The 'Never Flat' Digital Caliper Battery Isolation Hack
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- Опубликовано: 9 май 2017
- Modding Cheap Calipers - Why Bother: • Cheap Caliper Modding ...
Comments feedback has questioned why this is even a thing. I've posted a supplementary video on caliper power behaviour between cheap and quality branded calipers: 
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I had the same problem. I just use it without any battery in it. You can read the graduations that are stamped on the strip anyway.
Yep, I can easily tell the difference between 25 thou and 27 with my naked eye on that scale... It isn't a tape measure.
Sorry but that makes no sense to me. Can’t see your face so I’ll assume it’s a joke.
@@836dmar See look! I have a video tutorial for the same result other method is one faster, I will explain in the video what the difference is. speed. one 1s a second the 2. more 10 secund, this matters a lot for many similar operations. Can't you see my face and you're joke? Not at all! The joke is when you don’t find a video valuable because you don’t see the creator’s face in the video.
The video here is really a joke, but not because you can’t see his face!
@@CNCVelMart I’m confused. Your response came out a little disjointed. I was referring to Richard Barton’s comment about just using the graduations and no battery. I don’t call people a joke or make the typical troll comments - that’s in poor taste and ill just move on. I was seriously assuming he was joking. Without talking it’s often difficult to catch a dry sense of humor. I know because I have one.
The only reason to use a set of calipers is for accuracy greater than what you're suggesting.
Great idea. The only thing worse than attempting to make a measurement and finding the battery is dead, is attempting to take a measurement and getting erroneous readings because the battery is nearly expired but not quite. What several of the commenters don’t seem to understand is several of the calipers in use today have parasitic battery drain even when the caliper is switched off. You turn the thing off but it really isn’t off so over time the battery is drained. These 357 coin type batteries are expensive. And it’s not just the cheap calipers that have this problem.
You can get a ten pack of the batteries at dollar stores.
Great hack, it drove me insane to find the battery dead every time I needed an accurate measurement. In the end I reverted back to using analogue callipers.
I always make notes when I see a vid on taking these dream machines apart, sometimes it pays to know what the inside looks like and how far you can go with the dismantling bit.
Congrats and thanks for the in depth enlightenment of the insides.
Here's a better video for you then: ruclips.net/video/fKSSY1gzCEs/видео.html
I didn't appreciate there was an issue with this - thought I kept leaving it on. Thanks for the mod, followed the video - does the job well - cheers
I discovered the foam in the top of the case was turning the caliper on when you close it. I trimmed the foam out above the on/off button and no more dead battery.
It wouldn't surprise me if the Chinese knew about that.
Glad you found a solution, but my powered off, untouched for several weeks, flat on my desk/bench unit STILL managed to flatten what had been a brand new battery! Bugger!
is it just me, or is it easier to just take out the battery? i keep batteries next to my caliper stand, or put it back in its case with my more expensive set.
it is a cool mod. and certainly nice for the cheap plastic calipers. my good ones tend to kill my battery faster than my cheap ones from just sitting. but to be fair whats the point of an on/off button if its only a sleep/wake-up button? just make the button do what it says it does, if i try to use the calipers when they are off... i'll quickly realize i have to push the button first. this sleep mode seems like a gimmick by duracell and energizer to sell more batteries :D
This is absolutely easier than trying to pry that fiddly little battery out of it every time or forgetting to do it all together and getting a flat battery which is easy to do when the display is off.
Agreed, I flip my battery over, super easy to do when done with it.
For my occasional measurings I use a simple mechanical (analog) caliper, you can read easyly 1/20t of a millimeter which is suitable for almost all work and of course never an empty battery.
Very good and simple fix. I have the same problem and was training me to take out the battery each time I finished the measurement. It is quit annoying, so thanks for the fix :)
It's like the little red light that comes ON when you turn your Television OFF... I bought a car stereo that had a light that came on when I turned it off, as if I needed a light to tell me it was off. It would run the battery down in a few days
Brilliant
Today I fixed my micrometer with my hair dryer!
While warming the data sticker on the back it it started working again but I still need to get in there and clean out whatever battery corrosion I couldn't reach. When I do that I'll implement your excellent full off switch technique.
Nice to see that the YT algorythm has brought us all to this video.
I got one of that kind, with a smaller screen, since years (Cannot remember how much).
I use it sometimes and leave the battery inside but never needed to change the battery yet ???
My one also work with a single LR44.
It looks like lots of commenters have similar models with factory on/off switches that actually do what the label says. Mine doesn't!
It's best to be able to pick the thing up and use it without dealing with yet another dead battery. This reliable, accessible switch substitute is much more convenient than having to remove (or flip) the battery whenever you think you might not be using it again for a while, then reversing the procedure every time you need it again.
I've wired my calipers up to a huge solar panel that I wheel around with it - you just can't be too careful.
Actually many come with a small plastic tab that you pull out to initially turn the calipers on. You can put this tab back in by feeding it through the hole for the battery and out the thin gap. It takes longer than taking the battery out, but it quicker when using it.
The biggest drains occur with those calipers that have no locking screw. You put them away closed but the slightest knock on the box/caliper and the jaw moves enough to switch it on. I counter this by rolling on an 'O' ring to secure them. Works a treat. I can live with the 'off mode drain', batteries are cheap
I just take the battery out and put it into the little tray! All that work for little reward!
Button cells usually fine just flipped over. i.e. put in upside down.
Yeah but that’s a lot of faff for a tool that often is something you grab and set down a bunch whenever you are using it
Pretty good solution for metric users, but for English measurements, one would have to set that button as well as zeroing it. The difference between the sleep mode and just leaving the LCD display always on is only a couple of days. By interrupting the battery, it should last for years.
Excellent and timely. I just changed the battery in my caliper an hour ago.
What about taking the battery off when not used?😅
That's what I'm doin
Cool idea
Quality calipers don't have this problem
Good info
Thank you so much Sir for the very excellent video. Well done!
Interesting idea. I know my digital calibers eats batteries like there is no tomorrow. Your idea is a fix. I was wondering if there is a way to use the 3.5mm jack to do something similar. I will have to poke around inside and see what I can do. Good video and link. I honestly thought when it is off, no battery drain. But the fact that it does drain, even off, fits perfectly with my batteries draining during none use. Thanks!
Tom. Nice solution. I also just take the battery out each use, but a pain...
I have two of these, time to mod these . Great video !
What happens if you keep yanking the battery out is you eventually break the battery cover lock tabs off and create another issue! A little better explanation of why exactly the battery is draining in relation to the fix would help along with a light over your work area would make it possible to see exactly all steps. Never the less thank-you. KTMcandog!
It's draining because it's always on a "ready to use" mode so you can slide it open and it starts working. The AD converter is always running. It's a user "convenience" feature that absolutely makes it not have an ultra low sleep quiescent current.
Mine has a case with a compartment for (what I thought) was a spare battery. From now on that's where my main battery is going when I put them away.
I have the harbor freight cheapo composite ones only a short time - I had to pull a plastic tab to activate the battery, I’m curious now how long it will last lol
I found the same problem when I first started using mine years ago. Fortunately the case it came in has a cut out for a battery to fit in so I just remove it after use and store it in the space until next time. Must be a defect in the design to drain it though!
So the ON-OFF switch, doesn't switch it on or off. I have an old Swedish digital caliper with the same problem. Though in my case, there isn't an ON-OFF switch at all. Put the battery in, and watch it drain when not in use. A great idea and a simple fix.
I have a height gauge used infrequently - I just remove the battery.
Took me 6 minutes to figure out what the purpose was
Next time i first read your comment
(Didnt finish vid btw😂)
Ditto re my video camera. Means all my videos are filmed at midnight on the first of Jan !
You just saved tens of thousands of people the hassle of fiddling around with taking the battery in and out every time they use them or a flat battery, you legend. Mine just decided to stop working one day so looks like I will be contributing to more landfill....Unless someone knows where I can just but another board for it?
I will probably do this to mine too.
Battery costs 15 cents so i got 100pcs. I have 4 calipers and now the cycle is quite obvious - they eat one battery a year. So if one of them starts to give "BLINK" , I just replace all of them, because they all start to blink in a month. Very ingenious hack indeed if you are not frequent user, but it's not that expensive to change batteries yearly also.
Has bugged me for years. Thought of adding a small switch myself. Gone thru many batteries. True about getting a quality one.
Nice to see the step by step, but should have told us what you were going to do and why up front.
8:11 Amazing! It now boots with a nice sound :D
I have a Kobalt brand with lifetime warranty and it drains the LR44 and the very small screws that hold the battery cover are bound to get torqued or lost and no, tightening the slide clamp screw does not keep the battery from draining. The instructions say to remove the battery if not to be used for a long period of time. Well nine days does not seem like a long time.
the end killed me
exactly what I thought xD
I am willing to bet I have lost more batteries taking them out of the cheapies than I would have used up just leaving them in. This is a great idea, I will be giving my set this treatment next time I have a few minutes to kill at work.
Same here, when you close the box, the foam will press on the "on" button.
"I discovered the foam in the top of the case was turning the caliper on when you close it. I trimmed the foam out above the on/off button and no more dead battery."
5
I use a 1/4"x1" +/- strip of notebook paper under the battery when I'm done using (close the batt lid with end of paper sticking out on face of caliper) . . . or sometimes just flip the battery over (no paper required)
Nice content, I enjoyed your video. Nice solution that works and using a minimal numberr of extra parts and materials. I have not solved the problem on.my own craptackular calipers.
It's something I'd like to tackle ,using a switch somewhere, but i have not got around to, as I also have a decent caliper that can run for ages even after the battery low symbol shows.
I just flip the battery when I put it away.
I've got a Mitutoyo Caliper. I've had it for years. Only replaced the battery twice. I also find it "ON' sometimes but it doesn't flatten the battery. You get what you pay for I suppose. :(
My cheap chinese that looks identical to his has been with me for at least 6 years, and is still on its first battery. Just went and checked, it turned right on, haven't used it since 2019. You can never get what you pay for else the seller doesn't make a profit. Part of what you pay for is his lunch.
Nice one. I have the same calipers and it flattens the battery in no time. Great mod.
One of my mates reckoned the lining in the case pressed on the switches, so I cut away part of the lining and no problem with battery. Maybe worth a try first.
These calipers never actually turn off, they only turn off the display. They wake up on movement and have to consume electricity to measure movements, so they will drain down the battery just sitting there.
Had a blood test meter that can be accidentally turned on in its case. As it didn't time out, you only discover this on finding it with a flat battery.
I avoid things that need batteries.
Means my mobile phone has a range of 6 feet.
I have had my harbor freight caliper now for possibly 10 years. The battery is still good. Surprises me.
Really nice mod bud. I have the same problem with mine. As far as the 81 people who didn't like this video, as of 30 Dec 20, they're Bozo's who haven't a clue! Thanks for sharing. Much appreciated. Best Wishes & Blessings. Keith Noneya
i hear they just came out with this new device to solve this issue. its called the "dial caliper"
I found it was the foam in the storage box that presses on the on/off button, turning it on when the box is shut. 3 ways around it: just cut out a bit of foam where the button lies, isolate the battery with a bit of plastic, or as others have said, take the battery out which takes 5 seconds ;)
that could be the case with nicer calipers, these lil guys just drain even with the screen display off. Cheaper calipers are cheap because less parts and labor so while they may be physicly accurate enough, the electronics are junky
You might have a good point about the case / box turning it on .
it's a hell of a lot faster and less effort to just pop the battery in and out each time I need to use my calipers,not to mention that I think now by 2021, we've got proper circuits that cut power when not in use.
External measurements usually ok , try measuring the inside of a bearing ( known size) they are out about 0.13mm .
Interesting to see the internal workings of this very handy instrument but considering the possibility of getting something wrong doing this mod I think I will just keep a spare battery handy. They are as cheap as chips anyway. Thanks for your effort.
Here's a vid you'll like then: ruclips.net/video/fKSSY1gzCEs/видео.html
I found simple solution to this problem - just tighten the lock screw , turn it off and battery is never be flat. I already use this method for long time and never had this problem any more.
I have one of these that I use rarely. I just take the battery out. I do this with spare torches, scales etc.
Do either of those calipers read absolutely ?
If you turn them on at zero, remove the battery, adjust them to 3", put the battery back in - do they read zero or ~3" ?
Mine would still read zero
@@FarWesternGarrison Yep, that's what I suspected. Which means any reading is not guaranteed for the simple reason the counter may have miscounted ! Vernier calipers don't have that issue. Any position they're in can be directly read.
Great improvement. Thank You
Had the same caliper and battery problem, so i just hot-glued an AAA-Battery to mine. Looks awful but never runs out either.
I did that with a AA.
Great idea, I will have to do this to my cheap calipers, have never had the issue with my Mitutoyo's.
You get what you pay for. I swear battery companies must make some of the products like this just to keep sales up.
Why the hell can't any one make things anymore with a real on and off switch like it was done.
When the switch was off there was no power to anything, it worked just fine for a 75 years . And then some one thought that they could make it better using a switching transistor, the power is always on to make it work, just dumb .
Couldn't agree more. The simpler a system, the more efficient it is.
Fail to understand why there is a need to change what perfectly worked for decades.
I think there was a good intention behind this design flaw. The developer wanted to make sure the device will still be working if you _forget_ to turn it off. How it is possible to develop such clever device and not to notice it uses (practically) the same amount of power whether the display is on or off? My personal suspicion is: the original product did not have this problem. But then some chineese developer 'reinvented' the device. And since that day, the chip sucks the battery empty...
So it will know the position when you turn it on, if it happens to move when "off". That is a big point for some people, it knowing where it is. But, I always zero out any caliper every time I use it.
There is no power switching in this model, even transistor, it's merely pretending. "off" to it is purely whether the digits are displayed or not. That difference, I measured, is about 0.6uA, but it is constantly drawing ~18uA all the time. So you can choose between using 18.8 and 18.2uA with the power button. Mitutoyo genuines draw 5/1uA between on/off.
you know what I want? I want one that is BACK lit. I use mine outside in the sun and I have to take photos of the readings, but there is always too much glare to read the dim LCD readout. I want the super old fashioned red LED, or some thing back lit.
Just use mechanical ones !
Good tip, I like to slide it in and out too.
handy little tip, have the very same one! never had any trouble with it thank god!. iv seen a good few tear downs of these lately. cool how they their able to measure such small values & do it so fast to. very handy thing to have if your into hobby electronics(like myself) or car mechanic work like changing out car stereos! ya know for measuring wires ETC.
P.S. the cheap ones are just as good as the mad expensiveness ones!!
so one to remember if your in the market for one.. ya can spend 50 quid, or 5 quid on one. And the cheaper one would be just as good!! & in some cases probable better; )
Excellent hack! Thanks
Huh, this must be a common but not ubiquitous flaw, or it was fixed before I got mine. I leave it off for years in the drawer and it has always turned right on for me, dont' think I've even used the spare battery that came with it yet.
You have probably got one that does not retain its setting. So you have to zero it every time you switch it on.
Same with me. I got the same-branded item from Aldi UK. Had it for a year. Never noticed any battery problems. The only problem is that it often jumps, with the display failing to match the scale position.
Very good. Modified mine too. Thanks.
Please anyone know what the indents are for on both internal and external jaws? They would hold a matchstick with jaws closed near the spar. Great video thanks
How to close d internal and external jaws. Please teach me.919886493198
I've found it easier to just remove the battery when I'm not using it. My long-term fix is to replace the battery with a supercap, but even that is too much work...
I just took the battery out and stowed away in the box with the caliper
When the battery went flat i binned the lot and bought a better one, Nether had a problem since, oh that was 12 years ago
My Afrikan brand does not use batteries though. It uses 2 fully grown Obsqaun beetles that walk away from each other when their box is opened. Each leg movement is a measurement of your choice. For finer measuring, the kit also contains junior Palsuan beetles. Proudly made in Afrika by Kingz and Sheet. Not sold in stores. Online only.
I bought one of those at Harbor Freight which chewed through batteries quickly. Why not just put the battery in upside down for storage? The plus side won’t make contact so it hurts nothing. Then when you’re ready to use it flip the battery over the right way.
I've had one like that from Jegs for at least 5 years and never changed a battery
I should have realised! This great. Thanks
Thanks. Great idea
Nice fix. Good presentation.
Stay safe, Joe Z
"Stay safe" ...Is he going to freak out and stab his eyes out with these things? Maybe run to a swimming pool with them to measure the shallow end? Stick them into an electrical outlet while washing dishes?
@@coloradostrong One never knows. I guess you have not been aware of current events.
Joe Z
I found this fix to be easy to follow. I tried it and it works. If I were to pull the battery...I would probably lose it. Thanks for a great video!
I have these same calipers, but lost the battery ages ago. What battery does it take?
@@rockstc955 The spare that came with mine says LR 44G 1.5V. Hope that helps. I'm only here because I couldn't get the case to open so I could replace it. First thing he showed us :)
Thanks for this great hack. I do Fitting and Turning and have Mitutoyo calipers and the batteries in them last all year using them every day. I have some el cheapo's that I use for my electronics hobby and the battery lasts a month or so. I'll be doing your same hack. 30 min hack and fixed, putting batteries in and out every time you want to use the thing.....Blah!
Excellent idea Sir
I've got a Park Tools one like this that drains the battery so I just take then it when not using it. Park are supposed to be premium tools in the cycling world
Unless you keep this in its box and separate the battery.. you will lose the battery and even the cover. Great job, I had even thought of getting a microswitch to bypass. Thought of this too but didn't think it would work well great design.. Thanks.
I just take the battery out, when I've finished whatever job I've been working on.
It even has a place in the case to store the battery. My time is valuable and although I applaud the hack takes like 10 seconds to just take out the battery.
Soon, the cover wears out and you have to buy a new unit.
@@fungames24 Mine's over 10 years old, and the cover hasn't worn out.
@@reidbridges1774 10 seconds?
@@alfa-psi I've been doing it since I bought it (about 12 years ago), and it still fits OK.
I just gave up on digitalis until I decide to buy some mitutoyos, it’s dial calipers and vernier for me baby.
Nice hack tho
I have had a cheap Canadian Tire one that was around 30 dollars Can. that I have had the same battery in it for at least 10 years. If I leave it on and not use it for 5 min it will shut off.
Seems accurate enough for what i need it for.
Love it, well done!
Clever. A good fix. I slavishly remove the battery after every use.
It seems like a lot of trouble for a cheap device that might not last long just a thought
I insert battery backwards when left for long.
That's my trick too.
A little explanation along the way would be extremely helpful, I shit canned it 4 mins in, had no specific idea what he was doing.
You can't help it if you're an idiot but we sympathise anyway.
@@gangleweed And _you_ cannot help the fact _you_ are an idiot that can not spell _sympathize_ correctly. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
@@coloradostrong Fuck off....that is the British way to spell it as in the Webster's dictionary........Yanks can't spell anyway.
I have these same calipers, but lost the battery ages ago. What battery does it take?
I used a Rayovac Mercury Free 357 Silver Oxide Battery from Walmart.
LR 44 / SR 44 / EPX 76 / AG 13
I've never had one that didn't automatically turn off after a few minutes to be honest but I'm wondering what is easier, doing all that, or just pressing the off switch?
These units tend to turn themselves on for no particular reason.
@@philiplang9921 lock it closed with the knob.
@@alfa-psi you get what you pay for. 🌞
That is what i did, bought a proper one! 😩
For a low-mid budget DIYer, buying a Mitutoyo makes no sense, as these chepos are reliable and accurate enough, and the power consumption issue can be fixed, as you can see. You can ruin equally easily a Mitutoyo and a cheapo by dropping them accidentally on the concrete floor, or dropping a hammer or wrench on them, but ruining a $100 pair of calipers is much more frustrating than ruining a $5-$10 cheapo.
Elegant, but a fair bit of work. I just take the battery out of mine. That probably explains why I use my dial caliper a lot - and I still know how to read vernier calipers to 0.001” even if my vision isn’t quite what it once was.
I have two of these, and use them both around 20 times a week, average. I have found them to last around 2yrs before needing a new battery, which I can certainly live with, as the battery cost is £1 (GB) for around 20 batteries, at the £1 store in the UK. Perhaps you have been unlucky, or I have been lucky, who knows?. It's worth noting that I keep mine on a backboard in the workshop, not in A box.
I wish I'd seen your video sooner. I've just been taking the batteries out after use, this is a much better solution.
Got some very similar had them years never had a new battery yet and it’s never taken out
You a lucky stiff.
I have had a few of these since they first appeared. There are two different types: the ones I prefer retain the last measurement when they power down. The other type does not do this, and if it "times out" the display will read zero when it is turned on again, regardless of where the jaws are.
I assume the second type will give better battery life, as it will not be using power to retain the setting data. For me, the first type works better, and the battery life is more than acceptable, but I do keep spares, just in case.
Frustratingly (is that a word?), the retailer where I purchase mine does not identify which type is in the pack... luckily they have a "No questions" return policy, because the staff have no clue what I am talking about! :o)
This is the exact reason why I'm using mechanical caliper.... it lasts for life and during that period you don't have to deal with dead batteries at all :)
I just upgraded from a mechanical to an electronic one. My eyes are not so good any more to read the mechanical one to any level of precision.
They should use solar panels like some calculators do so as to not worry about drainage of batteries.
Shame on the caliper makers for not including a "sleep" button as well as a real "off" button!
+TomIreson Good idea, but has some issues. By removing the wiper, metal shavings can stuck between the moving and the stationary PCB and scratch the hell out of it. You can push your plastic strip under the battery through the data connector without disassembling anything. This is not my idea, a commenter said this under BigClive's recent digital caliper teardown video. I am planning to install a small switch into the data connector opening instead, as I know I would always lose the plastic strip...
I missed that BigClive video. I am subbed to way too many channels.