All About Batteries

[tjs0349]

From time to time, I see posts asking about battery problems, or if re-chargable battereis can be used in this or that marker. I've done some research and tried out different types and brands and thought I would present what I found.

The problem with typical store batteries
The typical Energizer, Duracell, and generic batteries you buy in the store (rechargeable or non-rechargeable) are alkaline batteries. These are the worst batteries you can use in a paintball marker. The reason being, is that over the life of their charge, they loose voltage. This is the reason you see really bad performance from your marker as the battery drains. In some cases the battery doesn't even have to be very low before a marker will start acting up when using alkaline batteries.

The following graph shows how an alkaline battery looses voltage over the life of it's charge while Ni-Mh and Ni-Cd batteries have a fairly consistent voltage output until the end of their charge.
http://www.timschaffer.net/images/voltagedrop.gif

Ni-Cd re-chargeable batteries also have problems. They can suffer from memory effects where the battery life span gets shorter and shorter after every charge if not completly discharged bebefore re-charging. This makes them not very practical.

Better battery choices for paintball markers?
Go with Ni-Mh (Radioshack (http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2062147&cp=&sr=1&kw=battery&origkw=battery&parentPage=search) and PowerEx (http://www.mahaenergy.com/store/products_paint.asp) batteries are popular), Lithium Polymer (http://www.batteryjunction.com/ipowerus-9v-500.html), or Lithium Ion (http://www.onlybatteries.com/showitem.asp?ItemID=14679) they will put out more consistent voltage regardless of their charge level.

Even a non rechargeable Lithium battery (http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?sr=1&support=support&techSpecs=techSpecs&pg=2&origkw=battery&summary=summary&custRatings=custRatings&productId=2104692&cp=&kw=battery&currentTab=accessories&accessories=accessories&parentPage=search&features=features&tab=summary) will perform better than alkaline.

So what's the best battery?
The best option would be to use the iPower Lithium Polymer batter (http://www.batteryjunction.com/ipowerus-9v-500.html)y. It will last the longest and have the most consistent voltage over the life of it's charge while not experiencing any memory effect.

So whats the catch? Lithium batteries can be 2 -3 time more expensive than regular batteries, but they last 4 - 5 times longer. This means you pay more up front, but in the long run they are a lot cheaper.

Summing it all up
Alkaline and Ni-Cd batteries suck, Ni-Mh batteries are better. Lithium are the best.

If you are not on a budget, go with the iPower Lithium Polymer rechargeable battery mentioned above.

If you are on a budget, go with the Radio Shack non-rechargeable battery mentioned above.

In either case, you are going to see consistent performance with your marker almost right up until the battery is completely dead.

[Stewey956]

Cool, I will look into those. Always looking for ways to save money.

Sticky this in the articles somebody!

[battlechaser]

Energy Paintball 1100mAh batteries have been what I primarily use, and I haven't had any adverse effects from using them yet, probably because the ampereage is almost twice that of a normal Alkaline. And no offense, but ANY battery gets voltage drop as it dies, some may hold out longer than others, but eventually all of them suffer the same end.

[Daigz525]

Wow great post, it's been stuck!

[tjs0349]

And no offense, but ANY battery gets voltage drop as it dies, some may hold out longer than others, but eventually all of them suffer the same end.

No offense taken. I wasn't trying to indicated otherwise. I gurantee an 1100mAh Lithium battery will last 4 - 5 times longer than the batteries you are using.

"Did you try a new battery?" That's the first thing most experienced gun techs will ask when someones marker is acting strange. The reason for this is the drastic voltage drop that alkaline batteries experience over the life of their charge.

It is a fact that Ni-cd and Ni-mh batteries last much longer into their charge life before the voltage starts to drop drastically. Lithium batteries don't drop significantly until almost the very end of their charge life. Look at the graph, it illustrtes it quite well.

Many consumer electronics these days use lithium batteries for this reason. By any new camera, camcorder, mobile phone, MP3 player, laptop, etc... and I bet that vast majority of them will use Lithium re-chargable batteries.

A Lithium rechargable battery is one of the major features in the new Impulse. You're going to see it more and more in paintball applications.

I used this 1200mAh disposable lithium-ion battery (http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?sr=1&support=support&techSpecs=techSpecs&pg=2&origkw=battery&summary=summary&custRatings=custRatings&productId=2104692&cp=&kw=battery&accessories=accessories&parentPage=search&features=features&tab=techSpecs) in my vice for more than a year. During that time I played on average at least twice a month (more in the summer) and fired at least a case each time (usually more than two). When the battery finally needed to be replaced, the marker was shooting flawlessly one weekend and then the very next weekend the marker was dead and wouldn't even turn on. You won't get this kind of performance with of the shelf alkaline batteries. The batteries you are using are better than off the shelf Duracell's or Energizer's due to their higher capacity, but they can't hold a candle to Ni-Mh or Lithium batteries of the same capacity (mAh).

[tjs0349]

Wow great post, it's been stuck!

Wow, thanks!

[Squirlly]

The other thing you want to concider, specially if the rechargable(s) are for your hopper. They make "True 9v" Rechargables, (See Geek Content below) these will last much longer in hoppers as the standard 9v size rechargables only produce 8.4volts where the "True 9v" produces 9.6volts.

Warning
[geek content]Standard Alkaline Cells are 1.5volts but Rechargable Cells are just 1.2volts AAA,A,C and D size batts have just just one cell but a "9v" has 6 mini-cells inside it (1.5*6=9) and this was the same math that rechargables used for the longest time (1.2*6=8.4) but that loss of over 1/2 a volt made rechargables die very very fast in gear that requires a higher voltage this is why they have started making "9v" sized rechargables with SEVEN cells (1.2*7=9.6) and where a shortfall of 0.6 volts makes the rechargable die quickly the extra 0.6 volts is not enough to damage your gear and will last even LONGER than alkaline[/geek content]

-Tim

[crankwalk]

Great post and discussion. THanks all.

[tjs0349]

The other thing you want to concider, specially if the rechargable(s) are for your hopper. They make "True 9v" Rechargables, (See Geek Content below) these will last much longer in hoppers as the standard 9v size rechargables only produce 8.4volts where the "True 9v" produces 9.6volts.

I think you are confusing output (voltage) with capacity (mAh).

Every battery has an output range. The high end of the range is fully charged, and the low end of the range is considered disharged. In the graph I posted, one side is labled volts, and the bottom is labled time. Volts is equal to output and time is equal to mAh (milliamp hours). The more milliamp hours a battery is rated for the longer it will take for the battery to go from 9 volts charged (top left of the graph) to discharged (bottom right of the graph).

This means if you have a battery with a "True" output of 9.6 volts that has a capacity of 500 mAh, it could actually discharge quicker than a battery that has an output of 8.4 volts and a capacity of 1200 mAh.

[Depth]

i think it just depends on if your willing to take it out at the end of the week, dry it out and then recharge it. seeing as most people play once a week this isnt really a trouble, and for those who turn there marker off between games, looking at mabye a month's use! thou it would be nice to have a timmy with a built in battery and charging port! never have to take the grips off ever again :D :D :D

[GOD]

...thou it would be nice to have a timmy with a built in battery and charging port! never have to take the grips off ever again :D :D :D

Grips? What grips? Timmys don't use grips...

[Depth]

you know what i mean, never have to undo a screw to get at the battery again :P

[battlechaser]

you know what i mean, never have to undo a screw to get at the battery again :P

I think GOD is one of those heathens who skip out of the grips so the frame is a tad thinner.

[GOD]

I think GOD is one of those heathens who skip out of the grips so the frame is a tad thinner.

Honestly, I hate that. I can't stand to use a gun without grips and I'm not sure why since I don't have larger than normal hands.

[battlechaser]

Honestly, I hate that. I can't stand to use a gun without grips and I'm not sure why since I don't have larger than normal hands.

That's odd, normally it's the people with smaller hands that do away with them, IMO the best grips are still either Dye Stickies for comfort, or SPD's for the awesome factor.

[princealway]

Energy Paintball Battery 1100mAh was what I mostly use, and I did not have the adverse effects of their use yet, probably because the ampereage is almost twice that of a normal alkaline. And no offense, but the battery voltage drop EVERYTHING as he died, some may take longer than others, but eventually all of them suffer from the same end.