Question about battery life !

[1shotwade]

Why do some batteries last for decades and others won't even last for a month? Point in question. I have a metal detector I bought in 1992. It has the same batteries in it that were in it when i bought it. They are still fine. It has a battery check lite and has never failed.That is 22 years! I'm happy!
I also have a digital caliper that I bought a few months ago. The battery is no good! I'm not happy.
To be honest neither piece of equipment get's used all that much and they are different types of batteries but dang! These little lr44's were $8 for three.And they don't last more than a few months with no use?The MD has 4 "c" cells and is still going strong! They are both stored the same(a.i. temp./humidity etc.)
Now I'm thinking every time I want to use the calipers I'll have to take the tape off the battery,instal it,use it then take it out and tape it back up just to keep it from going dead! That's a pain!
I know this is just a little thing but how else can I deal with this? I know somebody out there has figured this out by now!

Thanks,


Wade

[MichaelK!]

A lot of electrical hand tools like flash lights have a cheap to make on/off switch that is not 100% off in the sense we are thinking of. These switches are made of non-conducting materials, but a very small trace of electricity still flows across the junction. Maybe the electrons are actually flowing through the plastic itself, or maybe they are "jumping" across the conection via ionized air.

In any case, the current, which is too low to detect, is enough to discharge the batterys over months or even years of storage. I think this is why you see the batteries in one unit fail, whereas another tool sits there just fine.

You can mitigate this slow discharge more by introducing additional non-conducting materials around the battery contacts. For things like flashlights, I lay a strip of thick paper down on the plus terminal to break the contact, which seems to be a better non-conductor than the switch itself.

I usually position the paper so it is in-between the battery and the bulb, with a little tab of paper sticking out of the threads so I remember it's there. When I need the flashlight, I simply unthread the bulb frame enough to pull out the paper and then it works on demand.

This technique more or less completely eliminates the threat of batteries discharging to the point that they break open and start leaking chemicals.

[TnAndy]

Buy ya a non-electric caliper ?

Pay for itself in battery savings.

[BlackFeather]

My digital camera batteries die just sitting, I took to placing plastic wrap over one battery in the compartment when in storage and the problem is gone. As far as lr44, they are alkaline, a76 or 357 are the silver oxide version and lasts longer. I would place plastic over/ under the button battery when in storage. Shop around, the "know it all" electronic store I worked at bought button batteries for less than 50 cents and resold them for 4 or 5 dollars. They are cheaper else where.

[motdaugrnds]

The batteries use (digital camera, flashlight, fire alarm) are "rechargeable". Seems to me they are always needing recharging and each charge last less than the previous.

[Backtolandscape]

I have a cheap horrible freight digital caliper. When it's off they are not really off. They are consuming power, but the display is off. Funny thing is that the display is not the real high drain part. I had to keep removing the battery when not in use. I also have nice set at work whose batteries last for years. Long battery life is part of a good design and separates China junk from quality, but they are cheap and usefully accurate. For home I use my orig dial calipers.
Regards

[1shotwade]

Originally Posted by motdaugrnds

The batteries use (digital camera, flashlight, fire alarm) are "rechargeable". Seems to me they are always needing recharging and each charge last less than the previous.

Yah! I got a bunch of rechargeables too. I use them for my trailcams etc. They last less and less each time you charge them. I do have a digital camera that will NOT operate on rechargeables. It will only work with alkaline batteries!


Wade

[Backtolandscape]

Originally Posted by 1shotwade

Yah! I got a bunch of rechargeables too. I use them for my trailcams etc. They last less and less each time you charge them. I do have a digital camera that will NOT operate on rechargeables. It will only work with alkaline batteries!


Wade

Wade, Is there not a setup selection for battery type ? Rechargeables have different discharge curves and most cameras have a selection so that they can better show you how much life is left and when to autoshutdown to not damage drained batteries.

[1shotwade]

Originally Posted by Backtolandscape

Wade, Is there not a setup selection for battery type ? Rechargeables have different discharge curves and most cameras have a selection so that they can better show you how much life is left and when to autoshutdown to not damage drained batteries.

I'm not real up on electronics. I don't think it has that. I'm sitting here looking at it and all i can see on it is it says "10.1 megapixel W1000 . It's a GE. If you put other batteries in it it comes on then shuts right back off. I just got the camera and have no paperwork or anything so maybe it's just something I don't know about the camera.

Wade

[arabian knight]

I guess some do not know the difference between Rechargeable and regular batteries. If you look real close at those that can be recharged you see the Voltage is lower.
Not sure if many know that.
Say your equipment needs 2 AAA Regular batteries. The Combined Voltage is 3 Volts.~ 1.5 volts each battery.
Now the same Rechargeable AAA ones when using 2 -- Voltage is 2.4 Volts. as they are only 1.2 volts each
Now that .3 volts difference for one or over a 1/2 volt when using two may not seem like much But with todays electronics that MAY make a big difference.
I sure would not be using rechargeable in something that was never made with or came with Rechargeable batteries, not with todays electronics. Way to sensitive to lower voltage.~

Side note that is why If you put in regular AAA batteries in say a Cordless Phone that is set up For ONLY Rechargeable ones, it Won't Work. I have tried it.
The difference is Higher Voltage in regular batteries. The phone will not work on that higher voltage.

[Backtolandscape]

Originally Posted by 1shotwade

I'm not real up on electronics. I don't think it has that. I'm sitting here looking at it and all i can see on it is it says "10.1 megapixel W1000 . It's a GE. If you put other batteries in it it comes on then shuts right back off. I just got the camera and have no paperwork or anything so maybe it's just something I don't know about the camera.

Wade

Wade, This could be your manual ?
http://www.general-imaging.com/us/su...08-AEWM-En.pdf

[Rustaholic]

Originally Posted by 1shotwade

I'm not real up on electronics. I don't think it has that. I'm sitting here looking at it and all i can see on it is it says "10.1 megapixel W1000 . It's a GE. If you put other batteries in it it comes on then shuts right back off. I just got the camera and have no paperwork or anything so maybe it's just something I don't know about the camera.

Wade

In all digital cameras I will only use Energizer Ultimate Lithium batteries.
They do cost more but they last and last.
It was quite a shock with my first camera when all of my rechargeable batteries wouldn't take pictures.
I knew about the lower voltage so I put some alkaline batteries in it and had to put in new ones twice a day. That was expensive 650 miles from home at an old engine show. When I found the Lithium batteries I had no more worries. If I take a few hundred pictures per day for several weeks the camera would still be ready for more.

Another good thing in the last four years I have replaced the batteries twice and both times I kept the old batteries and tested them after a couple weeks and they were still in great shape for replacing dead alkaline batteries in little flashlights and stuff.

[1shotwade]

Originally Posted by Backtolandscape

Wade, This could be your manual ?
http://www.general-imaging.com/us/su...08-AEWM-En.pdf

Hey,thanks! That looks like mine is in there!

Wade

[1shotwade]

Originally Posted by Rustaholic

In all digital cameras I will only use Energizer Ultimate Lithium batteries.
They do cost more but they last and last.
It was quite a shock with my first camera when all of my rechargeable batteries wouldn't take pictures.
I knew about the lower voltage so I put some alkaline batteries in it and had to put in new ones twice a day. That was expensive 650 miles from home at an old engine show. When I found the Lithium batteries I had no more worries. If I take a few hundred pictures per day for several weeks the camera would still be ready for more.

Another good thing in the last four years I have replaced the batteries twice and both times I kept the old batteries and tested them after a couple weeks and they were still in great shape for replacing dead alkaline batteries in little flashlights and stuff.

I just checked my rechargeables and they are all energizers,nickel halide.And they are 1.2 volts. Isn't lithium a rechargeable battery also?


Wade

[big rockpile]

Me and my wife have same types of Remotes for our T.V.s and Wireless Mouse. I go through way more Batteries than her

Cameras I buy ones I can recharge the Batteries. I'm hard on Cameras dropping them and just banging them around. Funny when I was into Photography I was way rougher on stuff, yes I would maybe break a Lens but that seem to be it. Cheap Digitals last couple months with me anymore.

Had a GPS I thought had quit, come to find out the Batteries I tried in it wasn't any good, found out after I gave it away.

Seems I have to buy another Battery for my Boat after I loaned one for a couple days and months later it is still loaned. Yes I asked for it back.

My Battery quit on one Lap Top but I used it a lot just running it off the Battery and would charge it in my Pickup.

big rockpile

[Nimrod]

Originally Posted by 1shotwade

I just checked my rechargeables and they are all energizers,nickel halide.And they are 1.2 volts. Isn't lithium a rechargeable battery also?


Wade

Rechargable batteries used to be nickle cadmium (NiCad). Now they also have nickle metal hydride (NiMH) and lithium ion (Li-ion) rechargeable batteries.

NiCad need to be discharged completely before charging. If they are charged when they have a a partial charge, they can "form a memory" and only discharge to that point before they act as if they are dead. They also discharge fairly quickly if they are stored with a charge but not used. They come in the normal AAA, AA, C, and D sizes. Many things come with NiCads because they are cheaper. Try to avoid them.

NiMH batteries will not form a memory, holds a charge for a long time if they are not used, and come in the normal sizes.

NiCad and NiMH batteries have a slightly lower voltage than the same size alkalines so they don't work in some things.

Some Li-ion batteries match up with the normal size batteries but have very different voltages. They are used in rechargeable tools, not radios and flashlights.

I have a charger for NiMH. I try to limit my stuff to AA or D size. AA are at Walmart. D size are through Amazon and pricey.

http://www.amazon.com/Premium-Tenerg...ds=nimh+d+cell

[Rustaholic]

Originally Posted by 1shotwade

I just checked my rechargeables and they are all energizers,nickel halide.And they are 1.2 volts. Isn't lithium a rechargeable battery also?


Wade

Not these Ultimate Lithium batteries.
They are all about a lot of power though.
Using either those rechargeable ones or the best alkaline ones I could find I needed 20 of them to get through a weekend and I was always changing batteries.
In the last six years I have used six batteries since I started using these.
They are off the scale in power on my battery testing meters when new.
Worn out for the digital camera these batteries still test as good as any new alkaline battery.

[1shotwade]

Originally Posted by Rustaholic

Not these Ultimate Lithium batteries.
They are all about a lot of power though.
Using either those rechargeable ones or the best alkaline ones I could find I needed 20 of them to get through a weekend and I was always changing batteries.
In the last six years I have used six batteries since I started using these.
They are off the scale in power on my battery testing meters when new.
Worn out for the digital camera these batteries still test as good as any new alkaline battery.

OK,This is totally new to me. I've never even heard of them before. Can you give me an idea as to where I might find them and what kind of prices we are talking about? (sounds like I should keep enough of them in my old truck to jump start it!LOL !)


Wade

[Rustaholic]

Originally Posted by 1shotwade

OK,This is totally new to me. I've never even heard of them before. Can you give me an idea as to where I might find them and what kind of prices we are talking about? (sounds like I should keep enough of them in my old truck to jump start it!LOL !)


Wade

I buy them at Walmart.
Energizer Ultimate Lithium AA batteries in a four pack were $9.83 last time I bought them. I was just using my digital camera and in the bag is a set of new ones that has that price sticker on it.
I do believe it would take a LOT of them to jump start your truck.
I use a #4 gauge wire 20 foot long set of jumper cables and carry a spare battery in the trunk of the car we drive. I need to get around to digging the old battery out of the car but the way they put them in there now it has just been easier to jump start the car when it needs it.

[1shotwade]

Thanks! It's on my list!

Wade