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I received an email that said if you take a 6volt lantern battery and pop the top, you will find 36 AA batteries inside. Now if you add up the cost considering 36 AA batteries will cost you about $15 or more and a 6volt battery costs $6, you would save some money. Has anybody heard of this? Or has anybody acually tried this? I'm not so sure about this.

You may find a whole bunch of really poor quality batteries...

Bad enough my piece of crap GPS eats up batteries. Really don't feel like packing 8 AA batteries just for a 2 day trip. I think I would rather spend the extra money. Not to mention the hassle of changing batteries evey couple of hours.

I wouldn't take that literally. Figuratively, it probably contains the equivalent of that many AA.

Try lithium batteries, they are more expensive but last a LOT longer.

sirena wrote:Try lithium batteries, . . .

Not sure what GPS you have. My Garmin 60CSx has a setting for the type of battery. If I use LIthium batteries I have to change the setting for accurate results.

Everyone always complains about their GPS eating up batteries, but I don't seem to have that problem. Maybe its because I just have a simple Garmin Etrex Venture HC but if I use lithium, I get much better use out of batteries than anything I read says I should. I've never come close to using up batteries. Sometimes I change them just because it seems like they shouldn't last as long as they do. And lets be real here-- how long do you think a couple AA batteries should last when they're powering something that connects to multiple satellites? I still think its amazing they don't use more.

Lithium rocks, no question about it. I don't even bother with the alkaline ones any more--they barely last even one hike with my GPS. Yes, you have to change the setting. Even a non techy like myself knows that!

I have seen that. We used to tear apart batteries to salvage AA batteries for portable razors, music players, etc... If I recall correctly the batteries were for our Motorola Handhelds.

rdavisiii wrote:I have seen that. We used to tear apart batteries to salvage AA batteries for portable razors, music players, etc... If I recall correctly the batteries were for our Motorola Handhelds.

Dang Ron - guess what you've got me doing this weekend. :A1:

rdavisiii wrote:Lower aircraft have the right of way!

Where did you learn that? My Dad was a pilot and taught me that the ground has the right of way My buddy (John Jaquez) who was a birddog (FAC) just south of the DMZ in Nam taught me that Aircraft with deliverable munitions always had the right of way

"Lower aircraft have the right of way" is a spin on "Lower jumper has the right of way" which is one of the rules of the air during your third point of performance "Keep a sharp look out during decent". When you fill the sky with paratroopers, poo mess happens. Hopefully the jump master has looked well before you exit to be sure trailing aircraft are higher then your aircraft but if for some reason you see a C130/C141/C17 below your boots, SLIP AWAY!!!!

Happy battery hunting!

Ron -
so for you the ground is your friend especially flat soft ground. You ever find any?

The battery hunting is the easy part - field dressing it on the patio could be the ugly part. Hope I don't resemble your avatar when I'm done.

My Doc has me on Niaspan to increase one of my good cholesterols, but told me today he wants to test my Uric acid levels because the Niaspan can increase it. No problems yet, but Gawd I want to avoid that. So I got to looking at things that increase Uric acid and there's a lot of stuff on that list that I really enjoy.

Fryar DZ at Ft Benning was nice and soft, other then that no way. I am a tarmac magnet, nothing like slamming a runway on a cold night.

Nick was just out living the dream!

Al_HikesAZ wrote:Not sure what GPS you have. My Garmin 60CSx has a setting for the type of battery. If I use LIthium batteries I have to change the setting for accurate results.

I have a Magellan Triton 400. My last backpacking trip I left it on for maybe 6 hours one day and 7 the next. I had to change batteries (Duracell) once on the second day and by the time I got to the truck, they were half drained. I think if I change my backlight setting from 30 seconds to 10 and buy lithiums, I will probably get longer life. Don't really need a 30 second backlight.

10 hrs is the max on a Triton 400. Also depends on how much you press the buttons, etc. I use the 400 too, with rechargables, and I can do 3-4 days backpacking changing them once. You dont have to change settings for the batteries on the 400.

I used mine quite a bit looking for a couple geocaches in the area, so I was pushing buttons. I think I will try the lithiums next time, and lay of the buttons.

Have never used these in a GPS, but these are by far the best batteries I've ever used in just about everything else from headlamps, flashlights, air mattress pumps (w/ D cell adapters), cameras, camera strobes, etc...

http://www.amazon.com/Sanyo-277265-enel ... ikearizona

Well, well worth the small investment.

Local Costco stores frequently have that exact kit in stock.

I have thought about going the rechargeable route. The question I have is, how long does the battery last compared to lithium. It is nice when a battery lasts the whole backpacking trip for several days of constant use in the GPS.

A local news channel did a thing on the new Energizer rechargables against the regular Energizer batteries. The rechargables lasted the same amount of time as the regular batteries, even after several charges. They also tested Duracell , but said that Energizer lasted longer. I don't think that any of them would last as long as the lithiums. I had a set of the lithiums in my little mag light for almost a month, using it every day for a couple of hours. I love the lithiums, but I don't love the price. Have also thought about going rechargable.

I used to use lithium quite a bit with my older GPS, when I bought a new GPS 2.5 years ago I started using rechargeables with that electronic marvel. And use them all day without any problem. I've just labeled the batteries with numbers 1- 4 so I know what ones are currently in the device.