Button Batteries for Less

This is a repost from January of 2005.

A little bit of research into button batteries for Deben locator collars has convinced me that we rarely get what we pay for, especially if we are buying our batteries at CVS, Home Depot or Radio Shack.

As always, it's important to NEVER use a zinc-air battery. Having said that, there are a lot of other options which are mechanically interchangeable: Duracell D375H or D393; Panasonic SR44W or SP357 or ST48W or SP393; Ray-O-Vac RW42 or RW48; or an Ever Ready BSR 44H or BSR 48H or BSR 48L or any button battery labeled "AG-13".

Setting aside brands and numbers, all of these batteries look alike, but not all are alike chemically. Two different chemical compositions are commonly offered -- silver oxide and alkaline.

What's the difference? For our purposes, not much. Silver oxide batteries will last 15% to 35% longer than alkaline batteries, but they cost so much more that they are simply not worth it. In addition, silver oxide batteries tend to lose power over time and do not operate as well in cold temperatures.

Rather than spend money on expensive silver oxide batteries, a better investment is a $5 button battery tester. A battery tester will tell you the one thing you really need to know, which is whether the battery you are about to put in a collar is putting out enough juice to pump a signal 15 feet up to the receiver box. Brand and chemistry matters much less than the charge in the battery at the moment.

Retail prices for batteries are phenomenal. A 1-pack of the silver oxide Energize 357 model is $3.19 from Radio Shack, and alkaline batteries are about $2 apiece in most stores.

If you hunt very much, the lowest cost solution is to avoid retail purchase of button batteries and instead buy a lot of Chinese-made ("Everrich") alkaline batteries which are commonly sold on Ebay for about 15 cents each (100 batteries for $15). Just go to www.ebay.com and type in "button battery 44" or "button battery AG-13" and look for a "Buy It Now" button.

Always test batteries before you put them in a collar, tape the collars over breakfast (rushed taping in the field often leads to problems), and you will avoid a lot of troubles.

Coffee and Provocation

Worst Messaging on Global Warming:
An email from John Robert F. Kennedy Jr. sent to me by the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee begins: "Where I live in upstate New York, I've recently seen robins and bluebirds show up in the middle of winter. And this past January, a friend of mine ate asparagus he harvested in the Catskills, which are normally frozen this time of year. Global warming is no longer a distant threat." Robins, bluebirds and edible asparagus are a threat? I've always thought of them as a benefit. And yes, that was the entire case statement of the problem: the rest was a pitch to send money.

The First Church of Global Warming:
The Daily Mail reports, without a hint of irony, that Pope Benedict XVI has "launched an attack on climate change prophets of doom, warning them that any solutions to global warming must be based on firm evidence and not on dubious ideology." The Mail goes on to note that the Pope says it is vital that the international community "base its policies on science rather than dogma." Ri-iiight. A lecture on science not dogma from the Pope? Thanks for sharing Benny!

Remind Me to Never Drink from a Glass in a Hotel Room:
I am hardly a finicky person, but this one makes me shudder just a little bit. And what about the sheets?

Live in Paris for Under $100,000:
The wife and I keep turning over the idea of selling out, simplifying, and settling down. Or as we like to put it: "Life is short, let's enjoy it." Towards that end, I spend a little time every week looking at "real-estate porn" just to see what's out there. My last great find was a huge lovely brick mansion with a lovely yard a spectacular inside (all designed by Walt Disney's father) in Missouri for about $270,000. This week, I found a place in Paris that had a pretty unbelievable price attached to it. Paris, eh? Now there's a place the Misses and I could kick back in. Might even sing a song about it.



Meanwhile the Rapacious Stalk the Earth:
The greedy bastards ruining this country know no boundaries or shame. Across America, more than 2 million people are expected to end up in foreclosure because of subprime mortgage shenanigans abetted in part by by Goldman Sachs, which simultaneously flogged subprime mortgages as great investments even as their hedge funds shorted them. The payoff for Goldman Sachs: over $19 billion in profits, and an average end-of-year bonus of $600,000 for each of their 30,000 employees.

Debasing the Currency:
Good news of sorts: strippers have finally found a use for $2 bills.

The Golden Brass Compass:
A cool little web site selling brass compasses, sextants, telescopes, pirate glasses, microscopes, etc. Check it out.

In the Market for a New Car?
It's that time of year for some folks. Lots to consider, but the Honda Element got top paws over at Dogcars.com.

Barney Cam 2007:
Since two of the current occupants of the WhiteHouse are terriers, I have kept rather close watch on the "Barney Cam" videos put out at Christmas time, and I have noted that bad things happen to those who appear in them. Anyone remember Gonzalez? Gone and under investigation. How about Harriet Miers? Gone and under investigation. This year the theme is "Our National Parks." You remember our National Parks -- the ones the Bush Administration has paid so little attention to up to now, and which have an $8 billion repair backlog that remains unaddressed. President Bush begins by telling Barney and Miss Beazely they can be Junior Park Rangers. Well, actually, that might be a problem. You see, dogs are actually prohibited from most National Parks. And another thing. Showing videos of a dog playing with a Christmas tree ornaments is not a great idea unless you get free veterinary surgery? Bush's dogs have free vet care? Oh then, never mind. Carry on!


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JRTCA Now Selling Mark III Deben Locator Sets

The Jack Russell Terrier Club of America is now selling Deben Mark III locator sets.

This is the new and improved terrier finder and collar set from Deben. The new box is bright orange (harder to lose) has a LED display and varying pitch. A grey box is also made by Deben.



The box is said to be more-or-less water proof, but apparently the collar has to be taped (read farther to find an alternative Deven rig). The box has a 16-foot range in search mode, and can be "stepped down" to 10 feet for a very accurate "locate" mode. The collar is nylon, lightweight and durable.

The receiver is designed to reject interference and so there will be less problems with nearby electric fences and overhead lines. The receiver has magnetic reed switches (no moving parts) which operate the on/off and search/locate switched. New efficient circuitry means improved collar battery life of over 300 hours. The locator box can be used to locate more than one dog underground at a time - simply purchase additional collars.

The price is $195 a set. Click >> To order You do not have to be a JRTCA member to order from the JRTCA, but even if you do not have a Jack Russell Terrier, membership in the JRTCA is a sound investment in the future of American terrier work. To read 10 reasons to join the JRTCA >> click here

An important note: Deben has come out with a NEW long-range terrier finder that is good, in search mode, for 40-feet, and which has both a waterproof box AND a water proof collar. This is the rig I am probably going to get when my old Mark I kits (two boxes, four or five collars) go the way of all things.

Fell and Mooreland Swag

First of all, congratulations to the Midlands Fell and Moorland Terrier Club for putting together a web site! I firmly believe that one of the reasons terrier work has been pushed to the ropes in the U.K. is that not enough has been done to present it in a positive light. This web site is a small move in the right dirction. For example, look at the small collection of press stories about F&M rescues. Excellent!

Rescues are not always cheap, but raising cash and consciousness can be done at the same time with a little swag, and so F&M has a little of that too. For those making a purchase of caps, polo shirts, rugby shirts, fleeces make sure you have included enough to pay for postage to the U.S. -- U.S. prices are noted on some things, and a little bit extra does not hurt.

The Cost of New Locator Collars!

Bellman and Flint are about to come out with a new terrier locator collar that they say "incorporates revolutionary, state of the art features specifically for the location of terriers."

Summary: A single locator box can track more than one collar underground at once, can locate above ground for over 190 feet, and can locate underground to a depth of 50 feet. The collar battery is larger than the Deben locator collar and is activated with a magnetic switch.

Price: The cost for U.S. residents is approximately £250.00 plus £45.00 shipping by FedEx, or about $570 U.S. This is more than TWICE the cost of new "Mark II" terrier collar from Deben (£127 pounds or about $250), and the new Mark II Deben collar is, in turn, about TWICE the cost of the old Deben box ($125 for a complete set) For residents of European Union Countries the cost of the Bellman and Flint rig is approximately £280.00 plus VAT plus postage for one collar and one receiver. No word yet on what an extra collar costs.

Availability: The product is currently undergoing extensive testing and will only be available to purchase direct from Bellman and Flint by mail order and at trade stands, from mid January 2005. Details on this website.

After Sales: Bellman and Flint will provide technical advice and full after-sales service.

Range: Maximum depth - Approximately 15m ( 50'). Depending on soil conditions. Maximum Distance - Approximately 60m (198').Example: Dog is 3m ( 9’ ) to ground and the receiver is approximately 50m (165’) from the mark. Screen will show 50m and a directional arrow.

Transmit field: The signal can be received from any direction, ie: above, below or from the side. Transmit field strength is constant over the entire battery lifetime.

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COLLAR SPECIFICATIONS

Specification: Frequency: 457khz. To +20 degrees Celsius. Transmit power:1.8 mA / m.

Battery Type: CR2 3V Lithium photo battery. High performance in extreme temperatures: - 20 degrees Celsius to +60 degrees Celsius. Readily available.

Battery life: 90 hours on constantly. Over 90 hours when used in intervals of 2 –6 hours. Times are approximate and may vary depending on battery manufacturer.

Switch: Internal magnetic On / Off switch. Allows the transmitter collar to be turned on and off without removing the battery. Hand held swipe magnet supplied. The battery will not discharge when the transmitter is turned off.

Battery Change: Four screws open the casing to allow access to the battery.

LED: 2 LED Lights ( green and red ). Visible through the casing. Flashing Green light indicates that the collar is on and transmitting. Red and Green together indicates 20 hours of battery life remaining. Red alone indicates approximately 10 hours remaining. ( Change battery ).

Casing: Industrial Polycarbonate. Ergonomically designed to minimise snagging and holding by the quarry. Bite resistant in normal use. Shockproof and waterproof. With integral loop for the dog collar. Size at largest points: 3" x 1.5" x 1.5". This is larger than the Deben system, but has huge benefits in terms of signal strength and distance, as well as vastly increased battery life. It has been used on the smallest Jack Russell to the largest Lakeland in digging situations without noticeably impeding the dog.

Collar: 3/4 ” Biothane nylon encased collar. Extremely robust. Bright red for visibility. Solid brass buckle and keeper, copper riveted for strength.

Parts: All parts are guaranteed and can be purchased separately.This includes: Casing, collar, transmitter, magnet, stainless steel screws, and the waterproof seal.

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RECEIVER BOX SPECIFICATIONS.
The Pieps DSP receiver has been recently developed using state of the art technology for the location and rescue of avalanche and landslide victims. The design of the receiver, its ease of use in stressful conditions, and the manufacturing quality are of the highest standards because it is a life saving device. Bellman and Flint have chosen the Pieps DSP to use with our specially designed collar transmitter due to its revolutionary specifications. The device is enhanced with the latest DSP technology ( = signal processing with a digital signal processor ). It is the only unit currently available which incorporates three antennas, enabling triangulation of the transmitter collar signal. This gives incredible accuracy of distance and depth.

Maximum Range: 60 metres, 195’ ( digital evaluation ).

Transmission Frequency: 457 khz ( international standard frequency ).

Power Supply: 3 batteries, alkaline ( AAA ). IEC-LR03, 1.5 volt. Readily available.

Battery lifetime: Minimum 200 hours in Send mode. Screen shows remaining battery life percentage.

Temperature Range: - 20 degrees Celsius to + 45 degrees. Weight: 198g ( including batteries ).

Dimensions ( LxWxH ): 116 x 75 x 27mm

Battery change: One screw opens battery housing.

Screen & Acoustics: Shows distance in digital figures from 60m to 10cm. Only available in metric. To convert to feet multiply by 3 or read as yards. eg: 3m = 9' or 3 yards. Five arrows indicate the direction of the transmitter collar. ( Straight on, Left & Right ). Automatic backlighting in poor light conditions. An Acoustic beeper changes frequency between 2m and 10cm. Symbol on screen indicates if more than one collar is activated.

Casing: Brightly coloured for visibility. Shockproof and waterproof. Supplied with a nylon case and belt loop. 5 year guarantee.

Gear for Less Makes Christmas Easy

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Some great deals can be had from online military surplus places. Of course, if you do not need it, any purchase is a 100% waste. Having said that, here are a few places worth checking out (they have email lists that give even deeper discounts):

• www.cheaperthandirt.com
  
  
• www.bargainoutfitters.com
  
  
• www.sportsmansguide.com