We’ve looked at the AA Ansmann rechargeable battery, and were pleasantly surprised. We’ve looked at the performance of Ansmann rechargeable battery packs and their R/C line of products, all with great interest and delight. They have proven themselves time and again to be the hot new kid in town. We wanted to see if they could keep this trend running; so now we’re setting our sites on the larger rechargeable battery sizes: C and D cells.

Back to the Drawing Board

To the casual observer, it might seem repetitive to continue checking similar products from the same company, but nothing could be further from the truth. The power draw and usage of C and D cell batteries is significantly different than that of AA. For those of you that live and die by your rechargeable batteries, this is not news. However, for the uninitiated, we’d like to take a moment to explain.

A standard AA battery usually has an capacity of 2000mAh with a 50mA drain rate at a standard measurement of 1 amp. To determine how long a battery is going to last, you use the following formula:

Capacity (mAh) / Drain rate (mA)

The 50mA is the number of milliamperes a battery puts out over the course of an hour. The mAh is the overall capacity the battery has. So, a AA with a 50mA drain and a 2000mAh capacity will last an approximate 40 hours of continuous use (2000/50 = 40).

Vive la différence

The point here is that while the numbers above are typical for a AA rechargeable battery, a typical C cell has a capacity of 6000mAh and a standard drain of 100mA. A D cell will usually yield a capacity of 12000mAh and a draw rate of 200mA. As you can see, this makes them many times more powerful and gives them longer run times.

The reason this is important is that a C or D cell battery has to store more potential energy, and release it at a faster rate. Doing this puts higher strain on the battery than you would see in the smaller sizes. This can decrease lifespan, and sometimes you see a sudden dip in power output after only a few hours of use. To test Ansmann even further, we had to see if their big boys were up to the challenge.

Enough with the jargon, let’s test these things!

Testing Testing

The first note to make is regarding Ansmann’s ability to straddle the line between the rechargeable battery and the alkaline. Normally, an alkaline battery can be stored for ages in a drawer or a refrigerator and still be useful. Batteries that can be put into a charger again and again will lose power even if they are not in use. This decreases their shelf life and makes them hazardous to be put in items that are used for emergencies. Both the C and D cell has this helpful technology.

Ansmann employs the maxE technology, which severely reduces the shelf-drain on their units, so they can be stored for a long time and still function. For alkaline users, this will not be impressive. For those that are die-hard fans of rechargeables, this is manna from heaven. Their batteries are almost all LSD (Low Self Discharge) which is a label that means a battery can be stored for one year before it requires recharging.

An A+ for a C

The Ansmann C cell had a lower overall capacity than we are used to seeing. Normally, 6000mAh is about standard, but that is for disposables. We hoped that the power draw would compensate for the lower overall size.

The C-Cell kept pace with the AA without a hitch. There was no power drop as the battery drained, the lower capacity made it quick to recharge, which was nice, and the output was very solid. We have certainly seen batteries that could put out more juice, but only if you put out more money. At 29.99AUD, these were the best for the price. If you are a severe R/C user, or photographer, these batteries might not give you the lifespan you want, but you’ll end up paying significantly more for a battery that will. Considering the rapid charge rate, steady draw, and lower power loss with repeated charging, you’d probably save money buying two packs of these rather than a single pack of the more expensive brands.

For high drain items – cameras, toys, and torches – these are a very reliable battery.

D is Still Passing

Admittedly, we used the lesser of the Ansmann D cells because we wanted to see what the lower end of their spectrum looked like. These tote an 8500mAh capacity, which is again lower than we are acclimated to using. Many disposable D cells tip the scales at 12,000mAh. Losing nearly a third of the power capacity made us all feel a little dodgy.

These proved to be good and reliable, but not as special as much of the rest of Ansmann’s line. Do keep in mind that they don’t pretend these are the cream of their crop, and so expecting long-life, brilliant illumination, and power to burn wouldn’t be fair. They lost power slowly and put out a reasonable amount over a reasonable period of time.

They don’t have the output to set the world on fire, but you will certainly get your money’s worth and then some. The biggest problem was that they had spoiled us with their other products, and so having something that was just “really good” instead of “amazing” left us feeling let down.

If you are an R/C user or want lots of life and lots of power, get the Ansmann 10,000. Well worth it. If you want something that is going to be more trustworthy for an emergency torch, these are what you need.

The Wrap-Up

All in all, we were very happy with these items. Ansmann proved that it can run the gamut from the small and simple to the large and powerful without missing a stride. Even their lower end is comparable to the high-end of many other brands. The quick recharge time and long shelf-life are huge selling points that not many on the market can boast.

As always, their products are 100% environmentally friendly, safe to dispose of, and have no Mercury, Cadmium, or Lead.

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