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  • Showing only topics in ~tech with the tag "batteries". Back to normal view / Search all groups
    1. Battery life of AAA batteries that come with the original products seem unusually long

      Hey folks of tildes, I wanted to see if anyone has similar experiences as mine and if they know the reason for this. I've purchased a few items which came with AAA battery pre-installed...

      Hey folks of tildes,

      I wanted to see if anyone has similar experiences as mine and if they know the reason for this. I've purchased a few items which came with AAA battery pre-installed (Chromecast from Google, Weighing scale from Xiaomi). These batteries lasted for an incredibly long time, Chromecast lasted over 1.5 years and Xiaomi's scale lasted for a similar time. Any third party battery I've purchased (Energizer, Duracell, Panasonic, Eveready and few others which I can't recall) last for a couple months at best.

      I've now switched to rechargeable batteries, to reduce the waste I was creating. Still, I was really curious if anyone has a similar experience, and if they know the reason for it.

      28 votes
    2. Recommendations on portable power stations

      After one too many blackouts for the past few years, we're in the market for a backup power solution. Guidelines include: Would rather have multiple smaller units than one large one. Should be...

      After one too many blackouts for the past few years, we're in the market for a backup power solution.

      Guidelines include:

      • Would rather have multiple smaller units than one large one.
      • Should be enough to charge phones, watch a television, run the Keurig. If it can spike up enough to run a heater or keep the fridge from spoiling, that's a bonus.
      • Would like to keep it at ~$300 a unit.

      We're looking into a whole home generac as well, but this is more of a bandaid trial solution for now.

      23 votes
    3. How many battery-operated devices do you have in your home?

      A student asked me this question today. They were looking into lithium batteries and e-waste and whatnot. My initial response was something low, like maybe five or six, but the more I thought...

      A student asked me this question today. They were looking into lithium batteries and e-waste and whatnot.

      My initial response was something low, like maybe five or six, but the more I thought about it, the higher the number kept climbing — old phones, key fobs, wireless mice, flashlights, a food thermometer, etc.

      I’m not sure I have an official count yet, but the number is WAY higher than my gut reaction. I also thought it was an interesting thought experiment, so I figured I’d ask here to prompt people to do their own inventory.

      How many battery-operated devices do you have in your home? (They don’t have to specifically be lithium batteries, but if you want to limit it to just that, feel free).

      16 votes