Interesting Experience with Sanyo Eneloop Batteries

I bought some Sanyo Eneloop batteries from Costco recently in preparation for my trip to Indonesia. Since I'll be diving in Catalina on Saturday and hadn't used my Inon Z240 for some time, I decided to test out my system to make sure everything still works. I put the Eneloop batteries in the strobe battery compartment and nothing happened. The strobe ready light did not go on and of course the strobe didn't fire when the shutter button was depressed. I was going into a minor panic thinking that the strobe didn't work. I also tested my second Inon Z240 (which I'd just purchased). The same thing happened. By this time, major worry had set in!

Out of desperation, I put in some standard alkaline AA batteries (non rechargeables). Everything worked fine and I was in seventh heaven that my strobes were finally working

The point I'm making is that I had thought the Sanyo Eneloops were supposed to retain their charge for a long time. Obviously, mine hadn't retained enough of a charge to allow my Inon Z240 to go to the ready mode and to fire.

After this happened, I put the batteries into the charger that was provided. After an hour they were still charging (i.e. the green lights were still flashing on the charger). The next morning, the green lights were steady so I assume they were fully charged.

I don't know if my experience with these batteries is a common one or not. I would hate for someone to go on a trip, take the batteries out of the box, so to speak, and expect them to work.

Has anyone else experienced this with these batteries?

Ellen

How long since you last charged them?

The self discharge rate of all of the rechargable cells can be quite high - no where near as good a shelf life as alkaline based cells.

Paul C

The self discharge rate of all of the rechargable cells can be quite high - no where near as good a shelf life as alkaline based cells.

Sanyo Eneloop Web Site

Sanyo Eneloops are a new technology and Sanyo claim they will hold 90% of their charge after six months and 85% after one year. They are supposed to be charged when you buy them:

This is exactly what I thought I just posted (OK, so I thought the percentage was 80% instead of 85% )

but the post seems to have vanished into cyberspace.

To answer the earlier question, I had never charged the Eneloops since I had recently purchased them and did not need them until this weekend when I tested them.

Ellen

I'm interested to know are the new Eneloops working now they have been charged ?

Hi

My understanding is that ALL rechargeables are flat when purchased, Eneloops are no different in this respect. Batteries are never charged prior to shipping from the factory, it is part of your job to prime the batteries.

For most rechargeables you will only be able to charge to about 50% with first charge, they get very hot, and will not hold more than this (it is something to do with chemical activation and memory - but I am no electronics engineer). Then after discharge the next charge will go up to about 75% of maximum, 87.5% with third and so on...needing around six charge to retain full charge.

Eneloops don't need this priming and first charge will be at 100%, and they retain their charge longer, this is their advantage, but you will always need to do the first charge.

Cheers

Hal

Eneloops are indeed supposed to come "pre-charged" and because they hold their charge so well, should still have a pretty good charge remaining when you get them. However, there's no way to know when they were actually produced and charge, so I would never recommend using ANY rechargeable batteries without giving them a good initial charge, if only to "top off" whatever charge they already have. I'm guessing you probably now agree...

As for worrying about using Eneloops in your Z240 strobes, they should work superbly for that. I'm on the last day of a 3 week Indonesia trip, and I have switched ENTIRELY to Eneloops, and they have done a great job the entire trip -- lasting longer than I expected in both Z220 and Z240 strobes. FWIW, I bought most of mine at Costco, too.

I'm interested to know are the new Eneloops working now they have been charged ?

I'm diving at Catalina Island in California on Saturday and will let you know.

But don't rely on me. I see that Bruce has posted that he's been very happy with them in Indonesia.

Ellen

I'm diving at Catalina Island in California on Saturday and will let you know.

 

But don't rely on me. I see that Bruce has posted that he's been very happy with them in Indonesia.

 

Ellen

I suppose you did a 'dry'-test? Successful?

/c

I suppose you did a 'dry'-test? Successful?

Actually I did not have time to do a dry test. I charged them Sunday night and had to leave early Monday morning for an out of town business trip. I'll check when I get back on Thursday night and see if they work OK in my Z240 before I depart for California on Friday morning.

If they don't work, I'm in big trouble

They should work fine once charged. I bought my Eneloops and tested them straight off from the pack but they didn't work. They might have been on the shelf for quite a while. No problems since then and I've been using Eneloops for my strobe!

Actually I did not have time to do a dry test. I charged them Sunday night and had to leave early Monday morning for an out of town business trip. I'll check when I get back on Thursday night and see if they work OK in my Z240 before I depart for California on Friday morning.

 

If they don't work, I'm in big trouble

The reason for asking is that there has been issues with certain 'thick' NiMhs and the shape of Z240:s battery compartment, at least in earlier models.

/c

The reason for asking is that there has been issues with certain 'thick' NiMhs and the shape of Z240:s battery compartment, at least in earlier models.

/c

I haven't had any trouble with size/thickness, and I've used about 30 different Eneloops in both Z220's and (fairly early) Z240's.

I bought the Kodak equivalents and used them successfully in the Philippines on my last trip. I was surprised how long they lasted in the Inon's. As a matter of fact, they out-lasted my camera battery when I decided to push the envelope and leave them in for a 3rd dive. I was shooting about 100-150 pictures a dive on average.

BTW...just as a quick note, I've noticed that both my Inon strobes take awhile (15-25 seconds) to show the ready light if they've sat unused for awhile. I believe this is due to the capacitor inside needing to charge up. When I first got them new, I inserted batteries and nothing...waited a few seconds...panicked and removed the batteries....reinserted them....then after about 5 seconds the light came on. I noticed this on both strobes. If they sit for awhile, the same phenomenon occurs. If the strobes have been used on a recent dive, the light comes on almost immediately after the batteries are replaced.

I haven't had any trouble with size/thickness, and I've used about 30 different Eneloops in both Z220's and (fairly early) Z240's.

Read this thread:

http://wetpixel.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=15833&hl=

cheers

Read this thread:

http://wetpixel.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=15833&hl=

cheers

That's interesting; I didn't realize that "thickness" was a problem with some NiMH batteries. I noticed that that discussion in that link didn't mention anyone having the problem specifically with Eneloops. I really think in the case that started this thread it was a matter of the Eneloops simply having been on the shelf long enough that they had lost a significant amount of their charge, so they needed to initially be charged up fully before using...we'll have to wait and see if they worked OK once that was done...

That's interesting; I didn't realize that "thickness" was a problem with some NiMH batteries. I noticed that that discussion in that link didn't mention anyone having the problem specifically with Eneloops. I really think in the case that started this thread it was a matter of the Eneloops simply having been on the shelf long enough that they had lost a significant amount of their charge, so they needed to initially be charged up fully before using...we'll have to wait and see if they worked OK once that was done...

No it doesn't mention eneloops and it seem to have been a pretty rare problem (I have never had any problems with Inons myself). But I just thought it would be worth keeping an eye on that just in case the OP:s problem persisted after charging. Don't know if all Eneloop-type batteries have the exact same shape? Anyway, Inon probably solved it as the problem hasn't surfaced (at least to my knowledge) in the latest year/s.

cheers

Just got my new Z-240.. woohoo..

and bought eneloop's as well.

The eneloop pkg had a document inside stamped 2006.

THe batteries fired the strobe with no problem right out of the pkg.

And Yuko was kind enough to send English instructions along with the strobe without being asked.

I now have excellent photo's of a Yellow Canon neck strap posing as a fish on my bedspread for testing.

The market may be limited..but I have it covered.