BB1 and Rechargeable Lithium AA Batteries - superb!

[Peter Lowham]

Hi All,

While staying in USA, I found a set of Lithium AA Rechargeable batteries & charger on Amazon.  On the first charge, these batteries did a straight 9 hours of use, using the Internet radio function.  This makes the BB1 even better than it already is!!

If you google the string below, you will find them, along with an option to buy the batteries only.  Please note that if you are buying the first set, you MUST buy the batteries AND charger.  You cannot charge Lithium batteries in a standard AA battery charger.  If you try to do this, at best you will destroy the Lithium batteries, at worst you will have a fire on your hands!  This is because the Lithium batteries have 'intelligent' circuitry inside the battery to control the charge rate, unlike Nickel Cadmium (Ni-CD) and Nickel Metal Hydride (Ni-MH) batteries which just rely on having the charge 'forced' into them.

AmpTorrent Rechargeable AA Batteries Lithium 3000mWh High Capacity, 1.5V Constant Output, 2Hours Quick Charge, Pre-Charged Double AA Batteries 4 Pack with Charger Set

Regards,

Peter.

[Mark Fishman]

The longer life you get is disproportionate to the extra capacity over, say, 2500mAH NiMH cells. I suspect what's happening is that the voltage isn't sagging during use, so the BB1 is a LOT happier with this particular battery chemistry. Apparently the BB1 is quite sensitive to (a) the lower initial voltage of NiMH (1.25V/cell) and (b) the voltage drop during use that is related to the siginificant internal resistance of NiMH cells.

Nice find -- and thanks for telling us about these!

[Peter Lowham]

Mark,

Your comments are spot on. The battery voltage reported stays very steady (at about 5.8 volts) for the duration, except for the last 15 minutes of usage, when it drops very quickly.

On my second usage of these, the battery set lasted for 10.25 hours of continuous radio use, maintaining 5.8 volts for 10 hours and then the BB1 cut out after another 15 minutes.

The battery set recharges from flat to full charge in 3 hours.  I have ordered a second set for convenience.

I am delighted with these, and with my BB1! 

Regards,

Peter.

[PMB]

Hi Peter,

Thank you for the useful feedback.

Paul

Brennan Support.

[Edwyn Corteen]

Hi All

For those in the UK wanting a set, these are superb (if expensive!), you get four batteries, they are the "correct " size so fit without issues,  the charger and a USB lead. Reading the strangulated Chinglish instructions they confirm that the voltage is maintained until nearly empty when they automatically shut down without causing any battery damage.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07YZCFF1G/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

When looking for rechargeable examples don't confuse these with non rechargeable "disposable" Lithium batteries, of which there are many.

[Ian Voce]

I use rechargeable batteries by BONAI from Amazon , I’ve found they work fine, they are 2800. I’ve just bought some more for my wildlife camera.

The most disappointing thing about the BB1 is the extremely short, almost useless, USB cable it comes with. It won’t even reach from the floor to my desk top.

However, I’ve overcome this problem and the problem with relying on rechargeable batteries, by buying one of the following from Amazon. “AmazonBasics Double Braided Nylon USB Type-C to Type-A 3.1 Gen 1 Cable | 3 m, Red” for £8.99. It’s 3 metres and works great.

Just thought I’d mention it.

Other from that, I love my BB1 although I’m still getting used to it. When we get Bluetooth out to connect my Bose 35 ii’s then I’ll be ecstatic.

Regards

Ian

[PMB]

Thanks Ian,

Thought I'd add a link for the cable.

Paul

Brennan Support.

[Peter Lowham]

Hi All,

Just an update on my Lithium rechargeable AA batteries; after two weeks of constant use, the fully charged sets are lasting for 11 hours and 20 minutes each while using Internet radio.  I have two sets now, so one set charges while I use the other set.

Super-dooper!!

Regards,

Peter.

[Chris A]

Hi Edwyn

I recently bought the same lithium ion rechargeable batteries (and charger) from Amazon as you.

I would like to know your experience of the using the charger. My one starts off with all the lights at red and after about three hours they get an "orange tinge". If I look at them at a very oblique angle, the orange tinge becomes a bit more yellow with a trace of green at the edges. But so far (5 hours) they have not gone green (and, at a quick glance, most people would probably just say that they are red!).

 

[Edwyn Corteen]

Hi Chris

As you say they don't go very green, however I am slightly red/green colour blind so did not notice! 5 hours should be plenty for a full charge.

[Mark Fishman]

The description of the batteries and charger at Amazon says 2 hours should give a full charge.

Apparently the batteries themselves have a lighted blue ring around the top; does that change color?

[Chris A]

Hi Edwyn

Thanks for that. Once they reach that sort of "orange" colour, they do seem to run my BB1 for quite a while.

[Chris A]

Hi Mark

This isn't a blue ring round the ones I have. Are you sure you are looking at the right ones? https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07YZCFF1G/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 

The listing on Amazon claims a full charge in 3 hours (but adds that times may vary). The instructions qualify this further by stating 3-6 hours.

So far I have only given them a top-up (the day they arrived). I then used internet radio until they ran out. I didn't measure exactly how long they lasted - but it was a good while, spread over two days with at least a couple of hours at very high volume. I have just given them their first full charge from "empty" and I will do a more controlled test soon. 

[Peter Lowham]

Hi Mark,

The Lithium rechargeables that I purchased have the lighted blue ring around the top of the battery.  The make of these is 'Amptorrent'.  While charging, the blue lights flash until they are charged and the blue light goes out. The lights do not change colour, just remain blue during the charge cycle.

 I think that different brands have different ways of showing the charge cycle.

From fully discharged (i.e. when the BB1 powers off) to fully charged (when the blue light goes out) takes 3 hours.

I purchased these while I was In the USA for a few months and have been using them constantly.  I bought another set of Amptorrents so one set charges while I use the other set in the BB1.

Regards,

Peter

[Edward Black]

It looks like there is some uncertainty about which rechargeable batteries are the "best" for the BB1. Based on what I have read on the forum I cannot decide between the rechargeable lithium batteries at 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07YZCFF1G/ref=ox_sc_saved_title_1?smid=A1GU3MIQDQ162P&psc=1 

or to buy 2800 mAh NiMH batteries such as these

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B072FRJLJ5/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?smid=AU5IPRSUCG1M2&psc=1 

One difficulty is that it seems that it is not yet possible to buy rechargeable lithium batteries without the charger so it expensive to have a set and a spare

What does the team think?

[Chris A]

Hi Edward

I purchased the YGJ lithium ion battery charger and batteries in the first of your links. I was attracted by the rapid charge and "constant voltage". 

It is early days yet - and I haven't given them a great deal of use - but they seem to do what it says on the tin. The one exception is the charger. It claims that the leds will turn from red to green once charging is complete. I find that they turn from red to a sort of orange/red (with a slight green edge when viewed obliquely). I reported this to YGJ who advised that I had a faulty charger and they immediately sent a new one. However, it behaves in exactly the same way so I wonder if this is just a "feature" of its operation.

Charging does appear to be fairly rapid - though detecting the change from red to orange/red is not as easy as if the change was a simple red to green! 

When used on streaming internet radio (so wifi is in constant use too) I get at least 7 hours at a high volume. Usage time could be considerably longer but I have always missed the point when the batteries actually run out! The "constant voltage" is a bit of a double-edged sword - the display tends to show a fairly stable 6.00v - 6.07v during use and, unlike other batteries, the voltage does not reduce over time (which is precisely in line with what the manufacturer claims). However, when the batteries are exhausted, the BB1 will just suddenly go off. This means that whilst their is no deterioration in function as the batteries deplete, it also means that there is no clue as to how how much battery charge is left.

As far as buying additional batteries is concerned, on the Amazon web-page you quote, the Q&A (further down the page) suggests that the manufacturer plans to start selling batteries on their own within the next few months.

Hope this helps.

[Edwyn Corteen]

Hi Edward

Forget the 2800 mAh NiMH batteries, the ones I have are slightly oversized so are a very tight fit, do not last long before requiring a recharge, the Lithium set I bought are superb, last all day and as Chris says keep their voltage up until they are exhausted, much better than other batteries in the BB1 due to its larger than normal power requirements.

[Clan]

I agree with Edwyn , 

My new 2.8 ah MiMh batteries last just over 3 hours and are a very tight fit in the BB1 battery compartment  which makes changing them twice a day a real chore .

I am trying the lithium ones now ...

another alternative is a USB Powerbank , if the radio is in one place a better all round fix . I have a 28ah power pack which i have not exhausted yet !

For interest the BB1 draws around 300 to 350 ma  when playing normally .

[Peter Lowham]

Hi Edward,

Along with Clan I would state that there is no contest here.  The Lithium rechargeables option is the only way to go.  It is all about HOW the batteries deliver their power to the BB1 (or any other device)

Each of the battery options indicates that they are around 2800mAh of capacity.  However NiMH batteries deliver power with a constantly declining voltage, starting at about 6 volts and run down to about 4 volts in about 3 hours.  At this point the BB1 will power off.  There will still be some chage in these batteries but the BB1 cannot use it.

With Lithium rechargeables, the voltage starts at about 5.8 volts BUT it maintains this voltage all the way almost to the end, in my case after 9.5 hours the batteries are still reading 5.7 volts and then there is a final 15 minutes before the batteries switch themselves off, so a total of 9.75 hours in one charge.

In my view, NiMH batteries are dead (literally) for any use.  The Lithium rechageables are more expensive, but they are far more efficient.

Regards,

Peter.

[Edward Black]

Thanks so much for the responses. I thought that I would try the Bonai 2800mAH NI-MHs first along with the AmazonBasics intelligent charger. As that would also allow me to use various sets of 2500 and 2600 batteries that I already had. The results have been very good. Perhaps the lithiums would have been even better but I am very satisfied with this combination. The Bonais come in an 8-pack so I have one set in the BB1 and one set charged and ready to go

[Paul Avery]

Hi, just a quick observation. Use the cable that comes with the Li-ion kit. I used an existing cable and the charge rate was much lower. Taking twice as long to charge.