Digital Caliper batteries

[Tin Falcon]

Guys: I think most of us have a pair or two or more of the import digital calipers of one brand or another.I also have a couple of the HF electronic indicators. About A year ago I found a "bargain" on batteries for them. These batteries are sold by a number of different manufacturer numbers.
Buyer beware! electronic devices like these calipers work best with silver oxide batteries. Many online and e-bay sellers will sell the cheaper alkaline version claiming it is equivalent. While the LR44 will fit and operate the calipers and electronic devices they do not last. It seems like I was replacing a battery every month or two. So last weekend I ordered a batch of the real ones at a good price from www.sr44.com
I have not received the batteries yet but this site is selling energizer brand # 357 batteries at a very fair price. Normal disclaimers.
Tin

 

[mklotz]

I engineered a bulk buy (100 batteries for $50) from them for our club. So far everyone has been happy with them.

Most of the calipers and such that use these need a certain voltage to operate. In the silver oxide battery, the voltage 'droops' very little over the life of the battery - basically it stays constant and then drops precipitously to zero when the battery is exhausted. With the alkaline LR44 the voltage 'droops' continually over the life and so becomes too low for the device before the battery is totally exhausted. You can prove this to yourself. Take an LR44 that will no longer operate a caliper and stick it in a less voltage-sensitive device such as an LED flashlight. You'll still get light thus proving that the battery is not yet fully exhausted.

 

[Cedge]

Marv....
That bulk buy deal still a viable option?

Steve

 

[mklotz]

Marv....
That bulk buy deal still a viable option?

Steve

Not sure what you mean, Steve. The website still offers the 100 for $50 with free shipping.

If you're talking about the ones we bought for the club, those have all been spoken for.

 

[Cedge]

DUHHH!!, Me. Memo to self... click on proffered links before looking stupid...LOL. Looks like a buy here. I go through quite a few with the DROS and digital measuring sticks.

Steve

 

[firebird]

Hi

I'm a bit of a b****r for leaving my calipres switched on consequently the batteries run down. I buy these cards of batteries for £1.00 from local markets. Depending on the type of cards you either get 8 or 10 LR44 batteries (sometimes they are called AG13 or357) plus all the other watch batteries that do come in handy. They seem to last fairly well in my calipres but anyway at the price they are a bargain.

Cheers

 

[shred]

FWIW leaving the cheap calipers 'on' or 'off' doesn't do much for battery consumption one way or the other-- all the on/off button does is turn off the display and those use a miniscule amount of power.

Try turning it off, moving the jaws, hitting zero, then close the jaws and turn it on and see what it says..

 

[Tin Falcon]

I did the 25 for $16.49 deal . figure if I went to wally world that would buy about 5 batteries. The shelf life on these is five years so should be good for a while.
Tin

 

[gilessim]

I bought some mitutoyo calipers 2 years ago (they cost 70 euros though!) and I was away for 3 months, when I came back the other day, I saw I'd left them turned on with the display reading 5.06mm!, they still seem to work fine, I guess that you get what you pay for!

Giles

 

[Swede]

Thanks for the hookup to the batteries! I also bought 25. That's a real bargain, and now I don't have to fret about draining the batts anymore. ;D

 

[gjrepesh]

I placed an order a couple months ago for these batteries at the sr44 site. Never heard from them. Called the phone numbers and they were disconnected. Paypal got my money back.

 

[Swede]

I placed an order a couple months ago for these batteries at the sr44 site. Never heard from them. Called the phone numbers and they were disconnected. Paypal got my money back.

Uh oh!

 

[Tin Falcon]

placed an order a couple months ago for these batteries at the sr44 site. Never heard from them. Called the phone numbers and they were disconnected. Paypal got my money back.

Does not give me a warm fuzzy feeling either. I hope I am not leading anyone into a trap I fell for.
Tin

 

[Rog02]

Hello:

I was out at my friendly, local Horrible Fright store last night picking up some stocking stuffers for my brothers and was plesently surprised to find they are now carrying silver oxide SR44 batteries. Stock (SKU) number is 40127, price is $.50 USD each.

I bought 4 thinking that would hold me for a while, but as luck would have it I needed 3 in the cats' laser pointer and the 4th went into the set of 6" calipers I keep here at the computer. Time will tell on how well they hold up.

Roger
"I'm Old, I'm Tired, and I'M GRUMPY"

 

[wareagle]

Rog02, Welcome to the forum! You have a laser cat toy, too! ;D

Having spare batteries is something that I have always tried to have on hand. I just recently got a electronic set of calipers, but haven't put a spare battery in the tool box. I need to do that! One evening I will out there and all will go south when....

 

[Tin Falcon]

I was at HF today and picked up a set of there 8" large display model on closeout. The SR44 that was installed in it was low the display was flashing the spare is O K so far.Did not see the spares for sale.
Tin

 

[Rog02]

I found the SR44 batteries in the flashlight section at HF. Guess I should have mentioned that.

 

[shred]

I use a ton of the 44-size batteries and spent a while scoping out sources a few years ago-- the two best were Wal Mart and one of the online places.

Wal-Mart carries lighted fishing bobbers. They also had replacement battery packs at $1 for two in the fishing section. Those work great, but all the local stores around here are sold out and either never get more or other people like me scoop them up before I get there.

I also bought a 100-pack from one of the online places and split them with some friends, but I can't remember which battery store it was now. :-[ Those weren't as long-lasting, but work ok.

Once that stock is used up I'll have to go look around more. The HF calipers start blinking long, long before they quit working, so you have plenty of warning.

 

[Rog02]

While looking for a cross referance for another battery I found the tech sheets on the "Energizer" sight.http://data.energizer.com/Default.aspx

For those considering a bulk purchase of the silver oxide batteies, shelf life can be extended to between 9 and 10 years by storing them in the freezer 0 degrees C. (32 degrees F.).

http://data.energizer.com/PDFs/357-303.pdf

 

[Stan]

The watch and calculator batteries are now in big variety at the "Dollar Store". Ten of the same size for $1.00 or mixed card with 3 different numbers for $1.00. Who cares if they only last half as long. I also use Chinese batteries in my hearing aids. They last a little more than two weeks for about .20 compared to brand name which last about three weeks for $1.50.