[jerf]

Alkaline is still often the best choice for those really long, low draw applications. That said, if you really want NiMH, make sure it's the latest-generation "low self-discharge" ones, which do seem to be much better about holding on to power for longer. I haven't tried to put it in my smoke detector, but the low-self discharge are now reasonable for use in TV remotes and such. To be honest, unless you use your remote a lot, it's probably still more economical to use alkaline on those, but, well, my battery needs have fluctuated a lot over the years and is now trending down as the kids get out of the "battery-powered toy" phase, and the NiMH-in-hand is still cheaper than the alkaline on the store shelf, right?

[skyshine]

I've been using low self discharge NiMH batteries for years. I find they are better than Alkaline for almost everything. They are fine in all my remotes. Last for months. It is only a couple of items that just don't work with any NiMH batteries. The smoke detector and a clock. It's not that they run dry quickly. The smoke detector fails within 24 hours (gives a battery low warning siren) and a clock that just doesn't work.

[jerf]

"They are fine in all my remotes."

I don't mean they are bad. I mean that putting a ~5$ battery set in a remote, in a place where you're going to recharge it perhaps once or twice, can't justify the premium over just buying cheap alkalines the two or three times, max, you'll be changing batteries. (Heck, the stupid cheap ones the remotes typically ship with tend to last a couple of years themselves.) They work, and if you're in my position where you already have them, use them, but I would recommend against buying NiMH of any kind explicitly for your remotes.