Digital Calipers That Don\'t Drain the Battery...

[Ricky]

I, like many others, have digital calipers that drain the battery while sitting, and have no on/off switch, so the battery must be removed when not being used. I recall a conversation here some time ago about this and some had found different brands that worked better than others, in this regard.

Anyone recall the names of the brands that don\'t drain the battery?

--

Rick C.

- Get 1,000 miles of free Supercharging
- Tesla referral code - https://ts.la/richard11209

 

[Ricky]

On Saturday, November 12, 2022 at 3:22:03 PM UTC-4, Bertrand Sindri wrote:

Ricky <gnuarm.del...@gmail.com> wrote:
On Saturday, November 12, 2022 at 1:02:46 PM UTC-4, legg wrote:
On Fri, 11 Nov 2022 07:40:06 -0800 (PST), Ricky
gnuarm.del...@gmail.com> wrote:
I, like many others, have digital calipers that drain the battery
while sitting, and have no on/off switch, so the battery must be
removed when not being used. I recall a conversation here some
time ago about this and some had found different brands that
worked better than others, in this regard.

Anyone recall the names of the brands that don\'t drain the battery?

Two sets here in two tool boxes. I keep a spare battery in their
cases - expect to have to change at least annually. If you only
pick them up once, every year or two, then dead batteries will be
no surprise.

Think about that for a minute. If I can\'t expect a battery in an
unused device to last a year sitting in the case, why would I expect
an extra battery to be good?
A disconnected battery will last significantly longer than one that is
being actively drained because the \'off\' button was interpreted by the
Chinese engineer as \"turn off the display\" instead of as \"use as little
quiescent current as possible\".

That doesn\'t take a year, and I have no use for such a device. That\'s my point. I\'m looking for a device that won\'t drain the battery, because it actually turns off.

How often do you make use of the calipers? Implying that they \"sit in
the case\" for a year between uses means you seldom ever reach for the
calipers. In that case, your best course of action is to invest in a
nice pair of vernier calipers, invest the small amount of time needed
into learning to read the vernier, and then never have to worry about
\"dead batteries\" ever again (because vernier calipers have no
batteries).

Please don\'t offer advice when you don\'t know the facts.

Otherwise, if you do use them often, then either invest in a supply of
fresh batteries, or invest in a better quality caliper that does not
drain the battery so fast while \'off\'.

Or buy a device that isn\'t made from crapolleum.

This is clearly bad product design.
Yes, but you can\'t change the design of the ones you have, all you can
do is remove the battery after each use so it is not drained by the
always on electronics of the pair you have.

Ones? At this point I have one that I know of and I don\'t know where it is. I tossed it in a drawer somewhere and the next time I find it, it will go into the trash.

I guess my previous posts were not so clear on the matter.

--

Rick C.

-++ Get 1,000 miles of free Supercharging
-++ Tesla referral code - https://ts.la/richard11209

 

[Lasse Langwadt Christensen]

søndag den 13. november 2022 kl. 00.37.37 UTC+1 skrev Ricky:

On Saturday, November 12, 2022 at 3:22:03 PM UTC-4, Bertrand Sindri wrote:
Ricky <gnuarm.del...@gmail.com> wrote:
On Saturday, November 12, 2022 at 1:02:46 PM UTC-4, legg wrote:
On Fri, 11 Nov 2022 07:40:06 -0800 (PST), Ricky
gnuarm.del...@gmail.com> wrote:
I, like many others, have digital calipers that drain the battery
while sitting, and have no on/off switch, so the battery must be
removed when not being used. I recall a conversation here some
time ago about this and some had found different brands that
worked better than others, in this regard.

Anyone recall the names of the brands that don\'t drain the battery?

Two sets here in two tool boxes. I keep a spare battery in their
cases - expect to have to change at least annually. If you only
pick them up once, every year or two, then dead batteries will be
no surprise.

Think about that for a minute. If I can\'t expect a battery in an
unused device to last a year sitting in the case, why would I expect
an extra battery to be good?
A disconnected battery will last significantly longer than one that is
being actively drained because the \'off\' button was interpreted by the
Chinese engineer as \"turn off the display\" instead of as \"use as little
quiescent current as possible\".
That doesn\'t take a year, and I have no use for such a device. That\'s my point. I\'m looking for a device that won\'t drain the battery, because it actually turns off.

a genuine Mitutoyo doesn\'t really turn off it doesn\'t need to, it uses so little current it doesn\'t matter, something like less than a 1 uA
it\'ll last years on a battery

 

[Mike Monett VE3BTI]

Lasse Langwadt Christensen <langwadt@fonz.dk> wrote:

a genuine Mitutoyo doesn\'t really turn off it doesn\'t need to, it uses
so little current it doesn\'t matter, something like less than a 1 uA
it\'ll last years on a battery

That\'s when it is turned off. While operating, measurements showed current
fluctuating between 2uA and 6uA.



--
MRM

 

[Ricky]

On Saturday, November 12, 2022 at 8:48:21 PM UTC-4, lang...@fonz.dk wrote:

søndag den 13. november 2022 kl. 00.37.37 UTC+1 skrev Ricky:
On Saturday, November 12, 2022 at 3:22:03 PM UTC-4, Bertrand Sindri wrote:
Ricky <gnuarm.del...@gmail.com> wrote:
On Saturday, November 12, 2022 at 1:02:46 PM UTC-4, legg wrote:
On Fri, 11 Nov 2022 07:40:06 -0800 (PST), Ricky
gnuarm.del...@gmail.com> wrote:
I, like many others, have digital calipers that drain the battery
while sitting, and have no on/off switch, so the battery must be
removed when not being used. I recall a conversation here some
time ago about this and some had found different brands that
worked better than others, in this regard.

Anyone recall the names of the brands that don\'t drain the battery?

Two sets here in two tool boxes. I keep a spare battery in their
cases - expect to have to change at least annually. If you only
pick them up once, every year or two, then dead batteries will be
no surprise.

Think about that for a minute. If I can\'t expect a battery in an
unused device to last a year sitting in the case, why would I expect
an extra battery to be good?
A disconnected battery will last significantly longer than one that is
being actively drained because the \'off\' button was interpreted by the
Chinese engineer as \"turn off the display\" instead of as \"use as little
quiescent current as possible\".
That doesn\'t take a year, and I have no use for such a device. That\'s my point. I\'m looking for a device that won\'t drain the battery, because it actually turns off.
a genuine Mitutoyo doesn\'t really turn off it doesn\'t need to, it uses so little current it doesn\'t matter, something like less than a 1 uA
it\'ll last years on a battery

I don\'t know why you say it doesn\'t turn off. The oscillator stops running, I\'m sure. The LCD is not being driven. The sensors are not being checked. In short, every part of the design is not functioning, and being CMOS, draws infinitely little power. Or, they may have a p-fet in series with the power, either internal to the chip, or external to the chip. None of this matters, because they have effectively stopped the power drain by actually ceasing to operate.

Do you have any info on the actual design?

--

Rick C.

+-- Get 1,000 miles of free Supercharging
+-- Tesla referral code - https://ts.la/richard11209

 

[Bertrand Sindri]

Ricky <gnuarm.deletethisbit@gmail.com> wrote:

On Saturday, November 12, 2022 at 3:22:03 PM UTC-4, Bertrand Sindri wrote:
Ricky <gnuarm.del...@gmail.com> wrote:
Think about that for a minute. If I can\'t expect a battery in an
unused device to last a year sitting in the case, why would I
expect an extra battery to be good?

A disconnected battery will last significantly longer than one that
is being actively drained because the \'off\' button was interpreted
by the Chinese engineer as \"turn off the display\" instead of as \"use
as little quiescent current as possible\".

That doesn\'t take a year, and I have no use for such a device.
That\'s my point. I\'m looking for a device that won\'t drain the
battery, because it actually turns off.

A caliper with no battery never needs a battery in order to be
operational.

How often do you make use of the calipers? Implying that they \"sit in
the case\" for a year between uses means you seldom ever reach for the
calipers. In that case, your best course of action is to invest in a
nice pair of vernier calipers, invest the small amount of time needed
into learning to read the vernier, and then never have to worry about
\"dead batteries\" ever again (because vernier calipers have no
batteries).

Please don\'t offer advice when you don\'t know the facts.

The flaw there lies with the person who failed to provide the facts.
And in case that suggestion flew over your head, the flaw there lies
with you.

Otherwise, if you do use them often, then either invest in a supply of
fresh batteries, or invest in a better quality caliper that does not
drain the battery so fast while \'off\'.

Or buy a device that isn\'t made from crapolleum.

I.e., the very definition of what I said in: \"better quality caliper\".
Is your reading comprehension lagging?

This is clearly bad product design.

Yes, but you can\'t change the design of the ones you have, all you can
do is remove the battery after each use so it is not drained by the
always on electronics of the pair you have.

Ones? At this point I have one that I know of and I don\'t know where
it is. I tossed it in a drawer somewhere and the next time I find
it, it will go into the trash.

Therefore implying you seldom ever use it (because if you used it often
it would not be \'lost in a drawer somewhere\' to be \'found\' at some
indeterminate future time). Which means my suggestion of obtaining
yourself a caliper that does not use a battery (i.e., a traditional
vernier one) is the better option for you.

I know exactly where my 1960\'s era vernier caliper is located, and
while I don\'t use it often, since it does not use a battery I have no
concerns that it will fail to display a reading when I do reach for it.

 

[Ricky]

On Saturday, November 12, 2022 at 10:42:37 PM UTC-4, Bertrand Sindri wrote:

Ricky <gnuarm.del...@gmail.com> wrote:
On Saturday, November 12, 2022 at 3:22:03 PM UTC-4, Bertrand Sindri wrote:
Ricky <gnuarm.del...@gmail.com> wrote:
Think about that for a minute. If I can\'t expect a battery in an
unused device to last a year sitting in the case, why would I
expect an extra battery to be good?

A disconnected battery will last significantly longer than one that
is being actively drained because the \'off\' button was interpreted
by the Chinese engineer as \"turn off the display\" instead of as \"use
as little quiescent current as possible\".

That doesn\'t take a year, and I have no use for such a device.
That\'s my point. I\'m looking for a device that won\'t drain the
battery, because it actually turns off.
A caliper with no battery never needs a battery in order to be
operational.
How often do you make use of the calipers? Implying that they \"sit in
the case\" for a year between uses means you seldom ever reach for the
calipers. In that case, your best course of action is to invest in a
nice pair of vernier calipers, invest the small amount of time needed
into learning to read the vernier, and then never have to worry about
\"dead batteries\" ever again (because vernier calipers have no
batteries).

Please don\'t offer advice when you don\'t know the facts.
The flaw there lies with the person who failed to provide the facts.
And in case that suggestion flew over your head, the flaw there lies
with you.
Otherwise, if you do use them often, then either invest in a supply of
fresh batteries, or invest in a better quality caliper that does not
drain the battery so fast while \'off\'.

Or buy a device that isn\'t made from crapolleum.
I.e., the very definition of what I said in: \"better quality caliper\".
Is your reading comprehension lagging?
This is clearly bad product design.

Yes, but you can\'t change the design of the ones you have, all you can
do is remove the battery after each use so it is not drained by the
always on electronics of the pair you have.

Ones? At this point I have one that I know of and I don\'t know where
it is. I tossed it in a drawer somewhere and the next time I find
it, it will go into the trash.
Therefore implying you seldom ever use it (because if you used it often
it would not be \'lost in a drawer somewhere\' to be \'found\' at some
indeterminate future time). Which means my suggestion of obtaining
yourself a caliper that does not use a battery (i.e., a traditional
vernier one) is the better option for you.

I know exactly where my 1960\'s era vernier caliper is located, and
while I don\'t use it often, since it does not use a battery I have no
concerns that it will fail to display a reading when I do reach for it.

I\'m sorry that you have to troll rather than discuss. I\'ve already ordered a new caliper, so no further need for your excellent advice. Thank you.

--

Rick C.

+-+ Get 1,000 miles of free Supercharging
+-+ Tesla referral code - https://ts.la/richard11209

 

[Ricky]

On Friday, November 11, 2022 at 1:03:14 PM UTC-4, Martin Brown wrote:

On 11/11/2022 15:40, Ricky wrote:
I, like many others, have digital calipers that drain the battery while sitting, and have no on/off switch, so the battery must be removed when not being used. I recall a conversation here some time ago about this and some had found different brands that worked better than others, in this regard..

Anyone recall the names of the brands that don\'t drain the battery?
The ones with an on/off switch!
Actually mine just has an on switch and times out after a few minutes.

I suppose I was not clear as to my meaning by \"on/off\" switch. They typically have a push button to turn on. I\'ve never seen one with a mechanical switch to directly disconnect the battery. Turning them off by the push button seems to only mute the display.

--

Rick C.

+ Get 1,000 miles of free Supercharging
+ Tesla referral code - https://ts.la/richard11209

 

[Sylvia Else]

On 12/11/2022 2:40 am, Ricky wrote:

I, like many others, have digital calipers that drain the battery while sitting, and have no on/off switch, so the battery must be removed when not being used. I recall a conversation here some time ago about this and some had found different brands that worked better than others, in this regard.

Anyone recall the names of the brands that don\'t drain the battery?

For the record, I got so tired of this problem that I bought a
non-electronic one. There\'s a slight learning curve, but they\'re very
easy to read to the nearest 0.1mm, and can do 0.02mm with a bit of effort.

Sylvia.

 

[Ricky]

On Friday, November 11, 2022 at 5:49:47 PM UTC-4, Sylvia Else wrote:

On 12/11/2022 2:40 am, Ricky wrote:
I, like many others, have digital calipers that drain the battery while sitting, and have no on/off switch, so the battery must be removed when not being used. I recall a conversation here some time ago about this and some had found different brands that worked better than others, in this regard..

Anyone recall the names of the brands that don\'t drain the battery?

For the record, I got so tired of this problem that I bought a
non-electronic one. There\'s a slight learning curve, but they\'re very
easy to read to the nearest 0.1mm, and can do 0.02mm with a bit of effort..

I have a dial caliper, but they are subject to damage easily and are hard to read if you have vision issues. I\'m going to be needing good measurements in the coming six months and thought it would be good to have a digital unit again. I have one, but got tired of the battery running down or having to take it out each time I use it. I suppose I could leave it on the bench and only take the battery out when I clean up, but that might be a different decade. LOL

--

Rick C.

-- Get 1,000 miles of free Supercharging
-- Tesla referral code - https://ts.la/richard11209

 

[Ricky]

I just thought by now, there might be lower cost units that don\'t drain the battery. It\'s a damn simple circuit to implement that. I don\'t even think it requires a separate part. It\'s just a p-channel pass transistor with the switch as a bypass. Can\'t they put that on the chip and bring out a pin for the push button switch to bypass the pfet?

I guess it\'s a matter of them selling a bazillion of the ones they are making now. Why would they change?

But once one of the low cost devices starts bragging about not draining the battery, they will all have to switch. It doesn\'t take much sales pressure when you are only making a few cents per device.

--

Rick C.

-+ Get 1,000 miles of free Supercharging
-+ Tesla referral code - https://ts.la/richard11209

 

[Sylvia Else]

On 12/11/2022 9:00 am, Ricky wrote:

I just thought by now, there might be lower cost units that don\'t drain the battery. It\'s a damn simple circuit to implement that. I don\'t even think it requires a separate part. It\'s just a p-channel pass transistor with the switch as a bypass. Can\'t they put that on the chip and bring out a pin for the push button switch to bypass the pfet?

I guess it\'s a matter of them selling a bazillion of the ones they are making now. Why would they change?

But once one of the low cost devices starts bragging about not draining the battery, they will all have to switch. It doesn\'t take much sales pressure when you are only making a few cents per device.

Yes. The actual circuitry required is really simple. I think it\'s not
included because if the thing is powered down, it loses its zero
position (there are more advanced designs that have absolute
positioning, but they probably cost more to make).

So it may come down to that. People would notice the loss of zero and
complain before they realise that the batteries run down quickly.

For me, I\'d probably zero it out of habit when I turn it on and not even
notice the loss, but perhaps people differ.

Sylvia.

 

[Joe Gwinn]

On Sat, 12 Nov 2022 08:49:39 +1100, Sylvia Else <sylvia@email.invalid>
wrote:

On 12/11/2022 2:40 am, Ricky wrote:
I, like many others, have digital calipers that drain the battery while sitting, and have no on/off switch, so the battery must be removed when not being used. I recall a conversation here some time ago about this and some had found different brands that worked better than others, in this regard.

Anyone recall the names of the brands that don\'t drain the battery?

For the record, I got so tired of this problem that I bought a
non-electronic one. There\'s a slight learning curve, but they\'re very
easy to read to the nearest 0.1mm, and can do 0.02mm with a bit of effort.

I can no longer see well enough to use vernier calipers. I still have
dial calipers, and that works, but I\'ve gone over to digital calipers
that don\'t exhaust themselves between uses. They are just too
convenient.

Joe Gwinn

 

[Ricky]

On Friday, November 11, 2022 at 6:27:40 PM UTC-4, Sylvia Else wrote:

On 12/11/2022 9:00 am, Ricky wrote:
I just thought by now, there might be lower cost units that don\'t drain the battery. It\'s a damn simple circuit to implement that. I don\'t even think it requires a separate part. It\'s just a p-channel pass transistor with the switch as a bypass. Can\'t they put that on the chip and bring out a pin for the push button switch to bypass the pfet?

I guess it\'s a matter of them selling a bazillion of the ones they are making now. Why would they change?

But once one of the low cost devices starts bragging about not draining the battery, they will all have to switch. It doesn\'t take much sales pressure when you are only making a few cents per device.

Yes. The actual circuitry required is really simple. I think it\'s not
included because if the thing is powered down, it loses its zero
position (there are more advanced designs that have absolute
positioning, but they probably cost more to make).

So it may come down to that. People would notice the loss of zero and
complain before they realise that the batteries run down quickly.

For me, I\'d probably zero it out of habit when I turn it on and not even
notice the loss, but perhaps people differ.

Like you, I always auto zero calipers, including the dial variety if I\'m trying to make a good measurement. It\'s hard to think anyone would expect zero to not drift, but many people don\'t understand electronics and seem to think digital is supposed to be as accurate as the display can indicate. That is seldom true.

--

Rick C.

+- Get 1,000 miles of free Supercharging
+- Tesla referral code - https://ts.la/richard11209

 

[Ricky]

On Friday, November 11, 2022 at 7:02:12 PM UTC-4, Joe Gwinn wrote:

On Sat, 12 Nov 2022 08:49:39 +1100, Sylvia Else <syl...@email.invalid
wrote:
On 12/11/2022 2:40 am, Ricky wrote:
I, like many others, have digital calipers that drain the battery while sitting, and have no on/off switch, so the battery must be removed when not being used. I recall a conversation here some time ago about this and some had found different brands that worked better than others, in this regard.

Anyone recall the names of the brands that don\'t drain the battery?

For the record, I got so tired of this problem that I bought a
non-electronic one. There\'s a slight learning curve, but they\'re very
easy to read to the nearest 0.1mm, and can do 0.02mm with a bit of effort.
I can no longer see well enough to use vernier calipers. I still have
dial calipers, and that works, but I\'ve gone over to digital calipers
that don\'t exhaust themselves between uses. They are just too
convenient.

What brand?

--

Rick C.

++ Get 1,000 miles of free Supercharging
++ Tesla referral code - https://ts.la/richard11209

 

[Dimiter_Popoff]

On 11/11/2022 23:42, Ricky wrote:

On Friday, November 11, 2022 at 1:03:14 PM UTC-4, Martin Brown wrote:
On 11/11/2022 15:40, Ricky wrote:
I, like many others, have digital calipers that drain the battery while sitting, and have no on/off switch, so the battery must be removed when not being used. I recall a conversation here some time ago about this and some had found different brands that worked better than others, in this regard.

Anyone recall the names of the brands that don\'t drain the battery?
The ones with an on/off switch!
Actually mine just has an on switch and times out after a few minutes.

I suppose I was not clear as to my meaning by \"on/off\" switch. They typically have a push button to turn on. I\'ve never seen one with a mechanical switch to directly disconnect the battery. Turning them off by the push button seems to only mute the display.

It does turn off the display and likely puts the MCU into deeper sleep.
I have one of these, needs a new battery every 3-4 years, cost me
something like $10 or $20, don\'t remember. Is quite accurate, I also
have a micrometer (I do have a mechanical workshop, lathe etc. and I
am quite experienced doing that sort of thing, too) and they match
really well, if you know how to use it you can rely on it all the
way down to its 0.01mm resolution.
Keeping a blister of cr2032-s has you covered for at least a decade.

How long do you expect your battery to work?

 

[Martin Brown]

On 11/11/2022 21:42, Ricky wrote:

On Friday, November 11, 2022 at 1:03:14 PM UTC-4, Martin Brown
wrote:
On 11/11/2022 15:40, Ricky wrote:
I, like many others, have digital calipers that drain the battery
while sitting, and have no on/off switch, so the battery must be
removed when not being used. I recall a conversation here some
time ago about this and some had found different brands that
worked better than others, in this regard.

Anyone recall the names of the brands that don\'t drain the
battery?
The ones with an on/off switch! Actually mine just has an on switch
and times out after a few minutes.

I suppose I was not clear as to my meaning by \"on/off\" switch. They
typically have a push button to turn on. I\'ve never seen one with a
mechanical switch to directly disconnect the battery. Turning them
off by the push button seems to only mute the display.

Mine seem to last a year or so. LCD display when done in bare metal
takes so little power that muting the display is pointless.

I don\'t see battery life as an issue. YMMV

--
Regards,
Martin Brown

 

[Carl]

On 11/11/22 18:10, Ricky wrote:

On Friday, November 11, 2022 at 6:27:40 PM UTC-4, Sylvia Else wrote:
On 12/11/2022 9:00 am, Ricky wrote:
I just thought by now, there might be lower cost units that don\'t drain the battery. It\'s a damn simple circuit to implement that. I don\'t even think it requires a separate part. It\'s just a p-channel pass transistor with the switch as a bypass. Can\'t they put that on the chip and bring out a pin for the push button switch to bypass the pfet?

I guess it\'s a matter of them selling a bazillion of the ones they are making now. Why would they change?

But once one of the low cost devices starts bragging about not draining the battery, they will all have to switch. It doesn\'t take much sales pressure when you are only making a few cents per device.

Yes. The actual circuitry required is really simple. I think it\'s not
included because if the thing is powered down, it loses its zero
position (there are more advanced designs that have absolute
positioning, but they probably cost more to make).

So it may come down to that. People would notice the loss of zero and
complain before they realise that the batteries run down quickly.

For me, I\'d probably zero it out of habit when I turn it on and not even
notice the loss, but perhaps people differ.

Like you, I always auto zero calipers, including the dial variety if I\'m trying to make a good measurement. It\'s hard to think anyone would expect zero to not drift, but many people don\'t understand electronics and seem to think digital is supposed to be as accurate as the display can indicate. That is seldom true.

Sometimes it\'s handy to \"zero\" the calipers on some standard part so a
measurement gives the deviation, not the absolute length. If you went
to lunch you wouldn\'t have your zero when you came back .

--
Regards,
Carl

 

[Don Y]

On 11/11/2022 2:49 PM, Sylvia Else wrote:

For the record, I got so tired of this problem that I bought a non-electronic
one. There\'s a slight learning curve, but they\'re very easy to read to the
nearest 0.1mm, and can do 0.02mm with a bit of effort.

Ditto -- as with micrometer. You *never* have to worry about the
battery dying. And, of course, you only NOTICE a dead battery WHEN
YOU NEED THE TOOL!! (hardly the time when you want to be distracted
with \"battery replacement\"!)

And, if you\'re working with small things, just slide the caliber
under whatever \"magnification device\" you are already using to
view your work.

 

[Carlos E.R.]

On 2022-11-12 18:36, Ricky wrote:

On Saturday, November 12, 2022 at 1:02:46 PM UTC-4, legg wrote:
On Fri, 11 Nov 2022 07:40:06 -0800 (PST), Ricky
gnuarm.del...@gmail.com> wrote:
I, like many others, have digital calipers that drain the battery while sitting, and have no on/off switch, so the battery must be removed when not being used. I recall a conversation here some time ago about this and some had found different brands that worked better than others, in this regard.

Anyone recall the names of the brands that don\'t drain the battery?
Two sets here in two tool boxes. I keep a spare battery in their
cases - expect to have to change at least annually. If you only
pick them up once, every year or two, then dead batteries will be
no surprise.

Think about that for a minute. If I can\'t expect a battery in an unused device to last a year sitting in the case, why would I expect an extra battery to be good? This is clearly bad product design. End of story.

Apparently, once a battery is \"started\" it starts slowly losing charge
even if you put it again in a box, disconnected. The warranty date is
not valid once you start using the battery even once, the chemistry
inside changes.

--
Cheers, Carlos.