Can I use Rechargable Batteries in my MX-500 Remote?
If so, will they last a shorter period of time vs throw away alkaline AAA batteries?

I'd like to use AAA NIMH 6.50mAh 1.2v

I use them for my Olympus 510 digital camera and have the recharger available.

Don

I use NIMH rechargeables with no problems. I do think they last for a shorter time than throwaways, but still I get several months (at least) out of them between charges.

Don,

As David mentioned, you'll have no problems using rechargeables. I do it with my MX-1000 (MX-500's still on first set since I upgraded to latest version a few months ago)

Randy
www.BlueDo.com

is it okay to use NiMH ? i thought they have a much higher current output thatn Nicads.

I used NiMH batteries in my RC car instead of Nicad, and it almost burned teh motor out (it was going so fast). :-)

It depends on the application. I changed to NiMH in my Sanyo cordless phone, although the people at RadioShack told me that NiMH would not be good for it. The guy at the Battery Store (all they sell is every kind of battery imaginable) told me that it would do no harm, and that they don't even stock the regular rechargeable batteries for my phone anymore.

Well, WRONG! My telephone now has 1/4 of the volume in the earpiece, 1/4 the range, and is more prone to picking up signals from other people, and more static. Thank goodness it has a volume control, which I have to put at the highest level to have a normal conversation.

I happen to have two of the same phones, and so I could swap out the battery on the other phone, in case it was my phone causing the problem. Nope. It was the battery. Changed batteries. Same thing.

So, again, be careful what kind of battery you use. If David has been having no problems, than you'll probably be fine. For me, I am wary of using NiMH unless specified by the manufacturer.

I would give Mike at URC an email and ask if he thought it would be okay. Mike at [email protected].

Just my opinion.

... Greg :-)

Hmmm... I'm no battery expert, I'm going to take a look at what I put in the MX-1000!

Randy
www.BlueDo.com

Regular AA's have a slow discharge rate whereas rechargeables fall off fast. This could be a problem when watching a key program, say the Superbowl, and the remote wouldn't work. No MX remote has a battery checker.

Me, I use regular AA's, for that reason

Jim - an EE

I've found that regular AA's such as those that come with the MX-500 work great for a long while. I put the rechargeables in the MX-1000 because it needed new batteries and they were all I had handy... It works fine though, but it's only been maybe 6-8 weeks.

I find that normal AA's last at least 2-3 months with pretty heavy useage in my home.

Randy
www.BlueDo.com

Jim, I've found that the NIMH batteries don't fall off fast enough to be a problem. You can tell the IR signal strength is decreasing well in advance of the remote not working.