Battery duration test!

[Saker-Clive]

We all know about testing the distances etc. of the transmitters but has any one else tested the battery life in one?

Recently, I tested my Bio Track FT3 tranny with part used batteries; (I'd flown the Saker for about ten sessions with them). I put them in and left them until I got a double blip.....................................9 days, the book says 5!! I will try again with all 4 transmitters as and when the birds moult and see just what the capabilities are; I'll probably try a couple of makes of cell also.
Any one tried it?

[Hawkmaster]

Good idea Clive, let us know the finds and how you steup the test and we will jion in an see if we can make a world wide thing of this?

[Saker-Clive]

The FT3 was basically, put together and left; I checked the signal daily and took it as that.
the next 2 I'm doing are the Alan Ramsdale and a FT2; I will also check the distaces from various points to see if that affects the signal output to battery drainage.

[Hawkmaster]

Ok I was just think what if the transmitter does not have a double beep to indicate that it is low?

[Saker-Clive]

The next set of tests, I am going to leave them until they go dead. This way, hoping to find out if the signal reduces in 'strength/distance' before giving up completely.

[Saker-Clive]

Day 7, both transmitters are still running and I have had signals out to 5 miles in fairly open but undulating land (the trannys are in Kiers enclosure and we are in a large estate)
The Bio-Track I got a signal 10 miles away from the top of Devil's Dyke but the Alan Ramsdale one I got nothing!!
Keep you posted.

[Hawkmaster]

Cool, very interesting?

[Saker-Clive]

Day 10, just checked again but the Alan Ramsdale tranny batteries are exhausted.
The Bio-Track FT2 is still going but the signal is extremely weak. Outside I get a fairly good signal but in the house it is only a very feint blip!! Even with the attenuator ON for close work it doesn't register. The blip has also slowed down considerably, all it's giving out is 24 beeps per minute instead of the usual 52 ish.

I will test brand new batteries on my next test, as again these ones had been used in the field already. I don't think it is worth carrying on with the FT2 as the signal is not strong enough to help find a lost tag or bird. I am only getting the signal within 10 metres of it!!!! Yesterday, I got a signal from a mile away whilst I was out flying Zarbu. So from yesterday morning to now, the drainage was fairly rapid all beit 10 days.
I mentioned it at the last club meeting and one of the other members has done a similar test and he got 9 days before the batteries died; he said he only used cheap 99p ones bought on a card with about 40 cells of various sizes.

[Saker-Clive]

Reset both tranny's with new cells and both are giving off 51 pulses/beeps per minute; lets see what happens this next week.

[Gaz]

With all this testing and other stuff,do any of you actually get out and fly or are you to busy testing ?????...the best way to test your batts is to use um once and sling the bloody things away,.they are only 50p each for gods sake :!: :!: :twisted:

[Saker-Clive]

The idea is if the trannys are still running after 10-12 days, people have a better chance of getting a lost bird back instead of giving up after 5 days because the 'book' says 5 days.!!

[Gaz]

Biting dude :!: :twisted: :mrgreen:

[Gozzhawk]

Tracked a lost saker for 21 days last year , was getting to be annoying as where she was lost was completely inaccessable, also had a guy from english nature tracking her , we never seen hyde nor hair. I only gave up when signal stopped!

[Goldie]

With all this testing and other stuff,do any of you actually get out and fly or are you to busy testing ?????...the best way to test your batts is to use um once and sling the bloody things away,.they are only 50p each for gods sake :!: :!: :twisted:

Wish I could get batteries for my RT plus for 50p :(

[OutFlying]

is that a new one or the older type ?

[Goldie]

unless they brought out onethis year I assume its the new type ?

[OutFlying]

is it the one with the battery alarm double beep mode, or the earlier one ?

[Goldie]

Yes double beep every 5 pulses 2004 model

[OutFlying]

was that with a duracell battery ? I had the same problem with a varta battery but changed to a duracell and had the same battery in for month. Only switching off using the magnet with no problems. But will be sending it back to the states to have the low battery mode set to a lower level and the pulse made shorter and faster.

[Goldie]

Yeah duracell, they tell you not to use varta. can you tell me why you are having it reset ie benefits

[OutFlying]

I spoke to Robert Bagley with regards to the alarm and why varta batteries don't work correctly. He explained that under load the voltage on a varta drops below 2.75 volts and this triggers the double beep mode (even though the battery is ok and tests out Ok on the battery tester) and is still providing at least another ten days service and that maybe the level had been set a little too high . He offered to reset the double beep to a lower level to enable different batteries to be used or remove that mode completely. I also found it more difficult to track once in this double beep mode.
The faster the pulse the easier to get a precise bearing ( lower battery life though), it would also make it easier to distinguish from other people transmitters on the same frequency and channel setting.

[GoneHawking]

The idea is if the trannys are still running after 10-12 days, people have a better chance of getting a lost bird back instead of giving up after 5 days because the 'book' says 5 days.!!

I personally would keep on tracking until I had no signal at all and forget what the manual says, Also if you put a tranny on with say only 3 days left, you only get three days to find the bird, with new or nearly new you could get over a week to retrieve the bird, thats the way I look at it anyway.

[Goldie]

Makes sense Outflying, especially if you can use the cheaper vartas. You're obviously taking a leaf out of derry's book lol.

[OutFlying]

one flaw with this test is that despite quality control each transmitter is different, yes the person doing the tests will know how long his batteries last but it won't help you. I usually change the batteries every week, thus giving me nearly the maximum battery life to recover a lost bird. With the new Rt+, I used the same battery for a month flying 5-6 times a week and still had over four days battery life left (no double beep)- I left the transmitter swiched on and let the battery die, it lasted 7 days.

[OutFlying]

Makes sense Outflying, especially if you can use the cheaper vartas. You're obviously taking a leaf out of derry's book lol.

Derry, probably uses solar power :lol:

[Goldie]

LMAO

[OutFlying]

And on a cloudy day, a small wind turbine mounted on the center decks. One can't be too careful.

[OutFlying]

Goldie, I think the duracells from RS components are £2 ish - not bad really

[Goldie]

:lol: :lol: You've definitely got the moulting blues, you need to get out more

[OutFlying]

:lol: :lol: You've definitely got the moulting blues, you need to get out more

I'm waiting till July, noticed your posts to Word Association - you also need to get out, away from the avairy bars :lol:

[Goldie]

[quote="OutFlying"]Goldie, I think the duracells from RS components are £2 ish - not bad really[/quote
thats about the same as garlands I think

[Coedhirion]

Had interesting conversation with Luksander tonight, they DONT recomend Varta or Renata as they are low drain. the signal packs up if the temperature drops, but warm them up and they start working again. So you can get a transmitter testing fine when you put it on the bird then 10 minutes later it will pack up. they only recomend maxell or Everedy high-drain, and recon on about 10 days continuous use