Sunday 11 December 2016

Les Patterson's Christmas Card Batteries


Hay: "So what do you really want for Christmas?"

Chairman: "A pair of Sir Les Patterson pre-stained pyjamas."


When you buy a car battery you look at the amp hours in order to make a decision; when you buy. With 1.5V batteries there's no such guide - it's pot luck as to whether the batteries will die tomorrow or in six month, as we've discovered with the electronic cat flap. Why the hell can't battery manufacturers put the milliamp hours on their wares? It has to be a conspiracy.

That said, a bit of research has shown me that there is indeed a code, but it's still rather vague and tells you next to nothing about a battery's longevity within that code. For example, LR6 means an alkaline battery with a capacity of anywhere from 1800 mAh to 2600 mAh. What you need to be looking for is apparently the cheapest FR6 (Lithium), which results in a capacity of 2700 mAh to 3400 mAh, a slightly narrower margin, but at least far in excess of that of an alkaline battery Price is certainly no guarantee of performance within the alkaline range, nor the lithium range. 

Managed to achieve a tactical victory this week by using the element of surprise - got all our Christmas cards send by last Thursday. Smug, or what?


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