[semperfi658]

on the back of the batter case it clearly states Never use alkaline batteries.

i was wondering what will happen if someone did this. permanent damage? or are the Energizer batteries just better for vibration and cold weather?

 

[2_Tires]

I have used alkaline batteries and they just die really fast. They shouldn't damage the camera. You might as well buy the Lithium batteries as they last a long time and you don't have to replace batteries every 5 min.

 

[pastajet]

Get rechargeable batteries!

Buy a charger and get some good 1000ma AAA's.

Lithium are really only useful in the cold, they do last longer then other batteries but you will fill a SD card much quicker.

I have charged my batteries at least 20 times, so it saves some money.

 

[CactusJackSlade]

Get rechargeable batteries!

Buy a charger and get some good 1000ma AAA's.

I have charged my batteries at least 20 times, so it saves some money.

What he said, also make sure they are FRESH off the charger, NiMh batteries discharge quickly when sitting around. I keep a spare set with me if I'm going to be out for a while...

 

[PiroChu]

Having read "replace batteries every 5 min" above about regular alkarine batteries, I asked GoPro and received this reply...

You might get about 30 minutes of run time out of alkaline batteries, but your main issue will be irregular video recording times since the alkaline batteries provide for inconsistent voltage drops. This is why we only recommend using the NiMH rechargeable or Energizer Lithium batteries.

Unfortunately I didn't quite "get it". Could somebody elaborate on the "irregular video recording times since the alkaline batteries provide for inconsistent voltage drops" part for me? Does that mean I get different max single-shot durations (< 30min/max) on different cheapo batteries, or does that mean GoPro will shut off on its own differently within a single set of cheapo batteries for separate-segment shots (ie. 5min/here + 10min/there + ...etc ... = 30min/max)? (Sorry, hard to explain...)

Thanks for your info in advance,
- PiroChu

 

[hanskellner]

Get rechargeable batteries! Buy a charger and get some good 1000ma AAA's.

I double that. I purchased a rechargeable battery kit from Costco. It came with a charger and a combination of several batteries. After filling a card (~1hr of use) I pop the batteries back in the charger. Haven't had a problem yet.

Could somebody elaborate on the "irregular video recording times since the alkaline batteries provide for inconsistent voltage drops"

Just a guess but maybe with use, the voltage of the battery will drop below the minimum required level for the camera. When that occurs the camera shuts off and the battery, being a chemical reaction, can build up its charge slightly to a point that the camera will be able to turn on and run for a bit longer.

More information in this section from wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battery_(electricity)

disposable batteries do not fare well under high-drain applications with loads under 75 ohms (75 Ω).

And...

On the other hand, for power-hungry toys that are used extensively and frequently it pays to use secondary batteries because they discharge by use rather than by self-discharge. Keep in mind your application when selecting a battery.

Where alkaline batteries fall under primary (disposable) and rechargeable batteries under secondary.

 

[PiroChu]

Buy a charger and get some good 1000ma AAA's.

I purchased a rechargeable battery kit from Costco.

Thanks for your feedback & Wiki link (lots of good info, though went a bit over my head).
By the way, is your Costco set 1000mAh? (I'll stop by local Costco later & see...)

Also, per some notes from Wiki below, I have a few more basic Q's...

- For my average-Joe use of GoPro, are "low-capacity" ones enough?
- I saw some "15 miniutes" rechargable kit, but I'm assuming that such will discharge faster as well and to be avoided? (How long is a "regular" recharge in general, by the way?)

In general, the higher the ampere-hour rating, the longer the battery will last for a certain load.

Low-capacity nickel metal hydride (NiMH) batteries (1700-2000 mA·h) can be charged for about 1000 cycles, whereas high capacity NiMH batteries (above 2500 mA·h) can be charged for about 500 cycles.

Lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) batteries are the fastest charging and discharging, next to supercapacitors.

 

[jdc5r]

look for eneloops. will be more than enough for a 2gb card.

 

[PiroChu]

So, I called to find that the Costco near me is all out of stock, but another Costo has both Duracell set and Sanyo (eneloop) set.

Sanyo eneloop sounds good in that it "keeps 85% of charge up to a year" (per below link & others), but I'm concerned that its AAA is only 800mAh because a post above said to get "good 1000mAh" (& above?).

http://www.epinions.com/review/Sany...Batteries_GES_HR3UTG_4BP/content_309637189252

So, which should I get; Duracell set or Sanyo (eneloop) set for GoPro?

I'll plan to go to Costco to buy one of the other tonight, as my GoPro package is supposed to arrive today, yey!

Thanks again,
- PiroChu

 

[hanskellner]

So, which should I get; Duracell set or Sanyo (eneloop) set for GoPro?

I have the Sanyo charger/battery set. But I later purchased an additional set of Duracell batteries and recharge them without problems in the Sanyo charger.

I haven't had any issues with either brand with my GoPro.