Whenever I need a AA battery there will be 9-volt batteries and C cells that have been there forever because they aren’t needed for anything anymore, but no AA batteries. I know I got a big package of Duracells not that long ago so I assume those must have disappeared.
That varies. The mouse I’m using right now uses one AA instead of two AAAs.
We clearly shop at different places. This has not been my experience.
As a toy collector, a lot of people complained when Toy Biz X-men figures came with built in batteries that could not be replaced without destroying the figures. The next series all had battery compartent lids on their backs, held in place by a philips head screw.
Strangely, Todd McFarlane made the same mistake with a Spawn figure with light up eyes. This was years later. He should have known better.
I have long list of stuff that is nearly as old as I am that still works great when I put in new batteries. This would be a major undertaking if they been made with built in rechargable batteries.
I never bought B cells. Those lost popularity when DC powered vacuum tube radios stopped being a thing. I rarely used C cells and haven’t bought any in a long time, so don’t even have any unused ones. I have basically stopped using D cells. Maybe have a couple of “new” ones around. Still use 9V batteries here and there, esp. smoke detectors. That will continue for a good while.
I regularly order big packs of AA and AAA cells. Go thru those fairly fast. I don’t expect that to change soon. Even Amazon FireTV remotes use those.
I think AA and AAAs will stick around for at least a couple decades more.
That sounds like a useful improvement.
In most (all?) of the USA smoke detectors with replaceable batteries (typically 9V) are illegal to sell and have been for several years now. All of them now have integral sealed batteries with the intent you’ll replace the whole detector when the battery dies.
Still legal in my state, at least. Checked and the local Home Depot still sells 9V detectors, as well as the “10-year” ones. Also checked Amazon. While they are still listed, they seem to be “on the way out” in terms of availability. I saw no indication of state restrictions, even when I put it in my cart, etc.
I recently had great success with rechargable lithium AAs. I had a bunch of microphones that take AAs, that have to run all day. Previously I’ve used disposable alkaline batteries and then either swap when they die (interrupting the speaker) or swap daily (wastes batteries).
I bought a bunch of these rechargable lithium AAs at $22 for 8 batteries, and put a freshly charged set in each mic everyday. It worked perfectly.
They come in lots of sizes. I don’t think I’d use them for something like a smoke detector or TV remote, but they would work well in a toy or flashlight that would burn through alkalines.
These are the ones I bought, purely based on the Project Farm testing, because I had to pick something, and reviews are hard to interpret.
Correct, CR means LiMnO2 battery, and the difference is 2.5 or 3.2 mm thickness. The 3032 has more capacity too, you can use a 2025 in its place for less life, but might need to add a metal spacer (chunk of foil).
People who are really into flashlights don’t like AA or AAA, they use the bigger 18650 batteries for a lot more utility.
I keep a supply of Eneloop rechargeable AA and AAA batteries because I have so many small gizmos that use AAs and AAAs. But I haven’t used C or D batteries in forever. I still have an old flashlight that takes two D batteries, but I never use it.
I’m not into flashlights in general, but I love my little Black & Decker that is about 4" long when unfolded, has white, red, and green beams, runs on two AAA batteries, and weighs about 2.5 ounces with the batteries in. And that it folds means I can set it on a counter or a shelf and have the beam aimed at where I need it to be aimed at, leaving both hands free to do whatever I’m doing that I needed the light for. The green beam is really handy for use anytime you don’t want to mess with your night vision.
It’s pretty much all the flashlight I need at home or in any similar environment, so there’s no reason for me to be ‘into’ flashlights in general, but I’m definitely into this one. (I bought 4 of them, which I still have, which is good because I’ve never been able to find them online or in a store since then.)
I suppose if I ever needed a really powerful beam to use outdoors, I’d be out of luck, but I’ve aged out of camping and I haven’t had another situation in a couple decades where I’d have needed one.
For various forms of hiking/backpacking/camping I use a lot of headlamps. Right now, they’re all AAA powered, but the next few I buy will probably be rechargeable. The biggest issues is that typically I stash a headlamp in my pack and rarely use it, so single use batteries are pretty good for that purpose. Having to remember to recharge before heading out when I don’t expect to use it is going to be a struggle.
I think they still have their place. While C and D cells seem to be ways of getting more power to a cheap ‘toy’, the AAA and AA still fill a niche. For a device that may last a decade or so and is used infrequently or with very low power drain they are pretty good (as long as the batteries don’t leak). Lithium batteries don’t have the greatest longevity when sitting at high or low states of discharge and may not last the decade. Those batteries (cells) are also swappable so it’s easy to replace the batteries and keep on going, not having to wait for a recharge. Yes you can swap out some lithium too but that means buying a specifically made spare as opposed to a generic type.
I spend a week each summer at a camp without electricity in most of the buildings, including the cabin where i sleep. And to get to that cabin, i need to walk about a half mile on a rocky path. I have a small headlamp with 3 aaa batteries. The rechargeable batteries don’t last out the week, and recharging them would be a major nuisance.
My remotes all take double and triple a batteries, too, although i suppose i could use a pair of rechargeables. (One to use, one to charge.) And i have a fluorescent lantern that takes 4 D batteries, and some smaller gadgets that take C batteries.
I hope they don’t become impossible to buy.
I have adapters for both C and D sizes that have inserts for AA batteries. They work pretty well with my Eneloop rechargeables (they don’t last as long as the full-sized cells but it’s not an issue for me)
If you use them enough to be worth the expense, you should look at these, or equivalents from another manufacturer—rechargable C and D sized lithium ion batteries.
Lithium batts’ capacity to deliver power is greater than a similar weight & dim of alkaline or carbon cells like AAs which have high internal resistance. You can see this power delivery in footage of various li-ion devices (hover boards, scooters, vapes, Teslas) bursting into flames.