keith mcmillen "batt o meter" yay or nay

bassyboy · #1 12-22-2009, 09:23 PM

anybody tried one of these gadgets, does it work with active basses batteries and all pedals, handy if it works.

JTE · #2 12-23-2009, 07:33 AM

I just saw it. It looks like what you'd get if you took a regular digital multi-meter and hooked it up to a 1/4" plug. I'm not sure how they're estimating the projected battery life in hours without knowing the current draw of the particular circuit it's in however.

Me, I'd just make a little adaptor with a 1/4" plug on one end and the probes to my cheapo Radio Shack VOM.

John

Sharp · #3 04-13-2010, 01:21 PM

I have a Batt-o-meter and really dig it.
and yeah, it works with all my active basses and pedals.

When you test the battery it sends a short charge through the electronics and measures the load that way. then there's some math or something and tells me what i really want to know: # of battery hours left.

they say it's highly accurate, and so far it's been good to me.
also, in the couple months I've had it it's already paid for itself in still-useful batteries.

also, FWIW, i think Victor Wooten endorses it,
and if it's good enough for Victor...

bongomania · #4 04-13-2010, 01:26 PM

Weeellll.... Not knocking the batt-o-meter, but Vic will endorse anything that moves.

JackANSI · #5 04-13-2010, 01:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bongomania

Weeellll.... Not knocking the batt-o-meter, but Vic will endorse anything that moves.

I got a good chuckle out of that one, thanks

Painfully true about many endorsers though...

JDJen · #6 04-13-2010, 01:32 PM

I can lick a lot of 9 volts for $35.00.

ggunn · #7 04-14-2010, 06:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JDJen

I can lick a lot of 9 volts for $35.00.

You beat me to it. The tongue test works fine for me.

There is no way any sort of meter can project how many hours are left in a battery. Every active instrument, stomp box, etc. loads a battery differently, and even if this device can determine how many mA-h are left in a battery (maybe it can), it's got no way of knowing how many mA the device you are going to stick it in draws. For instance, my active bass draws very little current; a 9V alkaline may last 100 hours of playing. Conversely, I've got a digital flanger that eats batteries; I'm lucky if I can get two sessions out of it on battery power. If a battery is half used up, are there 50 hours or 5 left in it? It depends on where I put it.

JackANSI · #8 04-14-2010, 08:11 AM

Not to mention that alkaline batteries can 'recover' a bit and look fine 1/2+ to a meter but might be well below 1/4 left.

RED5 · #9 05-07-2010, 11:21 PM

I'm trying it simply because removing the covers on my basses and pedals is more work than I want to do at a gig.

bongomania · #10 05-07-2010, 11:25 PM

Who tests their batteries AT a gig?

Honk'n_down-low · #11 05-27-2010, 06:30 PM

Most people are cynical and mad cause they did not think of it. I would rather install a switch to turn off the circuit - I always forget to unplug and leave the Bass plugged in on a stand.

**TheMutt** · #12 05-27-2010, 06:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Honk'n_down-low

I would rather install a switch to turn off the circuit - I always forget to unplug and leave the Bass plugged in on a stand.

I don't leave my basses plugged in, but I have done this on both of my active basses. (well, one of them came with this feature) I hate it when you are playing a set and all of a sudden there's a drop in volume, or an annoying dying battery squeal/distortion that starts... usually at the most inopportune time. With the active/passive switch, I can quickly switch to passive and keep playing the set and change out the battery later.

xgator4u · #13 05-27-2010, 09:04 PM

Rechargeable batteries F.T.W. Yeah they cost more to buy, but then you don't have to buy any more for a LONG time. My wireless eats um up, a fresh one before the gig, and no worries.

Sharp · #14 07-13-2010, 05:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ggunn

There is no way any sort of meter can project how many hours are left in a battery. Every active instrument, stomp box, etc. loads a battery differently, and even if this device can determine how many mA-h are left in a battery (maybe it can), it's got no way of knowing how many mA the device you are going to stick it in draws.

i wondered about this, so i asked the company. here's what i got from them:

"The Batt-O-Meter has the equivalent of an ultra-high impedance instrumentation front end with an auto sensing - auto scaling computer controlled current and voltage measurement system. First, we measure the voltage of the battery. Second, a relay briefly turns on the circuit and we measure the circuit's current draw. These two values are entered into a lookup table which outputs a value that is the number of hours left on the battery. The different battery types (alkaline, rechargeable, carbon zinc) have different lookup tables."

so even if you do use rechargeable batteries (i do), you'll end up recharging them less often (maximizing the life of each cycle) and so they will last longer and with more charge. amiright?

DUC1098 · #15 10-18-2010, 09:54 PM

I just purchased one of these and found out it doesn't work with any of my Ibanez basses. They all give the "plug error" message. When I plug it into my bass it almost "bottoms out" before there is any resistance and it locks in, but just barely.

I looked at the way the plug on the meter is constructed, compared to a normal 1/4" cord plug, and found it is quite a bit shorter than the cord plug. The end conductor and "locking notch" were not as deep as the cord plug. I would think that the jacks on guitars and effect pedals would be universal, but the fact that this device works on some equipment but not others seems to point to there being some differences.

I am weighing the possibility of rewiring a new plug, one of the Ibanez short cable to make it work, or just returning it.

JTE · #16 10-19-2010, 08:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheMutt

I hate it when you are playing a set and all of a sudden there's a drop in volume, or an annoying dying battery squeal/distortion that starts... usually at the most inopportune time.

What kind of batteries and/or basses are you using? I've been playing active basses since I got my first StingRay in 1978, and only once in all that time have I ever lost power on stage. I put a new Duracell alkaline battery in the active instruments once a year. I unplug 'em at home, but never during breaks on stage. The only time I had one go bad was the only time I used an Ever-Ready alkaline cell.

My experience is with pre EB StingRays (which don't have a switching jack- the current drain is so low Leo didn't bother to turn the preamp off ever), Guild Pilots with EMG active PUPs, and one with an active pre-amp as well, Lakland 4-94s with Bartolini guts, and the Seymour Duncan/Basslines active pre amps (both the regular two-band one and the Steve Baily Fundemental Fretless one). Based on my experiences, the idea of a battery going bad on stage is highly unlikely if you're using good batteries and change them even once a year.

John

My name is Mudd · #17 10-19-2010, 11:40 AM

I've been wondering about this thing also, but I still think it's cheaper and easier to do the tongue-test and use rechargables.

Quote:

Originally Posted by bongomania

Weeellll.... Not knocking the batt-o-meter, but Vic will endorse anything that moves.

My cat will be pleased to hear this...Vic is supposed to be giving a clinic next week in Fresno and I'll take her (cat) along and see if he'll sign her up.