Local Panasonic is scrap. Very much cheapened by cost cutting to match Chinese prices.
Leakages, corroded terminals, thin sheets and paper instead of thick shells and plastic. And less chemicals than there were...the things are lighter than earlier!
Even their alkaline cells.
Duracell is slightly better.
Ray-O-Vac was best, not sold here.
Very durable in the patient programmer for my Mom's Parkinson device. Those lasted 2.5 years, Panasonic (half price though in comparison), lasted just 6 months.
Duracell lasted longer.
Then the main device failed, ran out of power, we put a Chinese one with a huge battery inside. Those are remote controlled pulse generators really.
For things like remotes and clocks, I stick to Eveready here, it is owned by local business people. At least better value for money.
GP has a tie up with a local company called Godrej, they are importing duty free (there is an agreement in place, quite legal), from Vietnam.
Even worse than Panasonic, but at 3 cents wholesale, not much anybody will give you.
Chinese AA were like 2 cents retail long ago, but they stopped selling soon. Terrible.
Leakages, corroded terminals, thin sheets and paper instead of thick shells and plastic. And less chemicals than there were...the things are lighter than earlier!
Even their alkaline cells.
Duracell is slightly better.
Ray-O-Vac was best, not sold here.
Very durable in the patient programmer for my Mom's Parkinson device. Those lasted 2.5 years, Panasonic (half price though in comparison), lasted just 6 months.
Duracell lasted longer.
Then the main device failed, ran out of power, we put a Chinese one with a huge battery inside. Those are remote controlled pulse generators really.
For things like remotes and clocks, I stick to Eveready here, it is owned by local business people. At least better value for money.
GP has a tie up with a local company called Godrej, they are importing duty free (there is an agreement in place, quite legal), from Vietnam.
Even worse than Panasonic, but at 3 cents wholesale, not much anybody will give you.
Chinese AA were like 2 cents retail long ago, but they stopped selling soon. Terrible.
I avoid alkaline like the plague and try to use Eneloops wherever I can.
The problem probably isn't brand. It may really go back to eliminating mercury. They used to use a small amount of mercury in alkalines to reabsorb the gas and keep the cell pressure under control. Remove the mercury and they all tend to leak.
The problem probably isn't brand. It may really go back to eliminating mercury. They used to use a small amount of mercury in alkalines to reabsorb the gas and keep the cell pressure under control. Remove the mercury and they all tend to leak.
My use was a RF communicator, the device was used for five minutes or less every three months to check or adjust the generator installed inside Mom's chest (outside the rib cage, but inside the body).
The hospital people told us to remove the cells when not in use, so I used to remove one of the two AAA cells when it was in storage.
Medtronic Activa PC, if you are curious.
Replacement is a 'Sceneray', Chinese, uses a Bluetooth relay device, and is controlled by a cell phone app.
The patient can be remotely adjusted, which is not enabled for her.
But in the pandemic, that was very useful, it saved many patients the trip to the doctor for a routine follow up and adjustment.
Video call and remote adjustments are a practical and useful solution.
The relay uses two AA cells, and they are still working after three years of very occasional use. The cell phone has a rechargeable battery of course.
I do not want to be in a position that the batteries fail in an emergency.
The device needs special procedures for MRI...so if I need to do that after a fall (VERY common in Parkinson's Disease patients)...and the cells are dead in the middle of the night, that is life threatening.
So only the most reliable cells must be used, no room for compromise here.
The hospital people told us to remove the cells when not in use, so I used to remove one of the two AAA cells when it was in storage.
Medtronic Activa PC, if you are curious.
Replacement is a 'Sceneray', Chinese, uses a Bluetooth relay device, and is controlled by a cell phone app.
The patient can be remotely adjusted, which is not enabled for her.
But in the pandemic, that was very useful, it saved many patients the trip to the doctor for a routine follow up and adjustment.
Video call and remote adjustments are a practical and useful solution.
The relay uses two AA cells, and they are still working after three years of very occasional use. The cell phone has a rechargeable battery of course.
I do not want to be in a position that the batteries fail in an emergency.
The device needs special procedures for MRI...so if I need to do that after a fall (VERY common in Parkinson's Disease patients)...and the cells are dead in the middle of the night, that is life threatening.
So only the most reliable cells must be used, no room for compromise here.
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My sister's currently having her internal monitor device replaced - apparently it has to be done every several years. (batteries?)
She's had 2 strokes so far, and has heart problems.
That device connects to a phone-line connected device.
She's had 2 strokes so far, and has heart problems.
That device connects to a phone-line connected device.
Pacemakers and other cardiac devices are all battery powered, most are primary cells.
So is the one in my Mom, it is connected to electrodes laced in her brain.
For patients with high current requirements, rechargeable units are available, much more expensive.
They are simply programmable square wave / pulse generators. the cost is mostly due to medical safety reasons, the guts are pretty cheap.
The Medtronic Activa RC comes with a collar, which is charged on a special charger, then the collar is worn around the neck, and it charges the device by transmitting energy in a wireless way. 3-4 day charge interval is normal.
Sometimes patients forget, sometimes there is no power.
The PC (primary cell) is safer then.
RC is used for younger patients, or as the third onward replacements, when the drain is higher due to disease progress.
The above link said a lot of things I wanted to say.
Now a three wire cardiac pacemaker is the latest here, and there is a very big improvement in the controllers and interface.
The normal life for a heart pacemaker with regular settings is 8 - 10 years, as you go higher, the battery depletion is faster.
The added function of monitoring also needs power. Depends also if the relay is worn, or fixed in the house, if you go further, it will need to send a stronger signal, more battery drain.
A rechargeable unit may be useful for your sister, as she lives alone, and is getting along in years.
The Chinese device put in my mother's body as the second unit is actually a modified Medtronic Kinetra, which had a life of 8-9 years, it was succeeded by the Activa, 4-5 years typically.
Cost is about same for both Medtronic devices, the older one lasted longer. Now out of production.
The big change with the Chinese device is that the initial programming is done through a tablet with an app, and at a later stage also the control is through a cell phone app for the patient, and if enabled, allows remote adjustments and monitoring.
Medtronic has a special tablet, called the Clinician Programmer, for that, it is given free to hospitals or at nominal charge. List price is more than $12,000.
The Patient Programmer from Medtronic costs more than 60,000 Rupees here, $800 in US money, looks like an AC remote, small display, a few buttons...
This reinforces my contention that the Chinese are now ahead of Western designers in some aspects of electronic equipment.
The device is CE approved, if you are curious.
So is the one in my Mom, it is connected to electrodes laced in her brain.
For patients with high current requirements, rechargeable units are available, much more expensive.
They are simply programmable square wave / pulse generators. the cost is mostly due to medical safety reasons, the guts are pretty cheap.
The Medtronic Activa RC comes with a collar, which is charged on a special charger, then the collar is worn around the neck, and it charges the device by transmitting energy in a wireless way. 3-4 day charge interval is normal.
Sometimes patients forget, sometimes there is no power.
The PC (primary cell) is safer then.
RC is used for younger patients, or as the third onward replacements, when the drain is higher due to disease progress.
The above link said a lot of things I wanted to say.
Now a three wire cardiac pacemaker is the latest here, and there is a very big improvement in the controllers and interface.
The normal life for a heart pacemaker with regular settings is 8 - 10 years, as you go higher, the battery depletion is faster.
The added function of monitoring also needs power. Depends also if the relay is worn, or fixed in the house, if you go further, it will need to send a stronger signal, more battery drain.
A rechargeable unit may be useful for your sister, as she lives alone, and is getting along in years.
The Chinese device put in my mother's body as the second unit is actually a modified Medtronic Kinetra, which had a life of 8-9 years, it was succeeded by the Activa, 4-5 years typically.
Cost is about same for both Medtronic devices, the older one lasted longer. Now out of production.
The big change with the Chinese device is that the initial programming is done through a tablet with an app, and at a later stage also the control is through a cell phone app for the patient, and if enabled, allows remote adjustments and monitoring.
Medtronic has a special tablet, called the Clinician Programmer, for that, it is given free to hospitals or at nominal charge. List price is more than $12,000.
The Patient Programmer from Medtronic costs more than 60,000 Rupees here, $800 in US money, looks like an AC remote, small display, a few buttons...
This reinforces my contention that the Chinese are now ahead of Western designers in some aspects of electronic equipment.
The device is CE approved, if you are curious.
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Did you notice I use only rechargeables? See my post #40.
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I experienced leaky batteries from childhood on, long before alkine batteries came around. "All batteries leak" is etched into my earliest memories.
Few years back I got into Bendix king fire radios and at that point I was. Buying cases of bricks of Duracell industrial/commercial batteries.
.30 cents American was what I was paying per cell and they never did leak.
Few years behind the seat of my truck in 115° nor cal summer and they're fine.
These companies make at least 2 grades of batteries. Ones that work that are relatively cheap, and ones that are built even cheaper that, which the liquor store tries to get $10 a pair from...
Support your local bodega, but not by buying your batteries there.
.30 cents American was what I was paying per cell and they never did leak.
Few years behind the seat of my truck in 115° nor cal summer and they're fine.
These companies make at least 2 grades of batteries. Ones that work that are relatively cheap, and ones that are built even cheaper that, which the liquor store tries to get $10 a pair from...
Support your local bodega, but not by buying your batteries there.
The Duracell Procell are very common in show biz for wireless mics. I have never seen one leak, but maybe they are used so fast they never have time to leak. As @kodabmx mentions.
Probably the battery is routinely replaced before each use. Wouldn't want a failure in the middle
of a performance to save a buck. That's what I've done for seminars, etc.
The partially used batteries can then be for noncritical use, or taken home for flashlights, etc.
of a performance to save a buck. That's what I've done for seminars, etc.
The partially used batteries can then be for noncritical use, or taken home for flashlights, etc.
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Yes, a huge waste of batteries, but they normally get swapped out at breaks. In low budget productions, I'll push my luck and run them for two shows.
You don't get rechargeable microphones?
So many ear buds are rechargeable, should not be difficult for a mic.
So many ear buds are rechargeable, should not be difficult for a mic.
No, until recently Shure did not offer any rechargeable wireless mics. In fact they recommended against it. But now they offer rechargeable battery packs. I don't know if other manufacturers do.
Seems they discovered that local broadcasters offer news programs using typically three or four wireless microphones. (Male anchor, female anchor, weather person and sports reporter) Sony had a significant share of that market as virtually no one would put up with changing disposable batteries three times a day for a typical 1/2 hour program.
Typical television use is to never use the mute switch, the sound tech controls the audio.
One of my favorite news use bits, was a female anchor’s last network appearance. It was a news insert in a nationally televised sporting event. The entire time she was on, she was brushing her hair with the cue earphone not in place! That was in the hard wired days.
Not sure what you mean there. Wireless mic batteries are swapped out frequently during shows. Not every half hour, but you would not go into a new show or segment with old batteries. Not if you want to keep your job. 😉 I used Sony mics for years, we always started a show or segment with fresh batteries, and still do. Same with any other brand of mic. That means piles of AA batteries at 75-80% charge. The crew usually take those home, but there are only so many "not fresh" batteries you'll want. Every so often the big box of used batteries gets hauled off to the recycle.
Around here, microphones have gone dead while on air before.
I would have thought any modern wireless microphone would use lithium batteries by now - just swap and recharge...
Even AA? 75-80% charge tells me NiMH rechargeables would work perfectly fine and not litter the planet.
I would have thought any modern wireless microphone would use lithium batteries by now - just swap and recharge...
Even AA? 75-80% charge tells me NiMH rechargeables would work perfectly fine and not litter the planet.
They are moving that way. Shure do now sell rechargeable battery packs. Maybe some others do, too.
And the techs are starting to use rechargeable AA more and more. No one really wants to waste all those batteries, but no one wants to get fired over dead batteries either.
And the techs are starting to use rechargeable AA more and more. No one really wants to waste all those batteries, but no one wants to get fired over dead batteries either.