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[Chris Nicola]

Please can someone recommended the preferred rechargeable AA batteries for Shure BLX wireless microphones. I cannot afford the original Shure SB900A batteries + Charger. I want to switch from Alkaline to rechargeable for economy and to reduce waste. There are two possibilities I can think of.

1- A good quality AA rechargeable NIMH battery (eg eneloop pro 1.2 V 2500 Mah)
2- There are some new type of Lithium ion 1.5 volt batteries on the market boasting 3000 Mah.

I know that NIMH batteries will work but I don't know if they will be the best choice due to the lower working voltage of 1.2 volts (compared to 1.5 volts for Alkaline. Has anyone tested NIMH in Shure BLX mics? How long do they last before the low battery warning light comes on? Can the mic detect that they are NIMH to allow for the lower voltage before the warning light comes on?

The lithium batteries sound promising but as they are a new technology I don't know how reliable they will be.  Your advice would be appreciated.

Kind regards
Chris

[Mac Kerr]

Please can someone recommended

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[Jonathan Hole]

Please can someone recommended the preferred rechargeable AA batteries for Shure BLX wireless microphones. I cannot afford the original Shure SB900A batteries + Charger. I want to switch from Alkaline to rechargeable for economy and to reduce waste. There are two possibilities I can think of.

1- A good quality AA rechargeable NIMH battery (eg eneloop pro 1.2 V 2500 Mah)
2- There are some new type of Lithium ion 1.5 volt batteries on the market boasting 3000 Mah.

I know that NIMH batteries will work but I don't know if they will be the best choice due to the lower working voltage of 1.2 volts (compared to 1.5 volts for Alkaline. Has anyone tested NIMH in Shure BLX mics? How long do they last before the low battery warning light comes on? Can the mic detect that they are NIMH to allow for the lower voltage before the warning light comes on?

The lithium batteries sound promising but as they are a new technology I don't know how reliable they will be.  Your advice would be appreciated.

Kind regards
Chris

I use Ansmann AA for both Shure and Sennheiser...this time of year and perhaps Black Friday you can often find some charger and battery specials.  Widely used for touring - I use at a church w/ 5 IEM's and 8 wireless and with my touring PA with 4 IEM and 3 wireless and never a problem.  P.S. Also remember to change the monitoring in the Shure transmitter menu to NIMH rechargeable to get more accurate readouts. And a warning they drop quickly in Wireless Workbench but will stay at 3 and 2 bars for a long time - perhaps change the default warning popup level.

Ansmann:  https://ansmann-pro-audio.com

[Chris Nicola]

Jonathan, thank you very much for your reply. Its good to know you have good results with good quality rechargeable batteries. I have no idea if I can configure the basic Shure BLX mic's to know I am using NIMH. With Alkaline batteries the low warning light comes on at about 1.2 volts which is the working voltage of NIMH. Anyway, I will see if I can find an online manual. Maybe the mics can auto detect NIMH.

Kind regards
Chris

[Debbie Dunkley]

Jonathan, thank you very much for your reply. Its good to know you have good results with good quality rechargeable batteries. I have no idea if I can configure the basic Shure BLX mic's to know I am using NIMH. With Alkaline batteries the low warning light comes on at about 1.2 volts which is the working voltage of NIMH. Anyway, I will see if I can find an online manual. Maybe the mics can auto detect NIMH.

Kind regards
Chris

I have been using Eneloop and Amazon batteries in my Sennheiser IEM packs, my Shure mics and my Shure mic packs for a good few years... I just checked and I have had them since January 2015 - almost 5 years. I have never had one go bad and they still all hold charge for at least 5-6 hours (probably more but I've not tested that).
I replace  them every show to be safe so I know they will not let me down. I can't say enough good things about them.
Earlier this year I calculated how much they have saved me in battery purchases taking into consideration the price of the chargers and even the electricity too and I had saved hundreds at that point. 
I use 8 per show.

[John Sulek]

Please can someone recommended the preferred rechargeable AA batteries for Shure BLX wireless microphones. I cannot afford the original Shure SB900A batteries + Charger. I want to switch from Alkaline to rechargeable for economy and to reduce waste. There are two possibilities I can think of.

1- A good quality AA rechargeable NIMH battery (eg eneloop pro 1.2 V 2500 Mah)
2- There are some new type of Lithium ion 1.5 volt batteries on the market boasting 3000 Mah.

I know that NIMH batteries will work but I don't know if they will be the best choice due to the lower working voltage of 1.2 volts (compared to 1.5 volts for Alkaline. Has anyone tested NIMH in Shure BLX mics? How long do they last before the low battery warning light comes on? Can the mic detect that they are NIMH to allow for the lower voltage before the warning light comes on?

The lithium batteries sound promising but as they are a new technology I don't know how reliable they will be.  Your advice would be appreciated.

Kind regards
Chris

www.mahaenergy.com

They are NiMH so they don't last as long in use as the newer Lithium Ion packs, but I have used them on tours for UHF-R transmitters without any problems. I know of a broadcast audio provider who used these for all their BTR beltpacks.
Use the slow charge option on the charging sleds for best results.
Looks like they have a new 8way charging sled with capacity readout per battery.
You can fit three of the 8way chargers into a 1u rack drawer.

[Brian Bolly]

www.mahaenergy.com

They are NiMH so they don't last as long in use as the newer Lithium Ion packs, but I have used them on tours for UHF-R transmitters without any problems. I know of a broadcast audio provider who used these for all their BTR beltpacks.
Use the slow charge option on the charging sleds for best results.
Looks like they have a new 8way charging sled with capacity readout per battery.
You can fit three of the 8way chargers into a 1u rack drawer.

These.  Also a fair amount of shows on Broadway use them as well.  I just bought a set of 8 and one of the new chargers last month - so far so good.

[Dave Garoutte]

+1 for the Eneloops.

[Chris Nicola]

Thank you all for your helpful answers.

Kind regards
Chris

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