# When is a Hybrio not a Hybrio?



## Mr Happy (Apr 7, 2008)

Answer: When it is branded by UltraLast?

I got 4 Hybrio cells that came with an UltraLast charger, only these cells don't look the same as the regular Uniross Hybrios that are sold in separate packaging.

Here is what a Uniross Hybrio looks like:







And here is what an UltraLast Hybrio looks like:






Now the Uniross Hybrios look just like Eneloops, and they perform like Eneloops too.

However, these UltraLast cells are something different. In appearance they look rather similar to the Powerex Immedion cells: a valley around the outside at the positive end and a small round button.

I put them onto the C9000 for a discharge test out of the package and they started out at 1.16 V. When finished, the measured capacities at 400 mA were 943, 1035, 1086, 1016 mAh. Those are the lowest as-purchased readings of any LSD cell I have seen.

I have not done any more testing on them yet, so I can't say any more until I do.

The batteries were not the only disappointment in the package -- the charger disappointed too, but that's another story...


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## VidPro (Apr 7, 2008)

*When is a Hybrio not a Hybrio?*

well of course, when its a cheap knockoff sold on e-bay (or amazon, or dx or china or . . .) for really cheap and it isnt even an LSD cell, let alone of the capacity stated.

i always have to wonder , if some battery someone is discussing is from that deal place, or e-bay, or whatever, is actually the *real *battery, because the differences are all the difference in the world.

"yes it SHOULD perform like this", "but you have to have IT first to determine that", the knockoff china clone doesnt count


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## Mr Happy (Apr 7, 2008)

Except in this case, these are _genuine_ fakes, not counterfeit fakes.

UltraLast is a brand name of the North American Battery Company (NABC), which was acquired in 2006 by Uniross, who own the Hybrio trademark. They even show the real Hybrios on their web site: http://www.nabcorp.com/whatsnew/

This is probably a case of the marketing department thinking they can sell a different product, call it the same name, and nobody will know the difference.


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## VidPro (Apr 7, 2008)

how do you know they arent fake?
i saw fake ones being sold on both e-bay and amazon, , , , i was Tempted  to buy them even.


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## Mr Happy (Apr 7, 2008)

They came with an UltraLast charger in retail packaging from Fry's. If the whole package of charger and batteries is really not a genuine UltraLast product, then I have a story to tell to the California consumer protection people...


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## VidPro (Apr 7, 2008)

Mr Happy said:


> They came with an UltraLast charger in retail packaging from Fry's. If the whole package of charger and batteries is really not a genuine UltraLast product, then I have a story to tell to the California consumer protection people...


 
frys huh, well its surely a good thing you tell your story SOMEWHERE, imagine the number of people you can save from buying them.

and 96% of them dont have any way to even check for capacity, other than , "hey its dead again, ok charge it back up".

luckily frys will take a return no questions asked, just stand in line for 3-4 hours 

and thanks to you, i am no longer tempted, i came here just to relieve myself of such temptations.


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## Mr Happy (Apr 7, 2008)

Well I might be returning the charger at that, since the claimed "90 minute" charger actually takes about 3 hours to charge the included set of 2000 mAh cells. When you get the charger out of the sealed packaging it says on the back "charging current 800 mA x 4". Calling it a 90 minute charger is a blatant LIE. I've a good mind to contact the California Attorney General's office.


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## VidPro (Apr 7, 2008)

Mr Happy said:


> I've a good mind to contact the California Attorney General's office.



will they stand in the return line for you


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## Mr Happy (Apr 7, 2008)

I have to find out what the consumer laws are in California. In the UK for a comparison, there is the Trade Descriptions Act, which makes it illegal for traders to misrepresent what they are selling. If they make false claims or provide false descriptions of a product they can be prosecuted and fined.


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## VidPro (Apr 7, 2008)

they have consumer laws like that here too, if its misrepresented its sold at wally marf, Flies , or home Deperto, or any large corporate establisment that pays more money to lawyers, than employees 

http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/index.shtml
The* FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection* works *For The Consumer* *to prevent fraud, deception*, and unfair business practices in the marketplace. . . . anytime its big enough to justify an increase in our yearly budget . . .


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## Fallingwater (Apr 7, 2008)

VidPro said:


> well of course, when its a cheap knockoff sold on e-bay (or amazon, or dx or china or . . .)


Actually, the Eneloops and ReCyko cells sold on DX are genuine. They are not a good deal though, for some reason they cost much more than in stores (even around here).


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## Ray_of_Light (Apr 7, 2008)

You can easily differentiate LSD from non-LSD cells with a memory o-scope. If you apply an heavy load (say about 5 Amps to a 2000 mA/h AA cell), the LSD cell will show voltage delay while the non-LSD will not.
Use a 0.18 Ohm 5 W resistor as load, take a shot with the O-scope of a known LSD and a known non-LSD while you connect the resistor. Make then your comparisons.

Regards

Anthony


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## Hooked on Fenix (Apr 8, 2008)

This wouldn't be the first time Ultralast did false advertising. Have you seen their "3.0 volt" RCR123As? They are unprotected 3.7 volt cells. They fried my first Inova X5 due to their false advertising. Their lithium and alkaline batteries are a joke too. The alkalines have about 7/10 the power of one of the top three brands. Take them back and buy cells from a good company. Try eneloops. They are the only LSD cell that claim to work well in cold weather. I've tried them as low as 15 degrees F and they worked fine.


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## Mr Happy (Apr 8, 2008)

Hooked on Fenix said:


> This wouldn't be the first time Ultralast did false advertising. Have you seen their "3.0 volt" RCR123As? They are unprotected 3.7 volt cells. They fried my first Inova X5 due to their false advertising.


That's interesting. I was in Fry's and someone in the battery aisle picked up the UltraLast pack of 2 RCR123A's plus charger. He said, "Hey, that's neat. I have a flashlight that eats CR123A's and it's really expensive. I could use these instead." I mentioned he should be careful as RCR123A's are not always a drop-in replacement for primaries, but he pointed to the pack and said, "Well look, it says they are 3 V on the description, what could be the problem?"

As far as Eneloops go I don't need convincing about that. I have many of them and think they are excellent.

But I will say that the genuine Uniross brand Hybrios with the brightly colored red, green and black packaging are the real deal. They are only $9.99 in Fry's and they perform just as well as Eneloops.


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## Curious_character (Apr 8, 2008)

I bought four Ultralast primary lithium cells for my camera at Fry's a while back. One was DOA, another nearly so, and the remaining two lasted a lot shorter time than good quality cells. I won't be buying any more cells of any kind with that junk brand.

c_c


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## MattK (Apr 10, 2008)

This is easily explained; Uniross, which now owns NABC/Ultralast has their LSD batteries contract manufactured and they changed factories about 6-8 months ago.

Flash back about 1-1.5 years ago and only 2 factories made LSD batteries; Sanyo and the factory that makes LSD Duracells, OLD Hybrios (with green at top), our LSD Titaniums and a few others.

Now the LSD technology is more widely disseminated so it's more competetive and there are less capable factories making them - so there are lower quality, less expensive LSD's on the market. Uniross has switched their manufacturing to one of these plants to lower costs - or more likely to maintain a lower costs as in the past year the factory direct cost of NiMh batteries has increased about 50% due to raw materials cost increases, energy costs and currency fluctuations.

So; both batteries are 'real' Hybrio's but one battery is simply better than the other. If you want the superior quality battery you must buy; OLD Hybrios, Titaniums, Eneloops or Duracells.


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## UnknownVT (Apr 10, 2008)

MattK said:


> This is easily explained; Uniross, which now owns NABC/Ultralast has their LSD batteries contract manufactured and they changed factories about 6-8 months ago.
> Flash back about 1-1.5 years ago and only 2 factories made LSD batteries; Sanyo and the factory that makes LSD Duracells, OLD Hybrios (with green at top), our LSD Titaniums and a few others.
> Now the LSD technology is more widely disseminated so it's more competetive and there are less capable factories making them
> If you want the superior quality battery you must buy; OLD Hybrios, Titaniums, Eneloops or Duracells.


 
Many thanks for that useful information -

Even a _BIG_ name like the Duracell may have variations - 
their Pre-Charged (LSD) are Made In Japan (re-badged eneloops) and Made in China - please see -

Duracell Pre-Charged Rechargeables - Buyer Advisory


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## jzmtl (Apr 10, 2008)

Mr Happy said:


> Well I might be returning the charger at that, since the claimed "90 minute" charger actually takes about 3 hours to charge the included set of 2000 mAh cells. When you get the charger out of the sealed packaging it says on the back "charging current 800 mA x 4". Calling it a 90 minute charger is a blatant LIE. I've a good mind to contact the California Attorney General's office.


 
Well not really, it's packed with cells that's only 1000mah so they aren't lying, it'll charge in 90 minutes.


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## UnknownVT (Apr 10, 2008)

Mr Happy said:


> Well I might be returning the charger at that, since the claimed "90 minute" charger actually takes about 3 hours to charge the included set of 2000 mAh cells. When you get the charger out of the sealed packaging it says on the back "charging current 800 mA x 4". Calling it a 90 minute charger is a blatant LIE.


 
Actually the UltraLast ULINOV2 charger seems smart and well spec'd - being independent channels with LCD indicator for each channel(?)

How much did you pay for the combo at Fry's? 
The lowest price I could find (without shipping) was $19 - (Froogle search on UL-INOV2 sorted by low price)

Which seems like good value, as long as the "new" UltraLast Hybrios perform OK........
and up to now all LSDs seem to have performed well - with only minor differences for most practical usage - the most significant difference that I found, which affected my use, was the higher voltage maintenance of eneloops and reputed for the original Uniross Hybrios.

My guess is that the 90min claim may be for AAA NiMH batteries which are normally 700-1000mAh - so 800mA makes it C/1.25 - 1.1C

The UltraLast UL-INOV2 charger seems better spec'd than the Duracell Power-Gauge charger....... 
possibly cheaper, and supplied with LSD batteries (caveat as long as they work properly)


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## Mr Happy (Apr 10, 2008)

Yes, on paper the spec for the ULINOV2 is OK since it does have a 12 V adapter, a USB input, a refresh function and a three step progress gauge for each channel. However the 12 V input only provides the reduced USB charging rate.

I just have a bad taste in my mouth about the deceptive packing, so I am not disposed to like it.

It could be argued that the 90 minutes applies to AAA cells, except that both the outer packaging and the included instructions say it charges in 90 minutes _when using the cells supplied in the package_. This doesn't really leave any wriggle room since I've timed it and the cells in the package take over 3 hours to charge.

It also feels very light and fragile and plasticky, not at all solid and durable. In contrast the Duracell charger feels bulletproof.

The cost was $19.99 plus tax, and it did come with 4 LSD cells, although I don't believe they are very good ones. I would rather have the "Eneloop" Hybrios with the colorful labels.

Yeah, for twenty bucks I haven't lost much, but I generally prefer to feel happy about my purchases and not feel deceived. I now wonder if the "30 minute" charger I passed up in preference to this one is actually a "one hour" charger, in which case it would have been the one I wanted. But since I apparently can't trust UltraLast to label their packaging accurately I have no way of knowing, and no desire to go through Fry's product return hoopla any more times than necessary to find out.

[Edit: No, now I remember it the "30 minute" charger only has two channels, not four.]


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## TorchBoy (Aug 1, 2008)

Mr Happy said:


> However, these UltraLast cells are something different.
> ...
> I have not done any more testing on them yet, so I can't say any more until I do.


Any further test results?


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## Mr Happy (Aug 1, 2008)

No, I really didn't bother very much with them. I charged them up and put them in an alarm clock that takes 1 AA for the clock and a pair of C cells for the back light. Prompted by the resurrection of this thread I just took them out and tested them.

Three months later, the clock cell is reading 1.28 V (probably about 50%), and the back-light cells are reading 1.18 V and 0.975 V (but the back light is still bright).

I'd say the uneven voltages of the back-light pair are not a good sign. I'll stick them through a refresh cycle on the C9000 and see what happens.


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## cheetokhan (Mar 1, 2009)

I just picked up several packages of UltraLast AA LSD cells in Houston Frys and it looks like they have improved. Mine are black and green and do not have the narrower ring around the positive terminal as shown in the original post. I tested 8 of them with my LaCrosse BC-900 and they all measured over 2000mAh. 
They were all above 1.3V fresh from the package.
I went there to get Eneloops, but they don't seem to carry them anymore, so I decided to give these Ultralast a try. 
I'll run a few discharge curves on my West Mountain CBA II and see how these compare to Eneloops.


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## NiOOH (Mar 2, 2009)

I was never convinced that early Hybrios were Eneloops. I have set of the black and red Hybrio. While they look and measure exactly like Eneloops they are made in China and this is clearly stated on the package, as well as on the cells. As discussed in another thread, recently Uniross have changed the appearance of their LSD cells and now they are quite a bit cheaper than Eneloops. 
I could take pictures, but for some reason, I am not allowed to post attachments here.


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## Mr Happy (Mar 2, 2009)

I have used and tested many of the green and red cells like the one in the first picture in post #1. Not only do they look and measure the same as eneloops, they have the same voltage profile, capacity, internal resistance and low self-discharge properties as eneloops. A the end of the day, if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck...


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## NiOOH (Mar 2, 2009)

Mr Happy said:


> I have used and tested many of the green and red cells like the one in the first picture in post #1. Not only do they look and measure the same as eneloops, they have the same voltage profile, capacity, internal resistance and low self-discharge properties as eneloops. A the end of the day, if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck...


 
These are my observations too, but how about their country of Origin, i.e. China. 
On the other hand, since several years ago Sanyo started selling NiMH cells (non-LSD) which were made in China. Currently, all of their 1700, 2100 and 2300 mAh cells on the market here are 100% made in China. This means that Sanyo has a plant in China. However I haven't seen an Eneloop that was made in China. Duraloops are also Japan-made. Could it be that Sanyo made some trial runs for LSD cells in their plant in China and sold these cells to Uniross. Also, I see that those Eneloop-twins from Uniross are quickly dissaperanig from the market here. They are replaced by the new "Hybrio technology" cells which look differently and are quita a bit cheaper.


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## Sugarboy (Dec 21, 2009)

FYI, Uniross Hybrios are NOT rebadged Eneloops, but OEM made by Yuasa in China. That's what Uniross *explicitly* says on the package (i remember it was sth like "Based on Yuasa technology from Japan") when Hybrios were first launched years ago.

As of to date, all known Eneloops are made in Japan.


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## Sugarboy (Dec 21, 2009)

Yes i found it ! This is the genuine, original Uniross Hybrio R6/AA/Mignon x4 pack bought by someone in Taiwan.

The orange oval label in Chinese says "OEM batteries by Japan's Yuasa" (日本YUASA代工電池) 

Manufactured by Uniross in PRC(=China).

P.S. "Yuasa" (known as "湯淺"[=汤浅] in Chinese), itself a Japanese company, sets up a number of facilities in China. i believe "Yuasa" is now known as "GS Yuasa" (株式会社 ジーエス・ユアサ コーポレーション).


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## Mr Happy (Dec 22, 2009)

Sugarboy, thanks for the insights. However, I do continue to find that those particular Hybrios cannot be told apart from Eneloops in any aspect of their performance. In fact, if you took a sample of both kinds of cell and removed their outer label I would defy anyone to figure out which one was which.

Could it be perhaps that Yuasa manufactured them in China using Eneloop technology under license from Sanyo?

I do not really mind what origin those Hybrios have, I just know they work exactly like Eneloops and therefore I am more than happy to benefit from using them.


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## Sugarboy (Dec 23, 2009)

Mr Happy said:


> Sugarboy, thanks for the insights. However, I do continue to find that those particular Hybrios cannot be told apart from Eneloops in any aspect of their performance. In fact, if you took a sample of both kinds of cell and removed their outer label I would defy anyone to figure out which one was which.
> 
> Could it be perhaps that Yuasa manufactured them in China using Eneloop technology under license from Sanyo?
> 
> I do not really mind what origin those Hybrios have, I just know they work exactly like Eneloops and therefore I am more than happy to benefit from using them.



it could also be the other way round 

or maybe they do somehow hypothetically share the technology, or their LSD characteristics are way too similar .. (i personally find Hybrios are slightly inferior to Eneloops. i only use them in clocks or as a cheaper Eneloop alternative )

i hear Yuasa has been making those industrial, car, bike rechargeable batteries etc for decades ..


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## Mr Happy (Dec 23, 2009)

Sugarboy said:


> (i personally find Hybrios are slightly inferior to Eneloops. i only use them in clocks or as a cheaper Eneloop alternative )


If you have been following the forum you may have seen we have discovered at least three, maybe four distinct and different cells labeled Hybrio. Only the particular kind of cell described at the top of this thread seems to be like the Eneloop. The others are definitely inferior and have disappointed people that bought them.


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## Sugarboy (Dec 23, 2009)

Mr Happy said:


> If you have been following the forum you may have seen we have discovered at least three, maybe four distinct and different cells labeled Hybrio. Only the particular kind of cell described at the top of this thread seems to be like the Eneloop. The others are definitely inferior and have disappointed people that bought them.



yes, i'm referring to those white-top, made-in-China Hybrios ..

i'm suspecting some of my Hybrios are somehow starting to lose its LSD properties .. i don't hv those meters or testers so i can't tell for sure ..

also i find their "outer labels"/wrappers are UN-durable and can easily getting worn off :thinking:


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## Sugarboy (Dec 23, 2009)

my "really mildly" used Hybrio AAA used in my Fenix LD01 SS flashlight:


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## Sugarboy (Dec 23, 2009)

i check again & discovered the packs i got now indeed claims :-

"MANUFACTURED BY UNIROSS IN PRC"
"ENGINEERED AND DESIGNED NU UNIROSS IN *FRANCE*"
















:thinking:


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## shark_za (Jan 11, 2010)

If the originals are not Eneloops then they perfected the exact copy of them.
If it looks like a duck, sounds like a duck and acts like a duck .... 

Designed in France? What is claimed on packages and what is real are two different things. 



Some Uniross cells I got had "2100mAh series" on the front, see they dont say its 2100mAh just that its part of that series of cells. 
Then the cell itself read 1900mAh. 
And the Maha shows it to be 1600mAh at 500mA. 

Even at 200mA it gets no better than 1600mAh.


And +1 on the packaging, my Hybrios with most use are also all tatty like your AAA. Both AAA and AA.


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## BatteryBoy2 (Apr 22, 2010)

Wow, I can't believe how geeky this thread has got..

BatteryLogic has been selling Uniross Hybrio batteries in the UK since early 2006. They have been the best selling battery each and every month for over four years.

Uniross Hybrio were the first to market in the UK followed by Eneloop. Eneloop's however were almost impossible to get as they were not available anywhere. Uniross Hybrio is by far the most common LSD battery in use in the UK as they have been readily available for so long.

Hybrio and Eneloop are certainly on the top shelp in terms of performance but since Uniross launched Hybrio almost every other brand has followed suit with their own version. 

To simplify things BatteryLogic will tell you that you will not buy a better LSD than the Uniross Hybrio battery anywhere and back it up with a full 30 day satisfaction guarantee..


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## shark_za (Apr 22, 2010)

Till you actually measure the new ones on an analyser and see them fall very short of the Eneloop and GP Recyko.


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## BatteryBoy2 (Apr 22, 2010)

In what way do Hybrio fall short of Eneloop or Recyko? 

shark_za - have you ever analysed a set of proper Hybrio batteries or have you just read that somewhere. You will not find a better battery than Uniross Hybrio 2100mAh AA batteries..


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## SilverFox (Apr 22, 2010)

Hello BatteryBoy2,

Welcome to CPF.

You may find this thread interesting...

Tom


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## Mr Happy (Apr 22, 2010)

BatteryBoy2 said:


> have you ever analysed a set of proper Hybrio batteries?


What exactly is a "proper Hybrio battery?"

Our verified observation is that at different times and in different geographical locations, different physical cells with different properties have been sold under the Hybrio brand. We have tested these different cells and found them to perform differently.

So if someone is buying a "Hybrio" there is no guarantee of what they are getting. On the other hand, if someone is buying an Eneloop for instance they know exactly what they are getting (discounting counterfeits, of course).


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## BatteryBoy2 (Apr 22, 2010)

Silverfox, thank you for the welcome : followed your link but it was all about an LSD brand that nobody has ever heard of. What I was saying is that Uniross HYBRIO batteries cannot be bettered, the article you refer to mentions ROV hybrids and not Uniross Hybrio 2100mAh AA batteries (red, black and green)

MrHappy : Proper Uniross Hybrio batteries are just that. They are 2100mAh Uniross Hybrio AA batteries with red, black and green sleeving. We are not talking about Ultralast 'Hybrio technology', South African 1900mAh hybrio batteries or batteries bought in Taiwan with Chinese labels on, we are talking about Uniross Hybrio AA batteries sold extensively throughout Europe. 

There are probably more Uniross Hybrio AA batteries in use than any other AA LSD battery (if not all other LSD batteries put together) They just work and they work very, very well.


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## shark_za (Apr 22, 2010)

Yes I have on my Maha C-9000, not laboratory conditions but its a good indication and a valid test.

Uniross Hybrio are very popular and common in South Africa but that alone does not mean they are good. 

I have personally seen them go from excellent to junk in a few years. 
Current Hybrio's give about 1600mAh on 500mA drains. They used to give around 2000mAh. 
I usually test at 500mA but have tried as low as 200mA to try and stretch it, no luck on the new Hybrio's.
Low Self Discharge has remained the same, or I have not done proper testing over long periods of time to see if they loose charge. I can assume they hold charge long enough for my uses, every time I discharge one that has been stored for long it shows well over 90% capacity. Unfortunately 90% of 1600mAh in the new ones.

I don't think there is one manufacturer and the cells have changed production over time. 
I also have some of the Uniross "Performance" range of 2700mAh rated NiMh's and find them excellent in giving max runtime right after a charge. Constantly giving over 2500mAh on 500mA discharges. 

See the varied Hybrio cells, the one on the left is actually good even though it does not look like the really old one thats a clone of the Eneloop. 
A "Duraloop" (though to be rebranded Eneloop) is next to it for comparison.

In comparison the Duraloops give 1950mAh and the GP Recyko around 2050mAh. 

What irks me (first time I have ever used that word) is that they changed the cells and basically screwed me over. The marketing on some of the cells is to call them "2100 series" then label the cells inside as 1900mAh and only deliver 1600mAh. 
Sucks. 

Uniross SA is really close to my house and I have considered complaining for false advertising but I don't expect much from it. I would like them to dig deep into the back of the stores and swap the junk I bought for some of the old good stuff. That would be a good resolution. Shame about the rest of the public getting duped into 2100mAh cells.


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## SilverFox (Apr 22, 2010)

Hello BatteryBoy2,

Sorry about that, but I was under the impression that Ray O Vac and Uniross both licensed their low self discharge cell technology from Yuasa.

If that is not correct, who developed Uniross's LSD technology?

Tom


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## csa (Apr 22, 2010)

Don't assume that just because you got it at a B&M frys it's genuine. This seems to be the case for the particular cells in question, but in the past they've gotten in trouble for selling knockoffs as the real thing.


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## shark_za (Apr 23, 2010)

BatteryBoy2 said:


> Proper Uniross Hybrio batteries are just that. They are 2100mAh Uniross Hybrio AA batteries with red, black and green sleeving.



Ok this is fair. Lovely cells.

I agree on this although there are definitely 2x version of this. Legally sold by official Uniross agents. 
Is it possible that they did rebrand the Eneloop at first before developing their own? 

But I see the branding is even changing in Europe, they are also getting the new colour schemes. 

Refer 
lookandsave.co.uk
batterylogic.co.uk


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## Mr Happy (Apr 23, 2010)

I'm still not sure if a single "Proper Uniross Hybrio" battery can be identified, even within the UK market. The picture shown on the batterylogic web page shows the variety that looks and behaves like an Eneloop. If those exact cells are what you get when you buy them then certainly they are very good cells, just like Eneloops. But members in the UK have reported buying red, green and black Uniross Hybrios with different physical cells inside the wrapping, not like the ones pictured.

Since BatteryBoy2 appears to be a representative of batterylogic, the claims about the Hybrio cannot easily be taken as disinterested and impartial. Let's not have this turn into a sales thread.


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## BatteryBoy2 (Apr 23, 2010)

Silverfox,

Don't know what gave you the impression that Ray O Vac and Uniross had anything in common.

Anyway, I'm going to back out now, I've just realised that this thread is more of a ding dong trying to show when a Hybrio is not a Hybrio..

I'll just say again though what I said before and that is simply that Uniross 2100mAh AA HYBRIO batteries cannot be bettered. Uniross HYBRIO batteries were the first to market in a big way and that there are also probably more Uniross Hybrio 2100mAh AA LSD batteries in use today than similar batteries from any other battery brand.

For every user splitting hairs over discharge figures and whether the top insulator of their battery is matt or gloss there are hundreds of thousands happily using what is one of the best batteries ever made and thoroughly satisfied with their excellent performance.

Having said that, Europe is a very different market to North America and South Africa so I'll just leave you all to it ..


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## BatteryBoy2 (Apr 23, 2010)

Mr Happy, BatteryBoy2 is a representative of BatteryLogic, didn't mean to just appear to be so, thought I'd made that clear in my original post.


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## Mr Happy (Apr 23, 2010)

BatteryBoy2 said:


> Anyway, I'm going to back out now, I've just realised that this thread is more of a ding dong trying to show when a Hybrio is not a Hybrio..


It really isn't.

I started this thread because I was very pleased with the performance of some original Uniross Hybrios I bought. They were, and remain, excellent batteries (I still have them and use them). However, I and others noticed that over time different batteries have been packaged as Uniross Hybrios (excluding entirely the UltraLast examples in post #1). Some of these other examples perform quite well, and others do not.

If a manufacturer changes the specification of the product they sell and continues to market it under the same brand without telling anyone, then they risk losing brand loyalty. This is not about splitting hairs. People on this forum rigorously test their batteries and monitor their performance closely. We can tell when one sample of a product does not perform like another sample.

I'm afraid if you think we are all going to sit back and listen to a sales pitch without questioning it you have come to the wrong place.

I and many others would love to buy "true genuine Uniross Hybrio" batteries. When they first came out they were fantastic performers. However, Uniross does seem to have changed their supplier recently and has started shipping different cells in the UK and other markets (this is not cosmetic; the cells test out differently when subjected to rigorous analysis). Why don't you ask Uniross why they did that?


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## Tuikku (Apr 23, 2010)

Interesting Thread! :thumbsup:


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## BatteryBoy2 (Apr 23, 2010)

Mr Happy, sorry if you misread my input as a sales pitch. Uniross Hybrio batteries have been selling themselves for the last four years and really don't need to be pitched in a forum.

All I was saying was that having spoken with tens of thousands of users of these batteries over the years have never encountered or even heard of the differences mentioned in this thread and the observation was simply that in my opinion red, black and green Unross Hybrio 2100mAh AA batteries cannot be bettered and have consistently been of a very high quality and supreme performers since day one.

As I said before Europe is a very different market to North America and South Africa so I'll just leave you all to it ..


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## cckw (Apr 26, 2010)

BatteryBoy2 said:


> Mr Happy, sorry if you misread my input as a sales pitch. Uniross Hybrio batteries have been selling themselves for the last four years and really don't need to be pitched in a forum.
> 
> All I was saying was that having spoken with tens of thousands of users of these batteries over the years have never encountered or even heard of the differences mentioned in this thread and the observation was simply that in my opinion red, black and green Unross Hybrio 2100mAh AA batteries cannot be bettered and have consistently been of a very high quality and supreme performers since day one.
> 
> As I said before Europe is a very different market to North America and South Africa so I'll just leave you all to it ..



I think that was basically Happy's point, until his most recent purchase. Used to be great, now not. The newer crappy ones will make their way to your shore and you will have the same experience.


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## BatteryBoy2 (Apr 28, 2010)

cckw , MrHappy has never had a 'crappy' Uniross Hybrio 2100mAh AA red, black and green battery because such a battery simply does not exisit.

cckw, I'm guessing you are in North America, Europe has always led the way in renewable energy and rechargeable batteries. Please don't kid yourself that you are in some way on the crest of a wave in terms of rechargeable technology..

Maybe one day the superb Hybrio 2100mAh AA red, black and green Hybrio batteries will make their way to your shore and you will then have the opportunity to share in the same excellent experience that every other user of this battery does.


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## cckw (Apr 28, 2010)

BatteryBoy2 said:


> cckw , MrHappy has never had a 'crappy' Uniross Hybrio 2100mAh AA red, black and green battery because such a battery simply does not exisit.
> 
> cckw, I'm guessing you are in North America, Europe has always led the way in renewable energy and rechargeable batteries. Please don't kid yourself that you are in some way on the crest of a wave in terms of rechargeable technology..
> 
> Maybe one day the superb Hybrio 2100mAh AA red, black and green Hybrio batteries will make their way to your shore and you will then have the opportunity to share in the same excellent experience that every other user of this battery does.




Europe has lead the way in rechargeable batteries? What ones are you manufacturing there?

You don't happen to work for Hybrio do you? You have an otherwise unreasonable support for this brand, and the fact that you previously stated you have talked to 10's of thousands of happy Hybrio customers... I don't know any other way you could do that other then work there.

Not to mention all 7 posts you have on this entire forum are dedicated to defending this brand


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## cckw (Apr 28, 2010)

BatteryBoy2 said:


> Mr Happy, sorry if you misread my input as a sales pitch. Uniross Hybrio batteries have been selling themselves for the last four years and really don't need to be pitched in a forum.
> 
> All I was saying was that having spoken with tens of thousands of users of these batteries over the years have never encountered or even heard of the differences mentioned in this thread and the observation was simply that in my opinion red, black and green Unross Hybrio 2100mAh AA batteries cannot be bettered and have consistently been of a very high quality and supreme performers since day one.
> 
> As I said before Europe is a very different market to North America and South Africa so I'll just leave you all to it ..



Just thought i would quote this so you can't change it.


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## VidPro (Apr 28, 2010)

BatteryBoy2 said:


> We are not talking about Ultralast 'Hybrio technology'.


 
well actually the thread started by discussing that exactally. (which you aparentlly figured out )

so i dont see where anyone is disagreeing that much.
Mr Happy found that some hybro version was different, posted that.

you say the "Uniross Hybrio batteries " are the bestest, Mr happy stated he was happy with his original version of the hybrio with the uniross name on it. 

Mr Happy shows picture with Red Black and Green labeled cell item he is happy with, you say Red Black and Green uniross are the best. ok, so now everything is in agreement there.

Mr Happy gets piece of junk with Hybro name all over it 
Mr Happy says "*When is a Hybrio not a Hybrio"* , seems that you MIGHT even agree with that too?
You defined the Ultralast "hybrio technology" as something different, can you tell us more about this, like Mr Happy has done, because it sounds like you know what is going on. 

what am i Missing


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## Sugarboy (Apr 28, 2010)

Bottomline: Uniross LSD Hybrios are NOT rebadged Eneloops, some (if not ALL) Hybrios are rebadged OEM by Yuasa) They can be a cheap alternative to Eneloop depending on your applications.

maybe that wrapper itself is designed in France.


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## BatteryBoy2 (Apr 29, 2010)

Hi VidPro, 

Unfortunately never seen Ultralast 'Hybrio technology' so can't comment there.

Thank you though, your post was absolutely spot on and you are not missing anything at all.


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