Products specifying alkaline batteries

Because upping the number of cells within the same package may not result in any real benefits. Indeed, apart from increasing the cost, it may end up with a lower capacity. It depends on how sensitive the device is to voltages at the lower end of what an alkaline cell produces.

If you're talking Ni-Cads or NiMH, it's unlikely to be a 8 cell PP3 if cheap.

The initial open circuit voltage of a Ni-Cad is pretty irrelevant. After a short time under load it will settle at 1.2v per cell and stay there for most of the usable range. Alkalines are dying from the second they're used. ;-)

On Wed, 11 Oct 2006 16:53:59 +0000, Michael Black Has Frothed:

I'm a ham and what's important to me is that the current in rechargables remains constant until the end of the charge. It's important in power hungry portable ham radio gear to have that constant current until it's time to recharge.

Coming back to the original posting, the manufacturer was probably suggesting the use of alkaline batteries is preferred - as against carbon zinc types with their inherently poor shelf life and leaking electrolyte.