Non-propriety camera batteries - pro's and con's

[Traditionalist]

That is not true.

The permitted variation in UK nominal mains voltage is 230 V +10/- 6% ( although this is due to be changed to  230 V ±10% (207 V to 253 V) at some point).

Some devices will run on supplies less than their optimum designed voltages or power requirements. Most wont, or much less efficiently.The majority of electronics will only run properly when their design parameters are met EXACTLY. Any variation will cause less than optimum running, or failure.

Most devices use some form of voltage/and or/ current regulation, this is especially true of electronics, ( as opposed to pure "electrics").

The power source is to a large extent irrelevant as long as it is regulated by the device itself or an inbuilt or external regulator. However, attempting to run devices on less than their designed optimum will not work properly, or even at all in many cases.

This is particularly true of devices powered by DC sources. Batteries, cells, accus.

May be of general interest in this regard;

http://www.stefanv.com/electronics/using_nimh.html

The type of accu and how it is used, most especially how it is charged and discharged, make a huge difference to life and performance.  You need to know what type of accus you are using and how to treat them properly, or you will inevitably be permanently disappointed.

For most modern accus a battery manager similar to this one is the only really good solution;

http://www.stefanv.com/electronics/battman2.html

if you have to buy one;

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000NLUSLM/bluebirdlanefarm

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Powerex-MH-C9000-WizardOne-battery-charger/dp/B000OA98SQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1370507468&sr=8-1&keywords=powerex+mh-c9000+wizardone+charger-analyzer

Such charger/managers are the only ones which will handle most modern accus properly. The more or less standard socket chargers are worse than useless for modern accus unless very closely controlled by the user. Most simply ruin the accus in a short time largely as a result of lack of user knowledge.

[Fishtales]

All devices are rated to run within the tolerance stated. The UK is already within the 230 Volt with the 10% tolerance requested by the EU so they don't have to change anything. Any new equipment that will replace the old will be designed at the 230 volt 10% transmission rate because that is the new standard.

Electronic devices designed to run on batteries have inbuilt regulators because of the slow drop off of the charge in Alkaline batteries which can be as low as 1.0 volt. Re-chargeable batteries don't drop off as much or as quickly so the device can work better on re-chargeables than on alkaline ones but any battery indicator will show a false reading for re-chargeable batteries because of this, it will show more power than is really available. I could start my GPS with re-chargeables and it might show two bars. With alkalines I know that is a possible two days use, not with the re-chargeables and it might only last a few hours instead.

[Traditionalist]

All devices are rated to run within the tolerance stated. The UK is already within the 230 Volt with the 10% tolerance requested by the EU so they don't have to change anything. Any new equipment that will replace the old will be designed at the 230 volt 10% transmission rate because that is the new standard.

Electronic devices designed to run on batteries have inbuilt regulators because of the slow drop off of the charge in Alkaline batteries which can be as low as 1.0 volt. Re-chargeable batteries don't drop off as much or as quickly so the device can work better on re-chargeables than on alkaline ones but any battery indicator will show a false reading for re-chargeable batteries because of this, it will show more power than is really available. I could start my GPS with re-chargeables and it might show two bars. With alkalines I know that is a possible two days use, not with the re-chargeables and it might only last a few hours instead.

That is also not true. Mains voltages are very carefully regulated to meet requirements.

The major reason for lack of performance when using rechargeables is that the device is then not getting the voltage it requires. The fact that some accus have a sudden voltage drop at the end of charge is basically irrelevant. As is the more gradual drop off with other cells, these are merely other factors which have to be taken into account in some cases.

Unless you have the correct voltage for a device it wont work properly. How you obtain that voltage is largely irrelevant.

This is fairly easily solved in most cases by using the correct voltage, although this may of course be mechanically difficult, you can't put five rechargeables in a case designed for 4 standard cells, which is why I use adapters for a lot of things, and  build my own external accu cases.

I am a qualified electronics specialist. ( Informationselektroniker)
It can not be expected that normal users have the same knowledge about these things.  However, ignorance of some basics is the main cause of most problems.

[Fishtales]

The lower the voltage the higher the power draw, Amps/mAmps, so the shorter the charge lasts.  When the alkaline voltage drops lower than the re-chargeable the device draws more power which depletes the charge quicker. With the re-chargeable maintaining a higher voltage the device draws the same power to the end so it can keep going longer. The higher the load on the system the quicker the batteries drain. With the drop in voltage the amperage increases so the battery loses charge quicker.

[Traditionalist]

The lower the voltage the higher the power draw, Amps/mAmps, so the shorter the charge lasts.  When the alkaline voltage drops lower than the re-chargeable the device draws more power which depletes the charge quicker. With the re-chargeable maintaining a higher voltage the device draws the same power to the end so it can keep going longer. The higher the load on the system the quicker the batteries drain. With the drop in voltage the amperage increases so the battery loses charge quicker.

Sorry, but that also is not true. The reverse is the case. I= V/R.  The lower the voltage the less power is being drawn.

power (watts) = current (amps) x potential difference (volts)

The power drain is constant as long as the voltage is constant. When it drops less power is used. When it drops below the threshhold for the device the device ceases to operate. That is precisely why using the wrong voltage causes problems.

Here are various characteristics;

http://www.mpoweruk.com/performance.htm

[Fishtales]

Don't think so.

A 3Kw fire at 240 Volts draws 12.5 Amps; at 230 Volts it draws 13 Amps (approx); at 250 Volts it draws 12 Amps so the lower the voltage the higher the amps so the greater the power draw on the system. As most things related to batteries are based on mA-h, milliamps per hour, then the higher amperage depletes the battery as the voltage drops so decreasing the time the battery lasts.

[Traditionalist]

Don't think so.

A 3Kw fire at 240 Volts draws 12.5 Amps; at 230 Volts it draws 13 Amps (approx); at 250 Volts it draws 12 Amps so the lower the voltage the higher the amps so the greater the power draw on the system. As most things related to batteries are based on mA-h, milliamps per hour, then the higher amperage depletes the battery as the voltage drops so decreasing the time the battery lasts.

It doesn't matter what you think. That is proven scientific fact and universally accepted. There is no point at all in arguing about it.

Your calculations and conclusions are incorrect.

I = U/R  that is Ohm's law.  There is no way to contradict it. Virtually all other calculations regarding electricity are based on it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ohm%27s_law

amps X volts = watts   Incandescent lights and electric heating elements are purely resistive and have no reactance, the power factor is 1 so you can simply multiply volts times amps.

In the case of your calculations;

240V * 12.5A = 3000W

At any lower voltage it will draw less power.

[Fishtales]

Watts / Voltage = Amps

3000 / 240 = 12.5 Amps

3000 / 250 = 12 Amps

3000 / 230 = 13 and a bit Amps

Ohm's Law

Learned that as an apprentice forty odd years ago although I knew it before then as my dad was an electrical engineer too

[Traditionalist]

OK. I give up, believe whatever you want.

Your calculations are for three different devices. If a resistance is constant, and the voltage is constant, the current  is also constant, as is the power.

In this case you have stated a figure for power and changed the voltage applied. This assumes that the device will work at the changed voltage, most electronics wont, and also any given device can not use more current at lower voltage, it will simply fail to operate.

If you reduce the voltage over a given resistance it uses less power.

[Fishtales]

If a device is rated for a certain wattage then it requires more power, Amps, at a lower voltage than at a higher one.

the 3 Kw in America at 120 Volts uses 25 Amps

in the UK at 230 Volts it uses 13 Amps.

A device rated 1 mW at 1.4 V uses 0.7 mA

at 1.2 V it uses 0.8 mA

and at 1.5 it uses 0.6 mA

So the lower the voltage the greater the drain as the batteries are rated at milliamps per hour i.e. the higher the mA used the less hours the battery runs for.