Rechargable Batteries in the Small Church
Microphone batteries can really eat into a budget even in the small church. We have nine wireless mics and one in-ear monitoring system to keep powered. We don’t use them all each Sunday, but proportionally speaking, it didn’t take me long to realize I was spending too much money on batteries. We tried stretching them out and not changing each week., but I knew that wasn’t the solution. Needless to say we got burned a few times.
I started looking into rechargeable batteries. First we tried AAs from Wal-Mart. Not real happy with those results, and most of our mics are older and use 9 volts.
Eventually I stumbled upon Horizon Battery ad in a magazine. I went to their website and ordered a 10 bay charger and a handful of 9 volts. I wasn’t initially satisfied. I called Horizon. They sent me a different battery power, and I haven’t looked back. That was five or six years ago and many $$ saved ago. I’ve since purchased a smarter charger that I can leave the batteries on all week.
We only have three units that use AAs, so I haven’t invested in Ansmanns for them. I did buy Sanyo Eneloops at less money and have been very satisfied with them. We use the Eneloops in our bluetooth mouse and keyboard too.
If you’re still spending money on disposable batteries, I strongly encourage you to explore the world of professional rechargeables. If you’ve been burned by rechargeables from Wal-Mart or Radio Shack, put that behind you and buy the right kind. You’ll pay about $11 or so per 9 Volt, but you will save in the long run.
Mike Sessler has several articles on rechargeable batteries on his Church Tech Arts blog. Just search for rechargeable batteries on his site.
Related articles
- New Wireless Mic System (acmul.wordpress.com)
from my notebook 