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For AA batteries (yep, still the most widely used), I like Maha batteries and chargers. Have a number of AAs from 4 - 6 years ago still going strong.

For alkaline cells, Radio Shack has been an excellent source of decent brands over the years. Somebody in purchasing must actually look at what they sell. Better hurry though, it doesn't look like RS will be around much longer.

For camera batteries, I stick with OEMs, even the knockoffs sold at reputable stores like B&H and Adorama just don't work as well (at least for Nikons).

Amusingly enough, I've had good luck with cheapo Chinese knockoffs for my iPhones. Since battery life is crummy anyway, the bar doesn't appear to be all that high.

And for power tool batteries, I've used several different rebuild companies, all with good results. Compared to the unique shapes and sizes of laptops and cell phones, power tools seem to have standardized on generic cells and construction methods.

OK, I did a quick search and yeah, the cheapest chargers are fixed current with a timer to prevent overcharging.

But for a few bucks more you get a charger with basic peak detection.

Back when I was in to RC cars 15+ years ago, my first charger had a basic timer. 15 minutes from a dead pack (standard charge) resulted in a slightly warm NiCd pack. Any longer and it heated up quick.

My limited experience with NiMH SubC packs more recently had them fairly warm after full charge on a peak-detection charger charging at about 1C. Didn't charge any longer than that to see how hot'd they get.

Why anyone would spend $50-$100 on multiple good quality NiMH battery packs and then not spend about the same on a decent peak detection charger defies logic. A good charger maximizes performance of the pack and battery life. Heck, I even went and looked at Tower Hobbies - a basic timer charger costs $25 - a basic peak charger costs $35. I suspect only the uninformed buy the timer chargers these days.

Most of my experience with rechargables these days lie with AA and AAA size cells. I've got a handful of old Eveready NiCd cells (out of a dozen or so) that have been used and abused for about 15 years or so.

Capacity has dropped about 10% from their rated capacity for the ones that still work. The dead ones stopped holding charges for more than a couple days and developed internal shorts (common death scenario for NiCds after being stored dead or forced into reverse voltage when used as part of an imbalanced pack).

The NiMH cells I've used have proven to be much less durable and seem to be much less tolerant of abuse. They have had a much higher rate of capacity loss. I've had probably half my older batch of cells stop holding charges. The other half have lost between 20-30% of their original capacity. Not sure if it's the cheap cells (Powerex, primarily) or NiMH technology (batteryuniversity.com and wikipedia both seem to indicate that NiMH cells are less durable than NiCd cells).

Now I only buy low-discharge NiMH cells. Because your typical cell will basically self-discharge between 20-30% a month, this leaves them useless after only a couple months of storage and dead after 6 months or so. And remember that storing a dead cell also leads to early cell death.

The low-discharge cells will retain about 85% charge after a year and 70% after two years meaning that there is little danger of cells fully discharging and the cells will be ready to use without having to wonder how long ago you recharged the cell. They are also much better for low current applications like clocks and remote controls where battery life won't be determined by how well the cell retains it's charge, but it's actual capacity.

I also use a good digital charger (Powerex MH-C9000) which I can use to monitor the cell's capacity and adjust the charge rate according to the type of cell being charged, as well as easily determine when a cell has reached the end of it's useful life and put it aside for recycling.

* charge NiCd's in Li-ion mode, add a power switch to unit so you don't have to plug the 24v in "hot", and fill the hole on that damn piezo "siren" inside with epoxy-- it's still audible, but only if you're in the same room.

* charge NiCd's in Li-ion mode, add a power switch to unit so you don't have to plug the 24v in "hot", and fill the hole on that damn piezo "siren" inside with epoxy-- it's still audible, but only if you're in the same room.

We've been using Maha Powerex batteries and have been very satisfied. I ordered 25 sets of something very similar to this MahaEnergy and it has worked fine. They are easily better than other batteries I've tried.

Get a Maha charger. Get either the C4012FS , the C204F, or the C204W.

All are good, the C401FS is their most intelligent charger and has a gentle charge time of 5 hours or a fast charge time of ~100 minutes. I own the C204F and it has been solid like a rock for two years. With the 204F you still have to recondition the batteries every 5 charges or so, the C401FS eliminates that need so I'd go with that if I were buying a new charger. Use the C204W if you want easy international power use.

Get a Maha charger. Get either the C4012FS , the C204F, or the C204W.

All are good, the C401FS is their most intelligent charger and has a gentle charge time of 5 hours or a fast charge time of ~100 minutes. I own the C204F and it has been solid like a rock for two years. With the 204F you still have to recondition the batteries every 5 charges or so, the C401FS eliminates that need so I'd go with that if I were buying a new charger. Use the C204W if you want easy international power use.

Get a Maha charger. Get either the C4012FS , the C204F, or the C204W.

All are good, the C401FS is their most intelligent charger and has a gentle charge time of 5 hours or a fast charge time of ~100 minutes. I own the C204F and it has been solid like a rock for two years. With the 204F you still have to recondition the batteries every 5 charges or so, the C401FS eliminates that need so I'd go with that if I were buying a new charger. Use the C204W if you want easy international power use.

You might want to try switching out the AA nicads and go for NiMH--you can pick up a set of 2200maH and let the music play for 8-10 hours on a full charge. Works for my Archos anyway... That was one of the nice things about the old Archos--user replaceable batteries (not to mention harddrive and open source firmware).

One of the most important things to remember is to get a good charger. These batteries will last much longer if they are charged slowly and kept cool when charging. Quick chargers will decrease the life of the batteries! I like the Maha chargers myself. This is a good one

It comes with adjustable prongs and a set of test clips, and I have yet to find something it cannot charge.

Note that this is a fast charger too: you have to put a temperature sensor on the pack being charged so it doesn't get cooked.

Packs that used to take me 6 hours to charge get charged in 20 minutes. Yow!

Personally, I just lug all the appropriate adapters, since I tend to plug everything in at once. But I usually carry a spare "universal" adapter like this with an additional assortment of adapter plugs. I wish they made them with folding prongs. If I have something that uses a NiCD or NIMH pack, I use a rapid charger like this.

I also try pretty hard to buy things that use AA cells so I can use rechargables. It annoys the crap out of me that my digital camera takes a non-rechargable non-AA. I never seem to have a spare when I need it.