WATCH OUT - FAKE RECHARGEABLE BATTERIES

more information to come. detailed report still in progress

F.A.Q.

Q: What makes a rechargeable battery 'FAKE'?
A: A rechargeable battery is fake when the capacity value (expressed in mAh) printed on the battery is greater then the actual capacity of the battery

Q: Will a fake rechargeable battery still work?
A: In most cases a fake rechargeable battery will still work with limited performance, shorter battery life and require to be recharged more frequently.

Q: How will a lower battery capacity affect me?
A: A lower battery capacity will result in less usable power being delivered from a battery. A 2000mAh battery will generally last twice as long as a 1000mAh battery. High current devices such as remote control cars may experience significant performance loss.

Q: How can I avoid buying a fake rechargeable battery?
A: It is hard to find a fake underrated rechargeable battery without testing it. However, if the price is cheap then you are probably not receiving a quality item that will have the capacity that is stated on the package.

Q: How can I test if my batteries are fake / have an underrated capacity?
A: You can use a quality battery charger that performs a charge / discharge cycle following the IEC standard to determine the true capacity of your battery.

Q: How is battery capacity measured?
A: Battery capacity is a product of current delivered by the battery by the duration (in hours) that the current was supplied for. Note that most stated battery capacities are for a duration of 10Hrs. Therefore a 1000mAh battery can deliver 100mA constantly for 10Hrs.
 

Report Summary

Mid 2009 I purchased a mix of BTY branded NiMH AA & AAA batteries from eBay seller mostwantedauction <- DO NOT BUY FROM THIS SELLER

The BTY AAA batteries were labelled as having a capacity of 1000mAh
The BTY AA batteries were labelled as having a capacity of 2500mAh

The BTY AAA batteries were tested and found to have an average capacity of 300mAh, which is only 30% of the claimed capacity.
The BTY AA batteries were tested and found to have an average capacity of 900mAh, which is only 36% of the claimed capacity of 2500mAh

As a comparison, I also tested some old energizer NiMH AA rechargeable batteries that I have had in use for some 6yrs.

The Energizer AA batteries were labelled as having a capacity of 1850mAh

The Energizer AA batteries were tested and found to have an average capacity of 1570mAh, which is 85% of the claimed capacity of 1850mAh (keep in mind that these batteries have been is use for approx 6years!)

All battery tests were performed with the use of a POWEREX MAHA MH-C9000 Charger-Analyzer.
Each test followed the IEC standard of charging the each battery independently at 0.1C, then discharging at 0.1C to determine the batteries true capacity.
I highly recommend the use of the charger for anyone who uses NiMH rechargeable batteries frequently. It is a useful tool for determining the health of your batteries and eliminating poor performing batteries.

Detailed Report

more information to come. detailed report still in progress

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This site was designed and is managed by Sebastian Najnert
This page was last revised on Sunday, 19 July 2009