Okay, so I am in love with batteries — namely, rechargeable batteries. Of course, I love my family more.
Regular Rechargeable Batteries – I must have spent about $150 for Eneloop rechargeable batteries. When will I recoup my investment? According to the manufacturer, each battery can be recharged 1,000 times. Assuming I now have enough rechargeable batteries to power all my needs (flashlights, tape recorders, other portable devices), and assuming each regular battery costs about 50 cents and lasts about 6 to 9 months, I should recoup my investment in about 4 years, and I will not have to purchase rechargeable batteries for at least 100 years.
I love my digital voltmeter, too – because it enhances my experience with the batteries. I measure the batteries’ voltages just for fun – usually long before the battery power is drained. I set up my own standards as to what battery voltage constitutes “low,” “medium,” and “high,” as some non-digital meters read. Also, I write the date that I inserted the newly charged batteries in a device – this way I can more accurately gauge how long each charge lasts.
Camera battery – Having extra batteries is great. Especially when the grandson is coming over for Thanksgiving, and you want to record hours of digital movies. But, can you believe — I forgot to order an extra battery for my digital camera. So, I impatiently wait for the camera battery to recharge. Not next holiday – I just ordered a spare camera battery online for about $10. No more waiting for the battery to charge!
Car battery – I was surprised when Costco gave me about $21 in cash when I recently turned in my five-year-old car battery. The car sounded like it was difficult to start one day last week, so I went and bought a new battery. The new battery cost about $20 more than the price I believe I paid five years ago. But since I got the $21 refund, the price turned out to be about the same as five years ago. Plus, the peace of mind concerning stating the car is wonderful!
All in all, this “battery fetish hobby” of mine turns out to be fun AND profitable – in a monetary and non-monetary sense.
Robert Ebsen may be contacted at robertebsen@hotmail.com