buried under other ju... ,uh, valuable
> possessions. The charger still held two 'AA' cells from whenever it was
> unplugged. I don't know how long it was buried, but certainly a couple of
> years. With nothing to lose, and two cells handy, I plugged in the charger.
> The charge lamps flickered and extinguished. I thought that (a) my
> suspicions were confirmed about cell life, or (b) I had just nuked the
> charger.
>
> I removed and tested the cells with a battery tester (w/built-in load).
> They showed a full charge. I then put them in my ever-present
> Mini-Maglight, and made the mistake of looking at the bulb while turning it
> on (Ni-cad mentality at work).
>
> Impressive! Based on those results, I was off to Wally World to buy more
> cells, perhaps another charger (for the road). I then happened to find more
> cells in a -- safe place -- where a lot of my stuff disappears, and tested
> them *without* plugging them into the charger. They were all charged,
> except for two. These I believe to be the original defects that Mr. Packrat
> failed to dispose of.
>
> There, a glowing testimonial of American technology at work. I tried to be
> brief -- please no flames!
>
> Jim Harvey
> harvey@greenwood.net
> Greenwood (n): the largest city in South Carolina WITHOUT an Interstate