Didja ever have batteries that just wouldn't die?

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UncleS2

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Every weekend I listen to old-time radio programs late Saturday nights for at least(with *rare* exceptions) 3 hrs. I use the same radio for at least another 3-4 hrs during the week, sometimes 10-12 hrs. The radio in question is a little pocket-size AM/FM analog-tuned Sony ICF-S10MKII that runs on two AA batteries. Sony claims battery life of 40-45 hrs, based on whether used for AM or FM.

The batteries in it currently are a pair of el-cheapo Chinese-made "Craftsman" AA alkalines bought on sale at Sears several years ago- they were the last pair left out of a stick of 24 or 25. The rest of the "stick" never showed any signs of extra long life in anything, & indeed a few died pretty young- but mostly just decent AA alkaline battery performance.

But the batteries playing right now
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- gotta have well over 100 hours on 'em, maybe over 200 hours. My benchmark: brought the new doggie home the last day of November '05, & not only were these batteries in use then- I was beginning to wonder if they needed to be replaced!

Just 2 weeks ago, in an effor to finish 'em off, I left it playing continuously for over 9 hrs on Sat night- 3 hrs old time radio programs, then 3 hrs big band stuff, then programs repeated. 7 pm till after 4 am. And: it just keeps on playing.
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Been playing for over 5 hrs continuously as I type this, still going strong. Checked unloaded voltage 1 or 2 weeks ago, measured a low ~1.13x volts on each battery.
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Now I've heard that the innards of these little analog Sonys operate well at low voltages, making them particularly well suited for rechargeable batteries. But they're still going, & frankly it's starting to get a little creepy!
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I may have a set of batteries posessed by an evil spirit or something!
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EDIT: just did some calculations. By *extremely* conservative figures of 6 hrs/wk, 4 wks/mo, & figuring 8 mo, that =: 6*4*8=192 hrs.

BTW: if you need a small back-up radio for power outages, emergencies, etc, or just a good small radio you could do a lot worse- & they only cost $10-$13, with ridiculously good reception. The radio & a 4-pack of AAs would get you through several days- or maybe even *weeks*- of *heavy* usage. Internet- SonyStyle, Amazon are good sources. Brick & mortar- try Sears or Fry's Electronics.

So- who else has had a set of common batteries that refused to die?
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[ July 09, 2006, 01:59 AM: Message edited by: Stuart Hughes ]
 
I had an Interstate battery in my old Volvo that was cranking fine when I sold the car. At least 10 years old. I know you can't compare Pb-acid to other types but I don't think I have ever had a car battery go much beyond 5 years.

I have a couple NiCd 9.6V Makitas that are 17 years old - they work, but are dwindling.
 
longest lived car battery and most expensive was a Diehard gold. I got 7 yrs out of it. My only other battery factoid prolly belongs on the cheapskate thread. When an AA battery won't power the kids' various toys, I will get another 2 yrs out of it running the analog wall clock in the kitchen.
 
Many radios tend to be very frugal with batteries. I have a GE AM/FM radio that I use while in the workout room downstairs. It gets at least 30 minutes 4-5 times/week for each of us, plus if I'm doing any other work around there it's usually turned on. The batteries that are currently in it are well over a year old. A conservative estimate is that they have 200+ hours on them. The radio is about 10 years old and I've changed batteries 4-5 times.

I do notice a difference in batteries in our Sony all-in-one remotes though. Quality AA batteries usually last about a year. However I picked up some Ray-O-Vac batteries on last winter and they only seem to last 3-4 months.
 
The Craftsman AA's in the little pocket Sony finally gave up the ghost late last night, after playing for about 2 hrs. It was a really lousy night for radio reception, so as a backup I also tuned in the station(FM 91.5 MHz) on my best radio, a shortwave/am/fm Sony ICF-SW7600GR. After a while, I noticed the high-grade shortwave radio playing loud & clear, and *nothing* but weak static on the little pocket radio. Pulled & checked the batteries, one measured ~0.92V, the other about 0.89V. I guess I finally got my $$ worth out of them!
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Replaced them with a pair of somewhat used, somewhat aged Fuji Novell AA's(each measured about 1.33V unloaded), and the little pocket Sony "transistor" radio immediately began playing great again. A *very* conservative estimate on the old batteries: about 240 hours!
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My wife bought me a digital Timex Indiglo watch back in 94 -- when they were farely new. It claimed to have a "5-Year Battery". I laughed. Well, the battery croaked this year -- after 12 years of use. It was a Lithium Ion (of course). It was a MAJOR PAIN to change. I almost threw it out, but I finally got the new battery back in and functioning.
 
I am currently using a TI-55III calculator that I bought in about 1985. I use it daily and have never replaced the batteries. (No, it is not solar) Twenty years of battery life seems pretty good to me.
 
Hewlett-Packard 10B business calculator.

Believe I bought it in 1987 or so.

Non-solar powered.

No idea what the battery model number is. Never opened the little slider panel to reveal the batteries before. No need to.

Just opened it and saw three of those little round "button" batteries.

No gunk in the battery compartment.

It just keeps on running and running and running.....

Of course, what are the odds that the thing will quit in the next few days since I wrote this proclamation of battry longevity?

Thanks a lot..... yah' bums.

It's all yer' fault.
 
My old OEM Delco car battery in my 1995 Honda Civic. I finally replaced in 2003 since I left lights on and killed it.

My Kenwood CD changer cheapo OEM AAA remote batteries where boiling with junk after 16 years. But it still worked stubbornly as always.
 
Obbop, it may be that I've drawn the dead battery gremlins to me instead of you, & your calculator is safe for a while longer.
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I installed lightly used batteries in the little Sony last Saturday night, both measured ~1.33V. After only a few hours of playing time, the little radio began to fade badly late tonight while listening to AM tonight(San Antonio or Tulsa, not sure which). So I pulled the batts & measured with the old reliable super-duper Radio Shack digital multimeter. One still measured ~1.31V- but the other only registered about 0.42V!
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Found another lightly used/aged alkaline AA that measured ~1.35V, installed it & all is well.

So it seems I've gone from batteries that just won't die, to batteries that just won't last.
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Good idea, but the pocket radio in question has no external antenna connections.
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I have plenty of other radios that do, though- including several AM/FM/shortwaves, both digital & analog, as well as a GE Superadio III, plus a Superadio "1" scored on Ebay the other night & on the way.

Still, I think it's more fun to use the small, simple little analog radios as-is. Pretty impressive to listen to WOAI, San Antonio, well over 300 miles away, on good nights coming in loud & clear on nothing but the tiny internal 2" ferrite bar antenna of the pocket Sony.
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Right now I'm listening to an old "Gunsmoke" radio episode from an FM station about 50 miles away on the whip antenna of little pocket Sony.

Yup, you're right- instead of more radios, I need a good AM antenna(maybe some type of passive, non-connected loop), plus a good TV antenna on a rotator for serious FM reception. I have those T-wires on two stereo receivers, much better than nothing but still inadequate here in the boonies. I've about given up on shortwave, too much hassle & reception too poor here.

Edit: TS, Thanks for that last link especially- heck, I might try to build one of those antennas someday!

[ September 02, 2006, 09:18 PM: Message edited by: Stuart Hughes ]
 
I've got the other problem. I bought a flashlight with 5 LED's, 10 LED's or a regular flashlight bulb in the middle.

It was advertized as getting 1000+ hours out of a set of D cells on the 5 led setting. I think I paid $60 for it.

I always use the 5 led setting and am lucky to get 60 hrs out of a set of batteries.
 
When I first read the thread title I thought "No way, all batteries die sooner or later," but this morning I realized that my electric toothbrush (not the brush tip itself
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) is now about 7 years old and that the rechargeable in it works as well as it did when the toothbrush was new. That's about 6,500 (partial) charging cycles with no noticeable memory effect or of loss of capacity!
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[ September 04, 2006, 11:01 PM: Message edited by: moribundman ]
 
quote:
Originally posted by Stuart Hughes:
Good idea, but the pocket radio in question has no external antenna connections.

Yup, you're right- instead of more radios, I need a good AM antenna (maybe some type of passive, non-connected loop), plus a good TV antenna on a rotator for serious FM reception.
Click to expand...
Doesn't need it. Just touch or loop the end around the radio antenna, or around the case for AM.

I started by making a loop of 30' of 16-18-ga wire around a book. Used twine to truss or bind. Ran it out about 50' on wooden fence from bedroom window and snaked it around the aluminum frame (bent to fit when closed).

That was enough for WLS-Chicago in 1970. Still using that same antenna design today (had to replace it once). A Select-A-Tenna is the finishing touch.

No need to get fancy. The best long-wire set-ups are perpendicular to any power lines, are grounded at entrance, and are as high as possible.

Five feet off the roof (rod off chimney) and 100' out property to a big tree. 25-35' off of ground is slick. It can be set up to drop with a manual release for bad weather. That should get anything from Appalachia to the Front Range.

FM will benefit from any 31" piece of wire (after a loose wrap around the case). I just look around the garage for car project leftovers.

Now your batteries will really last a long time . . . .
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Those are all good ideas, but any type of outside antenna is problematic here. We get *lots* of close lightning strikes- usually one or two every time a heavy-duty thunderstorm passes through.

As a kid, I remember hooking a wire between my little 6-transistor(AM only way back then, of course!) and the window screen, that was about 1962-63.

You obviously remember the big rockin' AM powerhouses of the 60's & 70's! Ah, those were the days. I remember when KLIF 1190 from Dallas was the popular daytime rock station even way over here in the boonies. At night it was WLS from Chicago, WNOE New Orleans, and the occasional great mystery stations that would appear only when all the planets were in alignment.
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I still pass by the old KLIF studios when I leave the library. The broadcaster's booth was marked by a huge plate glass window. The Texas-OU pre and post game was practically "live" from there (the activity on the streets they no longer allow).

The "loop around the book" and live wire to radio will still produce results.
 
The batteries that come with remote control units always last way longer than Duracell,Energizer, etc...

I got 8 years out of the Delco that came in my Formula.
 
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