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Joined:
June 2004
Posts: 95
Location: Monroe, Ohio (Cincinnati) | Hi All,
I used my 1861 Balladeer for P&W last evening for the first time. Early on it kept cutting out. I changed the battery and it seemed to resolve the issue. I had checked the battery that came with it using my V.O.M. Multimeter and it checked out OK.
Can anyone tell me what behavior to expect when the battery needs replaced?
Does it sound like I may have another problem?
Thanks |
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Joined:
November 2002
Posts: 1300
Location: Madison, Wisconsin | I've gone thru 2 cords at P&W in the last week with a similar problem. Seems the cords were all bought at the same time and they all get about the same amount of use so they are failing at about the same time. You might check the contacts in the battery comparment to be sure they are making good contact. |
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Joined:
June 2004
Posts: 95
Location: Monroe, Ohio (Cincinnati) | Thanks Bill,
I will check the cords, but they are practically new.
I didn't have the problem after I inserted a new battery, so that may suggest it wasn't the chords.
The battery contacts were good.
I am pretty sure it was the battery, but I would like to know how to tell when to replace the battery before I start to experince problems.
Fortunately, it was resolved right after our introductory song and so it wasn't much of a distraction. |
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Joined:
January 2002
Posts: 14127
Location: 6 String Ranch | Sometimes there are no reasons for these problems and they just go away. It happens in the factory too and those will drive you nuts. Why is This happening?? You look at all the possible reasons and none of them are it and then the problem's gone. You just need good notes so when it comes back in a few years you can look at them again as you work on the problem. |
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Joined:
March 2002
Posts: 15682
Location: SoCal | Change the battery at least once a month just to be on the safe side. It's cheap insurance. |
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Joined:
June 2004
Posts: 365
Location: NC | Moody's right............! |
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Joined:
June 2002
Posts: 6202
Location: Phoenix AZ | Does anyone have experience with rechargable batteries? |
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Joined:
March 2002
Posts: 14842
Location: NJ | I use 'em a lot for all the digital cameras here at work . . .
I don't think that the charge-life lasts anywhere near AS long as say, Duracells (keep in mind tho, that I'm using 'em to power cameras w/LCD displays, zoom motors & flashes). I've also noticed that over time, the charge-life seems to get progressively shorter & shorter.
Still, . . .
Getting a charger that'll hold say . . six 9V batteries . . . I could keep it in my music room and just swap out the batteries when I "case up" my guitars for gigs . . .
Hmmm . . sump'tin t'think 'bout . . . |
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Joined:
March 2002
Posts: 15682
Location: SoCal | My experience with rechargable batteries is that they don't go gently into that good night. When they go, they go rather abruptly -- one minute there's power, and the next there's nothing. I tend to stay away from rechargables and stick with Duracells. |
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Joined:
January 2003
Posts: 1498
Location: San Bernardino, California | 9 volt rechargable batteries are actually only 7 volts! That's probably why they fade so quickly. |
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Joined:
November 2003
Posts: 100
Location: Warren, OH | The discharge curve for nickle-cadmium (commonly referred to as NiCd or NiCad) batteries is very flat, meaning that the voltage doesn't drop much as the battery discharges. I used NiCads at work (handheld barcode scanners, guided vehicles)and in radio control hobbies (electric cars and planes).
For a 7.2 Volt pack (6 1.2V cells), you could see 8.5 V fully charged, which would drop to 7.5V pretty quickly, then would gradually drop to around 7V. Once you got around 6.8V, the battery would die. That "knee" voltage was pretty critical.
The discharge curve for alkaline or standard drycell batteries is much more linear - the voltage drops off a more constant rate - so if you know the voltage, you have a pretty good idea of how much capacity is left in the battery.
For the guided vehicles I worked with, we used a specialized box which monitored capacity by integrated current into and out of the battery, much like a home electric billing meter. Those were BIG Ni-Cd batteries (about 1-1/2' by 2-1/2' in size) and we charged them at 200 amps (most homes only have 100 or 150 amp service).
Don't have much experience with the Lithium or Lithium Polymer batteries yet - but they're a little too touchy to become mainstream right now.
Best advice - always have a good spare handy! |
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Joined:
September 2004
Posts: 96
Location: Eugene, OR | I highly recommend the Duracell "Ultra". They last much, much longer than the regular Duracell.
You can get them by the dozen for a good price at Costco. |
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Joined:
August 2003
Posts: 2246
Location: Yucaipa, California | ...don't forget to unplug your guitar when it's not in use... when the cord is plugged in, the battery is "on".... so don't let the guitar sit idle whilst plugged in. |
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Joined:
May 2004
Posts: 2850
Location: Midland, MI | Hrmm, everyone's cords and batteries are blowing out at P&W sessions. Could it be another seal has been broken?
Oh, and here's your tip for the day:
Never change horsemen in mid-Apocalypse. Bad juju.
;)
(ok, have to go back to work, enough fun for now) |
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Problem with Battery?
