Topic: Digital multi meter advice

[whiskybob]

Hi

I'm in the U.K and am a long time taper, up until now I've used Duracell disposable batteries but this Christmas I asked Santa to bring me a Technoline BC-900 shown here
http://www.technoline.eu/details.php?id=1326&kat=15

and some Enloop batteries shown here
http://www.amazon.co.uk/eneloop-Generation-HR-3UTGB-rechargeable-battery/dp/B00AZLW1WY/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1388428466&sr=8-2&keywords=eneloop+aa

Now, here's my question, I'm paranoid about having full batteries and a recording going tits up because I've run out of juice so does anyone have any thoughts on these batteries and what voltage should they be showing for say
4 hours of recording? I'm running a simple rig of Sony M10 > CA Batt Box > CA11 Omnis, I'm only planning on using the AA batteries for the recorder, partly because the recharger doesn't cater for 9v batteries used with the Batt Box
and partly because I've read that 9v rechargeables can be temperamental....If anyone wants to tell me otherwise preferably with a decent charger and battery then I'm all ears

The main part of my question is that I'm about to pull the trigger on a mutimeter and want to confirm that this particular piece of kit looks as though it'll do the job on both the Enloops and the 9v, I'm pretty sure it does but like I say
....I'm paranoid
http://www.amazon.co.uk/DIGIFLEX-Testing-Digital-Multimeter-Voltmeter/dp/B003NEGZLS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1388427904&sr=8-1&keywords=multimeter

Thanks for any help/advice which is gratefully received

[Phil Zone]

I will say that with the m10, using rechargeable batteries I can get about 18-20hrs so don't worry about 4 hrs at all, the m10 has great battery life. For 9v in a battery box you should get a ton of time. I have a sp-spsb6 and I use the same battery for upto 5-6 months. But I don't know about the church audio stuff.

[dnsacks]

i use the same charger and am not sure that a multimeter is going to help you (much) -- once the charger indicates that the battery is "full", you can use the center button to toggle through various statistics for the batteries (including voltage and charge capacity) the charger charges each battery separately and reports on each battery's individual condition.  The enloops are great batteries for this and should simply show as fully charged in the m10 once you load them.  For piece of mind, I'd a) recharge the enloops before every show (even though they're low self-discharge, I'd let them sit partially discharged until you need them and then recharge as needed) and b) keep a fresh pair of "normal" aa batteries with you so that you can handle the unexpected should the m10 not report that it's completely full . .. .

Returning to the multimeter, a battery's voltage is only part of the equation, you're also looking for how much power it can put out at that voltage, etc.  Especially with NIMH (if I'm remembering things correctly), the battery stays real close to its fully charged voltage until it's nearly discharged.  So, checking voltage may well not give you the info you need

d

[andy_landy]

rechargable batteries tend to have a different discharge curve to regular disposables. they start at a lower voltage but go down much slower. iirc there is a menu option on the m10 (possibly buried in the detail menu) that lets you tell it what type of batteries you have fitted. if you choose the right option then you should be all set.

that multimeter looks fine, and it's always handy to have one around the house, so for 10 quid i'd say just get it.

[whiskybob]

i use the same charger and am not sure that a multimeter is going to help you (much) -- once the charger indicates that the battery is "full", you can use the center button to toggle through various statistics for the batteries (including voltage and charge capacity) the charger charges each battery separately and reports on each battery's individual condition.  The enloops are great batteries for this and should simply show as fully charged in the m10 once you load them.  For piece of mind, I'd a) recharge the enloops before every show (even though they're low self-discharge, I'd let them sit partially discharged until you need them and then recharge as needed) and b) keep a fresh pair of "normal" aa batteries with you so that you can handle the unexpected should the m10 not report that it's completely full . .. .

Returning to the multimeter, a battery's voltage is only part of the equation, you're also looking for how much power it can put out at that voltage, etc.  Especially with NIMH (if I'm remembering things correctly), the battery stays real close to its fully charged voltage until it's nearly discharged.  So, checking voltage may well not give you the info you need

d

Just got the charger and it looks far more complicated than my old one which you just load the batteries and plug it in and wait for a green light to appear

The batteries say min. 1900mAh capacity (typical capacity 2000mAh), do I have to configure the charger in some way and is it best to discharge the batteries each time I use it?

Thanks for the replies gents

Whiskybob

[dnsacks]

nope -- I use the button on the left to adjust the charging power when I first insert the batteries, but that's about it -- it has a lot of options, but is really "set and forget" especially with new bats.

My advice -- do a bunch of "dry runs" with the batteries and m10 recording ambient noise/a stereo to get a good feel for their longevity/consistency

[stevetoney]

It doesn't matter if you discharge them all the way.  Ni-Cd are the chemistry that have memory effect.  Ni-Mh don't have memory effect. 

For what it tells you, I think everyone should have a multi-meter.  It's as useful to me around the house as a hammer or screwdriver.  For battery testing, it's nice to be able to put the meter on your batteries if you ever need to diagnose an individual cell. 

[rastasean]

Hi Jon,

In your experience, what battery AA battery brand do you find the most reliable as in longest lasting? What are your recommendations to keep batteries lasting as long as flipflops?

[stevetoney]

FWIW, my two cents is that your second question is the key to battery life.  The highest quality battery in the world won't last long at all if you don't maintain it correctly based on its chemistry.  Conversely, the lowest price rechargeables can last a really long time if maintained properly.

Eneloop is a popular brand and seems to be associated with quality, but keep in mind its popularlity probably has as much to do with the fact that they are low self discharge as 'quality'.  In other words, all I'm saying is that low discharge doesn't necessarily equate to higher quality or longer battery life...again long life is more a function of how the batteries are maintained.  Low discharge batteries tend to have some performance disadvantages that non-low discharge batteries don't have, though I can't remember what those are off the top.

Battery University (www.batteryuniversity.com) is the source I use to figure out the best strategies for maintaining my batteries because unfortunately, with different battery chemistries there are no universal rules.  Lots of information to sort through there so that site can be frustrating, but it's a great resource.

[F.O.Bean]

I buy rechargeable 2300mah Energizer AA/AAA batteries from Sams Club and they hold a great charge, AND have lasted me VERY WELL, from spring 2011>present. and I will replace them before summer festie time this summer, just to be cautious! They arent labeled as "LSD" batteries, but I am thinking they are even tho theyre not labeled "LSD"

And I use alkaline 9v batts for the time being, and before one goes in my LB, I check it with a multimeter to make sure its a good battery