The oldest cells I've put back to use are Sanyo AAs with 1998 dates written on them (by me) at time of purchase. Also have some with no dates I believe I acquired in '96, but not sure - They're all Sanyo Industrial cells. Ive been spoiled, though, by Sanyo's remarkable Low Self-Discharge NiMH cells. I bought several packs of AAs & AAAs along with the charger (2 years ago last July IIRC) - They are all in daily service, all still within 10% of nominal specs. I've since bought more - They do well in single-AA LED flashlights, which avoids the reverse-charging damage frequently seen in such applications. Jack -- http://www.piclist.com PIC/SX FAQ & list archive View/change your membership options at http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/piclist