Axminster Power Tools - Bargain

Isn't it the case that any electric circuit that doesn't have a mechanical on/off switch is going to have a small drain on the battery when switched off, as part of the circuit at least needs to be powered up continuously to respond to the momentary press on the switch? Although, it's thirty years since I worked in electronics so a little rusty.

Gary

It's poor circuit design. Good design using two cascaded FETs can reduce the off consumption to fractions of a nanoamp (sadly i forget the details). I have an 'always on' Sharp pocket computer that uses two 3V litium cells and the batteries still had life in after being left unused for ten years.

Neil

Neil.... Agree totally the "wake on Reset" pushbutton thing for microcontrollers works great...and with the "right" regulator can be made to achive drains as low as "shelf life " of the battery..btw 10 years is impressive for shelf life alone.....

But low / micro power regulators are often 5 times more expensive than the microcontoller....

( 'caus if you use battery voltage such that you need no regulator...has its own "calibration problems but doable ).

As to postage .. Well , on a related story It grates to spend more on postage that the "margin" on the item...GRRRR...

The reason for the battery drain is that you only switch off the didplay, have you noticed when you turn the item on it still remembers the setting when turned off. It is using the battery to keep the memory going, same with any of the digital measuring devices, any that ratain the previous reading will be using power.

Mine is also a Wixey, bought from the states when they first started doing them and before all the copies started to appear.

J

Hi Jason,

This is a Casio PB-410 personal Computer I picked up at aboot sale pre-2000. It has a 'hard' on/off switch so i was mistaken there. However the Ram card rated 3V 0.00002W still holds programmes entered before the millennium with no change of cell!

If that wattage is accurate then that would be 6.7 uA. Over 12 years it would use 0.7 Ah, much more than a lithium cell, so I imagine the 'real' drain is vastly less.

By the way the ram card is about 2" square and has 4K...

Neil

Edited By Stub Mandrel on 07/12/2012 20:06:16

I got my unit today; excellent service from Axminster, ordered yesterday morning and it came this afternoon. I'm in the countryside, so the post almost never comes before lunch!

I've measured the current consumption; 82µA running and 6µA off. Given that an el cheapo AAA cell probably has a capacity of around 300mAh you can work out the expected lifetime yourself.

Regards,

Andrew

Edited By Andrew Johnston on 07/12/2012 20:54:08

Of course, it should be about five years

Neil

Andrew

i am glad somebody else has ordered one. I am getting one for Christmas from my son so I hope it works.

I always think P&P is one of those things you have to put up with if you order on the Internet. I have ordered material and other goods recently and I have had to pay a third of the cost in P&P but I don't have anyone local that can supply the material or parts I wanted. I just live with it or don't buy it.

mike

Got one for crimbo; nice little unit & cheap at the price ..inc postage

George

My nephew was showing me his latest a wee while ago, an app for his phone, a digital level, I think it cost one or two dollars. He wanted a level to check the floors in his house. Ian S C

It's not exactly difficult to spring fifty quid with Axminster to get free postage...their catalogue arrived unexpectedly just after the holiday, and flicking through it, I thought that I could do with some nice new sharp Swiss files, so I did that, and oh, yes, I'll have one of those...oh and some new bandsaw blades..couple of craft knife blades..oh look at that, yes, I'd forgotten I neeeded one of those..and I'd just bust that, so I need a new one...and before I knew it I'd spent just over a hundred quid.

Receiving the parcel a day or so later was just like Christmas all over again, digging through to see what I'd bought. Wonderful.

Hi Nigel

Even worse for me - I don't live too far from Axminster and drop in from time to time when I'm that way. It's surprising - they always seem to have something that I really need ..........!

Cheers

Norman

Edited By NJH on 12/01/2013 17:22:20

Postage sounds reasonable to me, how longs it take for someone to pick and pack the order then wait an eternity at post office. If charge for that looking around £15 in bulk being realistic.

Of the ones that have these digi angle boxes, do you find them useful? I have one off the bay two year ago around £60 rechargeable by usb but do a lot of aluminium work. For that its more trouble than its worth if want something absolutely cock on to a thou over 9"