Pixa 3 Fickle Batteries

[AKuhlmann]

Hey, so at BSCC (Bangor) we're currently going insane over our lighting situation (Petzl Pixa 3s)and I wanted to check if it was just us loosing our minds over it or if some other unlucky sods were in the same situation

So it seems that no matter the quality of the battery, it's manufacturer, or whether it's fully charged it's a mental breakdown inducing pot luck of whether the batteries you have chosen will work for that light. Especially when there's 14 to do.

Just wanted some reassurance that I'm not alone in my plight - please say it's not just our club because I can't find others complaints about this anywhere

- A student caver who's done with the lights being such little shits

 

[Ian Ball]

I do not understand the question?

 

[JoshW]

I think the question is are Pixa 3s known for being picky about what batteries work for them, or even random as to whether they'll work or not.

My answer is, as far as I'm aware Pixas are super reliable and I've used both rechargeable and single use duracell jobbies without any issues.

 

[Fjell]

One thing for sure is that rechargeables work way better than alkalines. Your standard 2400-2500 mAH AA will work for sure. Ikea 2450 ones are very good value at ?7 for 4.

They are designed for work (explosive zones), so the spec doesn?t mention anything but alkalines unless it is using a rechargeable pack that has been designed and tested.

 

[yuvals]

Yes, my Pixa3 always blinks with rechargeable batteries.
Remember that  fully charged NiMh are ~1.2V while new alkaline are ~1.5.

If you prefer using rechargeable batteries(more environmental and cheaper) , maybe try 14500 lithium cells. it is compatible by spec but I have never tested this. 

 

[Cantclimbtom]

I've only had a pixa2 and that was happy with rechargeables. But not surprised if pixa3 is different.
I have a little Fenix (wf05e) that runs on 2x AAA. I timed it at room temp
1100mah rechargeables: 44 mins until flashing
Energizer Max Alkaline:  3 hours 24 until flashing
Some torches just don't "like" the lower voltage

It's hard to tell reading the spec sheet because as Fjell says they are only certified with alkaline due to ATEX, but does that mean they don't play nicely with 1.2v or just that they can't be certified.

As boring as it sounds you should test running on full power on an long life alkaline versus a "good" rechargeable with a couple of torches. Then you'll know.

 

[Fjell]

I've only had a pixa2 and that was happy with rechargeables. But not surprised if pixa3 is different.
I have a little Fenix (wf05e) that runs on 2x AAA. I timed it at room temp
1100mah rechargeables: 44 mins until flashing
Energizer Max Alkaline:  3 hours 24 until flashing
Some torches just don't "like" the lower voltage

It's hard to tell reading the spec sheet because as Fjell says they are only certified with alkaline due to ATEX, but does that mean they don't play nicely with 1.2v or just that they can't be certified.

As boring as it sounds you should test running on full power on an long life alkaline versus a "good" rechargeable with a couple of torches. Then you'll know.

I have done a lot of Zone 0 design work, and you sure as hell don?t want loose lithium batteries anywhere near them, nor prob NiMH. The rechargeable versions will be sealed in.

I use the Pixa 2 because it seemed a better design than the 3. I get 6 hours with NiMH constant current, several hours more than alkaline. The voltage of an alkaline cell will drop below 1V well before the end, and the capacity collapses if you pull it hard (way worse than rechargeables).

 

[mikem]

The problem I think you mean is that not all AA batteries are made the same, some are slightly longer & these bend the contacts so that other batteries don't touch them - you can bend the contacts back out - but best to always buy same type of battery.

 

[Mealy]

Ditto what Aidan's said these lights are driving us mad  it doesn't seem to matter what batteries we buy. Rechargeable or not or varrying brands we still seem to have issues. Some days they work some days they don't fancy it. Some times just swiping the batteries around (like putting them in the opposite place but the same batteries) fixes it. It also seems to be all 14 lights the club has. i think the freshers in the club think we're insane constantly swearing at the fickle little shits.

I think we just wanted to know if this was common issue or if we had 14 dodgy lights. Or if anyone knew how to fix it?

 

[Cantclimbtom]

...like putting them in the opposite place but the same batteries) fixes it...

That does sounds like the issue mikem was describing. Perhaps someone put in an extra long one, like Duracell 2500 rechargeable (they won't even fit in my son's wireless mouse) which bent the contacts a bit wide and now they're unreliable, until someone straightens them. I mean you could be really unlucky and have a dodgy light, but 14/14 is a pattern that says something has happened

 

[Pete K]

This ^^^^ has been my experience with some of the Pixa lamps too. Otherwise I think they are bombproof.
A gentle bending out of the contacts in a couple of test lamps should let you work out if that is the problem.

 

[AKuhlmann]

Thanks! I'll try bending the contacts but they're recessed so we'll see how it goes first, otherwise as some of you guys have said it might be the voltage difference between Nimh and alkaline batteries. I'll report back on how it goes!

 

[AKuhlmann]

Thanks everyone to putting me onto the size of the batteries!

I managed to rule out the voltage because some pairs of batteries which hadn't been charged in a while worked fine and others didn't, and all the batteries are 1.2V.

It wasn't bending the contacts or the batteries lengths either.

I had a hard look at our most reliable batteries - some 10 year old amazon basics donated to us by Go Below. Lining all the batteries makes up I noticed the most reliable ones had a squarer top and a more protruding nubbin. Consequently, I started to attack the other batteries and remove some plastic and the little cardboard ring from the top and voila! That battery suddenly worked!

Thanks all for your help! I feel I've regained a bit of my sanity now 

Image 1: the battery line-up
Image 2: the progression of battery (see what I did there?)

 

[Mealy]

What an evening well spent  :bow: