Recently this post from @Merocle caught my eye: I'm fixing my iFixit soldering station. I haven't used it for a long time and the battery has gone overdischarge. I hope it will come back to life. Unfortunately, there are no replacements available for sale at the moment. Devices with built-in rechargeable batteries have been bugging me a lot lately. It's convenient to have a device you can take with you and use anywhere. And with modern Li-ion cells, battery life is remarkable.

Great post, IMO: In a world of ‘planned obsolescence’ where devices are frequently bricked by non-replaceable, unmanaged Li-ion pouches that over-discharge and die, the universal AA(A) standard is bliss.

  • brisk@aussie.zone
    8·
    7 days ago

    One problem is many devices don’t have a proper BMS integrated into the charging circuit, that will cut power before the battery is below a critical threshold. Li-ion cells start to have problems below 3V, and often suffer permanent damage below 2.5V.

    This is a problem with rechargeable AAs too, though less common maybe? Many kids toys and cheap decorative lights will drain a AA to dead in my experience. I’ve had to reintroduce disposable batteries with the rule “no microcontroller, no rechargeable”

    • erebion@news.erebion.euEnglish
      1·
      4 days ago

      I prefer not buying cheap electronic trash over using non-rechargeable batteries. I urge everyone not to buy every single device that has an LED and every gadget out there, we got a planet to save.