What do you look for in Halo batteries?

[FallNAngel]

For those of you that use Halo's / Reloaders, what do you look for in batteries?

1. Price
2. Battery life per charge (consider them rechargable batteries)
3. Weight (assuming weight will never be more than stock)

Obviously, if we could have a rechargable battery that lasted enough cases for 2 months of hard play that weighed next to nothing for $5, that'd be great. Unfortunately, things don't really work that way. So, anyone care to rate the above criteria in matter of importance?

Personally, I haven't played with lithium batteries, though I have played with 2 9v's... I really didn't see the difference of an ounce or two in a 5lb setup. Price? To me, paying for the good stuff only hurts once. Getting a good price is nice, but I'd rather spend the money on something I know will be good than hope to "get by" and save $5. As far as battery life, as long as I can get through a day of play, I personally don't mind if it shoots 5 or 25 cases as the most I generally will shoot in a day of rec play is maybe just over a case... two if I'm really trying to shoot a lot of paint. I really hate having my batteries die in the middle of a game.

For me, it's a near tie between price and battery life, I think with battery life edging out price. I'd rather be able to shoot more and not have to be absolutely positive I charged the battery than save a tiny bit of cash. Weight... like I said, until I notice a difference in weight, I'll have to put it last.

[paintman1234]

id say:

Price
power (giving more power then the stock batteries is always good)
battery life
then weight (as long as its about the same as stock)

[68magOwner]

in halo batts? i run rechargable 9v's, nice and light (yes, i def notice compared to AA's) and, best part is, they have lasted me over 18months now and are still going strong.

[FallNAngel]

in halo batts? i run rechargable 9v's, nice and light (yes, i def notice compared to AA's) and, best part is, they have lasted me over 18months now and are still going strong.

I run rechargable 9v's too (either Tysonic or PowerEx, depending on what's charged). Problem is, I find they don't last long enough. Happened once or twice that I was rather happy I had the rip drive... doesn't help much, especially in the snake... but better than nothing. So, I clarified the "battery life" in my first post to a "per charge", not over it's useful life ;)

[punkncat]

I have been using the Lithium batteries in the "six pack" for my Rel. B. They are considerably lighter and last a whole lot longer than the standard AA's. I played every weekend for better than 3 months on the last set. Probably around 24K balls before I had to replace them, really an insane amount of time. The set I have in now has already been in for about 6 weeks playing every weekend but one and somewhere in the 10K range. For the price lithiums can't be beat IMO.

[ntn4502]

The 'Bone'.

[FallNAngel]

Great.... but *WHY*?

If you even bothered to read the first post, I wasn't asking what battery pack you liked best or used... I was asking for basically a rating of what you find more important in a battery pack.

[Mikey B]

Dueydog is in the dealer forums. He sells the "bone" rechargable. I have one and am very happy with it. Good price too.

[RRfireblade]

Mmm...

Don't care about price considering you blow 50-100 a day on gellitan you can't even eat. :)

Weight... I don't like that , especially above the grip frame hurting balance and movement more than any where else.

Battery life, well....that's pretty much a premium since loader batteries are the last ones you check and the hardest ones to tell they are going dead on you. (Till it's too late ;) )

So I guess if they last and don't add excessive weight then I don't care (within reason) how much they cost.

BTW , I just use Li-Ions. 6 x AA

[deathstalker]

For me, the "WHY" about the Bone is a category you didn't include: performance. Yes, I bought a rechargeable for the long-term cost savings. Yes, I bought it because it is lighter than 6 AAs. Yes, I bought it because it lasts a long time on a charge. BUT, I also bought it because it puts out the juice all the time. Using other batteries, I experienced more chops with used batteries (more than one day of play) than new. I now don't worry about that.

[FallNAngel]

Yes, I bought it because it lasts a long time on a charge. BUT, I also bought it because it puts out the juice all the time.

... putting out the juice all the time *is* it's charge.

I know who Dueydog is... I know who David Cross (aka, Boost Customs) is. I'm not asking who you like better or which you're currently using. I'm trying to find out why you like what you like.

[Corbet]

Right now I use 6 rechargable AAs. Why? I already purchased them, they can be recharged, and they're lighter and hold more then regular AAs.

I may pick up a "bone" but I'm having a hard time blowing $50 on something I don't absolutely need.

[st6212]

I think battery life and consistent voltage output is important.

I know there are cases of boost customs packs not providing consistent output (high over-voltage) which can play havoc on some halo boards...*cough*cheetah*cough*

Since 9V Lithium rechargeables are now available. I'll just wait for the AA versions to come out soon and run a 6pack of those.

[FallNAngel]

I know there are cases of boost customs packs not providing consistent

The charger has several settings for different batteries. Selecting a higher voltage than what you're supposed to have can cause that IIRC.

[RRfireblade]

... putting out the juice all the time *is* it's charge.



Well they do claim to put out higher voltage over a longer , flatter drop off curve. I know the rechargables I use are also only 1.2v per cell.

[st6212]

The charger has several settings for different batteries. Selecting a higher voltage than what you're supposed to have can cause that IIRC.

I don't own any of the customs packs like the Boost packs (friend has one though), because of 2 main reasons:
a) They are really only designed to work for the product they are intended. I can't use them in other devices without either risking burnout, or having them fit inside the device correctly
b) The charger is really meant for that product only.

I think the standard lithiums (energizers etc) are the way to go, they just work great. And with the new lithium rechargeables in standard sizes appearing, even better. Plus the charger can be used to charge the other types of batteries fast and safely.

[SpitFire1299]

Duracell Copper head 9v's. :headbang:

[FallNAngel]

Well they do claim to put out higher voltage over a longer , flatter drop off curve. I know the rechargables I use are also only 1.2v per cell.

Both lithium and nimh / nicad batteries all do that. They're just able to supply more current than an Alkaline. They tend to keep maintain a steady voltage throughout their life then drop off at the end. Most any rechargable NiMH battery you get is going to be 1.2v per cell, standard Alkaline are 1.5v Keep in mind though, the Alkaline battery will drop down rather quickly from 1.5v, you don't get a huge benefit from the .3v the Alkalines have.


a) They are really only designed to work for the product they are intended. I can't use them in other devices without either risking burnout, or having them fit inside the device correctly

Kindof... The 10.6v packs won't work in a Reloader / Angry board, as it's too much voltage. Even with PWM, the board will be sending too much voltage to the motor and fry it. You shouldn't have a problem running the 8.4v packs on a Halo though. It'll be like running 6x 1.2v rechargable batteries. You're better off with the 10.6v pack, but there's nothing wrong with the lower voltage pack.


b) The charger is really meant for that product only.

Depends on what you mean "for that product only". If you mean that as "Boost products in general and not all rechargables", chances are you won't have other lithium batteries laying around that you need to charge anyway. If you mean that as "The battery pack that comes with the 8.4v pack can't be used on the 10.6v pack", then that's incorrect. I know for sure the 10.6v charger will charge the 8.4v battery on the correct setting.


I think the standard lithiums (energizers etc) are the way to go, they just work great. And with the new lithium rechargeables in standard sizes appearing, even better. Plus the charger can be used to charge the other types of batteries fast and safely.

I haven't seen any lithium rechargables that are AA size and 1.2v Only rechargables I've seen for energizer that would work are the 1.2v NiMH batteries and the charger isn't all that great.


Past all that, it doesn't seem like most anyone is reading the first post and actually answering the question posted. I wasn't asking what battery you think is best or what you're currently using... I was asking to rate those few things to get an idea of *WHY* you use what you do. This is not directed at anyone specific... just a general "you".

[Corbet]

Sorry to go offtopic but can someone help me:

I have a Halo B. Besides buying a Bone battery pack, what are the options for types of batteries and which ones are the best? Which ones are cheapest?

[rkjunior303]

Home Depot.

36 AA Energizers

$12 bucks.

[FallNAngel]

Sorry to go offtopic but can someone help me:

I have a Halo B. Besides buying a Bone battery pack, what are the options for types of batteries and which ones are the best? Which ones are cheapest?

Well, one of the reasons I was making this thread was to get an idea of *why* people buy batteries, as I'm planning on selling some. Thing is, many people apparently either can't read or just don't know why they want what they want.

So, you can go with

6x Alkaline AA's
2 or 3x Alkaline 9v's
1, 2 or 3x Lithium 9v's
6x NiMH AA's
6x lithium AA's
Boost Battery pack
Bone Battery pack


As for cost, it depends on whether you're looking long term or short term.

[FallNAngel]

anyone else?

[Dewok82]

This is one of the best writeups I've ever seen on the Halo. Heck, it is one the best tech writeups I've seen on paintball gear in general.

http://www.dcltech.com/haloreportv12.pdf

It has a section dedicated to the various power supply options and their pros and cons. You may want to take a look.

[FallNAngel]

Yes, I know... I've read it, several times; back when it came out and every once in a while since then. Honestly, I don't care. Don't take offense to this... It just that it has absolutely *NOTHING* to do with what I'm asking.

I already know what's out there. I know about lithium AA's... I know about the Bone and Boost battery packs. I know about the 2 9v and 3 9v mods. What I don't know is why people use what they do.... which is what I'm asking.

Do you use the Bone pack because it was the cheapest solution and don't care that it's life isn't as long as it could be? Great. That tells me you favor price over performance. It doesn't tell me what you think about the weight, but it's at least in the direction of what I'm looking for.

I'm sure this is coming across harsh, and for that I apologize. I'm not trying to be mean... it's just that out of all the replies (15) *very* few have actually addressed my question.

[Lohman446]

Because people have expressed there opinions, if you can't accept that they are not going to be worded and organized like a high school project, its really not a good idea to start topics of discussion.

As for me I use standard 9 volts.

A) Price is not that bad
B) I can replace them well before they go bad (once a month or before a tournament)
C) I never have to worry "did I charge these" or how long until they no longer hold a charge.
D) I can carry cheap backups (I buy in bulk)
E) I could care less about the few ounces of weight.

So none of your considerations. Ease of use. I spend a lot of money playing paintball - I'm not going to make it harder (having to charge batteries) to save a few dollars a year.

[FallNAngel]

Because people have expressed there opinions, if you can't accept that they are not going to be worded and organized like a high school project, its really not a good idea to start topics of discussion.

True, but when you get posts like:


The 'Bone'.

Dueydog is in the dealer forums. He sells the "bone" rechargable. I have one and am very happy with it. Good price too.

I think the standard lithiums (energizers etc) are the way to go, they just work great.

Duracell Copper head 9v's. :headbang:

... it doesn't answer the question at all. If someone tells me they just go with 9v's, I can guess it's because ease of use (they don't have to carry different types of batteries), more readily available, relatively cheap, lighter... or I could be way off and it's just what they found in the bottom of their gear bag one morning.

You're right, my post didn't cover everything. But even reading your post, I can get *something*



A) Price is not that bad
B) I can replace them well before they go bad (once a month or before a tournament)
C) I never have to worry "did I charge these" or how long until they no longer hold a charge.
D) I can carry cheap backups (I buy in bulk)
E) I could care less about the few ounces of weight.

So none of your considerations. Ease of use. I spend a lot of money playing paintball - I'm not going to make it harder (having to charge batteries) to save a few dollars a year.

Ease of use sums up the whole reason you use them. From what I've read about your post, I could guess weight is at the bottom of the list and price is closer to the top. You're not worried about battery life (you toss them before they're dead) and the price isn't too bad. Even just knowing you don't care about weight... that alone is something I can pull from your post. Someone telling me to check out the Bone battery pack doesn't really tell me anything.

Did I oversimplify things? Obviously. Not everything is covered in the first post, because I didn't think people would want to take the time to try to rate a dozen different reasons for why they use what they do. If nothing else, they could tell me the other reason, like you did if it doesn't exactly fit what I was looking for.