PowerGenix PGX-4AAZiNc-1.6v High Voltage Rechargeable AA Batteries - 4 Pack

Price: $13.23
Manufacturer: PowerGenix


PowerGenix 4 Pack AA 1.6v High Voltage Nickel Zinc Rechargeable cells 2500 mWa

Information

• Brand: PowerGenix
• Model: PGX-4AAZiNc-1.6v
• Original language: English
• Dimensions: 4.50" h x 3.75" w x .75" l, .50 pounds

• High Voltage 1.6v AA Offers improved performance for any high drain devices especially Digital Cameras .    Approx 30% Higher Voltage vs ordinary rechargeables 1.6v NiZn vs 1.2v NiMH

Product Reviews

From the Manufacturer
PowerGenix has developed a high-energy density, high-cycle life and low-cost nickel-zinc (NiZn) battery ideal for applications that demand high discharge rate capabilities. The technology offers compelling performance advantages, most notably a 30% weight and size reduction coupled with higher power and superior low temperature discharge behavior. Two of the more prominent features of the PowerGenix NiZn battery are its small size and low internal resistance, which enables the delivery of significantly more power during periods of peak demand than a nickel-cadmium (NiCd) or nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) battery of comparable size. Although the design and construction of the cell is similar to NiCd, the higher voltage of PowerGenix's NiZn cell results in a 25% lower cell requirement in multi-cell packages, representing significant space and cost savings.

NOTE: These batteries cannot be recharged in a standard NiMh recharger. Please use a PowerGenix or other Nickel Zinc charger.

Marketing Hypes vs. Technical Facts of Nickel-Zinc Batteries
On first glance, the PowerGenix Nickel-Zinc Rechargeable Batteries seem to offer many advantages over ordinary rechargeable NiMH cells: higher voltage, higher energy density, lighter weight, longer cycle life, and so on. But before you rush to replace all your rechargeable batteries with NiZn type, let's examine each claim carefully to separate marketing hypes from technical facts:

"30% Higher Voltage" [FACT]
The NiZn cell has a nominal voltage of 1.65V, which is 30% higher than that of a NiMH cell (1.25V nominal). When freshly charged, its terminal voltage is even higher at 1.85V!

"33% Higher Energy Density" [HYPE]
The PowerGenix AA cells are marketed as "2500mWh" (energy capacity). Most people may confuse this with "2500mAh" (charge capacity). But the data sheet for NiZn AA cell shows that its current capacity is only 1500mAh (this is verified by my own testing). It turns out that an 1500mAh NiZn cell actually contains the same amount of energy as a 2000mAh SANYO eneloop AA cell.
- Energy in eneloop AA cell: 1.25V * 2000mAh = 2500mWh
- Energy in PowerGenix AA cell: 1.65V * 1500mAh = 2475mWh

"30% weight and size reduction" [HYPE]
The weight of each NiZn AA cell (25g) is about the same as NiMH AA cell (27g for eneloop). For certain applications, it is possible to use three NiZn cells (3*1.65=5V) to replace four NiMH cells (4*1.25V=5V). But doing so also shortens run time by 25%.

"Longer Cycle Life" [HYPE]
PowerGenix claims service life of NiZn cell 'meets or beats' that of NiMH cells. However, technical data found on PowerGenix web site says NiZn cell is rated for 200 cycles (at 100% deep-discharge), shorter than the 500-1000 cycles cited for most NiMH cells.

"Longer shelf life" [HYPE]
It is probably true that NiZn cell offers longer shelf life than Lead-Acid batteries (which are notorious for high self-discharge rate), but how does it compare against low-self-discharge NiMH cells? In the PowerGenix "Charging Procedure" section, it says you have to recharge the NiZn batteries once every 30 days!


In summary, the only verifiable benefit for PowerGenix NiZn cell is its higher operation voltage. However, even this may turn out to be a curse rather than a blessing. For example, the light bulb in a typical two-AA flashlight is only rated for 2.3V. But a pair of freshly charged NiZn cells produce 1.85*2=3.7V, which is enough to burn out the bulb. If you intend to use those NiZn cells in your digital camera, make sure the latter is still covered by warranty!

Finally, NiZn cells cannot be recharged using ordinary NiMH chargers. You have to purchase the special PowerGenix ZiNc 4-Position Charger, and be careful not to mix up different types of AA batteries and chargers. So unless you are desperate for higher battery voltage, it is probably not worth the extra expense and risk.

Perfect for use in digital camera!!!!
Who cares about the technical gobbledy goop!! I have problems with my camera when I am trying to take the next picture. It seems like it takes a long time and I miss the next shot. That definitely makes a huge difference to me! Try em, you'll love em! The "eco" aspect is just an additional benefit to our planet.

Best AA rechargable batteries
These batteries are the BEST. Any other rechargables should be replaced with this. These have greater power density than NiMH or NiCd batteries, which means more power, last longer, and lighter!! The weight difference is easy to tell. Putting four into a camera versus NiMH and you can easily tell the difference.

Voltage is closer to alkaline batteries that all AA devices are speced for (1.5 volts). These are 1.6 volts versus 1.2 volts for NiMH so you won't underpower your higher drain devices like cameras and wiimotes.

The best part is that they behave similar to Li-ions for charging and recharging. Charging is natively fast (about 1 hour) versus the long long time for the NiMH (using a fast charger for NiMH degrades the battery life). In addition, no memory loss effects like NiCd and power drain problems that NiMH are non-existant. Unlike NiMH I can charge these to full, leave them in a drawer for a few months and come back and they are almost still completely charged, while my NiMH are almost dead.

To add icing on the cake, these are easy to make (cost of production is less than NiCd) and they are extremely environmentally friendly: no heavy metals used and almost 100% recyclable (similar to NiMH).

These are the best AA type batteries you can get. Li-ion and AgZn cannot be made into AA or AAA type batteries based on cell chemestry (too much voltage). These are now the kings of the small rechargable batteries. Just as NiMH replaced the NiCd AA and AAA market, these will replace NiMH.