Cheapskate's tip

[deverett]

Any other cheapskates out there?

Has anyone noticed how quickly the batteries drain down in the Chinese digital calipers, even when they are switched off?

When I finish for the day in my workshop, I remove the battery - takes just a few seconds to take out and replace next time. There are no settings to lose by removing the battery, and depending on how long you are away from the shop, perhaps more than doubles the life of the battery.

Dave
The Emerald Isle

 

[applescotty]

Are you using LR44 or SR44 batteries?

From http://littlemachineshop.com/products/2976 :

While the silver oxide batteries have somewhat more capacity than the alkaline batteries (190 mAh vs. 105 mAh), there is more to the story.

The voltage that an alkaline battery puts out declines fairly steadily over the usage life of the battery. At some point on that curve-not a long way past half way, the voltage drops to the point where the display on your instrument starts blinking- asking for a new battery.

Silver oxide batteries, on the other hand, maintain close to their initial voltage through about 90% of their useful life.

So you might get to use 60% of the capacity of an alkaline battery (60% of 105 mAh is 63 mAh) versus 90% of the capacity of a silver oxide battery (90% of 190 mAh is 171 mAh). And you don't have to change batteries so often.

Might be why the drain so quickly?

Scott

 

[miker]

This is what I use and get over a year out of them.

Silver Oxide!!

Rgds

 

[bentprop]

when the $2 shop has those cards with a whole range of batteries,I buy a few cards.This gives me 5(or sometimes 10) of the lr44 size batteries for my $2.I don't go through 5 of those in a year,so I'll happily stick with the cheapo's.The ones Miker shows would cost about $8 here.

 

[spuddevans]

You can do better than that, http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.60

50 LR44's for $4.04 inc p&p

Tim

 

[mklotz]

Or get the real thing...

http://www.sr44.com/

 

[tel]

You can do better than that, http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.60

50 LR44's for $4.04 inc p&p

Tim

Yeah, I bought 50 off 'em some months ago and they seem to stand up just as well as the 'real' ones

 

[Tin Falcon]

Tel: In my experience the LR44s do not last as well as the SR44s I have bought both.
Tin

 

[miker]

Bentprop, I buy them for $3.75 AUD each at Bunnings Hardware. $8.00 NZ is a rip off!!

The alkaline ones that came with the calipers from Aldi didn't last at all. Some were dead sraight out of the box. At $20.00 a set for the calipers I didn't care though. Bought 4 sets of calipers.

 

[malcolmt]

Hi Folks
For all us UK residents Maplin has 150mm (6" old money) "verniers" at £9.99 On offer just now.

Kind regards

Malcolm

 

[John S]

ARC has them at £6.99 for the normal display which is what we were all using up to a year or so ago when the large display came in.

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