Where to get 9v li-ion Rechargeable Batteries?

[Seer73]

Looking into getting rechargables mainly for my active Rockbass but only want to the buy the things once and not mess around with going cheap and ending up paying twice. Having a look into it the li-ion seem to have the most mAH but I cannot find somewhere (other than from China) to get the things.

Does anyone have any suggestions or experience with them?

Cheers

[chris_b]

we use a lot of rechargeable batteries but only for clocks and remotes etc. I wouldn't use them for my bass.

[bumnote]

Put a durecell in and change t every year. Rechargeable batteries dont hold their charge as well as a normall batteries and some are physically slightly larger and wont fit the cavity in all bases.

[flyfisher]

Are they actually available as standard battery replacements? I thought the Li-on cell voltage makes it impossible to get a direct 9v equivalent, so their use may depend on the circuit design being able to handle them correctly.

Edited August 18, 2013 by flyfisher

[Musky]

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1376822631' post='2179412']
we use a lot of rechargeable batteries but only for clocks and remotes etc. I wouldn't use them for my bass.
[/quote]
I'm with Chris on this.

When rechargeable batteries go flat, they go very quickly. I wouldn't want to find that the battery dies during a gig. Alkaline may not last as long but they lose their charge more gradually and give you some warning that they're on the way out.

[chris_b]

[quote name='bumnote' timestamp='1376823209' post='2179422']
....Rechargeable batteries dont hold their charge as well as a normall batteries....
[/quote]

I think I read that rechargeable batteries might only recharge up to 7v and that the cut off for usable voltage is about 6v.

[Dad3353]

I use rechargeable (NiCd...) 9v accus for my practice amp (Danelectro Hodad...) they work very well indeed, and last for ages (depending how much I practice, of course..!). I have 2, and alternate. The is plenty of time between first inkling and actual failure, and if I really needed to be sure, I'd just use a fully-charged one. Usually between 3-6 months, though, between swaps. I wouldn't go back to using Duracells; haven't bought a battery in several years. I don't know about Li-ion, but don't need the advantage, either (light weight..? Bof..!).

[flyfisher]

From memory, Nicad cells are 1.2v and Li-on are 3.7, so a "9 volt" nicad would have 7 cells for a voltage of 8.4v but a Li-on battery would have to be 7.4v (2 cells) or 11.1v (3 cells).

It's certainly quite feasible to build circuits to handle any of these voltages, or indeed all of them and more if really required, bu the real question when looking to replace a standard 9v battery is what sort of voltage tolerance the circuit in question actually has.

Using a battery with a lower voltage won't do any harm, but it may not work too well or (more likely) it will give a much shorter service life between recharging than a standard battery. In an extreme case, what's the point of saving money on batteries if you have to recharge them after one or two hours of use? Not that great for gigging!

Using a battery with a higher voltage could, in extreme cases actually cause damage.

This is where the manufacturer's specifications should be consulted.

[dudewheresmybass]

I've been using li ion batteries in my wirelesses for about 7 years. I get two or three full sets from one battery before recharging and they charge, when required in less than an hour.
In active basses I stick with a decent 9v disposable battery (normally Duracell or energizer)
When I do buy li ion batteries I get them from eBay via china with no issues. They cost me around £15 for two 500 (ish) mah along with a charger and adaptor

[flyfisher]

What about NiMH rechargeables? Better characteristics than Nicads but same cell voltage (1.2 volts per cell).

[stevie]

The 1.5V NiMH batteries I have only charge to a maximum of about 1.3V in practice but I get up to 10V from my 9V ones when they are fully charged.

[dudewheresmybass]

I haven't used nimh batteries for years, despite having some around as spares

[flyfisher]

[quote name='stevie' timestamp='1376900938' post='2180395']
The 1.5V NiMH batteries I have only charge to a maximum of about 1.3V in practice but I get up to 10V from my 9V ones when they are fully charged.
[/quote]

Yes, it's all down to the basic cell chemistry. A single nicad or NiMH cell will generate about 1.2v compared to a single carbon or alkaline cell of 1.5v.

A 'battery' is simply a number of cells connected together, so the nominal voltage has to be multiples of the cell voltage. Thus six alkaline cells will give 6 x 1.5 = 9 volts. To make a 9v nicad or NiMH battery requires 9 / 1.2 = 7.5 cells, so you have to use 7 cells for 8.4v or 8 cells for 9.6 volts, but you can't get exactly 9 volts.

In practice, the effectiveness of different batteries will ultimately depend on the sensitivity of the circuitry they are powering.

[bassicinstinct]

Putting the title of this thread into Google produced this in a very short time:

[url="http://www.google.co.uk/#bav=on.2,or.r_qf.&fp=eb1551c29386c3f7&q=where+to+get+9v+li+ion+rechargeable+batteries"]http://www.google.co.uk/#bav=on.2,or.r_qf.&fp=eb1551c29386c3f7&q=where+to+get+9v+li+ion+rechargeable+batteries[/url]

Lots of suppliers there I think.

Google really IS your friend sometimes, isn't it?

[flyfisher]

Yes, there are plenty of "9v" Li-on batteries out there, but just be aware that they are not 100% direct replacements.

Again, whether this matters or not will depend on the equipment they are used in.

Check out this review of a "9v" Li-on battery: http://www.amazon.co.uk/product-reviews/B003X36XSY/ref=dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1

[Telebass]

I recently bought a set of 4 Sanyo Eneloop AAs. These are hybrid batteries. They seem to last really well in a digital camera, and I will be trying them in ny in-ears body pack also. Not cheap, but quality never is!