Silly consumer, just because you bought a device that uses batteries doesn't mean you bought a device that will use ALL of your battery.
So there you are, a budding amateur photographer presented with the perfect picture opportunity: your cat stuck in the dishwasher. Meow! You quickly grab your mega-super-shoot-so-easy-to-use-that-even-you-can-use-it-camera and flip on the power. The screen lights up and tells you “You need to change the battery”.
That’s annoying! You just need to take one picture. There got to be some more juice in that battery, I mean the LCD lid up telling you that it’s out of power, right? We need to preserve the moment so shut the dishwasher door, put it on hold or maybe on rinse cycle and then go get some batteries. Snowball needed a bath anyway!
Silly consumer! Just because you bought a device that uses batteries doesn’t mean you bought a device that will use all of your battery. You see, the battery isn’t completely out of power, but your camera knows that it’s only a matter of time.
Today’s ultra modern super smart high-tech devices can sense when the voltage in your batteries gets too low, and they won’t let you power up the device.
You see kids, baby batteries come into this world with a slightly higher voltage than listed. At least the non-rip-off variety do. As the charge in the batteries depletes, the voltage actually drops. So how much energy is actually left inside the battery when it’s “used up”?
Well, that’s depends on the battery, but it also depends on the device their being used in.
High-end electronics don’t like low voltage, but simple devices like kid’s toys and flashlights don’t care. Instead of just throwing your batteries away you can just move them down the line to something that will bleed them dry, something that will require less voltage to work.
Besides, your kids will love when their toys will start speaking in slow motion: (singing in slow motion) “Row row row your boat, gently down the stream”.
Here’s another handy tip: Cold batteries don’t work as well because… they’re particular about cold. They are just finicky little things, like my cat. My cat!
If you have some batteries that used to work but they don’t now and they are cold, try warming them up before you give up on them. No! Not in the microwave! You’ve been watching too much youtube. It’s not a great idea to warm up your batteries or your cat in the microwave. Well you can, but it’s just really messy. And the will definitely stop working after that. Not that your cat ever did work but… you know.
Put you batteries out in the sun for a bit, or just stick them under you armpit. Sure they will stink a little, but your camera doesn’t mind.
What’s that? Oh, you heard that if you keep batteries cold it helps them last longer. Well, yes and no. Sticking you batteries in the fridge could give them a few more minutes in the long run, but there are plenty of disadvantages too. Not only you have to wait for them to get up to operating temperature, cause you can’t put them in the microwave, but if you just throw them into the device you have to watch out for condensation.
Just like your favorite iced beverage as they warm up, condensation collects on the outside and then dribbles down. Generally high-tech devices don’t like dribbles. I mean think about it, this is where we putting power into the device and you are putting water right at that point! Bad idea!
The packaging tells you to keep them in a cool dry space cause too much heat and humidity will cause them to leak fluid. The same thing is true of your cat.
A nice cool drawer cupboard is the best place to store them. Batteries! Not your cat! Actually a cat drawer might not be a bad idea…
We’ve linked of to a cool chart of battery specifications for standard Duracell batteries that you can use to actually plan out, at least roughly plan out, how long a particular battery should last in a given device. Or you can do what I do: lower you expectations to improve your results. Hey, it works for my cat.
Ps: I don’t really own a cat.
Nerd fact! Originally batteries didn’t mean one of these. This is actually technically a power cell. A battery is a cluster or group of similar things, like a gun battery or a battery of tests, but if you wire a bunch of these little cells together then you get a battery of power cells. But who wants to say power cell battery ten times fast, so we shortened it to battery, but really it’s just a cell. [pointing at a power cell] Not a battery, technically!
[A cat meows in the background]
Sounds like the rinse cycle is finished!
[picks up the camera and power flips on the power]
The screen lights up and tells you… “You’re handsome”!
Transcribed by: ®obert
Battery Links
Duracell Power Chart
Batteries in the Fridge
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18 Comments
omnius
Cleaning your battery's terminals is a great idea, but usually it is enough to just spin the battery in place in the device (or alternatively pull it out and put it in again a few times). I have found this is abrasive enough to "fix" a lot of battery ... moreMoreFood
Gleeeefully I listened to your 'lesson' when I realized that I had a jar half empty with old batteries. I decided to test the batteries and found that most of them can still be used, after some cleaning: Using an stainless steel cleaning agent I removed insulating layers of oxidization from the batteries and tested them with a volt meter. This made me test and find the following: by holding the TV remote in a sweaty hand - or perhaps by using the remote from the kitchen - a lot of moisture gathers inside the battery chamber, which can cause the ... lots moreMeandering {207}
Hey I didn't know that a battery wasn't really a battery, but a power cell. So, many power cells makes a battery, right? Maybe that's why you never find a device that takes only 1 battery or power cell so the group of batteries (or power cells) make ... moreThe Mich
Maybe we should find a way to plug the camera to a Buttered Cat Engine... :) http://uncyclopedia.wikia.com/wiki/Buttered-Cat_Enginelhilhika
I love you guys!steph {207}
Love the slow motion part and the making fun of cats. Just felt like making fun of cats, I see. What do cats have to do with batteries? No clue. Hmmm... The idea of putting the batteries in a high powered device when it sayes low battery into a lower powered device is a good idea. Too much money is spent on batteries and I'm a cheap person, so that works. (By the way you didn't answer my question from the video before and I kind of want to know the answer. Just curious, thats all. And it's really bugging ... lots moreCrazyDave
Ok, so "technically" water and electricty are not bad together...they actually work better together...electricity does this nice little jiggy dance all over the water. (i.e. water + battery + laser-pointer = fun). Circuit boards (or any open/uninsulated/unprotected wire) and water cause "interesting" results. :) Ok, so now Cat + water ... moreladyrach14
We used to have a Sesame Street saxophone with the voice of Cookie Monster saying things like "Ha-cha-cha!" and "Play it again!" When those batteries ran down it sounded like the devil himself! I was sad when the batteries completely died, it was such a hoot.Kel [22]
Once upon a time when I lived in Siberia, I found that my camera, which could take 120 pictures on 4 AA's in the summer, could only take... 5-10 in the winter (when outdoors). It was horrible. But I saved all the batteries that died in the winter to use ... moreJennifer McKenzie
I say we go with potatoes.Gorilla Thumbs
In my old physics class we connected 10 9-volt batteries into a battery battery and then I think someone shocked their tongues...Hilarity...Off topic but great show! I felt really nerdy when my lips muttered the word cell when you didCurtis [22]
Great video. I got a charge out of this one. Alright, that was bad, but it's my comment and I'm sticking to it.Nospinplease
hahaha nice guys. With the cat and with not wanting to explain condensation. Really though, people should know what condensation is. That is like elementary school science and pretty standard stuff. It seems like you guys have something against cats... hmm.. well I'm indifferent when it comes to cats but ... morepheonix_blu
Tremendous! I've been heating up my worn-out "power-cells" for years. I originally started doing it to squeeze a little extra time out of my Gameboy. People think I'm crazy when I tell them it works, Thank you for vindicating me!!marc
I have a cat drawer. It rocks... because it makes the cat work... Yay Skinner boxes!WEGGLES
Oh man does it rattle my cage at work when I go to use the portable debit machine and it comes up "Battery Low Please Replace" and that screen will stay on for half an hour. It can beep and glow saying battery low, but it can't print out a reciept, saving me a trip back inside? >:[ My aunt keeps her batteries in the fridge, but I guess she doesn't have to now. And cold makes batteries finiky because batteries are a chemical reaction, and the cold temperature will slow down the reaction, in the same way heat will catalyse a reaction. ... lots moreThe Brothers Winn
Funny. Great comment. We do know how condensation works, sorry if we expressed it poorly. But "technically" you awesome comment means we don't have to worry about it.SSGCoxie
Great show on batteries and how to use all of the energy contained within. However, your wording about condensation may lead people to wrong conclusion. The moisture you see on a cold can of soda is not from it warming up, but the air around it cooling down to below the dew point and then you get condensation, "techinically." I realize that the can warms up at the same time it cools the air, but your words were a bit off. Now you may say, "What a nitpicky thing to comment on." I agree and I let it slide, until ... lots more