Quote Originally Posted by butnewa View Post
I was looking at the Goal Zero Nomad 7M and need to be able to at least recharge AA, AAA, and CR123. (Seems like most items take CR123's these days.)

Are some rechargeable batteries better than others?

Thanks in advance...
Hi and welcome. CR123s cannot be recharged unless you like fire and destruction in general! They do make a battery that size that is rechargeable but the problem is the voltage is much higher so you MUST make sure the device is designed for it. Two freshly recharged RCR123s pump out 8.4 volts vs the 6 volts you get from primary (non-rechargeable) CR123s.

As for some batteries being better than others, sure . . . just like most things. For rechargeables, AW brand make some of the best. I've had good luck with some of the Chinese ones called Trustfire and Ultrafire. There are others but I can't think of them right now.

If you buy CR123s (primary, 3volt, non-rechargeable ones) online you can get good ones for under $1.50 a piece and they have a 10 year shelf life (minimum). For those you want to avoid the ones made in China and stick with American or Japanese ones.

That voltage issue is even worse with AA and AAA because primary batteries in those sizes are 1.5 volts and rechargeables are 3.7 when nearly drained and 4.2 when freshly charged. Most folks use NIMH (nickle metal hydride) in those applications and again, stick with Japanese or American on these too. Don't worry about the nimh having lower voltage. In a high current drain device (like a powerful flashlight) they have less voltage drop so the net result is MORE voltage than a throw-away alkaline.

Hope that helped.