EEVblog #751 - How To Debunk A Product (The Batteriser)

[Fungus]

Just got an email from the batteriser team

(...) At this time, we have encountered a slight delay relating to the manufacturing of the Batteriser's integrated circuit (IC).

Our earlier proof of concept prototype IC could efficiently deliver 500 milliamps of steady state current. However, as many applications need higher current driving capabilities, we modified our Integrated Circuit (IC)

So, long story short: Their prototype can only deliver 500mA and and they don't have an IC ready for production

And they only figured this out the week before they were supposed to deliver? What exactly were they doing for the other five years...?

[Wytnucls]

...Working out the best strategy to sell a flawed product to potential investors and the general public. That takes some doing.

500mA at 1.5V, delivered by an IC perched on top of a AAA battery would be quite an achievement. I don't believe they have managed that either. Show us the evidence, Batteroo. 

[Fungus]

...Working out the best strategy to sell a flawed product to potential investors and the general public. That takes some doing.

Not to mention massaging the buttocks of venture capitalists. That's exhausting work.

[EEVblog]

Just got an email from the batteriser team

(...) At this time, we have encountered a slight delay relating to the manufacturing of the Batteriser's integrated circuit (IC).

Our earlier proof of concept prototype IC could efficiently deliver 500 milliamps of steady state current. However, as many applications need higher current driving capabilities, we modified our Integrated Circuit (IC)

So, long story short: Their prototype can only deliver 500mA and and they don't have an IC ready for production

And they only figured this out the week before they were supposed to deliver? What exactly were they doing for the other five years...?

My highlighting. That means that they lied on their Indiegogo campaign when they said they had done all the R&D and were headed into production. No mention at all about a "proof of concept" "prototype" IC.
Heck, they even claimed they had "pre-production" prototypes before the campaign. And with those they didn't notice it could only do 500mA? Wow, just wow.


They flat out lied and have come'a'gutsa! 

[bktemp]

Just got an email from the batteriser team
So, long story short: Their prototype can only deliver 500mA and and they don't have an IC ready for production

I see the next message from them coming:
The high power version draws more quiescent current, therefore the benefit from the Batteriser is lower. To avoid a further delay they will ship the high power version and use this as an excuse why the test results from users differ from the ones shown by Batteriser.

But there will be many other problems causing delays until they will ship the Batterisers (if that will ever happen).

[Joule Thief]

one day this is all going to end and I will have to find something else to read with my morning coffee 

it is a shame as I have learned a great deal from all the responses

[EEVblog]

And of course, use only batteries, because Dr. Bob Roohparvar told us you can't use a PSU to do these tests

Of course, everyone knows that a PSU is only good in those rare niche cases when the product has capacitive filtering and draws so little heavy battery pulse current that it's not a problem. So few modern products do that  

[AmmoJammo]

My highlighting. That means that they lied on their Indiegogo campaign when they said they had done all the R&D and were headed into production. No mention at all about a "proof of concept" "prototype" IC.
Heck, they even claimed they had "pre-production" prototypes before the campaign. And with those they didn't notice it could only do 500mA? Wow, just wow.

They flat out lied and have come'a'gutsa! 

You can still report the campaign, even though its ended.

and I have...

[EEVblog]

And of course, use only batteries, because Dr. Bob Roohparvar told us you can't use a PSU to do these tests

Of course, everyone knows that a PSU is only good in those rare niche cases when the product has capacitive filtering and draws so little heavy battery pulse current that it's not a problem. So few modern products do that  

Speaking of which, i know the Golf GPS was comprehensively busted, but did anyone scope the battery voltage on the product terminals  to see if it matched the waveform (that I think was) shown in Batteroo's last snail video?

[Artlav]

500mA, hm?
That reminds me of something...
Could it be that Dave is to blame for Batteriser (by long haul logic)?
Could it be that the guys behind it got their "inspiration" from watched this video?

[Godzil]

I know that's not directly batteroo related, but some of you may have followed the "RetroVGS" story, and I've recently see this reposted video from this pseudo project:



When I watched it I was unable to not think about another video that one of our beloved (or not) company had done.
I am the only one to see a full setup table full of lots of electronic stuff that are here just to tell "look we have an electronic lab!!!!! incredible!"
The show of "prototypes" that are basically not prototypes, trying to fool people with something which is not a real product, nor does what.
A real PSU, and lots of explaination about something else and not the product itself....

[f4eru]

one day this is all going to end and I will have to find something else to read with my morning coffee 

it is a shame as I have learned a great deal from all the responses

Nothing lasts forever, not even a Batterizer thread with 800% more posts.

[RFZ]

Nice, a backer. When you get one, please measure the efficiency for different battery voltages and currents, and how long devices run with and without it. And of course, use only batteries, because Dr. Bob Roohparvar told us you can't use a PSU to do these tests Or send me one, I can do this, too.

What did you think I've ordered them for? 

[Muttley Snickers]

I predict another burglary at Batteroo's head office but this time the intruders will return everything they took after the realisation that it was of no value, most burglars are intelligent enough to pick a target with a decent prospect of reward, they got done like a dinner on this one.

[ccs46]

Just got an email from the batteriser team

(...) At this time, we have encountered a slight delay relating to the manufacturing of the Batteriser's integrated circuit (IC).

Our earlier proof of concept prototype IC could efficiently deliver 500 milliamps of steady state current. However, as many applications need higher current driving capabilities, we modified our Integrated Circuit (IC) design to make it capable of the higher level of current driving capability. We expected our final IC to be ready and out of the fabrication facility (FAB) over a month ago. However, due to a drift in process parameters, the IC is still being worked on by our engineering team, in order to be ready for mass production. Fortunately, we have been working diligently with the FAB to address and fix the issues responsible for this delay, and we are anxiously waiting to receive our final IC in the coming weeks. We are committed to producing your Batterisers with the highest quality standards. (...)

So, long story short: Their prototype can only deliver 500mA and and they don't have an IC ready for production

I think they are trying to impress us with that technobabble.

[Jay_Diddy_B]

Just got an email from the batteriser team

(...) At this time, we have encountered a slight delay relating to the manufacturing of the Batteriser's integrated circuit (IC).

Our earlier proof of concept prototype IC could efficiently deliver 500 milliamps of steady state current. However, as many applications need higher current driving capabilities, we modified our Integrated Circuit (IC) design to make it capable of the higher level of current driving capability. We expected our final IC to be ready and out of the fabrication facility (FAB) over a month ago. However, due to a drift in process parameters, the IC is still being worked on by our engineering team, in order to be ready for mass production. Fortunately, we have been working diligently with the FAB to address and fix the issues responsible for this delay, and we are anxiously waiting to receive our final IC in the coming weeks. We are committed to producing your Batterisers with the highest quality standards. (...)

So, long story short: Their prototype can only deliver 500mA and and they don't have an IC ready for production

It is actually worse than that. In reply 3330 in this thread I showed that, because of the maximum power theorem, it is impossible to meet their target specification of 1.5V at 1A from anything but a fresh cell.

Regards,

Jay_Diddy_B

[Howardlong]

Just got an email from the batteriser team

(...) At this time, we have encountered a slight delay relating to the manufacturing of the Batteriser's integrated circuit (IC).

Our earlier proof of concept prototype IC could efficiently deliver 500 milliamps of steady state current. However, as many applications need higher current driving capabilities, we modified our Integrated Circuit (IC)

So, long story short: Their prototype can only deliver 500mA and and they don't have an IC ready for production

And they only figured this out the week before they were supposed to deliver? What exactly were they doing for the other five years...?

My highlighting. That means that they lied on their Indiegogo campaign when they said they had done all the R&D and were headed into production. No mention at all about a "proof of concept" "prototype" IC.
Heck, they even claimed they had "pre-production" prototypes before the campaign. And with those they didn't notice it could only do 500mA? Wow, just wow.


They flat out lied and have come'a'gutsa! 

Maybe it's just me, but judging from the lab setup they showed with Probes the Monkey and the GPS test, it seems doubtful they'd be capable of getting into chip design, or even be able to adequately specify the requirements to a third party. Something's definitely not adding up.

[Kjelt]

 

[GNU_Ninja]

Something's definitely not adding up.

I think that most people on this forum figured that out 3000+ posts ago.

Maybe its time to lock this thread until Batteriser deliver an actual product or the heat death of the universe occurs, whichever comes sooner 

(My money's on the heat death of the universe)

[madires]

Maybe it's just me, but judging from the lab setup they showed with Probes the Monkey and the GPS test, it seems doubtful they'd be capable of getting into chip design, or even be able to adequately specify the requirements to a third party. Something's definitely not adding up.

Actually it was quite clear from the beginning, it's either the Dunning–Kruger effect or a deliberate scam.

[HighVoltage]

Actually it was quite clear from the beginning, it's either the Dunning–Kruger effect or a deliberate scam.

The only question at this time is probably how they want to get out of this mess, without having to deal with a huge court battle.
It is no question in my mind that it is a scam.
They just did not expect real technical people to be interested in what they are doing and they probably expected to quietly get away with it.

[Fungus]

Maybe it's just me, but judging from the lab setup they showed with Probes the Monkey and the GPS test, it seems doubtful they'd be capable of getting into chip design, or even be able to adequately specify the requirements to a third party. Something's definitely not adding up.

Yes, that was my point several hundred pages ago.

Why would they need to set up an obviously fake 'workbench'? Don't they have one in their office? Surely somebody with that many patents has a workshop somewhere that they could use.

[Godzil]

Just got an email from the batteriser team

(...) At this time, we have encountered a slight delay relating to the manufacturing of the Batteriser's integrated circuit (IC).

Heeyyyyyy!! It's not just an IC ! it's a Batteriser IC, so a BIC!

!!!

(it there is anyway to resize an external image with the bbcode here?)

[WN1X]

Heeyyyyyy!! It's not just an IC ! it's a Batteriser IC, so a BIC!

At least that BIC performs as advertised, which more than can be said about the Batteriser 

[Mr.B]

Buy a Fisher Space Pen - they perform 800% better than a BIC.