Is battery leakage suddenly more common?...

[danny burstein]

In <iegrdhd25h3l3e42kar2relej48esdelq4@4ax.com> Jeff Liebermann <jeffl@cruzio.com> writes:

[lots snipped]

the early 1990\'s, Radio Shack actually sold an alkaline battery \"recharger\", or so they called
it, for around $50.00 retail back then. They stated it will recharge alkaline batteries despite the

\"Did Radio Shack sell alkaline battery chargers?\"
https://www.google.com/search?q=Did+Radio+Shack+sell+%22alkaline%22+battery+chargers%3F&tbm=isch
https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=Did+Radio+Shack+sell+alkaline+battery+chargers%3F&first=1&tsc=ImageHoverTitle
Nothing found. If Google and Bing can\'t find it, it doesn\'t exist.

Gotta disagree. I\'m pretty sure I remember seeing alkaline
chargers at Radio Shack 1990ish as we looked into them for
use with our Motorola alpha numeric pagers.

They sucked.

Sidenote: we tried the Rayovac brand \"Renewal\" cells and
designated chargers in 2,000 or so, and they were abysmal..

I still avoid Rayovac big time.

There was also a mass market alkaline charger hawked on TV
called \"Buddy\" by one of the game show hosts. I\'m picturing him in
my mind but drawing a blank on his name.

Ah, yes, it was Dick Clark.

https://www.ebay.com/p/2254455804


--
_____________________________________________________
Knowledge may be power, but communications is the key
dannyb@panix.com
[to foil spammers, my address has been double rot-13 encoded]

 

[Jeff Liebermann]

On Sun, 24 Jul 2022 23:06:53 -0000 (UTC), danny burstein
<dannyb@panix.com> wrote:

In <iegrdhd25h3l3e42kar2relej48esdelq4@4ax.com> Jeff Liebermann <jeffl@cruzio.com> writes:

[lots snipped]

the early 1990\'s, Radio Shack actually sold an alkaline battery \"recharger\", or so they called
it, for around $50.00 retail back then. They stated it will recharge alkaline batteries despite the

\"Did Radio Shack sell alkaline battery chargers?\"
https://www.google.com/search?q=Did+Radio+Shack+sell+%22alkaline%22+battery+chargers%3F&tbm=isch
https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=Did+Radio+Shack+sell+alkaline+battery+chargers%3F&first=1&tsc=ImageHoverTitle
Nothing found. If Google and Bing can\'t find it, it doesn\'t exist.

Gotta disagree. I\'m pretty sure I remember seeing alkaline
chargers at Radio Shack 1990ish as we looked into them for
use with our Motorola alpha numeric pagers.

They sucked.

There are various copies of Radio Shack catalogs online.
<https://www.radioshackcatalogs.com>

1989:
<https://www.radioshackcatalogs.com/flipbook/1989_radioshack_catalog.html>
Index on Pg 92. NiCd batteries and chargers start on Pg 141 and
alkalines on Page 143. I didn\'t find anything that looked like an
alkaline charger. Probably too early.

1993:
<https://www.radioshackcatalogs.com/flipbook/1993_radioshack_catalog.html>
Index on Pg 170. Battery chargers on Pg 88. There are some NiCd
chargers, but no alkaline chargers.

1996:
<https://www.radioshackcatalogs.com/flipbook/1996_radioshack_catalog.html>
Index on Pg 218. Battery chargers on Pg 176, 212-213, 216. NiCd
chargers, but no alkaline chargers.

2000:
<https://www.radioshackcatalogs.com/flipbook/2000_radioshack_catalog.html>
Index on Pg 396. Chargers now have their own section under \"Chargers\"
listed by type. Nothing that says \"universal\" or \"alkaline\".

2004-2005:
<https://www.radioshackcatalogs.com/flipbook/2004-05_radioshack_catalog.html>
Index on Pg 210. Same as 2000 with NiMH added.

Unless I missed something, there are no alkaline or universal chargers
in the catalogs.

There was also a mass market alkaline charger hawked on TV
called \"Buddy\" by one of the game show hosts. I\'m picturing him in
my mind but drawing a blank on his name.

Ah, yes, it was Dick Clark.

https://www.ebay.com/p/2254455804

Nice find. If the name includes amazing, super, magic, miracle,
amazing, ultra, ultimate or other superlatives, it\'s usually junk.
Such junk eventually fades away, only to be resurrected from the dead
every few years. These days, I\'m finding numerous scams on YouTube
advertising. Here\'s one example from the 1950\'s that keeps
re-appearing:
\"How to Convert an Electrical Outlet to an Antenna\"
<https://itstillworks.com/13582317/how-to-convert-an-electrical-outlet-to-an-antenna>
More of the same:
<https://www.google.com/search?q=turn+your+house+wiring+into+an+antenna>
These days, it\'s not TV antennas and alkaline battery chargers. It\'s
magic technologies to fast charge your phone, make your EV go farther,
or revive your storage batteries from the dead. They\'re not really
sold to consumers directly, but rather as an investment scam, creative
financing, or early adopters discount pricing. I guess this is now
called progress.


--
Jeff Liebermann jeffl@cruzio.com
PO Box 272 http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Ben Lomond CA 95005-0272
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558

 

[Allodoxaphobia]

On Sun, 24 Jul 2022 22:07:20 -0700, Jeff Liebermann wrote:

.......... If the name includes amazing, super, magic, miracle,
amazing, ultra, ultimate or other superlatives, it\'s usually junk.
Such junk eventually fades away, only to be resurrected from the dead
every few years.

When innocent folks pick them up at Goodwill, ARC, and Salvation Army
second-hand stores.

Jonesy
--
Marvin L Jones | Marvin | W3DHJ.net | linux
38.238N 104.547W | @ jonz.net | Jonesy | FreeBSD
* Killfiling google & XXXXbanter.com: jonz.net/ng.htm

 

[Charles Lucas]

On Monday, July 25, 2022 at 12:07:29 AM UTC-5, Jeff Liebermann wrote:

On Sun, 24 Jul 2022 23:06:53 -0000 (UTC), danny burstein
dan...@panix.com> wrote:

In <iegrdhd25h3l3e42k...@4ax.com> Jeff Liebermann <je...@cruzio.com> writes:

[lots snipped]

the early 1990\'s, Radio Shack actually sold an alkaline battery \"recharger\", or so they called
it, for around $50.00 retail back then. They stated it will recharge alkaline batteries despite the

\"Did Radio Shack sell alkaline battery chargers?\"
https://www.google.com/search?q=Did+Radio+Shack+sell+%22alkaline%22+battery+chargers%3F&tbm=isch
https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=Did+Radio+Shack+sell+alkaline+battery+chargers%3F&first=1&tsc=ImageHoverTitle
Nothing found. If Google and Bing can\'t find it, it doesn\'t exist.

Gotta disagree. I\'m pretty sure I remember seeing alkaline
chargers at Radio Shack 1990ish as we looked into them for
use with our Motorola alpha numeric pagers.

I found this link that prominently says \"alkaline\" and the charger was made by
Buddy-L. I nicknamed them \"battery buddy\" 30 + years ago (about 1990). Click
on this link and you will see. Thanks for everything. After the conversation and
my faulty memory, I thought I would do some digging. So, the link is right here.
Click below.

https://www.mercari.com/us/item/m75188640508/?gclsrc=aw.ds&&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=16711599291&utm_content=t0&adgroup=130207367930&network=g&device=c&merchant_id=126358573&product_id=m75188640508&product_id=1645796691995&gclid=Cj0KCQjw_viWBhD8ARIsAH1mCd7avDuQlJDgVRLgiu3Xv3qdGA6kPwLn7ntr7T0bB7fFuW7glChXbpMaAuuJEALw_wcB

They sucked.
There are various copies of Radio Shack catalogs online.
https://www.radioshackcatalogs.com

1989:
https://www.radioshackcatalogs.com/flipbook/1989_radioshack_catalog.html
Index on Pg 92. NiCd batteries and chargers start on Pg 141 and
alkalines on Page 143. I didn\'t find anything that looked like an
alkaline charger. Probably too early.

1993:
https://www.radioshackcatalogs.com/flipbook/1993_radioshack_catalog.html
Index on Pg 170. Battery chargers on Pg 88. There are some NiCd
chargers, but no alkaline chargers.

1996:
https://www.radioshackcatalogs.com/flipbook/1996_radioshack_catalog.html
Index on Pg 218. Battery chargers on Pg 176, 212-213, 216. NiCd
chargers, but no alkaline chargers.

2000:
https://www.radioshackcatalogs.com/flipbook/2000_radioshack_catalog.html
Index on Pg 396. Chargers now have their own section under \"Chargers\"
listed by type. Nothing that says \"universal\" or \"alkaline\".

2004-2005:
https://www.radioshackcatalogs.com/flipbook/2004-05_radioshack_catalog.html
Index on Pg 210. Same as 2000 with NiMH added.

Unless I missed something, there are no alkaline or universal chargers
in the catalogs.
There was also a mass market alkaline charger hawked on TV
called \"Buddy\" by one of the game show hosts. I\'m picturing him in
my mind but drawing a blank on his name.

Ah, yes, it was Dick Clark.

https://www.ebay.com/p/2254455804
Nice find. If the name includes amazing, super, magic, miracle,
amazing, ultra, ultimate or other superlatives, it\'s usually junk.
Such junk eventually fades away, only to be resurrected from the dead
every few years. These days, I\'m finding numerous scams on YouTube
advertising. Here\'s one example from the 1950\'s that keeps
re-appearing:
\"How to Convert an Electrical Outlet to an Antenna\"
https://itstillworks.com/13582317/how-to-convert-an-electrical-outlet-to-an-antenna
More of the same:
https://www.google.com/search?q=turn+your+house+wiring+into+an+antenna
These days, it\'s not TV antennas and alkaline battery chargers. It\'s
magic technologies to fast charge your phone, make your EV go farther,
or revive your storage batteries from the dead. They\'re not really
sold to consumers directly, but rather as an investment scam, creative
financing, or early adopters discount pricing. I guess this is now
called progress.
--
Jeff Liebermann je...@cruzio.com
PO Box 272 http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Ben Lomond CA 95005-0272
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558

I really appreciate the great conversation. This is so useful, I am archiving it for my
records as I have truly learned an immense amount here. Thank you so much! I
love your sense of humor too. Really great!

Have a wonderful day!

Sincerely,

Charles Lucas

 

[ehsjr]

On 7/25/2022 10:16 PM, Charles Lucas wrote:
<snip>

I found this link that prominently says \"alkaline\" and the charger was made by
Buddy-L. I nicknamed them \"battery buddy\" 30 + years ago (about 1990). Click
on this link and you will see. Thanks for everything. After the conversation and
my faulty memory, I thought I would do some digging. So, the link is right here.
Click below.

https://www.mercari.com/us/item/m75188640508/?gclsrc=aw.ds&&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=16711599291&utm_content=t0&adgroup=130207367930&network=g&device=c&merchant_id=126358573&product_id=m75188640508&product_id=1645796691995&gclid=Cj0KCQjw_viWBhD8ARIsAH1mCd7avDuQlJDgVRLgiu3Xv3qdGA6kPwLn7ntr7T0bB7fFuW7glChXbpMaAuuJEALw_wcB

That link is to sell an old Buddy-L . The link does NOT
support the idea that alkaline batteries are a good candidate
for recharging. They are NOT. Under some limited conditions
you can get a few recharges with them, as Jeff already told you.
Examples of good rechargeable chemistries include NiMh, NiCd,
PBS04 and various Lithiums. These can be recharged hundreds
of times.

Here\'s a link that you might wish to read:
https://michaelbluejay.com/batteries/charging-alkalines.html

You might consider experimenting with alkaline batteries on
your own, so that you can know from your own experience how
they work as rechargeables.

Thanks,
Ed

<snipped remainder>

 

[ohg...@gmail.com]

On Tuesday, July 26, 2022 at 4:48:49 PM UTC-4, ehsjr wrote:

On 7/25/2022 10:16 PM, Charles Lucas wrote:
snip

I found this link that prominently says \"alkaline\" and the charger was made by
Buddy-L. I nicknamed them \"battery buddy\" 30 + years ago (about 1990). Click
on this link and you will see. Thanks for everything. After the conversation and
my faulty memory, I thought I would do some digging. So, the link is right here.
Click below.

https://www.mercari.com/us/item/m75188640508/?gclsrc=aw.ds&&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=16711599291&utm_content=t0&adgroup=130207367930&network=g&device=c&merchant_id=126358573&product_id=m75188640508&product_id=1645796691995&gclid=Cj0KCQjw_viWBhD8ARIsAH1mCd7avDuQlJDgVRLgiu3Xv3qdGA6kPwLn7ntr7T0bB7fFuW7glChXbpMaAuuJEALw_wcB

That link is to sell an old Buddy-L . The link does NOT
support the idea that alkaline batteries are a good candidate
for recharging. They are NOT. Under some limited conditions
you can get a few recharges with them, as Jeff already told you.
Examples of good rechargeable chemistries include NiMh, NiCd,
PBS04 and various Lithiums. These can be recharged hundreds
of times.

Here\'s a link that you might wish to read:
https://michaelbluejay.com/batteries/charging-alkalines.html

You might consider experimenting with alkaline batteries on
your own, so that you can know from your own experience how
they work as rechargeables.

Thanks,
Ed

snipped remainder

I remember when that charger was introduced, Popular Science (or Mechanics, can\'t recall) did a review on it and they generally liked it, but when reading the copy, it seemed like a waste of time based on their collected data.. The best results were achieved when the cells were \"recharged\" when they were still usable. Fine, but most of us need to recharge when we notice our battery powered devices failing. At most, they might have doubled the total run time of the alkaline by recharging several times as long as the cell wasn\'t mostly spent before the first recharge.

Everyone at some point has put a small charge across an alkaline cell and bought a bit more time until new cells could be acquired. I\'ve put 9V batteries on my power supply during lunch time and gotten almost a month more use in a low drain application like a Fluke DMM. I don\'t see the Buddy L charger as doing any more than what I as doing.