vB Easy Archive - Can any phones use alkaline batteries?

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Can any phones use alkaline batteries?
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Posted by: riker1384

I've been fretting about what phone to get, for Verizon right now. One issue is whether I want a trimode, since there are so many more digital phones. I'm convinced there will still be analog systems operating in some areas past the supposed shutdown date. There's a Qualcomm document where they have that view, I could provide a link. I'd like to be able to drive out to the country and stuff and be covered.

One idea I've had would be to get a backup trimode phone to keep in my car or whatever. It would be a simple trimode phone with good reception, a cheap one from Ebay or something. I would keep it on a a super-cheap prepay plan, such as Page Plus which can go as low as $2.50 a month according to the chart at cellguru.net. Then I would get a nice slick digital phone for general usage, with my Verizon account or elsewhere. (Still one with good reception though)

One problem with that idea is batteries. As I understand it, a lithium-ion battery will run down if it's just left around for weeks or months. Also you know, if I was in a car crash the DC might not work. I used to have a phone that ran on two nickel-metal-hydride batteries, which I think were in AAA form, or maybe AA. I don't know whether it could also take alkaline batteries, or if there are any others like it now that Li-ion batteries are everywhere. Are there, any phones that will take alkaline batteries, or something like that?

Posted by: DRNewcomb

It used to be common to find AA & AAA battery adapters for cell phones back when phones had clip-on battery packs. Now that most phone batteries are very small and internal I no longer see these adapters. Also, I carried (in the car) a zinc-air battery for the Nokia 51XX series phones. This battery has a very long storage life and is activated when you pull the air seal off the back of the battery. Once activated it would last about a week.

Posted by: riker1384

Thanks. Do you have any specific model numbers for those Nokias?

In any case I would want a phone that's recent enough to have E911 GPS capability.

Posted by: DRNewcomb

It was the whole 51XX series of phones, both GSM and TDMA. Maybe also some newer models. Not all phones use GPS for E911. GSM systems use a system of multilateration that does't require GPS.

Posted by: riker1384

Oh, I was thinking of a CDMA + AMPS phone. I want something that will work in the largest possible number of places. Those batteries, do they have some product name besides "zinc-air battery", if I'm going to search for them?

Posted by: bigd s14

if you are going CDMA, check out the energizer chargers, they take a battery and plug into the phone