Re: PHOTO-3D digest 1084

[michaelk@xxxxxxxxxxx (Michael Kersenbrock)]

> RE: Wein battery vs true 1.35 Hg battery.
> To: Mike K.
>   The Wein battery at least in the Popular Photography writeups was

Unfortunately, that mag quit coming even though I renewed it quite some
time ago.  I'm having really terrible problems with magazines.... sigh.
I have yet to receive a copy of Stereo World since my status was corrected
to first-class mail... so I'm not sure if that's "working" properly yet,
and I've got my breath held to see if I'm properly on Dalia's
mailing list.   I can go ten years with no problems, but once things
break, everything seems to break all at once.  Anyway, back to the subject. :-)

> indentified as an air battery as used in hearing aids..but modified
> for photo use by making it the diameter of a 625/PX-13 which is it
> designed to replace. By coincidence the air battery has nearly the
> right voltage. In hearing aid use the short shelf life due to drying

The only thing there that bothered me is that they *label* the battery
on the package as a 1.35V cell, where it's really a 1.4V cell which is
what the hearing aid battery versions of it are labelled (and measure).

Labeling their package differently than eveready marks their package
seems like something someone could take to be significant (knowing that 
a mercury battery is 1.35V) -- but it isn't significant.  *Some* people 
may not have read that Popular Photography article.  :-)

The main point of my posting was that this 1.35V labeling should not be
confused with the 1.4V labeling on Hearing aid versions.  The Wein versions 
were taking poetic license to make it the same as a mercury cell.  Also, the
washer they include isn't something one can't do one's self very easily
(even if not as pretty looking -- but you can't see it when it's installed).


> out after the air is "let in" by removing the seal, is not noticed as
> hearing aid depleat the battery due to heavy current drain before even
> the short shelf life. The light drain in a metering situation means
> that the battery might have a 3 months life compared to 1 year for a

I think my hearing aid one is now older than that, but I'll be watching to
see.... I may not remember right how old it is.  

> mercury battery unused. Now Wein claims to have covered some of the
> holes to minimize dry out yet let it function..so perhaps it has a six

Of course, one could just leave covered one or more holes on the hearing
aid battery.  It's only a little piece of tape that it comes with.  :-)

> months shelf life as a camera battery once seal removed?

I think I may try just uncovering one hole at at time (there's only two
or three anyway) on hearing aid batteries and measure the voltage.... I'll
report in a few months the results (if I remember to check it again 
regularly :-).

However, even if it lasted twice as long, it may not be really profitable
to pay four to five times as much for a battery that lasts only twice 
as long. And it isn't clear that it does (the lasting part, it does the
costing part).

> I don't see any of this as misrepresentation..just a convenience so
> you don't have to make your own adapter. BobH

Except for the 1.35V vs 1.4V marking differences between wein and Eveready,
I'd agree.  If the stated differences were real, I might have continued paying
the extra $5 for the washer, but seeing that there isn't a difference, then
I don't see it to be worth it.  But certainly, others may.  Just don't buy it
because it says "1.35V" instead of the "1.4V" on the MUCH cheaper batteries.
The reason to buy the $6~7 cell instead of the $1.50 cell is the washer 
preinstalled.

I tried not to claim "misrepresentation" so much as I said they 
stretched things a bit to fit the mercury's profile and voltage.  I'm sure
there *is* a current load level where the battery *is* 1.35V, but I don't think
that current level is one that the cell will see in a camera unless it's running
a film winder's motor -- in addition to the meter.  So it isn't *wrong*, it just
may be a bit misleading.  Had someone else earlier posted that which I did,
I wouldn't have bought *any* Wein cells.  So that labeling *did* gain them
some sales which they wouldn't have had otherwise -- from personal experience.

It's no biggie so long as everybody knows -- and all 3D-photo'ers certainly 
do now.   Even the non-Pop-Photog readers.  :-)

Mike K.


P.S. - I bought 5 or 6 of the Wein cells, so I personally will be using them
       still for a while.  :-)   Zinc-air shelf life is ten years when still
       sealed. 





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End of PHOTO-3D Digest 1086
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