07-27-2008, 07:33 AM
Quote:I have an intense hatred for rechargeable batteries. They never seem to last very long before you get a battery only capable of having a 5 minute charge, especially with the NiCad batteries. I went to Costco and bought a giant 100 pack of AA batteries. I'm only about halfway through them and I bought them when the Wii came out. Yes, it's bad for the environment but my rage for crappy rechargeable batteries knows no bounds.
Now, if Nintendo came out with rechargeable LiOn battery packs I might be tempted to use them, but for now I'll stick with plain AA alkalines.
Hey Dee, I'd highly recommend the newer generation of NIMH AA batteries, specifically the Low Self Discharge ones.
I don't know if they have it at your specific Costco, but there's one called Sanyo Eneloop. I have these, and I'd give them top marks. For most purposes like these, I'd say these newer NIMH types can hold their own vs LiOn technology.
If your Costco don't have it, there's the Duracell Pre-Charged, or Rayovac Hybrid. I kinda prefer Sanyo, since the Duracell ones can be a bit pricier, and are more or less the same as the Sanyo. (From what I've read and at least experienced myself, the Sanyo is the generally the best of the bunch.) The Rayovac isn't bad, and can be found in 'Sprawl'-mart for approx. 12$ for a pack of 4 AA.
And yeah, to echo Pete get a good smart charger, something that can charge individual batteries. The ones that says you must charge in pairs are usually 'dumb' ones and can cook\damage your rechargeables. The Sanyo eneloop bundled charger at Costco is pretty good, but make sure you get the charger with only 1 indicator LED on it. That's the smart charger version. If it has 2 indicator LEDs, it's a dumb charger version.
And if you care about the looks, the Sanyo Eneloops have a spiffy white colour scheme that matches the Wii colour scheme.
(ps. No, I don't work for Sanyo.)