Is battery technology really getting any better for the average consumer?
Here is my observation:
I have a 10 year old GE 900MHz phone. It still workd OK. The battery did not last as long as my new Uniden 2.4 GHz cordless, but it always worked good enough. (That was then)
Now, after having my Uniden unplugged for about 8 months, the battery is shot. I opened the cover and all these white crystals spilled out and made a mess, a nice corrosive mess. Meanwhile, the old GE phone works just as good as it did back then.
I have the same types of experiences with AA, AAA, and various special design battery types for HTs, cameras, etc.
I have come to the suspicion that battery technology has improved. There are better battery designs available today,
BUT
I also believe that the general consumer battery has also advanced to the level where it can provide short term mediocre performance, and then die a premature death. An advancement engineered to make the mfgs a buck! Maybe it is cheaper to make them that way, and it is certainly advantageous for them to fail, because the consumer will likey buy more of them.
Rechargeables have slipped to the life of the old alkalines around here. I used to be able to charge them a couple times before they would start leaking. I see the same thing now with these so-called rechargeables.
BTW, I've had nothing but bad luck with Uniden phones.
Here is my observation:
I have a 10 year old GE 900MHz phone. It still workd OK. The battery did not last as long as my new Uniden 2.4 GHz cordless, but it always worked good enough. (That was then)
Now, after having my Uniden unplugged for about 8 months, the battery is shot. I opened the cover and all these white crystals spilled out and made a mess, a nice corrosive mess. Meanwhile, the old GE phone works just as good as it did back then.
I have the same types of experiences with AA, AAA, and various special design battery types for HTs, cameras, etc.
I have come to the suspicion that battery technology has improved. There are better battery designs available today,
BUT
I also believe that the general consumer battery has also advanced to the level where it can provide short term mediocre performance, and then die a premature death. An advancement engineered to make the mfgs a buck! Maybe it is cheaper to make them that way, and it is certainly advantageous for them to fail, because the consumer will likey buy more of them.
Rechargeables have slipped to the life of the old alkalines around here. I used to be able to charge them a couple times before they would start leaking. I see the same thing now with these so-called rechargeables.
BTW, I've had nothing but bad luck with Uniden phones.