Page 1 of 1

Battery holders

PostPosted: Thu Mar 16, 2006 10:05 am
by jben_net
Hi all... I've just bought 15 AA rechargable batteries for my SB800 - to ensure I never run out of juice when I'm shooting...... However, I have no way of stopping them from rolling everywhere in my bag! All I want is something to hold them securly in one place. I used to use stickytape but that would leave a sticky gummy resedue on the batteries..... tried calling battery world but they have nothing, Jaycar electronics have a battery holder, but it only stores 4 AA batteries and their out of stock....... I supppose it will have to be a tuppaware container or something..... wonder what the pros use? I really like having everything in a little compartment. There are so many bits and pieces with photography gear, its easy to loose things!

PostPosted: Thu Mar 16, 2006 10:11 am
by losfp
Most holders only take 4 AAs (5 batteries is considered somewhat unusual. :) ), so I tend to use elastic bands. Keeps em together, and is mega-cheap :) Preferably the thick red bands.

Other options are possibly the little plastic baggies you can get from banks to hold coins in, and I've used old glasses cases in the past.

PostPosted: Thu Mar 16, 2006 10:14 am
by jben_net
Ok cool.... I know the red ones......

Yeah 5 batteries is an unusual number, but thats how many the flash can take...

PostPosted: Thu Mar 16, 2006 10:15 am
by birddog114
I used rubberband and put them in group of 5.
e.g: set 1/5, 2/5, 3/5, 4/5/, 5/5.
Make me easy to identify and not mixing them.

PostPosted: Thu Mar 16, 2006 10:54 am
by Alpha_7
I have a similar set up, I have them labelled in groups of 5 and then bound in rubber bands, I then fit them in the front pocket of my packback. So far it works ok for me, a more expensive option might be a lowe pro pouch, I've seen one that takes batteries and memory cards (a few other brands have them as well, one even has a little red flag to indicate of the batteries are empty or charged, and if the CF is full or empty too.

PostPosted: Thu Mar 16, 2006 11:39 am
by shutterbug
Birddog114 wrote:I used rubberband and put them in group of 5.
e.g: set 1/5, 2/5, 3/5, 4/5/, 5/5.
Make me easy to identify and not mixing them.


TOP TIP :wink:

PostPosted: Thu Mar 16, 2006 11:49 am
by greencardigan
Rubber bands here too. So handy, so cheap.

PostPosted: Thu Mar 16, 2006 12:04 pm
by stubbsy
I have a very nice LowePro zippered battery holder that takes all my batteries. Got it from Birdy

PostPosted: Thu Mar 16, 2006 12:21 pm
by DaveB
One very important criteria for battery storage/carrying (whether it's NiMH, LiIon, or something else) is to avoid short circuits. So simply having batteries floating loose is not a good idea.

Something I've used for years are Glad Mini ziplock bags. Put the batteries in, fold it in half, and it'll drop into a pocket easily. Takes 4 or 5 batteries as required. They're also waterproof, FWIW. After a while they wear out, but they're cheap and easy to replace.
I recently picked up some nice 4- and 8-cell plastic carriers (from Thomas Distributing in the U.S. - I was already buying something else from them otherwise I probably wouldn't have bothered). Made by PowerEx.

Needing 5-cell storage does limit your options slightly: bags and/or rubber bands may be your best option. I carry sets of 4 for my 580EX flash, and a spare set of 8 for the external CP-E2 battery pack. But that battery pack is amazing: last weekend I still had heaps of power left after a day's shooting. So the spare set of 8 lives in a bag rather than in a vest pocket...

PostPosted: Thu Mar 16, 2006 12:23 pm
by birddog114
DaveB wrote:
I carry sets of 4 for my 580EX flash, and a spare set of 8 for the external CP-E2 battery pack. But that battery pack is amazing: last weekend I still had heaps of power left after a day's shooting. So the spare set of 8 lives in a bag rather than in a vest pocket...



Same as Nikon SD-8A external battery pack.

PostPosted: Thu Mar 16, 2006 3:26 pm
by jben_net
Cool.... I'm going to go with the numbered groups of rubber bands..... simple, cheap solution :)

Thanks for the input guys did some reading up on that CP-E2 battery pack... Like the sound of it but I don't really want a cord getting in the way. I won't be needing express recycle times :) I can see it would be invaluable in certain situations however.

PostPosted: Thu Mar 16, 2006 4:10 pm
by Heath Bennett
So James, you are on this site at work. Consider yourself dobbed on. :roll:

Rubber bands here too.

PostPosted: Thu Mar 16, 2006 4:12 pm
by DaveB
Just realised I meant to type CP-E3 (the CP-E2 is similar but older).
The SD-8A for Nikon flashes indeed looks very similar (although it has two cables to connect instead of one). Put 2400+ mAh cells in there and it'll go for ages.

PostPosted: Thu Mar 16, 2006 4:16 pm
by birddog114
Heath Bennett wrote:So James, you are on this site at work. Consider yourself dobbed on. :roll:

Rubber bands here too.


Hehehe! He got caught by his brother :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

PostPosted: Thu Mar 16, 2006 4:55 pm
by huynhie
I could not be bothered using the fifth battery option on my SB-800 because I could not find a decent way of carrying five batteries around.

If I had to, than the rubber band is the best option.

PostPosted: Thu Mar 16, 2006 8:50 pm
by wally

PostPosted: Thu Mar 16, 2006 8:58 pm
by birddog114
wally wrote:http://www.lowepro.com/Products/Accessories/memory_card_wallets/DMC-Z.aspx

this mite helps


Lot of members have it and hanging around their belts.

Where's Sheetshooter?

PostPosted: Thu Mar 16, 2006 10:19 pm
by Matt. K
He hasn't posted for quire some time. Hope he's OK.

Re: Where's Sheetshooter?

PostPosted: Thu Mar 16, 2006 10:19 pm
by birddog114
Matt. K wrote:He hasn't posted for quire some time. Hope he's OK.


Matt,
What do you mean?

PostPosted: Thu Mar 16, 2006 10:23 pm
by Matt. K
Birdy
Sheetshooter seems to have left us...or maybe he is ill?

PostPosted: Thu Mar 16, 2006 10:24 pm
by birddog114
Matt. K wrote:Birdy
Sheetshooter seems to have left us...or maybe he is ill?


Matt,
You posted in the wrong thread and you're off topic.
Create a new thread for this topic.
How many Reds did you have tonight?

PostPosted: Thu Mar 16, 2006 10:39 pm
by rookie2
I just bought 4 plastic cases that hold 4 RCs each- only $11 -half of that was postage!.

solid compact and easy to keep sets together.


http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=6039054003&sspagename=ADME:B:AAQ:AU:1

rubber bands in zip locks sounds eaiser tho!

Re: Where's Sheetshooter?

PostPosted: Thu Mar 16, 2006 10:54 pm
by gstark
Birddog114 wrote:
Matt. K wrote:He hasn't posted for quire some time. Hope he's OK.


Matt,
What do you mean?


Thanh, look at the subkect line of Matt's post.

Looks to be posted against the wrong thread .... ????

PostPosted: Thu Mar 16, 2006 11:01 pm
by stubbsy

Re: Where's Sheetshooter?

PostPosted: Thu Mar 16, 2006 11:01 pm
by leek
gstark wrote:Looks to be posted against the wrong thread .... ????


I don't think so... I think Matt was trying to link Walter & Wally... I'm not sure that I want to visualise that, but maybe that was the case... ???

PostPosted: Thu Mar 16, 2006 11:05 pm
by sirhc55
I use Hi 8 video cassette cases. They will hold up to 7 batteries perfectly :wink:

PostPosted: Fri Mar 17, 2006 6:00 am
by birddog114
rookie2 wrote:I just bought 4 plastic cases that hold 4 RCs each- only $11 -half of that was postage!.

solid compact and easy to keep sets together.


http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=6039054003&sspagename=ADME:B:AAQ:AU:1

rubber bands in zip locks sounds eaiser tho!


Once you put them in a set of five as with SB800, then you will be confused.

My tip is: never mixed them and keep each set separately.

PostPosted: Fri Mar 17, 2006 7:14 am
by MattC
My solution for 5 batteries was some appropriately sized PVC and end caps that I had lying around plus some foam to pack the ends.

Cheers