I have to agree on camera batteries, I always buy the cheap alternatives as second batteries for my cameras, use them alternately and they perform as well as the originals.

 

Certainly camera batteries are an income stream item for the photographic trade, struggling to maintain a presence after the catastrophic shock of digital cameras and inkjet printers destroying sales of of film and most photo printing.

 

The e-bike business is hardly similar to or comparable with that though, since none of the cycle trade's existing income stream from bicycle consumables has been destroyed by them. In fact in most cases e-bikes have increased that income stream, with increased usage, increased tyre wear, brake pad and rim wear and in some cases on crank drives, increased transmission wear. The greater average speeds and lower exercise levels have also increased protective cycle clothing sales.

.

replaced my 2 teenagers Dell laptops with non Dell branded batteries for about half the cost......seem OK so far

replaced my 2 teenagers Dell laptops with non Dell branded batteries for about half the cost......seem OK so far

 

Unbrande Dell laptop batteries come alive during the night. They creep about the house and eat your hamster. It's a well known fact at the Dell laptop battery factory.

Thanks Mark for putting forward the manufacturers point of view.

 

I recently bought a new battery for my Olympus E 500, I paid more than £70.00 for 7.2V 1500mAh, I could have bought a similar unit (unbranded) for far less, but would I want it in my expensive camera? Knowing a little about batteries and the importance of using high quality components..... absolutely not!

 

We at Wisper could supply far cheaper batteries with our bikes, as could all the better brands, especially as we all buy batteries by the 1000. It is no coincidence that the better bike batteries are expensive, it is simply because we use the best components available. Any one of us would massively benefit by supplying batteries at sub £200. In this now competetive market it would give a real edge over competition. The fact is that if we want to sell reliable bikes with a good range we have no choice but to use decent batteries.

 

Best regards

 

David

 

PS We do still give a £50.00 rebate on used 14A and £30.00 on used 8Ah batteries when part exchanged for a new battery.

 

Slightly off topic but am I right in remembering you have a larger battery again in the pipeline? Any news?

Unbrande Dell laptop batteries come alive during the night. They creep about the house and eat your hamster. It's a well known fact at the Dell laptop battery factory.

That's better than a branded Dell battery that explodes in the night!

 

That's better than a branded Dell battery that explodes in the night!

 

True, many have done that and led to a massive recall.

 

Doesn't happen now with expensive e-bike batteries as a result of all the expensive research.

.

Unbrande Dell laptop batteries come alive during the night. They creep about the house and eat your hamster. It's a well known fact at the Dell laptop battery factory.

 

Blimey........One I dont have to worry about as its up at the LSE with my daughter. I will get a cage for my sons one, is it best to keep it in the garden?

Blimey........One I dont have to worry about as its up at the LSE with my daughter. I will get a cage for my sons one, is it best to keep it in the garden?

Your son's hamster should already have a cage, and in this cold weather it will probably kill the hamster if you put it in the garden, especially overnight.

Any batteries you have should be encased in concrete and lined with lead, then buried overnight as deep as possible to prevent accidents.

 

Colin

Any batteries you have should be encased in concrete and lined with lead, then buried overnight as deep as possible to prevent accidents.

 

That only applies to the inexpensive unbranded batteries, they're killers. As far as I can tell, if you have shelled out for a branded battery which has undergone years of expensive research, you should be OK.

That only applies to the inexpensive unbranded batteries, they're killers. As far as I can tell, if you have shelled out for a branded battery which has undergone years of expensive research, you should be OK.

 

And if not, at least there will be someone you can sue for damages, who will be wary of negative publicity. The difference in price is called a "brand premium" and it pays for better product liability insurance (hopefully, but not necessarily, among other things).

I've used 7-Dayshop batteries in my Canon 10D for years and they've been fine. I will say though, that the OE Pentax battery that came with my K10D is now 4 years old and still soldiering on like a good'un. When it dies I'll have no hesitation in replacing it with a clone. Some clones are better than others, but 7-Dayshop weeds out the dross for me.

Funnily enough, I haven't had a cheapy battery explode, or set my house on fire.

 

Some clones are better than others, but 7-Dayshop weeds out the dross for me.

Funnily enough, I haven't had a cheapy battery explode, or set my house on fire.

 

I took two sets of cheap 7dayshop cells almost to explosion point but dumped them in cold water baths to prevent it actually happening.

 

Ok, it wasn't their fault, I deliberately set out to do it and I'm another happy 7dayshop customer.

 

Use this link if you really want to know why I got destructive.

.

 

Use this link if you really want to know why I got destructive.

.

Now that's interesting. Much cheapness for a back-up spare pack.

I saw lithium-ion batteries being made once, looked complex, and expensive.

 

I've never "got on" with Lithium. Finicky to charge, store, and despite these new all singing/dancing LifePO things, I think I'll watch on the sidelines and see how they turn out. Overall, they have always struck me as having poor shelf life, and poor cycle life. Countless laptops, phones and mp3 players are my witness. In daily use on an e-bike, most should be useless in about a year (is that other's experiences?)

 

But yes, they are very light.

In daily use on an e-bike, most should be useless in about a year (is that other's experiences?)

 

Despite my criticism on price and the vague life claims, I have to say no, this isn't my experience.

 

My Panasonic battery is just coming up to 2 years old. It's lost a good 40% of its capacity, but it is still very usable for a 20 mile round trip commute if charged at each end of the journey.

 

If I can get it through the winter and into spring (warmer weather = better performance) it might see me through to next autumn.

Edited November 17, 201015 yr by tillson

Is that used 5-6 days a week, all year round for 2 years though? I suppose one advantage of a tailing off battery is that your muscles take up some of the slack and you end up getting gradually fitter

Yes, the more recent types used on the best e-bikes are definitely good for about two years minimum and some are well beyond that now and still performing. This may also prove to be true for some of the cheaper new ones, but it's too early yet to know.

 

The newest, Lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) is good for more and could last very much longer, even ten years being possible, but for e-bikes it's early days for them and we can only say 3 years probably at present.

 

P.S. 5 days a week for 2 years, yes.

.

I suppose one advantage of a tailing off battery is that your muscles take up some of the slack and you end up getting gradually fitter

 

That's part of the reason I'm still using my first X-byke battery after about 20 months, I got a second battery after 18 months which I use to get to work but I still use the old one to get home. It's significantly easier to get home if I use the new battery, but I switched to e-biking to get more exercise so that's not necessarily an advantage.

 

My poor little X-byke batteries have a hard life, they get emptied during each leg of my commute, so the old one was going through ten complete discharge recharge cycles a week which has probably shortened its life significantly.

 

Patrick

I have today ordered a second battery for my Olympus unbranded and at a fraction of the price. I will test them both and let you know.

 

All the best

 

David

I have today ordered a second battery for my Olympus unbranded and at a fraction of the price. I will test them both and let you know.

 

All the best

 

David

 

If you'd bought 12 more you could have tried them in series on a 905se.

 

Seriously, these small generally single cell lithium batteries last seemingly indefinitely with intermittent use. I've got a very small minidisc recorder one that's still got over two thirds capacity at almost 12 years old. They do need the usual regular 2 to 3 month charging though, that one has been charged 62 times since the first charge 14th February 1999.

.

If you'd bought 12 more you could have tried them in series on a 905se.

 

.

 

I am on their web site now placing an order!!

 

Thanks for the information and help!

 

Best regards

 

David

Yes, the more recent types used on the best e-bikes are definitely good for about two years minimum and some are well beyond that now and still performing. This may also prove to be true for some of the cheaper new ones, but it's too early yet to know.

 

The newest, Lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) is good for more and could last very much longer, even ten years being possible, but for e-bikes it's early days for them and we can only say 3 years probably at present.

 

P.S. 5 days a week for 2 years, yes.

.

 

Clearly these batteries are getting better then. I'm just used to so many laptop/phone batteries having very disappointing performance in almost no time after daily use of the battery.

 

Although, I suppose it is true that with a laptop battery, there is either enough V to run the laptop or not, whereas with a bike, you'd just get less assist.

 

I'll keep my eye on the LifePO4 with interest then.