Airsoft Canada - 9.6V 3800mAh Tenergy Battery Review

Product: Tenergy 9.6V 8xSC cell battery 3800mAh
Order Date: 4/28/2008 6:31:00 AM
Shipping: FexEx Ground
Delivered 5/2/08 (5 day transit)
Order Total: $31.13
Real Voltage at Full Charge: 11.9V total
Per Cell: 1.4875V per cell
Real Capacity: 3250mAh

First Impression:
Now, I have herd of some horror stories about All-battery and their customer service, shipping, communication, all that networking stuff. However, I was very impressed at how fast and clear the order process went and how fast my battery was shipped out. I really couldn’t ask for more in the area of fast shipping and clear communication with my order process. I was somewhat hesitant ordering from All-battery from what I’ve read on some forums but this experience with All-battery clearly made a great impression on me and I would defiantly order again without hesitation!

Getting the battery:
I was surprised at how small the packaging was once it got here via. FedEx. However, upon opening the extremely small box the battery seemed to be properly wrapped in bubble wrap which would help keep the battery safe in shipment. All-battery was nice to include email alerts and a tracking number which was very nice to see my battery slowly getting to my home. The battery wasn’t damaged at all during shipping and that’s about it for shipping.
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Performance:
Now, I’ve herd a lot of stuff on forums about Tenergy battery cells. I’ve herd a lot of negative feedback from owners of Tenergy batteries, but, I’ve also herd very good things about Tenergy cells. What sold me on this 9.6V Tenergy battery was its price. No where could I find a battery with that capacity for $22. The shrink wrap around the battery cells was cut in one area but this had no effect on performance nor will it have any effect on the life of the battery pack. The Cell tabs look to be well constructed too.
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When I charged this battery I was surprised to find that my charge time wasn’t 2.11 hours as it should have been for a real 3800mAh battery. Instead it only took 1.8 hours to charge on a 1.8amp (1800mAh) charge rate. This smart charger, detecting when the cells are full and the correct voltage, gives me a real capacity of 3250mAh rather then 3800mAh. I’ve also read a review that these 3800mAh cells are actually 2900mAh by someone else, under my circumstances I got 3250mAh.
This mAh reading might deter you from purchasing this battery; however, I do believe that with more charges, typically 2-3 cycles, you will see an increase in capacity. Remember, this was the batteries first time charging, and from what I’ve herd it will not reach real full capacity until after a few charges. But, even if it stayed at 3250mAh the battery sure beats the competition for its price. Total cell voltage was a surprising 10.87V, 1.35875volts per cell! Along with the low resistance 14AWG silicone wire, this makes for a great buy!

Pros:
CHEAP!!!!
High mAh
Solid construction
Silicone wire
High voltage
Cons:
Seemed to have lots of poor reviews regarding Tenergy cells
Shrink wrap had a small tare
Tamiya plug (which can be replaced or a different model can be purchased)