Electronic calipers, battery drain?

[xladkalkd]

Hello,

I have a Fowler electronic caliper that came as part of a drum and rotor measuring kit. Must have purchased around ~10 or more years ago. The kit at the time selling for around ~$75.00 - ~$85.00. I think prices have fallen since, to around ~$40-$50 for a complete kit with caliper.

Uncertain of the Fowler part number, this one has a SH9F11288 stamp. It's blue in color, same or similar to a Fowler Xtra-Value. Has a knob on the top with some sort of (covered) connection, appears for a PC with buttons in/mm, ABS, zero and on.

Not a bad caliper, works well. The only problem I have had with it is its battery. Remembering back when first purchase, leaving a CR2032 battery installed for a while. when I went to use the caliper again the battery was depleted.

So I started to remove the battery after each use and only install while using. It appears when the CR2032 battery is left installed the caliper drains the battery. Each time

I've been looking around at other calipers where I either don't need a battery or can leave the battery installed. I didn't see any manual dial caliper (at least in the lower cost range) that measures both in mm and inch, inch.

So have been looking around for another electronic caliper (mm & inch) that doesn't deplete batteries while turned off. This Fowlier caliper has and auto off feature so it can't be left on.

I'm wondering how many e calipers have this problem or perhaps they worked this problem out for the newer electronic calipers?

Other than a batteries shelf life I want to be able to leave a battery installed without the e-caliper causing it to drain,

While purchasing some other stuff an eBay seller I found a NSK e-caliper that has a cracked or defected LCD protector. Doesn't effect calipers operations. (Was recently delivered and needs to be picked up at the post office.) I didn't pay that much for it shipping from Israel was approx. same as the purchase price. I don't have any information and uncertain if it's an inexpensive or medium price NSK Pro-Max?

 

[manwithtools]

Mitutoyo, good one will be $125 or so. Never need to buy another.

https://smile.amazon.com/Mitutoyo-500-196-30-Advanced-Measuring-Resolution/dp/B00WMKUUAQ/ref=sr_1_3?s=industrial&ie=UTF8&qid=1545962477&sr=1-3&keywords=Mitutoyo+absolute

 

[Spacey_G]

If you buy a new set, you may find unacceptable parasitic drain with knockoffs and otherwise cheap models, but it won't be an issue with quality calipers.

I've had a Starrett 799 for 10+ years with only one battery change. We use 6" Mitutoyos at work and those batteries last several years. Never removed for storage.

 

[atlm]

My HF digital caliper also drains the battery if left in. IIRC it’s dead in a week or three. So I remove the battery when not in use and it lasts for years.

Also, after installing the battery, the caliper is unresponsive for 5 or 10 seconds. I’m guessing that the same circuit or processor that drains the battery is the one that needs power for a while before the unit can be turned on.

 

[atlm]

If you buy a new set, you may find unacceptable parasitic drain with knockoffs and otherwise cheap models, but it won't be an issue with quality calipers.

I've had a Starrett 799 for 10+ years with only one battery change. We use 6" Mitutoyos at work and those batteries last several years. Never removed for storage.

Good point about quality calipers. I used Mitutoyos in the machine shop and their batteries weren’t removed and lasted for years.

 

[M6erfan]

Yeah, my cheapie would be dead every time I went to use it. Finally got tired of that and bought a Mitutoyo. No issues at all since.

Seems like several of the good old stand by names (Starrett, Fowler, B&S) have gone down in quality as of late or at least offer lower range measuring tools, some now made in China. Unfortunately.

 

[manwithtools]

BTW, cracked LCD does not affect operation? I'm sorry. but that is likely a story they would like you to believe. Use that in a machine environment, and its dead in day or three.

 

[dsimatt]

Timely thread as today I pulled mine out to used and the battery is dead...The crappy case seems to push on the power button and drains it down.

 

[American Locomotive]

The problem is that all of the cheap calipers never actually turn off. Pushing the "off" button simply turns the LCD off, but the circuitry is still running. They do this because the encoder they use is not an "absolute" encoder. You push the caliper all the way to the closed position, push "zero", and then the circuitry simply counts the number of pulses that goes by and figures out how far the caliper moved. If the caliper fully turned off, it would lose its position and you'd have to re-zero it every time you turned it on.

More expensive digital calipers like the Mitutoyo Digimatics have what they call an "absolute encoder". The sensor doesn't just count the number of pulses. They've put a special reference pattern on their encoder such that the caliper's circuitry can figure out where it is at any given time. With a Mitutoyo caliper, you can turn it off, take the battery out, slide it to a new position, put the battery back in, turn it on, and it will know exactly where it is. This "absolute encoder" allows the caliper to fully shut down when not in use, greatly increasing battery life.

 

[manwithtools]

^^^^

 

[Tallpilot]

Mitutoyo, good one will be $125 or so. Never need to buy another

+1

Don't worry about traceable calibration unless your job requires it. They aren't any more accurate just government compliance paperwork most people don't need.

 

[M6erfan]

The problem is that all of the cheap calipers never actually turn off. Pushing the "off" button simply turns the LCD off, but the circuitry is still running. They do this because the encoder they use is not an "absolute" encoder. You push the caliper all the way to the closed position, push "zero", and then the circuitry simply counts the number of pulses that goes by and figures out how far the caliper moved. If the caliper fully turned off, it would lose its position and you'd have to re-zero it every time you turned it on.

More expensive digital calipers like the Mitutoyo Digimatics have what they call an "absolute encoder". The sensor doesn't just count the number of pulses. They've put a special reference pattern on their encoder such that the caliper's circuitry can figure out where it is at any given time. With a Mitutoyo caliper, you can turn it off, take the battery out, slide it to a new position, put the battery back in, turn it on, and it will know exactly where it is. This "absolute encoder" allows the caliper to fully shut down when not in use, greatly increasing battery life.

That'a a great explanation! Thanks

 

[dogdog]

My HF digital caliper also drains the battery if left in. IIRC it’s dead in a week or three. ...........

I have about 4 or 5 of them, left battery in for years only one battery is dead so far....bought it for sub $10 with that 20% coupon... might be a different batches...

 

[American Locomotive]

I have about 4 or 5 of them, left battery in for years only one battery is dead so far....bought it for sub $10 with that 20% coupon... might be a different batches...

Every HF caliper I've used (including the one I own) plows through batteries. A few of my friends have them, and they're just always dead.

 

[fasteddie]

No such problem with my HF caliper. Only replaced the battery once in several years.

 

[dogdog]

Every HF caliper I've used (including the one I own) plows through batteries. A few of my friends have them, and they're just always dead.

No such problem with my HF caliper. Only replaced the battery once in several years.

this is my experience.....odd.

 

[Ign]

It's been well-documented the cheap calipers merely blank the display but don't stop pulling power.

My Mitutoyo 6" don't drain batteries excessively. However my 12" (which uses 2 batteries) does seem to and I remove them. Same calipers - both the top of the line silver IP66/IP67's

Mitutoyo offers a solar caliper which I very much enjoy. It needs virtually zero light to fire up and I have to store it upside down to get it to shut off.

I paid $154 June '16; the present price of $165 is quite good:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001C0ZPUW/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[L.Cheapo]

It's been well-documented the cheap calipers merely blank the display but don't stop pulling power.

My Mitutoyo 6" don't drain batteries excessively. However my 12" (which uses 2 batteries) does seem to and I remove them. Same calipers - both the top of the line silver IP66/IP67's

Mitutoyo offers a solar caliper which I very much enjoy. It needs virtually zero light to fire up and I have to store it upside down to get it to shut off.

I paid $154 June '16; the present price of $165 is quite good:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001C0ZPUW/?tag=atomicindus08-20

$165.75 @ Zoro. Minus the ubiquitous 20% off code,(winter183) $132.60. Amazon isn't the great deal so many people think it is.

AvE did a couple of vids on cheap/fake calipers. IIRC, the imposter used ~10x the power the genuine Mitutoyo did. Genuine Mitutoyos also used the silver batteries instead of the cheapies.

 

[MattT]

might be a different batches...

Or different designs. Do yours read the actual position or zero when you first turn them on?

 

[American Locomotive]

My Mitutoyo 6" don't drain batteries excessively. However my 12" (which uses 2 batteries) does seem to and I remove them. Same calipers - both the top of the line silver IP66/IP67's

Does the 12" say "Absolute" on it?

 

[6PTsocket]

I have one I picked up at the flea market, years ago. It was marketed by General and also by Fowler. It was actually made by NSK. It was around $95 way back then. It does not eat batteries. It uses a pair of CR 44s or LR44s. The cap you refer to covers a data port for logging readings to a computer. The format is standardized today but mine is so old that it uses some proprietary plug and obsolete format. I have no need to log data so I don't need it. Mine was missing the dust cap when I got it but otherwise it has been great. I think I paid $45. I see them on ebay once in a while.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

 

[royesses]

Dual scale dial caliper on closeout - $20.00:
https://littlemachineshop.com/products/closeouts.php

Igaging dual scale dial caliper $27.00:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/iGaging-Di...h=item4d6ea7c5cc:g:hcQAAOSwVNNalMJZ:rk:3:pf:0

Roy

Mitutoyo digital caliper batteries typically last 2 to 3 years. Mine have been in it for 4 years and still going strong.

Roy

 

[xladkalkd]

Mitutoyo, good one will be $125 or so. Never need to buy another.

https://smile.amazon.com/Mitutoyo-500-196-30-Advanced-Measuring-Resolution/dp/B00WMKUUAQ/ref=sr_1_3?s=industrial&ie=UTF8&qid=1545962477&sr=1-3&keywords=Mitutoyo+absolute

Are there knock offs of the Mitutoyo 500-196-30?

After looking around on eBay I see a the same "new" caliper from under $20.00 to $262.65.

What's going on here, how can the same caliper have that sort cost difference unless there selling knock offs?

 

[L.Cheapo]

Are there knock offs of the Mitutoyo 500-196-30?

After looking around on eBay I see a the same "new" caliper from under $20.00 to $262.65.

What's going on here, how can the same caliper have that sort cost difference unless there selling knock offs?

Yes, there are knockoffs. And they've gotten pretty good over the last few years. Buy only from a reputable source if you want a genuine Mitutoyo.

Watch AvE's vid on knockoffs here: (possibly ****)

 

[manwithtools]

Are there knock offs of the Mitutoyo 500-196-30?

After looking around on eBay I see a the same "new" caliper from under $20.00 to $262.65.

What's going on here, how can the same caliper have that sort cost difference unless there selling knock offs?

A real one will be close to the Amazon price. Anything less than $110, I'd be suspect. It is money well spent to get the real thing.

 

[xladkalkd]

Went to the Post Office and picked up my mail including the NSK Pro-Max.

The glass has a crack but it doesn't seem to effect the calipers operations.

The entire caliper is made from quality metal, including the battery/lcd case, buttons, etc.

Seems to work ok, but will test it on some known measurements to determine if it's accurate.

Difficult to find that exact model online (the no. HK01831 is stamped on the caliper) , it appears to be the same caliper as from the link below, which doesn't include a part number, only a picture and description.

http://www.auto-met.com/fowler/promax.html

 

[CJM8515]

Have 2 of the HF 4" (one kinda broke) and 1 4" model. All drain the batteries. Im not measuring like a machinist so to me its no big deal if they arent 100% accurate or the batteries die. I just keep them in the case not installed.

 

[xladkalkd]

ebay seller has a Mitutoyo 500-196-30 for $13.99 (incl. shipping). If the knock offs didn't eat batteries may be good enough for simple approx. measurements. However I'm looking for a set (MM and Inch) that don't have battery issues.

So I can put the calipers away, without needing to remove and install a battery every time needing calipers.

 

[Tallpilot]

It’s your money. But eBay is probably not the best place to buy this item. I got mine on Amazon knowing how to spot a fake. Feel free to also piss away money on used ones and hope to get lucky. But for a precision instrument like this new is probably wise.

Just my opinions. I wish you success no matter what you try.

 

[xladkalkd]

No I wasn't saying you should purchase a knock off, only that it appears the knock off main problem is with it's batteries as their using inexpensive electronics.

My Fowler isn't a knock off but as far as the battery behaves it's the same as a knock off.

Imo, it's unacceptable that tool manufacture produce products that eat batteries even with their economy line of tools. They too are purchasing inexpensive electronics

I've had some good luck over the years purchasing from eBay, but I too purchase from Amazon and other online stores such as Sears, RockAuto, Home Depot, Walmart, etc. and many others.

eBay has legit products and honest sellers which I hope are the majority, however it has it's share of scam artists who are dishonest and/or don't know what they're doing.

I recently found a good deal on a used Fluke 87 V multi-meter, for $150.00 using best offer. It's in excellent shape, doesn't appear to have ever been used. All my Fluke meters are manufactured in the USA.

Less expensive items such as e.g. pc, cell phone cables, etc. I sometimes purchase from an eBay seller that drop ships from China. and just wait from a week up to a month for the exact same item you can purchase here in the US at 4+ times the cost.

Currently postage from China to US is inexpensive, but if you want to send an item back to China the shipping fees are much higher. So if you purchase products directly from China ( exact same items as sold in the US) and need to return, the cost of postage is much more.

 

[Provincial]

I have a couple of older HF 6" electronic calipers that eat batteries. I have a newer (3 0r 4 years old) HF 6" that does not eat batteries.

The older ones will come back on at the same reading if you haven't moved the jaw in the meantime. If you have moved the jaw, they read what they should.

The newer one comes on to 0.000 no matter where the jaw is. You have to close the jaws and zero it each time you want to use it. It is a nuisance but at least batteries last a long time.

 

[MattT]

I have a couple of older HF 6" electronic calipers that eat batteries. I have a newer (3 0r 4 years old) HF 6" that does not eat batteries.

The older ones will come back on at the same reading if you haven't moved the jaw in the meantime. If you have moved the jaw, they read what they should.

The newer one comes on to 0.000 no matter where the jaw is. You have to close the jaws and zero it each time you want to use it. It is a nuisance but at least batteries last a long time.

That's what I suspected when another poster mentioned cheap calipers that didn't eat batteries.

And I never found having to zero the older Mitus to be a nuisance. If you don't check the zero every time you power up the caliper it's gonna bite you in the *** at some point.

 

[American Locomotive]

And I never found having to zero the older Mitus to be a nuisance. If you don't check the zero every time you power up the caliper it's gonna bite you in the *** at some point.

All of the "Absolute" Mitutoyos we have at work are dead-nuts every time. No need to zero them ever. In fact, if they don't read zero it usually means there's some dirt or something in the jaws. Giving the jaws a quick wipe will bring them right back to zero.

That is one of the nice things of having the absolute encoded scale. Obviously you should check the zero every now and then as a sanity check, but it really isn't necessary.

 

[G1GRANDEUR]

i have blue point one with original 4-5 years old batteries. very rarely use them and still no need to replace batteries.

 

[Mechanical Noise]

I checked the current draw on my $9.99 Pittsburgh caliper. It's 0.016mA with the display on, 0.015ma with the display off. Practically no difference.

I remove the cell when I'm not using it.

 

[1/2 Cup]

+1

Don't worry about traceable calibration unless your job requires it. They aren't any more accurate just government compliance paperwork most people don't need.

With out a doubt, mine are great..

 

[xladkalkd]

I found the instruction sheet that came with the Fowler that was having dead batteries issues if left installed. That was a few years ago so perhaps I'll try installing a battery again to verify it's depleting the CR2032 battery. (I've been removing the battery after each use)

Instruction sheet shows a Fowler P/N 54-101-150-2

http://www.fowlerprecision.com/Prod...aliper-with-Regular-Display-54-101-150-2.html

Included with a Fowler drum and brake kit https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003Z344Y2/?tag=atomicindus08-20

The Flower caliper works great, only the battery has been an issue.

The NSK Pro-Max calipers with cracked glass are working great. I was looking for a clamp meter adapter for my Fluke multi-meters and found a Blue Point EETA502A AC/DC Clamp Adapter, the same seller had the NSK Pro-Max calipers.

Little or no information on either product.

I believe the Blue-Point EETA502A is made by Extech, range is 0-200 amps and 0-2000 amps. Also tested to be working good (similar to Extech 380905)

Both items were sold AS-IS, so I guess I lucked out. (I don't normally purchase as-is and untested items, unless for parts)