Electronic Stuff

UNDERWRITER'S LABS (UL): In my view, the safety organization called UL which is charged with the responsibility of administering public safety regulations for electrical devices, often does not have appropriate regulations to adequately protect the safety of the public. A case in point, I sell chargers for professional batteries & I tested the Soneil 1214S charger, but found the plastic case to get so hot that I received an instant first degree burn which stung for over a day. Turns out that the case temperature was 72.6 C (162.7 F) in a room of 25 C (77 F). The manufacturer correctly claims that the charger was operating within safety limits as set out in UL safety regulation standard 1310 which allows a plastic case temperature of 75 C (167 F) in a room temperature of 25 C (77 F). The problem is as you will see by the temperature chart below, UL allows plastic case temperatures that are far too hot to be safe even to normal adults, much less children or the elderly. In my view, the standards should be set far lower to a maximum of 52 C (125.6 F) in a room that is 25 C (77 F). —December 2004

Approximate temperature & time exposure required for a third degree (severe) burn of adult skin. This time is less for 1st degree burns (less severe top layer skin burns).

SANYO CHARGER: Most of us use rechargeable batteries, either NiCads or NiMH (Nickel Metal Hydride) in various sizes (AAA, AA, C & D), but most of us don't know that there are differences in the features of the chargers that charge these batteries, which can have a significant affect on how long the batteries last. I have long felt that chargers which can charge individual batteries instead of "pairs" of batteries, have a better chance of making the batteries last longer. Often two batteries in a pair may not be at the same charge level or the same age (1 new & 1 older), so one battery gets undercharged while the other one gets overcharged, which shortens the expected life span of the overcharged battery. Recently at Costco I came across a neat little Sanyo package consisting of 4 AA NiMH batteries & a fast charger (model NC-MQH01U). The charger can handle up to 4 AA or 2 AAA batteries at a time & it doesn't require them to be in pairs, it treats each battery individually & gives each battery only the charge it requires. This charger is also very small (good for traveling), with no need for a separate mole plug (has retractable AC plug), can work on any of the worldwide Voltage levels from 100 to 240 VAC without a switch, has a switch so that it can charge NiCads or NiMH batteries, has a capacity level LED indicator using 3 colours, has intelligent stop charging circuitry called "peak Voltage detect" so batteries don't overcharge, trickle charges after the bulk charge to make sure battery is full, & fast charges two AA NiMH batteries in just over an hour or four of them in just over two hours. Although the packaging doesn't mention it, the smart microprocessor chip inside even tests to see if you are inadvertently trying to charge a non-rechargeable alkaline battery & refuses to charge it (good safety feature). The packaging also doesn't mention that there is a protection timer inside which switches off the charger at 180% of rated capacity just in case something goes wrong (another good safety feature). I guess I wasn't too surprised seeing all these features since it is made by Sanyo which is one of the world's largest rechargeable battery manufacturers, but I was surprised that the price at Costco was so low, $19.99 CDN. for charger & four 2100 mAh AA batteries, or $29.99 for charger & four 2300 mAh AA batteries. Unfortunately, I have bought & tested 4 of these units & in my view they overheat the batteries when requiring a full charge, which indicates that the detection for fast charge cut off isn't working as well as it should. I still think the Sanyo NC-MQH01U charger is a pretty good unit, but it could use a bit of refining. In my view, really fast charging (an hour or less for a full charge, which is a 1C rate or 100%) is not healthy for batteries. Also, 1 of the 4 charger units made an annoying clicking noise.

UNINTERRUPTIBLE POWER SUPPLIES UPS.

INVERTERS that create AC Voltage for household appliances from a battery.

CASIO PATHFINDER WATCH 2271 PAG40: A rather large thick gadget type watch for guys who like toys. It sells for $169.99 CDN at Costco & is waterproof down to 100 meters (about 330 feet) as long at you don't press the buttons underwater. Features include a compass, thermometer, barometer & altimeter, stopwatch, alarm clock (5 settings) & yes it also tells time (accuracy +- 15 seconds a month). It has a comfortable strap although it tends not to sit well on the flat of your arm, larger LCD numbers for old eyes & a backlight. I only found these extra features moderately handy on a trip south & decided to return the watch because the sensors weren't very accurate. The temperature sensor precision was only + or - 2 C (3.6 F) which in my opinion is pretty crude & you have to take it off your wrist for 20-30 minutes to get an accurate reading (much less time in water). Temperature only goes down to -10 C (+14 F) which isn't good enough in Canada. The altimeter is supposed to be factory calibrated & usually not need recalibrate, though you can calibrate if you want. At one point I was standing at sea level & the watch told me I was still 45 meters (146 feet) above sea level. The manual does say "values produced by this watch should be considered as reasonable representations only", but in my opinion the values just weren't accurate enough for me. It takes 4 batteries which can last from 13 - 18 months depending on use.

ELECTRONIC THERMOMETERS: For years mechanical & some electronic thermometers have worked well & been reasonably accurate, but not any more. I recently bought 3 different models of indoor/outdoor electronic thermometers, none of which worked properly. The THERMOR brand model DG957 purchased at Wal-Mart for $8.98 CDN didn't work at all for the outdoor probe, but instead it showed the indoor temperature in it's place. The TEMPMINDER brand model MRC510 purchased at Building Box for $35.13 CDN also has a humidity indicator built in which isn't even close to being accurate & the outside temperature probe read about 40 F when frozen in a glass of water (obviously water freezes at 32 F). Only the TEMPMINDER brand model MRC100 purchased at Pro Hardware for $10.99 CDN worked more or less properly (although not very accurately) & the outside probe read a bit low when frozen in water & the outside probe never matched the inside sensor in temperature even when they were in exactly the same environment for several hours.

9 VOLT RECHARGEABLE BATTERIES: Most rechargeable 9 Volt batteries aren't suitable for every application because unlike alkaline batteries which start around 9.5 Volts, rechargeables are usually a lower Voltage (typically 8.4 - 8.7 Volts). However I recently discovered a Duracell 9 Volt rechargeable NiMH battery that was very similar in Voltage levels to alkaline batteries. The Duracell was purchased at Building Box for $11.49 CDN & was 8.4 Volts uncharged out of the package & 10.2 Volts after charging. It seemed to work well in my radio mic application for over 6 hours. I bought an Energizer NiMH 9 Volt rechargeable battery at Wal-mart for $12.96, but it was only 7.64 Volts new uncharged & 8.72 Volts after a full charge which would be unsuitable for some applications. The Duracell exceeded my expectations, HOWEVER I ended up buying 5 of them & 3 failed, so there are some quality control issues with this brand. Of the 3 that failed, 1 had a terminal break off, 1 started out at the higher Voltage but only last an hour instead of 6 hours & the 3rd defective one didn't ever reach the high Voltage level of the others. The Duracell is thicker than the Energizer, so maybe it has one extra cell in it. I'm guessing that these have 7 NiMH cells inside. The Duracell is made in China. Aug. 16/2003

HOUSEHOLD BATTERY CHARGER: In the fall of 2002 I purchased an Again&Again brand battery charger (model CC-4H) for household size rechargeable batteries which I am really pleased with. It charges up to four standard size AA, AAA, C, or D rechargeable batteries at a time, or up to two rechargeable 9 Volt sizes at a time. It has a switch which can be set for NiCad (Nickel Cadmium) or NiMH (Nickel Metal Hydride) type batteries (don't use this charger for any other types of batteries). Each of the 4 standard battery slots has a red led which lights while the battery is charging, goes out once it has finished charging & maintains a trickle charge after that. A really nice feature that the literature doesn't mention is that this model doesn't require batteries to be charged in "sets" of 2, but charges each battery independent of the others (the similar looking "Energizer" brand of charger doesn't do this). That could help rechargeable batteries last even longer because chargers that require a set of two batteries will overcharge one of them if the set of batteries were not in identical condition. The charger has reverse polarity and short circuit protection. It charges Nice batteries in 5 hours, NiMH in 8 hours & 9 Volt batteries in 14 hours. Even though this charger might be a bit on the expensive side at some retail outlets ($25. - $30. CDN), I think this is a quality charger & would highly recommend it. The charger is made in China & sold by Saft America Inc.

WALKIE TALKIES: If you & your partner get frustrated because you can't easily find each other in a mall or other close proximity, then I highly recommend this 2-way radio unit. The Cobra MicroTalk (model FRS 227-2 VPC) is a complete set of 2 walkie talkies sold at Costco for $85. CDN. It features a range up to 3 kilometres or 1.86 miles (on a good day with a pink moon in the sky & a direct line of site), 532 channel combinations (14 channels with 38 subchannels) which should allow you to find a clear channel in your area (use the subchannels as they aren't as likely to have interference from other walkie talkies on the main channels), a set of 3 rechargeable NiCad AA batteries for each unit & a holder with a charger built in, that charges both units at the same time. This charger is very handy, because you don't have to take the batteries out to charge them, simply place the walkie talkie in the charger holder overnight while they recharge. You can use alkaline batteries, or put other brands of rechargeables in, but they will not charge in this proprietary charger. There is a well designed sturdy belt clip & the antenna is flexible enough so that it won't stab you in the belly if you have it mounted on your belt & you bend over. You can lock the settings so they don't accidentally get bumped & the volume control/on off is a knob which is nice. The Wattage is 500 milliWatts (1/2 Watt) (10 times stronger than a cell phone) which is the strongest allowed in Canada without a license. In the U.S.A. some stores also sell 2 Watt (2000 milliWatts) walkie talkies with a mail in license & these in theory will work up to 8 kilometres or 5 miles (realistically much less distance), but there is some concern about the radio wave radiation for prolonged use since they are 40 times stronger than a cell phone (if you get one of these, get the type that is switchable between 500 & 2000 mW milliWatts). I found the Cobra model FRS 227-2 VPC mentioned above to be excellent for short range use in a mall, well designed & I would highly recommend it since it works well & has all the features & accessories in the package (accept the optional head set with mic). Lately Costco has started sell another Coba model (FRS 236-2 VPC) for $75. CDN ($60. when on sale), which has the same features, but in my opinion doesn't have the same high quality as the Cobra mentioned above. I've also tried the Motorola T5725 for $90. CDN which has excellent mic quality & is about as good as the better Cobra model mentioned above. I use a Bell South model 1080 which is better than any of the above, but it is much more expensive & only available in the U.S.A.  Originally written December 13/2002, updated July 7/2003.

TIMEX WATCH: I purchased a Timex model 676 calculator watch (made by Casio) for about $40. Unfortunately it doesn't keep time very well by going out of time by well over a minute per month, gauged against the atomic time clock at http://www.atomictime.net  For many years, even the most basic of electronic or mechanical digital watches have been able to keep extremely accurate time, but not this model. January 28/2001

TIMEX WATCH: My next purchase of a Timex watch was the Ironman Triathlon WR i-control series which has the really big numbers for old eyes like mine & an indeglow green background that lights up when you touch the button. It's easy to see without glasses, but that's it's main advantage. Unfortunately this watch is poorly made too & I'm on my third one in less than a year. Two of the 3 watches kept time very poorly & each few weeks or so I had to reset it based on the atomic clock. If you get one with the black nylon cloth strap, it will stain your wrist black the first time your arm gets wet or you sweat, so get one with the plastic strap. The second one I tried kept burning out batteries because the light would stay on (it's supposed to go out automatically after several seconds). It does meet it's claim of being waterproof as I have had it as deep as 96 feet under water (about 29 meters) without any leakage. Find yourself a different brand than Timex. December 12/2001

TELEPHONE LINE ISOLATORS: Telephone line isolators such as the Omega JackaBee (model OT120B) sold at Wal-Mart (3 for $24.36 CDN), are designed to put one on each phone in your home, to prevent you from picking up the phone, fax or modem & interrupting someone who is already having a conversation on another extension of that line. They seem to do the job, except that I found that they also inadvertently block out "call display" on most brands of phones. Additionally, if you answer the phone on one phone & put it on "hold" so someone else can pick it up on an extension phone, the extension phone is dead & can't access the caller. January 28/2001.

IN-USE INDICATOR LIGHTS ON PHONES: We recently purchased several new cordless & corded phones for our home, all with an "in use" indicator light which we thought would light whenever someone was on an extension phone, so we wouldn't need isolation filters. Unfortunately the light only lights when that particular phone is in use, which isn't much help. Some days you just can't win. January 28/2001.

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By Doug Hembruff.