Bob Pham

I purchased a total of three packs of 4 AA NiCd cells from the Home Depot. What initially caught my attention was the price, $5.50 for 4 cells, and the capacity, 900mAHr. I bought one pack to try in a digital camera and got excellent results. I was using 1200mAHr up to 1500mAHr NiMh in the same camera but was not satisfied by them. They cost more and seem to drain faster in the camera. I went back and bought two more packs. They can be found in the garden lighting section. Made for Malibu solar powered lights.

Granted that all NiCd's are not created equal. The quality of the separator material and the method of attaching the electrodes are the two main factors in creating a superior NiCd or not. IMHO, the Malibu's quality appears adequate as I have got consistent results with the 12 cells I bought. I do not know if these have pressed or sintered electrodes nor do I know what kind of separator material is used. I do know that they have higher than normal capacity for a AA and I plan to put together some flight packs and wring them out. Can't beat the price, though!