Battery charge remaining.

[Sarah Winfield]

Your thoughts, please.

I'm trying to establish what charge remains in some batteries I have. All alkaline

If, on my digital multi-meter, a 1.5v AA battery shows as 1.45v (the battery is bbf Mar 2020), similarly a PP3 shows 7.6v (bbf possibly 4Q22) I suspect it is time I replaced them. Would members agree, please?

Thank you,

Sarah Winfield

 

[Gizzy]

Your thoughts, please.

I'm trying to establish what charge remains in some batteries I have. All alkaline

If, on my digital multi-meter, a 1.5v AA battery shows as 1.45v (the battery is bbf Mar 2020), similarly a PP3 shows 7.6v (bbf possibly 4Q22) I suspect it is time I replaced them. Would members agree, please?

Thank you,

Sarah Winfield

The AA would be just about acceptable to me, but the PP3 is getting low....

 

[PhilP]

Knowing the Playmobil loco's do not like low batteries, then I would change both..
I would guess a voltmeter would show around 6.3V under load, in your controller.
The problem with one 'soft' AA battery, is that the others tend to be doing more work, so they are all dragged down.

PhilP

 

[Sarah Winfield]

Knowing the Playmobil loco's do not like low batteries, then I would change both..
I would guess a voltmeter would show around 6.3V under load, in your controller.
The problem with one 'soft' AA battery, is that the others tend to be doing more work, so they are all dragged down.

PhilP

Many thanks Gentlemen.

I have new batteries on order.

What are your thoughts on using rechargeable batteries, please as opposed to non-rechargeable. I have some AA's that are 2400MhA.

Sarah Winfield

 

[Gizzy]

Many thanks Gentlemen.

I have new batteries on order.

What are your thoughts on using rechargeable batteries, please as opposed to non-rechargeable. I have some AA's that are 2400MhA.

Sarah Winfield

The AA rechargeables are 1.2 V, so this might not be enough oomph for your application.

However, I use rechargeable AAA ones in my PIKO track cleaning 25 tonnner loco, and AA ones in a Playmo diesel....

 

[Greg Elmassian]

A piece of advice, get a battery tester that puts a load on the battery when measuring... Open circuit voltage tells very little, especially in rechargeables.

even something as cheap as this is superior to a voltmeter alone:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mercury-600-098-Universal-Analogue-Battery-Black/dp/B00LJ0AJKQ/ref=sr_1_3?crid=2YPVBS3G3KGCR&keywords=AA%2Bbattery%2Btester%2Bunder%2Bload&qid=1678803599&sprefix=aa%2Bbattery%2Btester%2Bunder%2Bload%2Caps%2C213&sr=8-3&th=1

 

[PhilP]

The yellow Playmobil diesel is designed to run on rechargeable batteries.

A personal thing, but I am not a fan of 'PP3' style 9V rechargeable batteries. - Though this is probably historical bias, from the days of Nickel Cadmium batteries.

PhilP

 

[dunnyrail]

Many thanks Gentlemen.

I have new batteries on order.

What are your thoughts on using rechargeable batteries, please as opposed to non-rechargeable. I have some AA's that are 2400MhA.

Sarah Winfield

I found that rechargeable in my PM Railcars did not work at all well. Though we speak about amps as being important for power voltage also appears to be relevant as well.

 

[Greg Elmassian]

So amps is the power, that develops horsepower, needed when you add a load.

Volts directly relates to motor speed.

Under a certain voltage, and things run too slowly.

(I've taken some liberties with the laws of physics here, but this simplifies it a bit)

Greg

 

[Gizzy]

So amps is the power, that develops horsepower, needed when you add a load.

Volts directly relates to motor speed.

Under a certain voltage, and things run too slowly.

(I've taken some liberties with the laws of physics here, but this simplifies it a bit)

Greg

Sorry but I beg to differ. Liberties or not.

Watts is power, amps for current.

If one uses a water analogy, volts is the flow when you turn on the tap, and amps is the water pressure....

 

[Greg Elmassian]

I told you I simplified it for practical terms... but you could not accept it...

I'm talking about how amps and volts affect the MOTOR, I know Ohms law, taught it in the early 70's thank you very much.

 

[Greg Elmassian]

And by the way, a motor is an inductive / reactive load, which needs differential calculus to calculate current and voltage...

 

[PhilP]

Plumbing analogies, don't hold water, either.


PhilP

 

[Gizzy]

I told you I simplified it for practical terms... but you could not accept it...

I'm talking about how amps and volts affect the MOTOR, I know Ohms law, taught it in the early 70's thank you very much.

I can't accept an incorrect statement, especially when you tell us that you know ohms law, as do I.

I appreciate you are trying to simplify things for the OP, but using the wrong terms will only confuse the matter further....

 

[Greg Elmassian]

I did not use the wrong terms, that is the point!!!!

re-read this:


So amps is the power, that develops horsepower, needed when you add a load.

Volts directly relates to motor speed.

Under a certain voltage, and things run too slowly.

(I've taken some liberties with the laws of physics here, but this simplifies it a bit)
I wrote the answer to be helpful to the OP, not to posture about Ohms law, and you really messed up if you think it applies to a motor.
You are the person who used resistance incorrectly (in reference to a brush type DC motor)

Greg

 

[maxi-model]

With regards wether to use rechargeables or not - What is it you are powering and how often do you use it ? Something "power hungry" (especially with accessories like sound, lights, smoke) then rechargeable - right voltage and as many Mha's as you can practically fit (as in different battery sizes AA, Sub C, etc'). I am assuming the use of NiMh here not Li-po. Things that are not power hungry and get non continuous use, e.g. an RC transmitter, the non- rechargeable will suffice (although I do have one transmitter that was supplied with rechargeables). Buy a decent quality smart charger and don't bother with store bought "Energizer" and similar rechargeable set-ups.

And go get a cheap battery tester as suggested. Or wait till the batteries do not do their jobs and keep 1 or 2 spares. Max

 

[Sarah Winfield]

I don't mean to cause any disagreement.
My questions are asked so I have an understanding of how to use my batteries.
I have 5 re-chargeable batteries for my yellow playmobil diesel. Five times 1.2v equal 6v as opposed to the usual 6 x 1.5v with non-rechargeable batteries.
This reduction in voltage should slow down the locomotive and make it more controllable for my small shunting layout.
I'm waiting delivery of a battery tester.

 

[dunnyrail]

I don't mean to cause any disagreement.
My questions are asked so I have an understanding of how to use my batteries.
I have 5 re-chargeable batteries for my yellow playmobil diesel. Five times 1.2v equal 6v as opposed to the usual 6 x 1.5v with non-rechargeable batteries.
This reduction in voltage should slow down the locomotive and make it more controllable for my small shunting layout.
I'm waiting delivery of a battery tester.

Ok I see where you are coming from in your logic, the battery pack takes 6 batteries so it is possible that you may get slower running with the NiMh. Think this may be a try it and see job. Certainly with higher MhA you ought to get a longer run with the batteries.

But I am not sure that the RC being less than 9v will help. Your problems suggest that this is not the case and a new 9v should help.

In my PM diesel like yours I use Conventional batteries plus it has also had the diode fix, whilst it is good (better) for slow running it is hungry for new batteries in normal use on my line thus gets little use. Normal use on my line means operating sessions of 3-4 hours with the loco turned on all that time.

 

[JimmyB]

So in my PM yellow diesel, I use 6 X 1.2 volt NiMh batteries at 2300 mAh, these work fine ans will give a good 3-4 hour running, though I have never run them flat.

 

[Northsider]

I just stick my tongue on the contacts of a PP3: if it tingles, its OK, if I can stand it (or there is no sensation at all) then it's had it.