Hello everyone,
This is a really helpful thread. I have been using Eneloops but most of them are all dead now so I came here looking for recommendations of Maha's Powerex which were recommended to me by Zack Arias, flash guru.

When I purchased the Eneloop batteries I had a four bay charger from wherever, years ago. But I was away on a trip and forgot it and purchased a fast charger from Radio Shack.
What I noticed right away was how hot the batteries were coming out of the charger, some much hotter than others. From reading here... "not a good thing". They were so hot that I worried about putting them into my flash until they cooled down. Shortly afterward of using this charger the charger started flashing on certain batteries. I am guessing these batteries were no longer any good, though to be honest I never looked this up, though in hindsight I should have.

I never knew there were different power ratings on the Eneloops- what are the advantages/disadvantages in using the 2000 vs. 2500 w/ respect to flash recycle time, charging time, etc...?

Are most folks here fans of the Eneloop vs. the Powerex or is there not much difference? It looks like I need to purchase a new charger, "smart" charger and which one is recommended? I use about 30 AA batteries. Though I am down to about 12 and need to replace them. The one thing that Zack Arias said was that he replaces his Powerex batteries about once a year. This might be due to the amount of use he puts his through.

Lastly I am looking to purchase the CR123 rechargeable battery for the SU800- What manufacturer/model is good? B&H sells several companies but not Eneloop nor Powerex.

Thanks for the help here

Doug