Batteries...

[firewater88]

The question of rechargeables and reuse of batteries comes down to the level of production. Can you afford to lose the mic mid show? If not, then a fresh alkaline every show is the order of the day, sometimes with a battery change during interval as well. If it's less critical then rechargables or second use batteries are fine.

As a LEED Certified Theatre, we do use rechargeable batteries in our wireless mics. I have had several over the years and I always buy new at the start of every year. The last set I bought are Rayovac Hybrid NiMH 1.2V Rechargeable. They can recharge like all recharge batteries, but have a longer shelf life once charged. I still get 8 hours out of a wireless unit with these. They do take a good 8 hours for a charge, which can be a pain in the rear. The ones I used for the past 3 years were 15min charge Rayovac's. That was nice to have a full charge in 15, but the overall life I think was not that good.
For the high school shows that come through here, I usually do make them provide their own batteries. We ALWAYS live up to use one show and toss in a box. I use the partial used batteries for rehearsals and short presentations or take home for the kids toys. All dead batteries go into a bucket for recycling.
The last show we used the Sams brand batteries and have had good results out of them. The director said they changed they package count of the Energizers there and for the $$ the store brands offered a better deal. When we rent mics, they always provide a pack of Procells, so I know that is what that audio company uses.
The new mics I have now have a manufacturer designed battery pack and a charging base that you put the whole mic (pack or handheld) into for charging. It can even condition the battery when needed. Or the units can take 2 AA's, whichever.

 

[dannymusic]

any thoughts on 9V. I've used DIGIMATE with good results for 3-4 hours, but wondering if any better.

 

[Blacksheep0317]

as a lighting tech, I don't claim to know anything about sound, but the sound tech in my theatre will NEVER use rechargable batteries for wireless mics, apparently they cause problems. I don't exactly know what the problems were, but I would be cautious in using them, make sure you rehearse with them enough that you know they are trustworthy.

it all has to do with the materials that the batteries are made out of and the discharge curves. As well as the fact that the discharge curve in a rechargable will actually change depending on how you condition them and their age. Too many variables for my taste.

 

[mrjonas]

We've experimented with a wide variety of brands. Generally, Duracell and Energizer last about the same length for us. Most "off brands" flat out sucked with the exception of Member's Mark AA's from Sam's Club which worked fairly well. Then my rep at Full Compass recommended the Varta brand. VARTA - System Alkaline AA Now we can get two full musicals out of them for our UHF-R wireless and still have juice left over to use for rehearsals. They've been fantastic for us and well worth the slightly higher cost. Just my 2 cents.

On the rechargeable note, we perform in multiple venues and it's easier to carry a box of Vartas rather than 20+ battery chargers.

 

[ejsandstrom]

My understanding is that with the Pro grade labeled batteries the differences are
1. They are bulk packed
2. They tend to be fresher because they are only sold by industrial retailers and online retailers. I.E. they dont sit on the shelf like at a retail.
3. They are cheeper per battery, due to the bulk nature.
Other than that they are exactly the same.

 

[ruinexplorer]

If you are concerned about the environment, but don't trust recharcheable batteries, I saw an eco friendly battery at this year's CES conference. The Eco-Alkaline battery is comparable to other alkaline batteries and fully degradeable.

I also saw a place that figured out how to recharge regular alkaline batteries, but I don't have that info right now (based out of Australia, don't know about distribution).

 

[zmb]

If you are concerned about the environment, but don't trust rechargeable batteries, I saw an eco friendly battery at this year's CES conference. The Eco-Alkaline battery is comparable to other alkaline batteries and fully degradeable.

Look for battery recycling in your area, many places take the rechargeables that don't work for free, Staples and Home Depot in my area do and I would imagine the same in the rest of the US, but you might have to look for alkaline battery recyclers.

 

[ruinexplorer]

All of the Batteries Plus stores that I have gone to recycle all batteries. I was even able to take old deep-cycle marine batteries that had been left behind and they didn't chare a fee. Also, the Ikea stores do a ton of recycling (including your compact flourescents).

 

[gafftaper]

Radio Shack and Staples recycle rechargeable batteries.

 

[NHSTechCrew]

Not to hijack the thread but because this is in general advice I would recommend that everyone use rechargeable batteries. It saved my school a ton of money. If you are unsure if a battery is dead throw it on the charger. They are a bit costly to purchase chargers and batteries but the batteries last a long time.

I have finally convinced my school to use rechargeable batteries. We have so many people come through our auditorium that it is impossible to go out and buy batteries for every event. We use rechargeable for almost everything. They're great and have saved lots of money for our auditorium.

BUT, for our plays and musicals we use rechargeable in rehearsal but during the performance we use the throw away batteries. We put fresh ones in after every performance. This is because throw aways are way more reliable to last for a guaranteed amount of time.


-Patrick

 

[philhaney]

They do take a good 8 hours for a charge, which can be a pain in the rear. The ones I used for the past 3 years were 15min charge Rayovac's. That was nice to have a full charge in 15, but the overall life I think was not that good.

The slower you recharge a battery, the better it is for the battery. They will last longer between recharges, and you won't have to replace them as often.

 

[EustaceM]

Rechargables or non-rechargables? Which ones are better for a performance?

 

[FACTplayers]

Rechargables or non-rechargables? Which ones are better for a performance?

Rechargeable batteries carry a maximum voltage of 1.2v while non-recharable batteries carry a maximum voltage of 1.5v (excluding 9v). Some wireless mics don't work too well with 1.2v and the low bat light comes on.

It is considered bad practice to use rechargeable batteries; however, I have found that the energizer rechargeables work great with the wireless mics I have. After two shows I paid off the batteries. I'm very careful to test them prior to each performance to ensure they aren't losing their charge capacity. They do not experience memory effect, which is a huge plus.

All-in-all, do a little research and make up your own mind, but non-rechargeable batteries are the industry's choice because they are more reliable and less maintenance.

 

[dvsDave]

I just saw this article on Wired and thought I would post it here. Normally I don't necropost, but this seems appropriate. Are Expensive Batteries Worth the Extra Cost? | Wired Science | Wired.com

 

[mozsey]

Not to hijack the thread but because this is in general advice I would recommend that everyone use rechargeable batteries. It saved my school a ton of money. If you are unsure if a battery is dead throw it on the charger. They are a bit costly to purchase chargers and batteries but the batteries last a long time.

Rechargable batteries have a weird power curve. You don't get consistent power throughout the whole life of the charge. It drops off considerably near the end of it's life. While you can save money on batteries, you don't get the consistent time that you are going to need in the end.