Roy Lewallen wrote:
clifto wrote:
. . .
Doug McLaren mentioned his experience that alkalines have higher
capacities than rechargeables, but I'm finding that my new Eveready
2500 mAH NiMH batteries compete quite well with a fresh set of Energizers.
KenRockwell.com lists alkalines at 2700 to 3135 mAH, sounds reasonable.

The capacity of alkaline cells is much more dependent on discharge rate
than that of NiMH cells. Note the capacities of alkalines shown at the
bottom of the list at
http://www.imaging-resource.com/ACCS/BATTS/BATTS.HTM. With the 5 ohm
load used for those tests, the alkalines have less than 800 mAh
capacity. The capacities you quote would be obtainable only at much
lower current drains.

And the funny thing is, at a high load such as my GPS III+, those alkalines
with their capacity diminished by the high current draw still last longer
than the NiMH that supposedly like high current draw. (I said the NiMH
compare favorably, not that they outlast alkalines.) I agree with you,
I've been playing aloud with numbers that don't always belong in the
same arena. And too many other factors impinge; I save money using the
NiMH in the GPS, but I'd kill them in flashlights that I routinely
leave on and forget. And then there are those sulfated wet-cell batteries
in the garage... *sigh*

--
If John McCain gets the 2008 Republican Presidential nomination,
my vote for President will be a write-in for Jiang Zemin.