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Rechargeable batteries?

mountainsheep

Member
Jul 16, 2007
62
4
18
31
manchester
Other than paint most of my money is going on batteries so I want some rechargeable ones, I know you aren't reccomended to use them in your marker but does anyone use them in theirs and more importantly has anyone had problems with them?
Thanks in advance
 

frenchy2475

I have quit...
Jun 17, 2009
769
207
78
Wiltshire
Your gun must be eating them. They are quite a few threads where people state its not a good idea to use them, quite simply cos they don't give out enough power or too much.

I usually buy my batteries from ebay for just over £7 for 10 procells (duracells) they last me ages.
 

Gee Tee

1/2 man - 1/2 pogo stick
Mar 21, 2007
3,172
786
148
Dartford, UK
Use rechargables in all my kit - markers and hoppers

No problems at all other than faster discharge in winter conditions
 

sundance1968

sundance1968
Jan 26, 2009
233
7
28
nottingham
lidl

4 pack triple AAA 's, single nine volt £2.79 upto 2300mah for the AAA's which fit in halo ect
all rechargable

go to lidl
 

tricky m

Well-Known Member
Feb 17, 2010
673
230
98
leeds
i use duracell procells. never had a duff one yet and normally get 2 days play out of one battery. they are only £8 for 10.
 

Gee Tee

1/2 man - 1/2 pogo stick
Mar 21, 2007
3,172
786
148
Dartford, UK
Which rechargeables have you used in which markers, Gee Tee?
I've got:

4 x Energiser 9v NiMH 175mah (output 7.2v)

4 x Ansmann 9v NiMH - a pair of 200mah, and another pair 250mah (output 8.4V)

http://uk.farnell.com/energizer/626177/battery-nimh-9v-175mah-pk1/dp/8804214

http://uk.farnell.com/ansmann/5030081/battery-nimh-9v-200mah/dp/4170064

http://uk.farnell.com/ansmann/5030331/battery-nimh-9v-0-25ah/dp/4170076

Also a couple of unbranded NiMH PP3'a from ebay - which are a bit pants

I have used rechargeables in all my markers (and other kit) since 2005. This includes 05 Ego, Eblades, E-Mag, Empire intimidator, Several Ions and a PM7. The pumps only need them in the hoppers ;)

It cant be NiMH Because they discharge slower in the cold.
In theory yes in practice nope. My four year old Energiser's are a bit tired now, having been recharged countless times. Coupled with the lower initial output of 7.2V, they struggle in kit like force feed hoppers so I keep them back for markers. The 200 & 250mah batteries last fine in my Halo or Vlocity, and a better choice for Eblades as well. I'll easily get a full days woodsball on a single charge, but always keep a few Duracells in reserve especially in winter.
 

Gaz #68

Warped #68
May 14, 2010
406
167
63
Wolverhampton
Used rechargeables in Ion's, Mini, PMR2010, PM8 and rotors. All worked fine.

However did have some issues with some nasty unkown brand 9V crap off ebay (avoid like plague, claim to have 300mAh and shop says its in Australia but goods come from China). One blew up on charger and other died in marker (top came off). Moral of the story - use good branded stuff and you should be ok.

I am using Ansman MaxE 250mAh. Choose the MaxE as these have a very slow discharge compared to normal higher rated mAh batteries. Also have a uniross 200mAh Hybrio battery (again slow discharge). Using Extreme 2200 mAh AA's which are also of the slow discharge type.

Did some research (google is indeeed your friend) and discovered that the slow discharge type of batteries have a much lower internal resistance than other rechargeable batteries making them very good for high demand items such as digital SLR's and therefore paintball markers. As such, a battery with a high mAh will not necessarily outlast one with a lower mAh it depends on a number of other factors.

For those interested in looking in more detail the sites I looked at are below:

http://www.rechargeable-battery-review.com/consumer-batteries/aa-battery-tests/aa-rechargeable-batteries-reviews-master-list.html
http://http://www.batteryreview.co.uk/how_we_test_batteries.htm
http://www.stefanv.com/electronics/sanyo_eneloop.html

Site illustrating the low internal resistance :
http://http://www.wheelchairdriver.com/rechargable-AA-battery-testing.htm

One thing that is true is that rechargeable batteries have a lower voltage rating than your normal alkaline batteries. In terms of the PP3 batteires, the alkalines start out at 9V but start to drop as they are used. Due to the way the voltage drops this is a good indicator of how much life is left in your battery. When fitted to your marker these will give an accurate indication as to how much life you have left and as such can warn you that you really ought to change batteries soon.

Unfortunately rechargeable batteries work differently. They start at a lower voltage and as such a fully charged one may not indicate it is fully charged in your marker (but all the ones I have tried did). The big problem is that the rechargeable battery holds its voltage relatively stable and then suddenly drops off as the battery goes flat. This can cause you an issue as your marker can suddenly go from a fully charged battery to a dead one with little warning so you may need to change more frequently just to ensure you don't go flat! I only play once a month on a casual non-tournament basis and have not had one go flat after shooting around 2,500 balls in a day. This is not your typical tourmanet usage so I will rely on others to provide more useful numbers.

Hope this is of use.