Dial caliper battery question

[Metal Butcher]

I use two import 0-6" dial calipers. One sits in the trunk of my car to be used on my weekly excursions to the local scrap yards and the battery is about a year old. The second one is used for rough and quick measurements in the shop. I just installed the fourth battery since November in the one I use in the shop. I have been using the LR44 (alkaline) battery that came with the calipers. Today I requested the LR44 and was handed a 357/303 (silver oxide) and told that it was the only one on hand and it would work. I don't know anything about these small watch type batteries. However It does fit , and the voltage is the same.

Has anyone used this substitute battery?

Did I do the right thing to accept this substitute?

Will this battery last as long, or longer than the LR44?

I'm getting tired of replacing the battery, and hope this one is better!

-MB

 

[mklotz]

The SR44 will work and will last longer.

Nicad batteries have a (voltage) discharge curve that's constant slope over the life of the battery. Silver oxide holds near constant voltage till near end of life and then the voltage drops suddenly.

The caliper detects "low battery" based on voltage so it will decide the LR44 is done for earlier (in the discharge period) than is the case with the SR44.

Most calipers today only turn off the display when you push the "off" button. The scale reading function is still electrically active so it can "remember" its absolute position. The result is that cheap (e.g., Harbor Freight) calipers will wear down a battery quickly. (BTW, Mitutoyo has figured out how to solve this.) If you don't intend to use it for a while, physically remove the battery.

 

[Metal Butcher]

The SR44 will work and will last longer.

Nicad batteries have a (voltage) discharge curve that's constant slope over the life of the battery. Silver oxide holds near constant voltage till near end of life and then the voltage drops suddenly.

The caliper detects "low battery" based on voltage so it will decide the LR44 is done for earlier (in the discharge period) than is the case with the SR44.

Most calipers today only turn off the display when you push the "off" button. The scale reading function is still electrically active so it can "remember" its absolute position. The result is that cheap (e.g., Harbor Freight) calipers will wear down a battery quickly. (BTW, Mitutoyo has figured out how to solve this.) If you don't intend to use it for a while, physically remove the battery.

I'm familiar with the unruly (pain in the b) behavior of rechargeable Nickle-Cadmium. battery's. Do you mean that alkaline batteries like the Alkaline-LR44 also display this behavior?
Is the SR44 you mention the same as the Silver Oxide-357/303 I just bought?
The calipers I have were a gift, brand name is "CHINA".
They have an battery saving? "Auto Off" feature. Would these still be drawing power off the battery? Makes me wonder why the ones in my trunk aren't also dead-as-a-brick.

-MB

 

[arnoldb]

MB: Alkaline batteries have a similar discharge curve to Ni-Cd batteries. Few people know this, but alkaline batteries can actually be recharged a couple of times - BUT THIS IS DANGEROUS, AS THEY CAN EXPLODE. There was a time, many years ago, when I knew the (then) detailed battery compositions better than now - I think it's time for a brush-up

If your "China" caliper turns the display off automatically, but also turns it on automatically if you open it up, it just goes into a "stand-by" mode when the display is off - sort of like a TV that was turned off by, and can be turned on by remote control. It uses less power while the display is off, but is not really "off", like Marv said.

Perhaps the Mitutoyo mentioned has a form of micro-switch and/or miniature "relay" that turns of the entire power supply from the battery to the rest of the electronics; this will truly turn off the caliper when not in use. This may not be entirely accurate though; I can think of another couple of ways using micro-electronics to accomplish this.

I also fully agree about removing the battery when not in use - especially with equipment made with "cheap" batteries. When inactive, or when completely discharged, the batteries can start to leak, and besides corroding the contact points in the battery holder, it could damage the electronics of the device.

Regards, Arnold

 

[Metal Butcher]

MB: Alkaline batteries have a similar discharge curve to Ni-Cd batteries. Few people know this, but alkaline batteries can actually be recharged a couple of times - BUT THIS IS DANGEROUS, AS THEY CAN EXPLODE. There was a time, many years ago, when I knew the (then) detailed battery compositions better than now - I think it's time for a brush-up

If your "China" caliper turns the display off automatically, but also turns it on automatically if you open it up, it just goes into a "stand-by" mode when the display is off - sort of like a TV that was turned off by, and can be turned on by remote control. It uses less power while the display is off, but is not really "off", like Marv said.

Perhaps the Mitutoyo mentioned has a form of micro-switch and/or miniature "relay" that turns of the entire power supply from the battery to the rest of the electronics; this will truly turn off the caliper when not in use. This may not be entirely accurate though; I can think of another couple of ways using micro-electronics to accomplish this.

I also fully agree about removing the battery when not in use - especially with equipment made with "cheap" batteries. When inactive, or when completely discharged, the batteries can start to leak, and besides corroding the contact points in the battery holder, it could damage the electronics of the device.

Regards, Arnold

Arnold and mlotz, thanks for the explanation.

I tested the caliper with both auto off and manual off. It does indeed hold value in memory.

So since it actually goes "auto on" and "auto off" the switch is pretty much useless other than saving the battery a little by turning off the display a little sooner.

Removing the battery is a good suggestion for off season storage. Doing it every day would be more of a PITA than replacing it monthly.

Solar calipers...Hmm...

-MB

 

[cobra428]

MB
They have them
Tony

 

[Noitoen]

I have a Chinese type digital calliper with a "good non Chinese" battery and it lasts a long time. On or off I see no difference because if you move it with the it turned off, it will continue to measure correctly, so all you save is the display current which is very frugal

 

[Metal Butcher]

I have a Chinese type digital calliper with a "good non Chinese" battery and it lasts a long time. On or off I see no difference because if you move it with the it turned off, it will continue to measure correctly, so all you save is the display current which is very frugal

After reading " good non Chinese" that reminded me that the calipers came with two batteries each. I killed three before buying the fourth one. This could be the reason for the frequent and frustrating battery changes!

Only time will tell.

EDIT! I just noticed something funny. I accidentally referred to this thread and my electronic calipers as "dial calipers," and it Seems that everyone understood what I was talking about! The members on this forum are great!

No one said, "you don't know what your talking about, Dial calipers don't have batteries!"

-MB :big:

 

[arnoldb]

Heck, where I come from "dial calipers" are commonly known as "verniers" , even though most people here cannot read a "vernier" scale properly

I think it's because of some "cross-contamination" - most of the "verniers" I grew up with, had an analogue dial - like a dial indicator - i.e. a "dial calipers"

Now it's all digital, no more checking the vernier scale, neither a nice round dial-indication-pointy-bit for a "dial indicator" after reading the major part off the caliper.

I have an "electronic Chinese" caliper that I use primarily, but also a "manual" Japanese vernier caliper with both metric and imperial calibrations - when I want better accuracy, or the electronics are dead I use this.

I've seen a couple of non-American, non-British "Dial" calipers but have _no_ experience of those; for some reason I just don't trust them

Arnold

 

[Maryak]

Heck, where I come from "dial calipers" are commonly known as "verniers" , even though most people here cannot read a "vernier" scale properly

Bit of a bold statement, how did you figure it out. ???

Best Regards
Bob

 

[applescotty]

Bit of a bold statement, how did you figure it out. ???

Best Regards
Bob

Perhaps 'here' is 'where I come from', and not HMEM.

Scott

 

[Lew Hartswick]

None of my "dial" instruments have any batteries or even "cells' for the picky.
...lew...

 

[arnoldb]

Bob, that was never intended as a bold statement, but a general observation from within my context.

The "mechanical - related" shops I visit here normally have "cheapy plastic" calipers ready-to-hand - these are commonly called "verniers" here. Most of these have a nice "dial" (which I don't trust) and a vernier indication on the caliper (which I also do not trust ), so hence the "verniers" name for dial-calipers...

Some shops here have VERY nice vernier or dial calipers literally chained to their counter-tops, but the counter-salespersons don't know how to use them, in either metric or imperial sizes, and customers can just come in and, "unskilled", measure any-old-thing - with ill regard to the precision of the nice-and-free measuring tool.

I know this sounds sort of silly, but it happens _much_ more regularly than I'd wish for...

Regards, Arnold

 

[arnoldb]

Perhaps 'here' is 'where I come from', and not HMEM.

Scott

Thanks VERY MUCH Scott

Honestly, I will never intentionally say anything bad or adverse about anyone on this forum.

Kind regards

Arnold.

 

[Tin Falcon]

MB Yes a SR44 is the same as a 357
Tin

 

[Cedge]

Somewhere in the archives of this forum, there is a thread concerning bulk purchase of sr44/357 batteries. Everyone who ordered, including me, was quite happy with the transaction. Back then the price was about 50 cents per battery for these Energizer brand batteries. I see the price has gone up a little bit since those days, but it still beats the local drug store or home depot pricing by several steps. I still have about 25 in my tool box, fresh and waiting to be called to duty.

Check out http://www.sr44.com . No association... just a satisfied customer.

Steve

 

[Tin Falcon]

Steve thanks for the Link again I was one of the happy customers I think I an close to ordering another batch of 25.
Tin

 

[Metal Butcher]

Somewhere in the archives of this forum, there is a thread concerning bulk purchase of sr44/357 batteries. Everyone who ordered, including me, was quite happy with the transaction. Back then the price was about 50 cents per battery for these Energizer brand batteries. I see the price has gone up a little bit since those days, but it still beats the local drug store or home depot pricing by several steps. I still have about 25 in my tool box, fresh and waiting to be called to duty.

Check out http://www.sr44.com . No association... just a satisfied customer.

Steve

Thanks for the link. It gives me quite a bit of information about battery numbers. Also after a little research It looks like the alkaline LR44 and clones have 100 to 120 mAh compared to the silver oxide 357/303 with 175 mAh. Meaning the latter is a longer lasting battery. The 16 interchangeable battery numbers shown in the link is ridiculous! Nothing more than a marketing ploy to steer consumers into buying a mass produced brand.

25 batteries you say, I like a man that's well prepared!

I have about 2000 disposable cigarette lighters, You never know, They may outlaw them! And "Honey" has about 2.5 million rubber bands! Said something about rubber trees slowly vanishing.

-MB ;D

 

[Cedge]

MB
It was more like self defense. I had about 12 digital devices in play if you counted all the DRO scales, calipers, mics and depth gauges. A fresh battery change on all of them could break the bank at retail...(grin). The little DRO on my Mill's quill is a veritable glutton that seems to like to snack between meals. At 50 cents apiece, I bought 50 for $25.00.

I don't think I've ever seen an invisible rubber tree.....(grin)

Steve

 

[Metal Butcher]

For those wishing to stock up here's another source.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0015R7GMC...SDTCB8X&tag=shopzilla_rev_189-20&linkCode=asn

100 count LR44 under $9 with free ship. can't be beat! Stock up now!

-MB