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H'mmm so if some one like Omron sold a MN1400 with a Omron shelve on it Richard would still buy his batteries from Omron?

It's a bit like purchasing Yaesu batteries, if you know that a particular companies battery is a Yaesu I can't see any point in purchasing from the manufacturer far better getting it from EuroEnergy. In the same line if you know that a company uses a particular model of Moltech smartcell it's far better to get it direct.

The "cant see any point" statement tells me a lot the Chris - looks like I've "got a live one" as they say. As you're no doubt aware, maybe not, wards can buy and replace their own MN1500s for literally pennies each - NHS logistics buy in such quantity it's not worthwhile getting EBME involved - the batteries are operator accessible. As I posted earlier:

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It's my personal belief that if batteries are operator accessible then they should take responsibility for managing and replacing battery packs that they use/abuse. Operators instructions include battery management guidance.

Anyhow I thought we were discussing smart batteries used in safety-critical medical applications? That's actually what I've been discussing all along.

Since you've raised the issue, Chris, is that a commercial or domestic grade MN1400, i.e. PROCELL (ZnMnO2) or DURACELL (ZnMnO)? The specifications are quite different you know - for a start one has an internal impedance that's double the other so it has significantly steeper discharge curves versus load current, i.e. voltage drop, with higher currents. This impacts on peak available current and effective capacity thus operating time (a la bunny).

However, I'm glad you raised the issue, it simply illustrates that you get what you pay for where batteries are concerned - you're paying for the chemistry and quality in manufacture to achieve the performance required. Not sure if you're aware, Chris, probably not, that sealed Gel LA batteries come in two varieties at least - for standby or cyclic use. Plus the specifications can be rated at different discharge rates and currents depending upon the manufacturer/grade.

Irrespective of cost it's the performance in critical applications I'm interested in - no point saving £10 on a £35 OEM battery pack in a critical care ventilator backup system if the cheaper cells don't perform as well and have to be changed twice as often. Then you have the fact that in the past Japanese Yuasa LA batteries supplied in OEM devices used to beat the apparently identical UK sourced/manufactured ones hands down on performance and longevity.

So I disagree that a battery is a battery is a battery, irrespective of whether the numbers on the side of it appear to be the same. The simpler the battery, e.g. LA or NiCd the more you have to look at where they're being manufactured and physically whether the performance and manufacture is up to it, how it's been stored and maintained, etc, etc - irrespective of whether the number on the side says it's "standard". Smart packs just complicate the issue.

All these manufacturers are not playing about when they produce specifications for their "standard" batteries.

Saying this you can probably get away with sourcing from 3rd parties if you know exactly what you're looking for in the specifications, based on experience you can tell performance of the 3rd party is equivalent or better and you are certain that there is no difference, i.e. the cell is a like for like swap-out. But in my experience with LA, NiCd, Alakaline cells and the occasional smart pack, I've had problems with cheaper "equivalents" and prefer not to "experiment".