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Batteries - leave them in or out?

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NewOldStock

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Batteries - leave them in or out?

Post17 Mar 2017, 20:51

I have several Omega LCDs from the 1970s-80s, as well as an old Breitling LCD.

Is it better to take the batteries out if you're not going to wear them often, or leave them in? I'm obviously aware that batteries should be removed after they die.

I want the modules to last as long as possible, so I'm wondering if they will have a longer life if the batteries are out. Or will leaving the batteries out for a prolonged period of time damage the movement somehow since it's not in use.

Anyone have an answer?
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bruce wegmann

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Re: Batteries - leave them in or out?

Post17 Mar 2017, 22:10

If you're going to wear a watch only a few times a year, better to leave the batteries out. There's really no risk to that, as such. Just remember that when replacing batteries in any digital watch, it is potentially vulnerable to static electric charge you may carry. I always use a grounding strap, or do battery changes on humid days (static charges can't form when the relative humidity goes above about 75%). All digitals use CMOS circuitry, which undergoes catastrophic breakdown at about 15V; static charges can carry hundreds or thousands of volts. When you see a module that looks cosmetically perfect, but is completely inoperative, static charge was almost certainly the COD (cause-of-death). I remember a collector in Italy who lost half a dozen pricey modules to this insidious killer...it's a problem that many collectors are not aware of.
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NewOldStock

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Re: Batteries - leave them in or out?

Post17 Mar 2017, 22:14

Thanks, Bruce. What is a grounding strap?

I've never heard of that. I'm always afraid to open up the case on my old LCDs, because I'm just a casual collector and don't know the ins-and-outs of how to handle modules.

Any other tips?
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bruce wegmann

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Re: Batteries - leave them in or out?

Post18 Mar 2017, 00:29

A grounding strap is a conductive cuff, worn around the wrist, with a wire running from it to a good "earth" ground (water pipe, or similar path to "ground"), which puts you at zero-voltage potential. Any place that stocks electronics supplies will have them (alternative...eBay; lots of them there). It's more reliable than waiting for foggy or rainy days to work on your watches...
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Re: Batteries - leave them in or out?

Post18 Mar 2017, 02:57

Do you usually wear some kind of gloves? And I'm guessing it's bad to use any metal, as far as tweezers, etc.
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bruce wegmann

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Re: Batteries - leave them in or out?

Post18 Mar 2017, 03:57

As long as you, yourself, are grounded, the charge on any object you might touch is instantly "bled" to ground through you, and its' potential is also reduced to zero. So, there's no problem in using tools, metallic or not (in fact, metallic objects lose their charge more readily, because of their higher conductivity).

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