I need to be able to take the evidence from a battery leak of D batteries and determine if it was Alkaline or Zinc-carbon batteries that were installed. The leak was wet and gooey, and the contacts on the device it were in were also damaged. Are there any particular signs and determining evidence to look for to differentiate the two?

Potassium hydroxide leaks from Alkaline batteries and form a feathery crystalline structure…. check the "leak" section of this wikipedia page:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alkaline_battery

I would call or bring the device to Batteries Plus… They should be able to tell you for sure.

Batteries Plus phone number is: 1.800.677.8278

Website: http://www.batteriesplus.com

I recently (2 months ago)) bought a 1990 Holden Commodore VN to drive around Australia. After 10,000km (Melbourne to Cooktown then to Alice Springs via Tennant Creek), the battery warning light sometimes switches on. The car starts first time, every time, and my friend’s battery charger/tester tells me the battery is in good condition. Any ideas.???

The battery light measures your charging system, ie. your alternator. Likely the alternator output is weak.

I was going to use a piece of wire instead of the fuse if it’s safe enough. Is it really possible that one AA battery is powerful enough to start a fire if I use the battery tester without the fuse?

Fuses are fitted to devices for very good reasons and should always be replaced with one of the correct rating.

Never replace a fuse with a bit of wire or foil.

I’m trying to find a parasitic drain on my battery. The article I’m reading said I need one of these. Is this the same as a multimeter? I searched for it and got various responses. Can you find one and post a link. I’m trying to trouble shoot a 99 crappy VW jetta. Notorious for electrical problems.

try 19-Range Analog Multimeter http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0035KHFS2?ie=UTF8&tag=digitsy-marina-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0035KHFS2 or see more
http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fs%3Fie%3DUTF8%26x%3D14%26ref_%3Dnb%5Fsb%5Fnoss%26y%3D17%26field-keywords%3Dbattery%2520tester%2520%26url%3Dsearch-alias%253Daps&tag=digitsy-marina-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=390957

I do this constantly: When I am watching videos or doing something that can drain my laptop’s battery really fast, i take out the batery and leave the laptop connected. Is this good or bad?

it’s the best! assuming you’re not working on anything (that needs to be constantly saved), it’s the best for the battery.

I asked this because I got a pair of Energizer rechargeable batteries but after a couple of months, I misplaced one of the pair. Since I have a charger that requires at least two batteries to operate, I was unable to charge my single battery. So I bought another pair of batteries but this time, its brand is Eneloop. Now I can charge the Eneloop batteries but is it possible to still use the Energizer batteries using one Eneloop battery. I thought of it since they both have the same rating (2000mAh). Thanks!

Look for the appropriate battery
http://www.digital-camera-battery-charger.us/
http://www.jvc-battery-charger.com/
http://www.panasonic-batterycharger.com/
http://www.nikon-battery-charger.com/

I have 2 12" Kicker Comps with a Kicker 500 Watt Mono Amp. My battery drains and makes my start up on my truck lag and i have to give it gas in order for it to start up. Should I get another battery, alternator, or better battery like a optima. I have a duralast yellow top right now.

That setup should not be draining your battery that much, i would check for shorts somewhere. Also, if the battery is old i would replace it before doing something more expensive like changing your alternator. Take the battery to you local auto parts store, they will tell you if its still good.

I was planning to get a battery pack and charger for my xbox 360 controllers but I was wondering if it’s worth and what the battery life is, or if it’s better to just get a battery charger and rechargeable AA batteries.

dont use those. get a battery charger and some duracell nimh rechargeable batteries 2000mah and up. you wont regret it.

We have put a charger on the car and the charge holds while the car is off. But when driving the car the battery drains in less than an hour. The alternator has been tested and shows to be good. The new battery has been tested and shows to be good. The head connectors for the battery have been changed. The problem is still occurring. What could the problem be?

You almost answered your own question. The fact of the matter is the battery is draining because of *lack of voltage. And what provides your battery with a re-charge of voltage? Your alternator.

How did they test it and what did they tell you? It’s pretty obvious it’s not charging between 13.5 - 14.0 volts with the engine running. Essentially the battery is used for starting, playing the radio with the engine off for a short period of time and four way-flasher use in emergencies. The alternator on the otherhand provides amperage to every electrical circuit in the car when the engine is running.

Here are some tips to maximize the <a href=”http://www.ipodenergy.com”> iPod’s battery </a> power so that long lasting:

1.  IPod batteries work best at room temperature (about 20 degrees Celsius), although in general can be used in temperature between 0-35 degrees Celsius. If you leave in place accidental cold, let down temperature as temperatures room before turn it on.
2.  Do not wait until your battery runs out to refill. Although not currently used, the iPod still eat the flow of electricity from the battery even though very small. This is what causes the battery is slowly become empty. iPod if you rarely use, recharge the batteries at least once every three weeks.
3.  Make sure your iPod have the latest software updates from Apple.
4.  If not used, always switch the button to slide the iPod Hold position to prevent the oppressive control the iPod accidentally.
5.  Do not use features backlight on the iPod, turn off the feature. You can set the live time through the options [Settings] > [Backlight Timer].
6.  IPod battery is made of Lithium Polymer, which has about 500 charging cycle times, too often do not refill the batteries. Should, or must first cover the additional chassis before charging the iPod.
7.  Make the album or a play list, and play music from there. The reason, if you frequently play the new tracks are not stored in the cache of the iPod, the iPod hard disk must revolve access to the song. The more often rotates, the larger the energy the batteries used.
8.  When the iPod is not used, disconnect the jack of headset.
9.  Save compression formats like MP3 and AAC on the iPod. Avoid file AIFF or WAV have a certain size that is not compressed and large. The format is indeed produce good quality sound, but the iPod’s hard drive must work harder to play. For information, the iPod’s cache works most efficiently with songs that the size of less than 9MB.
10. Use iPod regularly so that the electron-electron in Lithium batteries continues to move on.
11. Adding features EQ (Equalizer) to the playback will take a lot of power your iPod. Just turn off the feature when not needed. But if you want to add EQ to the track in itunes, make sure your EQ to save option [Flat] to turn it off.

These are the things that you need to remember about saving battery power in your iPod. By following these tips, you can be sure that you will be able to prolong your iPod’s battery life.

http://www.ipodenergy.com/

bonnieflorence
http://www.articlesbase.com/hardware-articles/tips-to-improve-ipods-battery-life-time-694746.html