[Az-Geocaching] batteries are they worth it?

[Jim Scotti]

On Thu, 14 Nov 2002, RAND HARDIN wrote:

> I don't trust rechargeable batteries (they don't have the strength as
> alkaline batteries).  I change my batteries when the power drops under
> 50% on my etrex battery indicator.

Boy, you're wasting some good batteries, then!  The latest firmware for my
Legend does a much better job of displaying NiMH battery levels & I usually
run them dry.  No problem since I usually have my extra batteries close at
hand (in a bag with my backup compass....).  If you're throwing away
alkalines when they get to 50%, could you maybe throw them my way?  I could
get lots of mileage out of your refuse.  I agree with Scott, if an alkaline
gets about 12 hours in my GPS, the NiMH get probably 8 or 9 hours in the same
unit.  It's shorter, but not by that much and it ultimately should get about
8000 hours or more if I can charge them 1000 times as advertized.  I haven't
gone through more than 2 sets of batteries even on a long goecaching trip,
especially if you can plug the unit into your cigarette lighter while driving
around.  My batteries usually last about a week in the unit in that case.  
It only runs on batteries when I'm on the hunt outside of the car or when I
take the unit in the house to download the latest waypoints.  NiMH batteries
are definitely the way to go, even if you decide to change them when they get
to 50% on the battery indicator!

Jim.

Jim Scotti                              
Lunar & Planetary Laboratory         jscotti@pirl.lpl.arizona.edu 
University of Arizona                
Tucson, AZ 85721 USA                 http://www.lpl.arizona.edu/~jscotti/