Topic: Battery box and mic question

[DaveH]

Just got 2 quick questions on my gear. Concerning my Church Audio battery box (BAT-2B), how long does the life in a 9 volt battery last in them? I think the last two batteries were either old or mostly drained beforehand, but they did not last very long.

Also I got in a SP-SPSM-16 mic and I was told the results would be decent. I'm not expecting anything exceptional (they were only $10) but I was just wondering if anybody else has used them before. I will probably put out more money on mics around Christmas but these have a much smaller cord than the Audio Technica ATR-35S mic I used before and I wanted something easier to transport. Any suggestions, experiences, or thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks.

DaveH

[Church-Audio]

Just got 2 quick questions on my gear. Concerning my Church Audio battery box (BAT-2B), how long does the life in a 9 volt battery last in them? I think the last two batteries were either old or mostly drained beforehand, but they did not last very long.

Also I got in a SP-SPSM-16 mic and I was told the results would be decent. I'm not expecting anything exceptional (they were only $10) but I was just wondering if anybody else has used them before. I will probably put out more money on mics around Christmas but these have a much smaller cord than the Audio Technica ATR-35S mic I used before and I wanted something easier to transport. Any suggestions, experiences, or thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks.

DaveH

Generally speaking your battery should last quite some time  more then 100 hours if you remember to unplug the mics from the box when they are not in use. The mics draw very little current.

[nameloc01]

The best thing to do is when you buy a tic for a show..factor in gas money and money for new batteries (and media if you use any). Every time. Why take a chance? Batteries are cheap.

[udovdh]

Batteries every show?
What a waste!
Think of the environment!
Use Ni-MH's and check the 9V battery once in a while. Once the voltage drops significantly below 9V you can start using a new battery.
I'd say that 8V is a nice cutoff but others know more I guess.
8V not for the voltage but for the duration of say a 2 to 3H show and the dropoff curve of the battery.
Some of the mics might perform quite OK with as low as 5V.

[Church-Audio]

Batteries every show?
What a waste!
Think of the environment!
Use Ni-MH's and check the 9V battery once in a while. Once the voltage drops significantly below 9V you can start using a new battery.
I'd say that 8V is a nice cutoff but others know more I guess.
8V not for the voltage but for the duration of say a 2 to 3H show and the dropoff curve of the battery.
Some of the mics might perform quite OK with as low as 5V.

My mics will perform well in the range of 6volts to 9 volts so I would say minimum 150 hours of use per battery in a standard battery provided again that it was disconnected when not in use.

[DaveH]

Thanks for the info, I kind of figured the batteries I had were old to begin with and it wasn't the battery box. Anybody have any information / experience with the SP-SPSM-16 cardioid mics?

[nameloc01]

If you're so worried about "taping greenly"...next show you go to leave the car at home and ride a skateboard.

[DaveH]

No, that wasn't my concern. It was basically a case where I only had 2 pairs of used or older new batteries and wanted to know how long the average lifespan on one would be with a new pair. Taping greenly, 

[Liquid Drum]

I normally use a Duracell 9v for around 2-4 shows MAX. I don't like to risk anymore than that. As said already batteries are cheap and its worth changing them regularly.

As for the batteries that are used, I use up the rest of the power either testing or it goes into the smoke alarm. I'm not so stupid to throw away batteries with power still in them heh.

 

[3-Fan]

I always mark on my battery in a sharpie when I bought it, what date I used it on and for how long so I kinda know how much life is left in it.

[Sunday Driver]

I use a new 9 volt battery after about 5 shows. But that's just me being me (because I know I would forget), they can last for *a lot* longer than that.

[Church-Audio]

Everyone here at T.S that does not have a cheap volt ohm meter should invest in one.. They can be purchased for as little as $29.00 All you really need is to measure the voltage of the battery anything under 6.5 volts I would toss for use as a battery in a battery box. That way you save money in the long run and you actually pay for the cost of the meter in just one year. Its a great investment and it will teach you a thing or two about electronics at the same time.

This is a good meter for anyone needing quick answers to cable problems voltage and polarity issues.
http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2104114&cp=2032058.2032235.2032305&parentPage=family

Chris

[Arni99]

I used my duracell 9V battery for 50 shows(each show about 2 hours) in 2007.
Still at 6-7V after these shows(~100 hours) according to my voltmeter.
You don´t buy a car, drive around the block and set it on fire?! do you?! 

[udovdh]

I used my duracell 9V battery for 50 shows(each show about 2 hours) in 2007.
Still at 6-7V after these shows(~100 hours) according to my voltmeter.
You don´t buy a car, drive around the block and set it on fire?! do you?! 

Exactly!
So comments like:

If you're so worried about "taping greenly"...next show you go to leave the car at home and ride a skateboard.

Are out of line. wasting a pefectly good battery is decadent foolishness and 'joking' about it like this is bordering on stupidness.
I use the voltmeter method once in a while, knowing that my mics work quite OK until 5 volts or so.
But most of the time I won't let the battery die that far.

[Liquid Drum]

I'm sold! Just ordered a MultiMeter to measure, hope it comes with instructions lol.