Skip to content
Rechargeable batter...
 
Notifications
Clear all

Rechargeable battery/pedal question

5 Posts
3 Users
0 Likes
2,849 Views
(@matsuemon)
Estimable Member
Joined: 16 years ago
Posts: 69
Topic starter  

Hey guys,
I've decided to get some rechargeable 9v batteries to use with some of my guitar pedals. All my pedals (I've checked so far) say they require a 300 mAh battery, but most rechargeables are less than that, often 250 mAh. Do any of you use them, and do you know if the less than 300 mAh batteries will work? Thanks!

--Jason


   
Quote
(@alangreen)
Member
Joined: 22 years ago
Posts: 5342
 

I use rechargeable AA batteries in my portable 4-track Boss Micro BR recording gadget; I set it running, chuck it on the stage in front of the band and let it do its thing, and haven't had any problems. In fact, last time I used it at a gig, I recorded 25 minutes of our last set in one take, and got chunks of our earlier sets too - and then I exported everything to mp3 so I could work with it on the PC and the export takes almost as long as the recording.

So they get my vote.

"Be good at what you can do" - Fingerbanger"
I have always felt that it is better to do what is beautiful than what is 'right'" - Eliot Fisk
Wedding music and guitar lessons in Essex. Listen at: http://www.rollmopmusic.co.uk


   
ReplyQuote
(@matsuemon)
Estimable Member
Joined: 16 years ago
Posts: 69
Topic starter  

Yah Alan, but pedals are pretty high drain devices, so I'm not sure about the mAh issue. Hopefully someone has an answer =)


   
ReplyQuote
(@imalone)
Reputable Member
Joined: 14 years ago
Posts: 267
 

mAh is actually the battery capacity, rather than the peak current output. Supposedly NiMH rechargeables have lower internal resistance than alkaline batteries, which means that for high-drain applications they can have a larger effective capacity. One thing to note is that they do have a lower nominal voltage[1], but again this would be offset at high drain by lower internal resistance and also alkaline battery voltage drops more during discharge. So you may find that volume settings on the pedal will be a little different and that when the battery runs out it's more abrupt, also best not to let them deeply discharge, e.g. leaving the cable plugged in overnight, due to the reverse polarity thing. They will self-discharge faster, but you can get long-life ones.

Overall, even if the life is shorter you can recharge them so it will save you from going through alkalines. My pocket pod is currently happily running on AAAs. If you gig with them probably a good idea to keep an alkaline or two on hand as spares.

[1] As 9v are compound cells you can also get ones which are higher voltage, but I think they're rarer.

(Edit: didn't mean to say 'MY', not quite that possessive.)


   
ReplyQuote
(@matsuemon)
Estimable Member
Joined: 16 years ago
Posts: 69
Topic starter  

mAh is actually the battery capacity, rather than the peak current output. Supposedly NiMH rechargeables have lower internal resistance than alkaline batteries, which means that for high-drain applications they can have a larger effective capacity. One thing to note is that they do have a lower nominal voltage[1], but again this would be offset at high drain by lower internal resistance and also alkaline battery voltage drops more during discharge. So you may find that volume settings on the pedal will be a little different and that when the battery runs out it's more abrupt, also best not to let them deeply discharge, e.g. leaving the cable plugged in overnight, due to the reverse polarity thing. They will self-discharge faster, but you can get long-life ones.

Overall, even if the life is shorter you can recharge them so it will save you from going through alkalines. MY pocket pod is currently happily running on AAAs. If you gig with them probably a good idea to keep an alkaline or two on hand as spares.

[1] As 9v are compound cells you can also get ones which are higher voltage, but I think they're rarer.

Imalone, oooohhhh ok I was wondering about that, as far as the battery capacity. That makes total sense. I was just wondering if it would be an "all-or-nothing" situation, where if I didn't have enough mAh, it wouldn't work at all. So, thanks to you, now I know. Thanks a lot for the info. That is exactly what I was looking for. :mrgreen:


   
ReplyQuote