Not quite mono

NiCad batteries weren't so good, full of toxic cadmium, didn't hold much charge and they suffered from "memory" effects.

Nickel-metal hydride came along, and they were cheaper, didn't have toxic cadmium in them or the dreaded "memory" effect, and the held way more charge and could deliver it too. Win-win all round... BUT they also lost their charge if you left them unused...!

Then some people came up with a way of stopping them from discharging on their own, and Sanyo started to make them in Japan and sold them as Eneloop. I got some and they were way better than NiCad or earlier NiMH.

Panasonic bought Sanyo's battery business out and carried on selling Eneloops, and at the same time other people started to make them too. The above Carrefour own brand is an example in the blip.

The regulators took umbrage at the deal, so Panasonic sold the factory to Fujitsu, who continue to make Eneloop batteries for Panasonic under contract and also under their own name, while Panasonic also sell Eneloop batteries made elsewhere...

Only Fujitsu make low self discharge NiMH batteries in Japan, so I'm told if it says made in Japan, they are the original ones, irrespective of the name on the wrapper. The non Japanese ones are pretty good by the way, but the original factory apparently makes the best....!

Back blip, it's a picture of my new smart charger, and some batteries, which except the Carrefour, are just regular NiMH....