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

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MrAl:
Hello there,

The video was pretty nice, i watched the whole thing.

When i first heard about this product i looked at the data sheets and found that if the device cuts out at about 1.3v then the 'new' product could provide about 300 percent of the normal run time, which is 200 percent more.  But then after looking at other data such as internal resistance and most boost converters efficiency (it goes down for a lot of reasons) i had to bring that down to 200 percent total, which is only a 100 percent gain.  That's at least something, but again, we cant forget, that is if the device cuts out at 1.3v.  I dont think i have any devices that cut out that high, and if we allow that threshold to drop to 1.2v, then we dont get a real lot more out of it, if anything.

What i think they should do is buck up to the fact that they have a really dippy product, and instead of trying to pass it off as is, sell it as a battery booster that can boost an AA cell up to maybe 3 to 4 volts or maybe even 9v.  At least then it might be worth something.  But yes, then there is the all important question of just how much current can it really put out since it is so small.  We'd have to actually test one to be sure.  Small MOSFETs and small inductors can do a decent amount of current these days, but the package they are using is not just small, it's super small.

Another question i had was about the physical size.  Just how much longer does it make the AA cell.  If it's even a small amount longer it could actually ruin the original contacts of the device it is being used in, making it impossible to use with regular batteries after a time.  It could even crack the plastic housing of an AA or double AA housing if it is that cheap styrene type, or warp other types of plastics.

This reminds me of the old Rayovac rechargeable alkalines.  Anyone remember them?  They only took a charge like 15 times when the claim was much much higher.  But they did work in my TI programmable calculator because they had higher terminal voltage.  That was the only thing they were good for however.

mcinque:
Dave, thank you for the video. I really enjoy when you debunk scams like that. The part where you describe the issue with the + of the battery and the metal chassis of the batterizer was a total ROTFL.  :-DD :-DD

Thanks again!  :-+

thewyliestcoyote:
Dave Great Video,
Thanks,

I am working for a company that is working on very long lived low power devices. One of my junior engineers found this product and yesterday very loudly pushed it all the way up to the owner of the company (Not me and they are not a engineer). Needless to say this took a couple of hours to explain to them on why this is BULL SHIT and would not work and why this should not be designed into everything we are doing.

Dave you explanation was much better than mine,

Thanks

LaurenceW:
Battery life on just about all moderm electronics products is their achilles' heel. To gain commercial advantage, manufacturers will pull every trick in the book to make THEIR gizmo last longer than a competitor's, by better battery management and, where applicable, buck/boost converters in their power conditioning circuits.

So IF some external electronic snake-oil was going to have ANY effect on product longevity (on one set of batteries), don't you think that the manufacturers would have already built the same technology into their products, for the competitive edge it would give them? Only they don't do it, because it doesn't work (for 90% of all devices).

Isn't it mildly depressing how gullible so many people can be, about these sort of stories?  Then again, it also amazes me that 7% of Americans belive the moon landings were faked (Source:Space.com); so perhaps I should be depressed yes, but not surprised, about this fake. Pass me my homeopathic headache tablets!

kedwards22:
Another thing to consider is conducted/radiated noise. To get the magnetics small the boost converter is probably running in the MHz range and there's no space for shielding or effective output filtering. There's also a good chance that the converter is not fixed frequency, maybe a simpler fixed on time control scheme. In that case the switching frequency and noise will be all over the spectrum. Good luck using it in a wireless device.

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