Batteries2017
Introduction/Definition/etc
Batteries are needed in a lot of toys,
especially the newer electronic
and robotic ones...
Comparison for price and features,
albeit quickly, for now...
Body
Battery Types
Taxonomy type stuff, primary, doesn't recharge...
Secondary and you can, iirc...
BatteryUniversity.com seems to have some good technical
information while most manufacturing (read sales)
data might need some critical analysis, like for
Pharma...
Primary
Panasonic
Duracell
Energizer
House Brands like
ToysRUs Brand
Others
Secondary aka Rechargeables (sp?)
Lead Acid
Old school car batteries,
you can add/ refresh/subtract
and test battery acid to make it work,
but upturned and other problems
with hazardous chemicals,
fumes, corrosion, heat,
shipping, storage and hazardous
disposal requirements, etc...
SLA (Sealed Lead Acid)
A step above the original add acid type
Lead Battery type stuff, and
seal that battery so you don't leak,
dump acid, lead, etc all over the place...
Besides sulfuric acid is sometimes used
to destroy stuff, intentionally, like
dispose of bodies, corrode
serial numbers, etc...
Not to be messed with...
Marine and motorcycle batteries
are likely in this range, popular in
12V and 6V, and likely other
variations for larger motors,
etc...
Dirt MotoBikes (MotoCross, etc),
JetSkis, GenericWaterSports Vehicles,
4x4's, Quads, Riding Lawnmowers, etc
vehicles turn over a lot more than
most cruisers/ barcoloungers (sp?),
so those might need them, and light
is the answer for throwing it around,
in dirt, around trees, etc so might
have moved to Lithiums for
-5 Pounds / battery difference...
Like bicycles and racing trimming
weight where they can...
Check kid ride in power car/truck/bike toys,
what batteries those use... And less knowledge
higher risk, company loyalties, buy same
charger as battery or toy manufacturer?
Corporate agreements, in that battery manufacturer
makes money off of labeling that the toy
manufacturer uses, and engineers that
only one battery will fit, legalese not allowing
generic/ off brand substitutions, trained
mechanics need to replace, FUD with kids,
(you will have a RedHaired kid,
and I'm not talking CarrotTop, etc)
etc...
AGM
Augmented(?) Gas Mat(erial),
or similar (lookup),
beyond sealed not to leak, they are
more tip over friendly, but little chances
of getting them fixed, as breaking the case
destroys them,
Sulfinization or similar is where it stops working,
temperature makes a difference,
and many moto people are finding
old (first frosts not starting)
new season problems
(thaw out and start riding
again, but no battery, as
didn't winterize, trickle charge
off season, fuel injected v. carb, etc),
Chargers for these start getting different,
as special technologies and your average
Battery Tender/ Minder/ Genius charger
may not know as well about it, to do the
patterns your specific brand wants,
and competing manufacturer makes a
charger, or cheaper and more available
third party chargers, up to the shop
professional chargers,
which have draining, conditioning and
desulfinization (sp?) and other special
features, like doing multiple at a time...
Temperature and weather,
resting the battery
(just cranked it wait a while)
to get that one extra use out of it,
to get the whole kit and caboodle
to the shop/ store to get another one,
and check for leaks,
wiring problems, etc, tire pressure,
oil quality, salt damage /lubes, too...
The lifetime for a moto battery might be a year,
or is it lack of care/ frequency of use,
temperature extremes? Kept outside/
inside/garaged/etc?
Costs are in the $100 range for sale battery,
and up to ~$300+ for a Lithium,
special lithium charger is extra
in the $150 range, iirc...
NiCad
Originally Cadmium was used
and a lot of the older stuff with built in
but can't change batteries type stuff,
still uses these, afaict...
Solar walkway lights, and when it doesn't
say which rechargeables it is,
(i.e. no marketing benefit),
likely NiCad, and hazardous disposal
required...
NIMH
Nickle Metal Hydride
with less toxicity, memory effect, iirc
Energizer, Duracell rechargeables,
some sold precharged,
and chargers have to match
the batteries, especially
mixing chemistry/technologies.
Newer chargers of NiMH may handle
NiCad as well (with a switch?),
but going to Lithium and/or
Zinc Nickel and you have problems...
LiPo
Fe (OLPC, etc)
Lithium brings dangers going
too low and too high,
as gas is created and expands
destroying the casing,
and can catch fire, but I've not
seen it, except afterwards,
as sales like showing the why
we don't sell those types,
voids warranttees (sp?), FUD, etc...
Countered by a few edge cases,
ramping up manufacturing,
quality control, new regulations,
etc and maybe time
changes that?
In Drones, for example, charge and
leave in a storage voltage, for
less problems, and then have to
charge to use again...
So preparing for say a Fun Fly
WPHSFunFly2016 and then don't use them,
and you have to discharge them somehow
without flying, similar to putting a round/shell/
case in a weapon and can't get it out
without firing, or risk accidental
discharge, and other problems,
like "I Was Just Cleaning It..."
AntiFire Safety bags exist for Lithiums
and used with drones which crash,
are charged afterwards,
may not have as many hard cases on them,
etc...
Zinc Nickel
Edison tried doing something with these,
and was not successful...
One of my first introductions was in LEF
Living Energy Farm visit from
Communities Conference,
CommieCamp2012
with a recent article describing it better
than most, from the source(s)
http://www.ic.org/living-energy-farm-an-answer-for-climate-change/
Looking for higher than 1.2V more like the
1.5V that some newer WowWee, etc requires,
it's 1.6V or 1.7V, but might be too high, etc...
Combining multiple piles/ cells,
to get higher voltage in series or parallel
and capacity in MilliAmpHours
800 for AAA (NiMH)
2600 AA
and how much starting power
(think Auto sales: Cold Cranking Amps)
they have,
basically the S,P, and C for Drones brought down
to more mundane consumer stuff..
Consumer batteries were made, and available 2008 ish,
and hit the bike lists, with CandlePower type forums doing
technical analysis and seems that it's no longer available
from what is now ZincFive.com who is using the patents
for UPS (Uninterruptable Power Supplies) in
traffic control systems and lights,
and going towards SmartCars, with storms, etc
Zinc Carbon (full circle to Primary)
Commercially available batteries are available from
major brands and at Sears, etc
Costs
In the AA/AAA range
$1/ battery commercial may be good,
but bulk for $0.50 , $0.40, $0.30 or less with delivery/
pickup might be better...
DuraBlock offers about 100 batteries for a certain
amount, but you don't see them available except
warehouse supply type or online places...
It takes a while to use 100 batteries at 2-4/unit
and they expire, don't store, shelf life, etc...
Ideally provide real recent numbers,
as ToysRUs had a second pack for $1
sale on their store brand, but quickly
picked up AAA in plastic case, instead
of AA and ended up with 100+ AAA
and no AA disposables for MipoSaur,
SmartBalls, Bike Tail Light blinkies,
remotes, etc...
I had a spreadsheet inventorying my
batteries and chargers before the WowWee
stuff, might dig that up, clean it off,
and do something with that, will see...
Tabling problems on this, downloadable,
checking CVS sales math, etc...
Insert Quarters
So calculating how many quarters
it takes to run the games,
as old school people were
video console, early 1980's, etc...
Some of it depends on use,
a MIP that has to wabble (sp?) back
and forth like a Segway to stay upright,
and to get going, instead of stand,
and autostart itself like MipoSaur
off the back clear plastic dew claws
(in dogs/called talens? in birds),
will use more, and high speed, fights, etc
make difference...
Conclusion
Summary of experience or similar
Corporate interests like oil,
probably exist in battery economies,
IIRC: Lithium was in short supply,
which drove up prices, as most people
were adopting the technology,
think oil crisis in the 1970's...
(Gas Crisis Lines, etc...)
Links
BatteryUniversity.com
TargettedWowWeeAccessories2017
WowWeeToys2017
BabyNeedsNewShoes2016
SwiftStreamZ9DroneUnBoxing2016
DronesChart2015
FAADOTDroneRegistrationSiteUp2015
DroningOnAboutMultiRotors2015
SpringBreak2013
WeldingBasics2013
http://wiki.OLPC.org
http://AdaFruit.com
LiPo chargers, small solar panels, etc...
Solar Backpack
Sony Solar Walkman
Discussion
A place for feedback on the page presented
At what price is it worth playing with toys?
Repeat costs of disposable batteries,
and the environmental footprint of that?
What does Cadmium do to people?
How does the toxicity of that work?
Why didn't they label things better
back in the day?
If it causes cancer in California,
why wouldn't it elsewhere?
If you aren't a pregnant woman,
why do you worry?
What recycling options are there for those
batteries?
Or do people just throw them in the regular
waste streams?
How close do you live to land fill?
Downstream?
UpStream?
What about the new and improved one?
Toxic Waste Dumps and Super Fund sites
like Potomac Yards, used to be a rail exchange...
What price checking is available in store?
Do you have to leave, buying nothing,
and have toy(s), etc not work,
and have to commute back,
a gotcha, for time v. money...
Is the exhaustion worth the risk?
What about not having tail light
batteries working for a bicycle
in heavy Saturday evening traffic?
Or is reflective/ other redundant systems
enough?
License
Creative Commons Share and Share Alike,
Non Commercial, Non Derivative,
for the whole site's contents unless otherwise explicitly stated
Page History
20170309 Jerry
- Jerry created this page to note some battery issues/costs
- ...
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