Battery Charging in a Pinch
I’m never too far from electronics even when I’m getting in touch with nature. We live in a world of GPS, cell phones, and computers. The hunting world has reached the electronic age. Predator hunters now carry rangefinders, electronic game calls, and motorized decoys. What do all these require? Batteries. For years, alkalines ruled the roost, but hunters are now opting for rechargeables. The benefit is using fewer batteries but at the expense of frequent recharging. I have been on more than one hunt where I brought batteries but forgot the charger. Rather than end the hunt, I used a little basic physics and partially restored my drained batteries.
Current runs from anode to cathode. This is why batteries are connected by opposite poles (+ with -).
With a little electrical tape, you can partially recharge your batteries using spare batteries – even if they are not the correct type. The key is impedance ratios and switching the polarity (connecting + with +).
Here is a quick guide (I got it from the internet – it isn’t my idea) to use when pilfering juice to recharge thirsty electronics.
| The “Dead” Battery | The “Good” Battery |
| 1C | 2AA |
| 1D | 2AA |
| (3) 9V | 1AA |
| 2D | 3C |
| (3) 9V | 1C |
| (3) 9V | 2D |
| 2AA | 3AAA |
| 1C | 3AAA |
| 2D | 9AAA |
| (1) 9V | 1AAA |
The process takes a long time, and the batteries will only charge until the capacitance is equal. An oversimplification (for illustrative purposes only) would be a battery with 0% charge and a battery with 100% charge. If you used the charged battery to recharge the empty battery, both batteries would end up being 50% charged. Switching out the charging battery with a fresh 100% battery would bring your “dead” battery up to 75% charge. You’ll never get fully recharged, but you can get enough to last one more day in the field.
A couple of tips:
- Rub a little bit of lemon juice or orange juice (or any mild acid) on your battery’s cathode to speed up the charging time.
- Don’t mix and match rechargeables with alkalines. Alkalines use a different voltage than rechargeables.
- It is much quicker and easier to bring the spare batteries that are the correct size.
- It is even better to never forget your charger!
No related posts.
Category: Dr Shawley's Blog
I only use alkalines as a last resort, instead preferring the rechargeable Imedion brand (AA or AAA) as stocked by Glen at Wolf Eyes in Sydney. Imedions are one of a small number of brands which hold their charge for extended storage periods. Have a look at Wolf Eyes website to get the lowdown on the economic and environmental advantages of using rechargeable batteries.