Battery Question

[zdas04]

I have motion sensor lights in my garage (my office is off the garage and I don't like leaving garage lights on all the time). One of them stopped working. I pulled the middle (or 3 AAA's) battery out and it started working again. I finally looked closely at the battery I removed and it showed signs of having shorted out. I put in a new one and the light works again.

My question is if the light can work with two batteries, why are there spots for three? (The white button seems to be a battery door interlock, but the thing worked just fine with that button not pushed).

[bold]David Simpson, PE[/bold]
MuleShoe Engineering

In questions of science, the authority of a thousand is not worth the humble reasoning of a single individual. Galileo Galilei, Italian Physicist

 

[LittleInch]

The only thing I can think of is that it allows for three recargeables which are often 1.2 to 1.3V or 2 alkaline at 1.5 to 1.6 V.

That white button must connect across the contacts as it looks like the batteries are in series.

Maybe time to RTFM....

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[itsmoked]

Nice thinking Little!

Keith Cress
kcress -

http://www.flaminsystems.com

 

[zdas04]

The manual is a 5X7 sheet of onionskin paper that says "put in the batteries" in 5 languages. Not a lot of help.

[bold]David Simpson, PE[/bold]
MuleShoe Engineering

In questions of science, the authority of a thousand is not worth the humble reasoning of a single individual. Galileo Galilei, Italian Physicist

 

[GregLocock]

That configuration of battery holder is the simplest for batteries in series. In that case I have not got the faintest idea how it worked with the middle battery removed. If they were in // and the middle one was shorted then it wouldn't work, I suppose until you removed it, but then why lay the batteries out in zig zag, as your photo appears to show?

Cheers

Greg Locock


New here? Try reading these, they might help FAQ731-376

http://eng-tips.com/market.cfm?

 

[LionelHutz]

You didn't push the button in with your finger to see what happened?

 

[LittleInch]

If you didn't have the module battery in fully to depress the switch then it would short out if the button acts as a connector across the middle battery.

Still very odd but try holding it in to see if it disconnects one battery from the other.

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[zdas04]

Of course I pushed the button to see what happened. With the battery removed and the button up, the light came on with motion. With the battery removed and the button down the light would not come on at all. That is why I thought the white button was a battery-door interlock (since with all three batteries the only way the middle one would make contact is if the door is secure), but it worked backwards--up lit, down dark.

[bold]David Simpson, PE[/bold]
MuleShoe Engineering

In questions of science, the authority of a thousand is not worth the humble reasoning of a single individual. Galileo Galilei, Italian Physicist

 

[LittleInch]

Good - so it looks like the button does connect the two other batteries for some unknown reason and allows it to work with 2 batteries or three, but clearly the third battery need to push in the button or it will short circuit.

Capstone industries are based in florida - ask them?

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[zdas04]

I believe it is a different "capstone industries" located a bit west of Florida (Shanghai maybe)

[bold]David Simpson, PE[/bold]
MuleShoe Engineering

In questions of science, the authority of a thousand is not worth the humble reasoning of a single individual. Galileo Galilei, Italian Physicist

 

[LittleInch]

http://www.capstoneindustries.com/index.php/products/slim-wireless-motion-sensor-light/

Does it look like that?

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[LionelHutz]

Then it does appear to connect the other 2 batteries, but the middle battery being be shorted as it was inserted until the button was pressed is rather odd.

 

[zdas04]

The brand is actually Hoover, but it is distributed with Capstone's name on the packaging. I'm thinking freight forwarder. It doesn't look like anything in the link.

[bold]David Simpson, PE[/bold]
MuleShoe Engineering

In questions of science, the authority of a thousand is not worth the humble reasoning of a single individual. Galileo Galilei, Italian Physicist

 

[Compositepro]

They have a Hoover line of products on their site. Most likely the name is simply licensed and used for marketing. Many old brands have ended-up like that.

 

[LittleInch]

What does the front look like?

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[dgallup]

Is this an LED light? Most LED's will operate on 2 fresh alkaline batteries but as soon as the voltage drops a little they stop working. Having a 3rd battery in series increases the supply voltage enough that the light will keep working until the batteries are nearly used up. I never buy any 2 battery LED light as they will have a very short run time. I also avoid like the plague anything using triple A batteries unless small size and weight is at a premium. They cost exactly the same as double A batteries which have 2.4 times the energy content.

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The Help for this program was created in Windows Help format, which depends on a feature that isn't included in this version of Windows.

 

[zdas04]

Yes, it is an LED with a (non-replaceable) internal rechargeable battery, solar panel, and a compartment for 3 AAA batteries in series (I think). Here it is for sale Sam's Club

[bold]David Simpson, PE[/bold]
MuleShoe Engineering

In questions of science, the authority of a thousand is not worth the humble reasoning of a single individual. Galileo Galilei, Italian Physicist

 

[LittleInch]

I think what has happened here is that according to some of the replies, the unit either works with batteries or solar power / rechargeables, but not both.

I suspect that the switch / white button is that when you put batteries in it cuts out the solar power and rechargeable element.

Hence what happened to you Dave is you took out the middle battery which then connected the re-chargeable unit ( which probably has some power in it).

Try taking ALL the batteries out and see if it still works??

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[zdas04]

It does, that is exactly what is happening.

[bold]David Simpson, PE[/bold]
MuleShoe Engineering

In questions of science, the authority of a thousand is not worth the humble reasoning of a single individual. Galileo Galilei, Italian Physicist

 

[LittleInch]

I like a happy ending...

Remember - More details = better answers
Also: If you get a response it's polite to respond to it.