Digital Caliper batteries

[Tin Falcon]

As of this date I have not received my order of batteries and the vendors e-mail box is full I may have to be looking for a refund. ARGH buyer beware I may check Harbor freight for spares this weekend.
tin

 

[Swede]

Yup, same deal. :-\ What kind of idiot leaves up a web site advertising something and simply ignores it? Now, how do I get PayPal to refund my money?

 

[JW]

I use the hearing aid batteries, they activate when you want them and are cheap and Tax free.

I hope this helps

 

[b.lindsey]

With the abundance of battery powered devices increasing exponentially (cell phones, i-pods, cordless phones, not to mention cordless tools) it looks like Mitutoyo, or Starret, or someone could come up with a Ni-cad or lithium or NimH button size battery that could be recharged. Then we could have one in the calipers and a spare or two ready or charging...even if the charge didn't last as long as the silver oxide ones. I am not an electrician or electronics person my any means, but surely rechargeable technology could come up with 1.5 volts in a button size battery. Given the number of electronic calipers and micrometers alone it would seem to be a pretty large market. Can anyone here speak to why this CAN'T be done? Just curious.

Bill

 

[BobWarfield]

This is typical of life in my shop. No sooner am I reading this thread and thinking, "I should get some of those batteries some day", than almost every stinking digital caliper or other gadget in my shop starts warning its low on juice.

So I ordered a bunch. Hope they get here before my favorite calipers are dead! :

Cheers,

BW

 

[shred]

I saw a solar-powered Mitutoyo the other day. Great idea, no batteries at all and runs off shop lighting. Of course $50 will buy quite a few years worth of batteries..

http://longislandindicator.com/p127.html

 

[Swede]

Shred, I've got that caliper in a 4" model. It is one of my favorites. A real top-shelf tool, smooth, accurate. It will operate in amazingly low light conditions. About the only issue I've ever had with it is when you switch from metric to imperial, and back, unless the light is brighter, it switches slowly. Otherwise, it's near perfect.

 

[b.lindsey]

Well it sure solves the battery problem, now if they will just go on sale...the regular price seems to be around $200 for the 6".

Bill

 

[macona]

One one of the machinist sites there was an articly someone wrote on batteries and calipers. Basically what he found is what was stated earlier about alkaline vs. silver oxide and also what may be even more important is he found that the on/off switch on the chinese calipers just turns off the display. The current draw is nearly the same on as off. This does make since as I have one of the chinese quill dros on my mill and if I move the quill it wakes up and still knows where it is. That shows the thing is not really off.

 

[mklotz]

Yet my Mitutoyo Digimatic remembers its reading and its battery lasts seemingly forever. As you indicate, my cheapo HF calipers come awake if moved and the battery doesn't last nearly as long as the Mitutoyo.

I have a Mitutoyo electronic micrometer that wakes up when moved and exhausts batteries fairly quickly.

Based on that (horribly inadequate) sample of three, I'm guessing that it's the "come on when moved monitor" function that drains the battery and not the "remember where I am" function.

It would appear that Mitutoyo 'finally got it right' with the newer Digimatic calipers and the Chinese imitators haven't cloned that technology yet.

 

[Jadecy]

I went to HF to get batteries today and they didn't have any in stock BUT they did have these little keychain lights that have three button batteries each for a $1.

I need them for my lazer centering tool. I'll let you know how long they last. I don't have super high hopes but for a buck I couldn't pass up trying them.

 

[shred]

Based on that (horribly inadequate) sample of three, I'm guessing that it's the "come on when moved monitor" function that drains the battery and not the "remember where I am" function.

It would appear that Mitutoyo 'finally got it right' with the newer Digimatic calipers and the Chinese imitators haven't cloned that technology yet.

I've got an old HF that doesn't come on when moved and it still sucks the batteries. The circuits are just always on even when the display is off-- the article I read, the guy stuck a sensitive ammeter across the battery leads of a few different brands.. The Mitutoyo calipers just have better circuitry-- they draw power when 'off' too, but so much less it doesn't matter nearly as much.

 

[compound driver 2]

Hi
The more I read the more i think il stick to my verniers and old fashioned micrometers.
Never had to replace a battery in any of them in the 30 years iv had them.

Had you thought about taking the battery out when not in use? I do that with most things electrical when not in use. I found that out after putting new batts in a TV remote time and time again. Only to be told by Panasonic that the controler always uses some power.

Cheers kevin

 

[Jadecy]

I bought the laser pointer before I learned what a wiggler was (I have no formal training in machining). To tell you the truth I use the wiggler almost 100% of the time. I use a mechanical caliper most of the time as well. I bought my first digital yesterday that I am going to mount and use on my lathe. I plan to wire it to use a wall wart so I don't have to use batteries or I may just put a wire lead on it and use a few "D" cells in parallel to power it and make the batteries last longer. It just needs 1.5v dc.

I don't even own a digital micrometer. This is all knid of funny when I think about it because I am a computer programmer.

 

[AllThumbs]

This might be a good battery option for the digital calipers I hacked into DRO's on my lathe.

 

[Swede]

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

Now how about this! The 25 batteries that I ordered LONG ago from the sr44.com site SHOWED UP! So apparently they are still operating, albeit at a snail's pace. So if you ordered batteries from those guys, sit tight, and they'll probably get to you eventually.

 

[Tin Falcon]

Swede:
That is good news. I placed my order on the 16th of December. When did you order yours? I have not been to the post Office to pick up mail in a few days so hoping the batteries are sitting there waiting.
Tin

 

[Swede]

Tin, I ordered mine maybe 2 or 3 days after you posted initially, so hopefully yours will be there.

 

[BobWarfield]

Ordered mine Jan 15 and had them less than a week later. They're definitely shipping 'em out. Must have taken a holiday break or something.

Best,

BW

 

[Cedge]

Just popped for an order of 50 pcs. In for a penny.... in for a pound. I'll let you know when they get here.

Steve