Ron Natalie writes:

Even plain old Alkalines will work. The problem is NiCads and NiMH
suffer from self discharge which is excacerbated by heat (i.e.,
leaving the radio to bake in closed up airplane).

Alkaline batteries slowly self-discharge, too. For the slight
increment in cost of lithium, it seems like a good investment for
things that really might have to work after sitting unused for long
periods. Also, lithium batteries don't leak, ever (at least not in my
experience). The lighter weight always helps, too.

Some lithium batteries can overheat or explode if shorted out, which
is why they are not allowed on aircraft. However, batteries like the
standard lithium AA cells have integrated overcurrent protection that
prevents this from happening. If you're using something that requires
special, fancy cells, it's important to see if they have this type of
protection before bringing them on board. I don't know what kind of
batteries handhelds require.

--
Transpose mxsmanic and gmail to reach me by e-mail.