General > General Technical Chat
33 years old AA battery, still in good health
mcinque:
I found an old sharp calculator in a friend's house. He had never used it basically.
I asked him if he had ever changed the battery on it, since leaks are the first thing I think of in battery-powered devices.
He told me that he "didn't even know it had a battery" (how did you think it worked?).
I opened it up and found an AA battery that is apparently dated 1989 and has been there without leaks ever since that year. The calculator still turns on, the battery is at 10 percent.
Sure the calculator is still alive just because the battery is not a modern alkaline, but 33 years sitting there seems like a great accomplishment!
amyk:
It probably has thicker terminal seals and casing than those today, because the materials were relatively cheaper back then.
Sal Ammoniac:
--- Quote from: mcinque on November 01, 2022, 06:36:16 pm ---He told me that he "didn't even know it had a battery" (how did you think it worked?).
--- End quote ---
Many calculators in that era used solar cells for power and didn't use batteries.
Stray Electron:
That calculator obviously used a battery.
I have had Japanese made Sanyo NiCad batteries that lasted over 30 years. And I have some of the old big 6 volt lantern batteries made by Rayovac that are about 45 years old (1976 date codes) that still have voltage but I don't know if they will carry a load. I bought an old camping lantern a couple of years ago and there were four of them in it. One has slight signs of leakage and had some slight corrosion on the battery but not in the lantern, but the other three are fine and all four measured about 6 volts OC. One of these days I should put a load on them and see how they read.
mcinque:
--- Quote from: Sal Ammoniac on November 02, 2022, 12:11:56 am ---
--- Quote from: mcinque on November 01, 2022, 06:36:16 pm ---He told me that he "didn't even know it had a battery" (how did you think it worked?).
--- End quote ---
Many calculators in that era used solar cells for power and didn't use batteries.
--- End quote ---
Well, yes. But the solar cells are clearly visible. I can understand not everyone can recognize it, but :-//
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