The subject pretty much sums it up. The mth rechargable 8.4 volt batteries cost about $20, when I can get some sweet deals on rechargeable 9/8.4 volts batteries for a much cheaper price. Does company name really matter? Like if I get a rechargable energizer brand vs a china brand?
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Any 8.4 volt rechargeable will do as long as it delivers the specified voltage and has a reasonable capacity. Some of the inexpensive no-name batteries don't take or hold a charge as well as they claim to. On the other hand, I tested some batteries a while back and I got excellent results from a Thunderbolt brand NiMH battery from Harbor Freight. Of course, that's no guarantee that they are all that good. You can search around online; some people have posted capacity tests for various brands and types of batteries.
As long as you're replacing the battery, you might as well spend the extra buck or two and get NiMH rather than NiCd. The NiMH hold a charge longer and do not suffer from "memory effect," a gradual loss of capacity that affects NiCd cells if they are not fully discharged then fully charged (which of course doesn't happen in a locomotive). The Proto-2 charging system will handle NiMh cells, no problem.
Any 8.4 volt rechargeable will do as long as it delivers the specified voltage and has a reasonable capacity. Some of the inexpensive no-name batteries don't take or hold a charge as well as they claim to. On the other hand, I tested some batteries a while back and I got excellent results from a Thunderbolt brand NiMH battery from Harbor Freight. Of course, that's no guarantee that they are all that good. You can search around online; some people have posted capacity tests for various brands and types of batteries.
As long as you're replacing the battery, you might as well spend the extra buck or two and get NiMH rather than NiCd. The NiMH hold a charge longer and do not suffer from "memory effect," a gradual loss of capacity that affects NiCd cells if they are not fully discharged then fully charged (which of course doesn't happen in a locomotive). The Proto-2 charging system will handle NiMh cells, no problem.
Thank you! What if I get a 9 volt? Some of them are listed as 9 volt rechargeable
"9 volt" is a nominal value that for our purposes is meaningless. The can for a "9 volt" rechargeable battery can hold either six 1.2 volt cells for 7.2 volts or seven cells for 8.4 volts. Nominal 9 volt batteries can be one or the other. Somewhere on the battery or the packaging you should find the actual voltage, which must be 8.4 to operate properly in any Protosound 1 or 2 system. If the only marking is 9 volt, avoid it like the plague. Or Ebola, to update the cliche.
Make sure the battery is also rated at 120mAh as some are higher.
James
The radio shack 9 (8.4) volt batteries work well and the ones I used to get (NiMh) showed 9 volts on the front of the package and in small print 8.4 on the back.
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Dennis
James,
Make sure the battery is also rated at 120mAh as some are higher.
The 120 mAh rating is the battery's capacity. Actually, higher is better.
Do the original batteries ever leak and cause damage?
bob2, it is rare but it can occur. I learned years ago that if something can happen, eventually it will.
James,
Make sure the battery is also rated at 120mAh as some are higher.
The 120 mAh rating is the battery's capacity. Actually, higher is better.
Thanks Barry that's great news, just that MTH battery was 120 so thought that was what was needed. James
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