Okay...that's great but my point is you would have to have the sensor for another decade to make the rechargeables cheaper than the non-rechargeables. Since the rechargeable is 3 times as expensive, you won't break even until 3x the battery life of the regular, which is 3 years. So, I don't think you're going to save any money, is my point.
Ryan's right about the cost. That's why I'm mostly just watching.
I used rechargeable batteries for a while in my Iris V2 motions. They ended up being more hassle than worth. I didn’t have extras, so i had to charge them overnight and remember to replace them. I would get about 6 months on them IIRC. The weirdest part was the battery reporting. It would show 99%, then just drop to 1% instantly at some point. They never reported battery level correctly, not that the battery level reporting is SUPER reliable for regular batteries.
I've done extensive testing with rechargable CR2's(aka 15270). Most brands are junk, although I've not used EBL. The best I've used so-far are the soshine brand. They make 2 types, a black one 400mAh 3.0V and a blue/white one 300mAh 3.2V.
In iris v2 motion sensors I get 9 months in low traffic areas & 6 months in high traffic w/ the blue/white version. The black ones only last about 70% of above numbers, possibly due to differing chemistries.
Last place with a good price(same a disposables) was fasttech.com(5.58 for 4 batteries) I already own 4 advanced chargers(you need a special 3.2volt charger for these) from a longstanding flashlight addiction.
These have already paid for themselves and kept down waste. and @buzz is accurate, can't trust battery reporting, so time your recharge dates and you'll be fine. I have 2 sets I rotate out.
And I agree battery reporting is not reliable, even with disposables,but I think that's just lithium
batteries in general.
I have over 80 devices that use CR2 batteries and I agree with Ryan the cost of using a rechargeable battery just doesn’t make sense. I only pay $1 for the batteries I use and depending on the sensor they usually last 1 - 2 years.
Here’s a link to the batteries I use if you’re interested:
6 Likes
I have. Some sensors don't behave well with the rechargeable. Aeotech for example gets repeated active/inactive when no motion is detected. I don't know what devices y'all are using them in or how you have them configured, but my alkaline don't last 2-3 years, or I wouldn't be considering the rechargeable. I get mere months out of most of my sensors.
I think CR2 batteries are generally Lithium Ion these days not Alkaline.
Ya, you're right. A mis-statement.
Most of the sensors I have use CR123a batteries and I do easily get 3 years, however those batteries hold twice the charge. It seems somewhat unusual to get such a short life on your sensors.
Is it worth ordering the 40 pack? Will batteries lose their charge if stored for years?
They have a 10 year shelf life so I buy them in bulk to take advantage of the free shipping option.
1 Like
So you are saying I should pull the trigger on the 40 pack 
That's up to you. They offer free shipping on orders over $50 so I usually buy 50 at a time.
1 Like
Any experience with their other batteries?
I've been buying mostly AC Delco for all Alkaline, Panasonic or Streamlight for CR2 and CR123A.
I’ve only used their CR2’s so I can’t say how well their other batteries perform.
1 Like
Thanks for the tip,
I hate to order 40 when I don't go through that many in a year. With free shipping over $50, I ordered 20 (@1.10 each) and found some other batteries at a good price - Streamlight DL1/3N two pack (duracrap batts) was a really good deal and a few 2450 for my ST multisensors that was a tad cheaper than my AMZ subscription. Also found a 5% off code to save a few bucks.
I've ordered bulk CR2 from Amazon in the past and used them up over a few years.
But I switched to RCR2 because I wanted to reduce the amount of trash I generate. The EBL ones I bought are only 400mAh (half a non-rechargeable) but so far the ones I put in use about a year ago (inside IRIS contact sensors) are holding up just fine.
Yup, using EBL in my Iris sensors, and the CR123 in my dome siren and Iris Keypads. All working great and pretty much paid for themselves.
Also using 14500 in my dome contact sensors, up to 8months so far
1 Like
An update: the RCR2 lasted 19 months in my Iris v2 contact sensor.
5 Likes
