Hi R. Lion,
Well, ideas that sound good, dont necessarily turn into good results. Let me provide battery information, in response to your query.
The idea that I described, is a disposable battery that lasts much longer than Alkaline, and then just reload the batteries when they fail, and to heck with the charger.
The cost of such reloading is just the luxury tax on enjoying RED LED's on demand.
OK, well, the idea isn't panning out so far. YESTERDAY I bought Photo Lithium AA batteries. They were "Energizer".
Today, as I reached for the package, it felt disturbingly light. It felt like I'd been sold a bunch of air.
I looked for lifespan estimates on the MBA/Marketeer prepared slick chrome-colored packaging, and found none.
I called the 1-800 number, and a stammering and hesitant technical rep finally said this: that Alkaline AA batteries provide 2850 mA*Hr and the Lithium AA that I hold in my hand provide 2900 mA*Hr. What I sense here (but cannot prove yet) is another 'Carly Conspiracy'. They are packaging air into the cells.
FACT, not conjecture: Energizer does this with their "lantern batteries". You know the ones, the big square/rectangular batteries from 'Brady Bunch' era when everybody took their kids camping and roasted marshmallows and sang songs (now they just stay home and listen to rap music and watch 120 channels of Cable TV for $50 a month) Those lantern batteries are supposed to
be made of FOUR E CELLS. "E" cells are bigger than "D" cells.
But Energizer just packs them with "D" cells like for your flashlight, and fills the rest of the casing with cardboard. If you compare the weight, by hand, between a Duracell lantern battery, and an Energizer lantern battery, the difference is immediately apparent. Duracell builds them to original specification and doesn't sell you cardboard instead of a battery.
Back to the conjecture, I speculate that they carefully trimmed the Lithium cell to deliver 2900 mA*Hr so that their marketing MBA advertising can state "delivers more power than Alkaline" (yeah, 2% more). Then they charge $6.00 for these batteries, instead of the 0.70 they would get for a pair of Alkaline.
So, I smell a rat. The only way to fight the Carly types, is to not patronize their junk. So I still have the receipt and I didnt open them, so these go back to the big-box merchant.
THIS IS NOW IN THE DOMAIN OF LEARNING..... can anybody fairly state what the energy density is of Lithium vs. Alkaline, and whether a Lithium cell should fairly deliver more mA*Hr than Alkaline for equal volume ??
I always thought that Lithium did have more energy density. If not, I need to learn this. As to the ripoff on the lantern battery, that is not conjecture, that's established fact.