Blasters – What Batteries shall we use?

RE-CHARGEABLE BATTERIES – WHICH ONES SHOULD I USE IN MY BLASTER?

UPDATED 1 May 2022

Your RIVAL Blaster or in fact any Blaster that uses battery power to propel darts or balls into the air really does matter.

Over the past four years, we have tested them all as we need to have the batteries that last the longest and give the maximum amount of volts to the motors without blowing them or burning them out.

Everyone knows you can use Lipo kits (from remote control cars) and 3.7 volts, 14500 AA Lithium Rechargeable Batteries with various mAh ratings from 900mAh to 2,300mAh. 

For the science, aspect remember this: a Milliamp Hour (mAh) is a unit for measuring electric power over time. mAh is commonly used to describe the total amount of energy a battery can store at one time. The higher the mAh, the longer the battery will last, theoretically.

RE-CHARGEABLE BATTERY TEST 2018

Re-chargeable AA – 1.2volt labelled

  • GP ReCyKo – 2600mAH – 1.46
  • Duracell Duralock – 1300mAH – actual average volts on full charge 1.39
  • Energizer – 2300Mah –1.43
  • Ansmann – 2850Mah –1.41
  • Uniross Hybrio – 2100Mah –1.41
  • Uniross – 2400Mah –1.48
  • Maplin – 2000Mah –1.41
  • Maplin Hybrid – 2100Mah –1.41
  • Sanyo Eneloop – 1900Mah – 1.43
  • V-cell – 2100Mah – actual ave volts 1.42
  • Sanyo Eneloop Pro – 2400mAh –1.43
  • Powerex Maha-Energy – 2700mAh –1.45

Re-chargeable AA – 1.6volt

  • BPI -NI-ZI – 2500mAH – actual average volts on full charge1.82
  • PK CELL – 2500mAH –1.92

Re-chargeable C-Cell

  • Duracell – 2200mAH – actual average volts on full charge 1.33
  • Duracell – 3000mAH – 1.35
  • Energizer – 2500mAH – 1.34
  • Maplin – 2800mAH – 1.35
  • Maplin Hybrid – 3000mAH – 1.34
  • GP ReCyKo – 3000mAH – 1.42
  • Ansmann – 2500mAH – 1.41
  • Ansmann – 4500mAh – 1.45
  • Powerex Imedion – 5000mAh – 1.44

Re-chargeable D-Cell

  • Duracell – 2200Mah – actual average volts on full charge 1.31
  • Duracell – 3000Mah – 1.32
  • Energizer – 2500mAH – 1.36
  • Memorex – 4000mAh – 1.38
  • Dshop – 3000mAh – 1.37
  • GP ReCyKo – 3000Mah – 1.41
  • Ansmann – 5000mAh – 1.40
  • Ansmann – 10000mAh – 1.38
  • China Import – 12000Mah – 1.37
  • GTL Energy – 13800mAh – 1.37
  • Maplin – 2800Mah – 1.35

Best 14500 – 3.7volt batteries

  • UltraFire – 2400mAH – average volts 4.54
  • LeiFire – 450mAH – average volts 4.38
  • UltraFire -2400mAh – average volts 4.45

The TEST: (blaster used, The Nemesis) 

The Re-chargeable Battery Pack is 1500mAH, 7.2 volts, actual 7.31 volts, and great run times but down on power/range compared to some 6xD or 6xC cell rechargeable batteries. One major plus is the weight – very light with a battery pack – the downside is £25.00 each, but this is comparable with 6C or 6D cells.

Rate of fire of 7 balls per second, ranges of 30/35m, run time 3.9 hours in five-minute spells before re-loading balls.

In order of ‘Greatness’ for run times, rate of fire and rechargeability, longevity and price, anything not listed in the top 5/7 I really would not recommend for high drain motors on NERF equipment.

AA:

  1. GP ReCyKo – 2600Mah – undoubtedly the most unheard of but the top of the three for all reasons.
  2. Ansmann – 2850mAH – These three were simply the next best on all the tests but the most expensive
  3. Powerex Maha-Energy – 2700mAh
  4. Sanyo Eneloop Pro – 2400mAh
  5. Sanyo Eneloop – 1900mAH
  6. Energizer – 2300mAH
  7. Uniross – 2400Mah & Maplin – 2000mAH

C-Cell:

  1. GP ReCyKo – 3000mAH – undoubtedly the most unheard of but the top of the three for all reasons.
  2. Ansmann – 2500Mah
  3. Maplin – 2800mAH
  4. Powerex Imedion – 5000mAh
  5. Energizer – 2500mAH

D-Cell:

  1. GP ReCyKo – 3000mAH – undoubtedly the most unheard of but the top of the three for all reasons.
  2. Ansmann – 5000mAH
  3. Maplin – 2800Mah
  4. Memorex – 4000mAh
  5. Energizer – 2500mAH

Re-chargeable AA – 1.6volt

  • These batteries have more power than traditional AAs but never churn out anything less than 1.8-1.9 volts and last a very long time. Six of these in any RIVAL with an AA-C cell adaptor or AA-D cell adaptor is awesome.

Rate of fire of 8/9 balls per second, ranges of 35/37m, run time over 5 hours in five-minute spells before re-loading balls.

4 of these 1.6-volt cells in a C-Cell adaptor for a NERF Elite Regulator will give 30m ranges all the time. Re-charge times 1hr/1.5hrs only in the special charging unit.

6 of these 1.6-volt cells in a Speedswarm give 2.3 darts per second, ranges of 15/20m, and run times well over 8/10 hrs.

3.7-volt batteries

  • Basically, 3 of these with 3 blanks give around 11.1 volts rather than 7.2 volts for various blasters but after many tests, the only blaster we use this in is the Speedswarm to make the barrel rota faster. Rate of fire up from 1.3/darts per second to 2.5 darts per second, ranges of 15/20m, run times well over 6 hrs.

The clear test winner by a long way: GP ReCyKo – 3000Mah C & D Cells

Basically, the GP ReCyKo range of batteries from AA, C & D cells all outperformed everything from the brands we know well with only Sanyo Eneloop Pro coming anywhere near in the AA size department. The 2600Mah AA was simply a workhorse and lasted so, so long it is, without doubt, a class act that we really do always use and will always use in our NERF equipment.

The D-Cell seems to have incredible run times, consistency, and power and I am sure at an average of 1.42 volts per battery it generates 8.52 volts through a RIVAL Nemesis, up 1.32 volts on standard rechargeable batteries. The rate of fire for the RIVAL Nemesis, was up from 5/6 balls per second to 8/8.5 balls per second, with ranges of 30/35m, and run times of over 8 hours in five-minute spells before re-loading balls. 

These batteries have only one downside and that is they are incredibly heavy for a D-Cell but that’s because they are crammed full of power. The ultimate D-Cell battery at an excellent price of £22.50 for 6.

The C-Cell version is just a smaller version and exactly the same make-up as the D-Cell hence why it also outperforms everything on the market.

There you have it, batteries are very, very important for blaster fun and after years of getting it wrong we now know where to get the best and ultimate batteries on the planet… eBay.