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Nasty batteries — Parallax Forums

Nasty batteries

whiteoxewhiteoxe Posts: 794
edited 2014-06-27 07:59 in General Discussion
Im going to stay clear of buying anymore cheap batteries. Ive been using the prop gadget gangster with SimpleIDE. Ivge gone through two sets of AA batteries. I used to have top of the line rechargable batteries from a camera house but some thief that broke in took those as well!

I spend 20 min trying to work out why my programs wouldn't run thismorning. I changed to a few different USB ports. Finally i saw the green light on the gadget gangster was just barley going.

I might slip round the corner and buy some duracell batteries. I really mis my enlope batteries and charger ;(

Comments

  • Peter JakackiPeter Jakacki Posts: 10,193
    edited 2014-06-25 20:09
    whiteoxe wrote: »
    Im going to stay clear of buying anymore cheap batteries. Ive been using the prop gadget gangster with SimpleIDE. Ivge gone through two sets of AA batteries. I used to have top of the line rechargable batteries from a camera house but some thief that broke in took those as well!

    I spend 20 min trying to work out why my programs wouldn't run thismorning. I changed to a few different USB ports. Finally i saw the green light on the gadget gangster was just barley going.

    I might slip round the corner and buy some duracell batteries. I really mis my enlope batteries and charger ;(

    Haven't you heard of power packs? There is also no reason why you can't run a lot of these boards off the USB power, I know that Parallax doesn't do this normally but just jumper across from USB VBUS to +5V, the hubs and the PCs don't care. I have even plugged a Prop board directly into my Xperia Z2 using USBterminal and it powers it just fine too.

    I also have a whole box full of USB "chargers" which I picked up for under $2 each at one time and I never have any problems with them either.

    BTW, cheap batteries are too nasty and good batteries are just too expensive.
  • whiteoxewhiteoxe Posts: 794
    edited 2014-06-25 20:21
    When i had the recharables, it wasn't an issue, but ..yep, I'll take your advice and get a power pack !
  • Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi) Posts: 23,514
    edited 2014-06-25 20:24
    I taught a class using ActivityBots and learned quickly that Duracells are the way to go. Cheap batteries didn't last, and too much class time was spent figuring out that the students' batteries were weak. So I stocked up at Costco, where a pack of 40 Duracell AA's comes in as low as $15. BTW, I steer clear of Costco's own Kirkland-branded batteries.

    -Phil
  • ercoerco Posts: 20,256
    edited 2014-06-25 21:46
    I don't use Kirkland batteries, but I have usually heard they were OK. There are several favorable reviews, power-wise:

    http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?8647-Costco-Kirkland-Batteries-vs-Duracell
    http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine-archive/december-2009/electronics-computers/aa-batteries/overview/aa-batteries-ov.htm

    But Amazon customers say they leak:http://www.amazon.com/Kirkland-Signature-1-5V-Alkaline-Batteries/product-reviews/B0015UVOJU/ref=dpx_acr_txt?showViewpoints=1
  • whiteoxewhiteoxe Posts: 794
    edited 2014-06-25 21:51
    I just bout 4 "Power ON" batteries . the power packs were only $25. Ill get one of those when these batteries die !

    edit: bought ;)
  • LoopyBytelooseLoopyByteloose Posts: 12,537
    edited 2014-06-26 08:18
    Cheap batteries tend to always be a disappointment unless you are buying at an electronics store. Radio Shack used to attract customers with the cheapest prices for good off-brand batteries. Most electronics stores still do this as their customers use a lot of batteries and buy other stuff whenever they come in.
  • whiteoxewhiteoxe Posts: 794
    edited 2014-06-26 11:01
    yeah, ive never heard of ' power on' batteries but gee they looked pretty and 4 cost me $3.00 :)
  • Ron CzapalaRon Czapala Posts: 2,418
    edited 2014-06-26 11:12
    whiteoxe wrote: »
    yeah, ive never heard of ' power on' batteries but gee they looked pretty and 4 cost me $3.00 :)

    So much for the first line of your thread...
    whiteoxe wrote: »
    Im going to stay clear of buying anymore cheap batteries.
  • whiteoxewhiteoxe Posts: 794
    edited 2014-06-26 11:19
    sorry, i had the duracells in hand but when i saw tose other batteries i could't help myself..but i sort of qualified it by deciding to buy a power pack when they die ;)
  • LoopyBytelooseLoopyByteloose Posts: 12,537
    edited 2014-06-26 11:31
    We all live and learn my wasting a bit of money and then having a friend explain how and why he avoids that problem.

    Years ago, I bought what was considered the best local brand of salmon eggs to go trout fishing with a friend that always caught bigger fish and more fish. They wouldn't stay on the hook. Then he mentioned that the brand didn't matter if you didn't open the jar and check if they are still firm and fresh.

    Live and learn.
  • whiteoxewhiteoxe Posts: 794
    edited 2014-06-26 11:31
    i have just got 3 of these in the post https://www.sparkfun.com/products/9670 anyone in queensland needing one pm me.

    edit: it looks the same, same description L298N MOTER STEPPER DRIVER, but they cost less than $4.00 each. not $30++
  • RDL2004RDL2004 Posts: 2,554
    edited 2014-06-26 11:39
    whiteoxe wrote: »
    i have just got 3 of these in the post https://www.sparkfun.com/products/9670 anyone in queensland needing one pm me.

    edit: it looks the same, same description L298N MOTER STEPPER DRIVER, but they cost less than $4.00 each. not $30++

    That's very interesting. What does it have to do with "Nasty batteries"?
  • Too_Many_ToolsToo_Many_Tools Posts: 765
    edited 2014-06-26 14:48
    So...has anyone know the difference between the good and bad batteries....like taking them apart and determining the failure modes?
  • ercoerco Posts: 20,256
    edited 2014-06-26 16:17
    My best reason to use Duracells: http://forums.parallax.com/showthread.php/151851-Happy-Ending-to-Leaky-Duracells
  • Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi) Posts: 23,514
    edited 2014-06-26 19:27
    'Forgot about that post. Thanks for sharing it again, erco! When I was a kid -- eons ago -- I had a battery-powerd lantern that I used for camping and also as a bike light. The Eveready D cells that powered it leaked and ruined it. So I sent everything to Eveready, since they had a similar warranty. They replaced the lantern with an exact duplicate and sent more batteries. Replacing a $5 lantern might not seem like much, but it meant a lot to kid in the 1950's!

    -Phil
  • Mark_TMark_T Posts: 1,981
    edited 2014-06-27 05:43
    Here's a way to avoid disappointment - only buy cells with a marked capacity. ATM this means
    rechargables only, but that's the battery manufacturer's fault for not marking disposables.

    When you buy fuel you expect to know how much you're getting don't you? Why be less
    circumspect with electricity?
  • Heater.Heater. Posts: 21,230
    edited 2014-06-27 07:07
    Too_Many_Tools,
    So...has anyone know the difference between the good and bad batteries....like taking them apart and determining the failure modes?
    Hmmm...seems to me that if you are not up on battery technology hacking open a cell and poking around inside is not going to help you much.

    But, you reminded me, back in that day opening up AA batteries with their zinc case, blue acid gloop, and carbon rod, was a good way to get carbon brushes for that DIY motor. What ever happened to those batteries?

    And what actually does one find inside a modern cell. This calls for an experiment....
  • User NameUser Name Posts: 1,451
    edited 2014-06-27 07:59
    Heater. wrote: »
    But, you reminded me, back in that day opening up AA batteries with their zinc case, blue acid gloop, and carbon rod, was a good way to get carbon brushes for that DIY motor...

    ...or carbon arc furnace.
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