More affordable battery solution

So I shoot skate photography, where off-camera flashes are necessary, and I burn through alkaline AA's like no tomorrow. How long do rechargable setups tend to last in high-power flashes shooting at full power? to put things into perspective, my flash setup by the end of the month will be two Vivitar 285HVs and one Sunpak 555. What is the best rechargable setup to go with?

Suggestions? I'm thinking about rigging up some dummy AA systems for the 285s with a 4 pack of D batteries as the power source. Any other ideas?

Since you do so much of this type of shooting why not invest in something like a Quantum batter pack? I think it would be worth it and you'd get tons of power over a long period of time without needing a charge.

TMR Design wrote in post #5675332
Since you do so much of this type of shooting why not invest in something like a Quantum batter pack? I think it would be worth it and you'd get tons of power over a long period of time without needing a charge.

Because blowing over 100 bucks on battery stuff just isn't feasable right now, hence why I am looking for a more affordable battery solution. I need a lot more gear than just battery packs. Looks like I'll be going the D battery route

Robert - Because its cheep! When do we get another blog post?

Joseph - Here are a few links - try at your own risk.

http://web.archive.org …iversal_battery​_packs.htm
http://www.slrkit.com/​index.php?entry=2&m=m
http://www.burren.cx/p​hoto/flash_power.html
http://www.flickr.com …iscuss/72157600​346653826/
http://www.flickr.com …#comment7215760​0771709339
http://www.flickr.com …iscuss/72157600​789220443/
http://www.aljacobs.co​m/Batterycables.htm
http://seanmcfoto.com …rnal-power-for-550ex.html
http://www.shutterbug.​net …accessories/069​9sb_howto/
Not power, but whatever.
http://www.flickr.com …d/sets/72157602​326289273/
http://www.websitetool​box.com …st/rtoyz/vpost?​id=2324538

i use the duracell 15min charger for 36 bucks, it works awesome and i use it a lot and it hasn't failed me yet...

Rechargeables are DEFINITELY the way to go. I don't know if you would get more shots per set, especially shooting full-power. But after the initial expense, you won't have to buy batteries for a long while. If you are shooting at full power for any length of time, you would probably need at least 2 sets for each flash unit, if you are using all simultaneously. Like Ultimate CC, I also have the 15-minute charger and really like it. You can use it if there's a outdoor outlet, or get a power inverter for your car.

I made my own battery packs with these
http://www.radioshack.​com …holders&parentP​age=search
I had my wife (electronics tech) solder rca female jacks to wires that were already attached to the battery holder then taped wires to back of holder with duct tape. Rather then make my own adaptors I bought off e-bay the quantum battery module for my strobes a 283 and 285hvs. The correct one is a MA-2 I think. You might want to check that before you order or bid. While I don't think that this pack improves the recycle time vs fresh aa's I think that the time stays fast longer. I have shot a couple of weddings since making my first one and have not had to change the batterys during one. I always start with a fresh set and keep a loaded aa pack in the case I use to carry the battery pack. Hope this helps John

I use rechargeables and a 15 minute charger and have two sets of batteries for each flash. (sunpak 383) Seems to work good, and I'm drained and charged those batteries a lot of times and they still seem to work good.

http://www.circuitcity​.com …46&linkid=j1377​4590k54384

If you can find them, they are selling out or already out.

Also, the 8pack version is supposedly $4.97 for the same batteries.

I wonder if RC Car battery packs could be used. They are 7.2v and like 3300 mAH capacity which is a bit higher voltage than the normal 6v, but they are readily available and inexpensive and recharge fast.

Anyone ever tried or considered using them?

kodak rechargeables are only 12.00 for 4 and the rapid charger, and they work like magic

Looks like I'm going to burn off the rest of my alkalines and switch over to rechargeables, especially with my purchase of a new (possibly another in the futrue) Sunpak 544, which takes 6. Thanks for all the help, sorry if I came off as a dick in the first post haha.

Those 15-minute chargers all damage NiMH batteries! All of them - no exceptions! You'd be much better off getting a high-quality 1-hour charger. Your batteries would last much longer and have higher capacity, and recharge hundreds of times more than if you torture them with the 15-minute chargers. Ad the kicker is - the good quality chargers are usually about the same price, or only a few dollars more.