battery life question (for the electrical geeks:)

[jmoore]

As an "old school" kinda guy who is just getting into ARs, I have a question about battery life and some of the new optics.

I believe it is Aimpoint claims 8 years (or whatever) of constant-on use - with a AA battery. My question is this - If I leave a AA in the kitchen drawer for 8 years, it will be dead when I try to use it. Not that I ever plan to test the claims, but isn't it a bit of an exageration to claim the constant-on life that some manufacturers do? Won't the battery die from age as opposed to draw?

john

[jmart]

Lithiums are supposed to have a very long shelf life and I don't think 10 years is out of the question. WRT alkalines, not as great. You have a valid point.

[Pat_Rogers]

jmoore- that is an excellent question. I am told that Aimpoint did accelerated testing in order to arrive at these figures, but beyond that, beats me.
However, i'll make an inquiry.

[Sidewinder6]

Its called self discharge and you may read more by going here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-discharge

Litiuum battery last as long as 10 years on a shelf but once you start using them, this curve changes. Many of the carbines and accessories have a place where you can place additional batteries for optics. Its a good idea to fill them.

Here is a rule of thumb for Ops from a technical point of view. If you use the batteries on an op, chuck them immediately when you get back. Always go out with fresh batteries and extras. In the Tech world, it is called the ABC's that cause you all the heart ache. Antennas, Batteries and Connectors. In this discussion, only 2 out of the three apply.

For storage or less severe use, make sure the device is actually off. Sometimes a device may be off, but it is still pulling current and this is a death sentence for a battery.

I will be interested in the info that surfaces on this subject from the manufacturers.

[fast97rs]

soo..... what was the consensus of this research?

I read this a while back, but just wanted to know if anything knew was learned.

[Rob96]

I just read a posting from someone that was over in the sandbox and he stated he had to change his battery 3x's in 1yrs. time.

[fast97rs]

:shock:

[Pat_Rogers]

I just read a posting from someone that was over in the sandbox and he stated he had to change his battery 3x's in 1yrs. time.

Rob- that is partial information, and without knowing specifics, is not too viable.

For example- which Aimpoint. The M68 covers the Comp M2, M3, and M4. All have different electronics, and different battery life estimates.

However, the big fly in the ointment is batteries. Not all batteries are the same. Certainly Lithium is the better choice, and what i use.
However, this may not always be possible.
I have tested brand new batteries just off the shelf that were non functional.
It is a common problem.

I did take an AA out of an EO that was "dead" and place it in an M4 and it worked. It is a little over a month now, and still functional.

[jmart]

I did take an AA out of an EO that was "dead" and place it in an M4 and it worked. It is a little over a month now, and still functional.

Eotech's probably draw more to generate the reticule so when the battery falls below a certain threshold, it won't have enough juice to generate the reticule. Aimpoints draw less, so that's why a "dead" Eotech battery can work in an Aimpoint. It's also why Aimpoint can get such tremendous life out of a single battery -- it simply draws so little the battery lasts a long time.

[Pat_Rogers]

Correct- and one of the multiple reasons why i use Aimpoints.