roccodyce said:So where does everyone get their batteries from?

I'm afraid of generics (or brands I don't recognize) but I don't want to pay $3+/battery.

I need about 20 AA and a lot less AAA.I buy mine in bulk from All-Battery.com Check this link for their current specials. Right now they have High capacity NiMH Rechargeable battery package: 24 AA 2600 mAh + 12 AAA 1000 mAh FREE Shipping special for $33.99.

Never had a real problem with thier batteries, and I've been using them for about three years.

I buy mine in bulk from All-Battery.com Check this link for their current specials. Right now they have High capacity NiMH Rechargeable battery package: 24 AA 2600 mAh + 12 AAA 1000 mAh FREE Shipping special for $33.99.

Never had a real problem with thier batteries, and I've been using them for about three years.

**************************** WARNING **********************************

DO NOT buy the utter horse crap that All-Battery passes as products. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.

I've ordered roughly 75 AAA and 60 AA batteries from them and I can tell you that their products are an absolute sham. If you've got a product like a cordless panasonic phone that recharges constantly or a Wii controller that has a recharge unit, they work fine. BUT do NOT expect them to hold a charge worth a damn. I'm not joking. I'm not exaggerating. Spend the extra money on the Eneloops. The Tenergy-line batteries went from 98% charge > 0% charge in just 2-3 (roughly). All I know is that the battery cell was 'null' in my Lacrosse BC-900 for all of the batteries I charged (roughly 18). What a damn shame too, since their batteries are such a good price.

Again, you've been warned. Go with the Eneloops @ Thomas-distributing.

stisev said:DO NOT buy the utter horse crap that All-Battery passes as products. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.I'll second that - though I wouldn't go so far as to say they're utter horse crap. Maybe 35% horse crap.

The "2600" and "1000" labels on the AA and AAA cells respectively are pure fiction. I've never gotten more than 2100 out of the AAs and 700-800 out of the AAAs on my BC-900, which means they're rather overpriced.

That said, they function as fairly reasonable 2100mAh AA's and 750mAh AAA's - they certainly hold a charge in storage longer than those Duracell 2650mAh and 2500mAh (that discharge down to sub-1V levels within a couple of days of being removed from the charger - I complained to Duracell and got back a coupon for replacement value of one 4-pack of batteries).

Just don't be fooled by the mAh labeling - they're considerably sub-spec.

It look to me like it's a sticker and not the actual reading from the battery. The "newer" one seem to have a display but it still seem to only display what the numbers are and not the actual reading.

Hi microwiz,
I want to respond to a few of your points.

The "2600" and "1000" labels on the AA and AAA cells respectively are pure fiction. I've never gotten more than 2100 out of the AAs and 700-800 out of the AAAs on my BC-900, which means they're rather overpriced.

That said, they function as fairly reasonable 2100mAh AA's and 750mAh AAA's - they certainly hold a charge in storage longer than those Duracell 2650mAh and 2500mAh (that discharge down to sub-1V levels within a couple of days of being removed from the charger - I complained to Duracell and got back a coupon for replacement value of one 4-pack of batteries).

Just don't be fooled by the mAh labeling - they're considerably sub-spec.

I'm not even talking about the ratings (which are vastly overrated). The Tenergy-line batteries can't hold a charge worth a damn. In 1-3 months, FULLY charged AA/AAAs with my BC-900 would be fully discharged. I mean, it's unbelievable. It's crap. I would charge a bunch of them and find them all discharged at the end of a few months. Then I would have to charge them again.

You might try putting the 'null' batteries in any other charger you have - preferably some kind of 'dumb' charger - for a few minutes, then putting them into the BC-900. You may be able to get a charge or refresh cycle going then - see if you can get those Tenergy "2600" batteries up to that 2100 value I found.

Yes, I've got one of the cheapo chargers and am well aware of the paperclip trick. That's not the point I was trying to make though. Those conditions are a reflection of Tenergy's inability to hold a charge.


I would love to issue a CC chargeback and return the items in question had it not been so long since I've had them.

I have never had the courage or inclination to try. I understand it might damage the BC-900 too, so stick with the dumb chargers for the initial top-up!

I tried the paperclip trick. Worked fine, but won't do it after the first time I tried.

Hope that helps... I feel your pain over having bought Tenergy batteries too.

Absolutely. I feel like a sucker for buying them. I spent about $85 or so when I could've just got a bunch of Eneloops for a little bit more expensive.

I bought the charger from Amazon few days back only for 40. Does Amazon price match to their own price

I don't know if I can keep up. The price has changed yet again (happily down).

$37.81 shipped.

Price went up from $37.81 to $44.19

tomas21 said:I'm about to buy the BC-900 from Amazon since I can't keep up with buying new batteries for baby toys. What type of spare AA or AAA batteries does everyone recommend? I'll be putting some of these in the 4 D cases that come with the BC-900 for a couple toys.

I also saw some type of kit at Costco the other week but can't recall the type.

Your input is greatly appreciated.

The batteries that come with the BC-900 aren't bad. I like the new "hybrid" style batteries now, they come already charged, and they hold a charge longer.

BTW, the BC-900 showed up in my Amazon "gold box" today for $37.99.

tomas21 said:So what batteries in addition to the ones that come with the BC-900 do you recommend as spares?I like LSD batteries.

Sanyo Eneloops seem to be the most popular LSD batteries compared to the others.