Rechargeable alkaline batteries

[Joe Berenbaum <joe-b@dircon.co.uk>]

Not really off topic!

I have a Motor Winder R and a Winder M4-2 and I don't use them very often. I
used to use recharegeable NiCads in my Nikon bodies and winders and since I
used winders a lot, they all got recharged regularly and often and there was
no real problem. Since becoming a Leica user I have been using winders quite
seldom and the NiCads lose their charge in something like 90 days- not a
good system for me since the batteries may be flat when I want to use the
winder, even if it hasn't been used!  I also have a Nikon 801s which hardly
gets used and will sit mostly on an Illumitran. Not good if on the one day
that month when I want to use it, the batteries are flat. I had been
considering using single-use batteries again but I hate the idea of using
them once and then throwing them away.

Today, I discovered Rechargeable Alkaline Batteries! These are similar to
normal alkalines except that [1] they can hold their charge for up to 5
years without recharging if not used up and [2] they can be recharged 25
times- in fact anything up to 100 times depending on how low they are
allowed to run down before recharging- and they have no memory effect
apparently. They cost about double the price of normal alkalines but need a
special charger; a NiCad charger is not usable and would be dangerous. 

I think I've found the ideal solution to the problem. Anyone else used these
yet?

Joe Berenbaum