Discussion:
Very Old Battery

OK guys here is one from way out of left field....Any ideas?



Description: I work on a Discovery Channel program and have a battery question I'm hoping you can help with ASAP. If a car battery has been sitting, abandoned, for up to 15 years, will it have any--even tiny amount--of charge left in it? I'm not talking about working in a car, but just some tiny bit of life, or will it have all died? We'd like to hook up some wires to it and create static over radio waves but don't know if it would work with an old battery. Furthermore, if stuck camping with a dead battery - what's a good way to charge a battery without the standard tools? Thanks for your help! Ali
  • Posted 25 Mar 2011 06:50
  • By LiftDuck2
  • joined 20 Jul'06 - 4 messages
  • Tennessee, United States
We fear things in proportion to our ignorance of them.....Titus Livius
Showing items 1 - 13 of 13 results.
no. I closed my eyes when it flashed, kept them closed, calmly walked to the sink and rinsed off. It was a friday night, I changed and went out. Jesus spared me yet again, many close calls, from almost falling off a mountian, to not having my parachute open in a high speed malfunction, and others.
  • Posted 2 Apr 2011 09:29
  • By 7777
  • joined 8 Mar'11 - 649 messages
  • New York, United States
any injuries
  • Posted 2 Apr 2011 07:01
  • By rich_k
  • joined 30 Oct'07 - 108 messages
  • Ontario, Canada
no it is not a pleasent Xperience. Back in the olden days when I was a young wiper snap I shorted t (+) to chassis grd. The battery was fresh off charge and located in the rear compartment behind the seat.
  • Posted 2 Apr 2011 07:00
  • By 7777
  • joined 8 Mar'11 - 649 messages
  • New York, United States
i thought my battery was dead because the truck wouldnt turn over. I put my meter across the battery and kaboom
  • Posted 2 Apr 2011 06:55
  • By rich_k
  • joined 30 Oct'07 - 108 messages
  • Ontario, Canada
as a matter of fact I did
  • Posted 2 Apr 2011 06:50
  • By 7777
  • joined 8 Mar'11 - 649 messages
  • New York, United States
have you ever had a battery explode in your face
  • Posted 2 Apr 2011 06:46
  • By rich_k
  • joined 30 Oct'07 - 108 messages
  • Ontario, Canada
He wants to do this expermiment w/ a very old dead battery.

The assumpution is, " that can a very old, very dead battery have enough potential to radiate a broadband signal across the frequency spectrum and signal someone or something."

Micro volt signals can radiate very far, maybe into the cosmos. Detection is another matter, and I dont think there are little green men trying to listen. As for exploding in your face w/ a very dead battery, I dont think so.
  • Posted 31 Mar 2011 18:45
  • By 7777
  • joined 8 Mar'11 - 649 messages
  • New York, United States
Buy a battery at the junkyard. They can be as cheap as 20 bucks. Sears has some new batteries for as little as 50 bucks. Don't short a battery, you can get burned, start a fire, or have the battery explode in your face. Never assume it's dead, assume it can always hurt you.
  • Posted 31 Mar 2011 13:53
  • By justinm
  • joined 13 Apr'06 - 604 messages
  • New York, United States
New York, New York its a heluva town..you know that The Bronx is up..and I'm Brooklyn down
Seriously, go to the junk yard and get a very old battery.

1st, short the battery w/ a wire to be sure there is no arc.
2nd, take an ammeter and place the setting on the highest current and short it across the battery, check for indication working down to micro amps. This will give an indication of any current or life in the battery.

3rd, do you have access to a spectrum analyser, or an electromagnic receiver (hi proformance radio), and antennas rod, biconical, and conical log. A simple set up to measure electro-magnetic interference (EMI) radiation can be performed.
Set up the receiver and antennas then short out the battery and check measurements.

As a free note, there are companies that do that sort of measurement for the military. If you are working for the dis. channel ( if its not tax payers money), have a military contractor do the test.

I did work in this field for a while, that where I gained my knowledge.
  • Posted 30 Mar 2011 21:51
  • By 7777
  • joined 8 Mar'11 - 649 messages
  • New York, United States
A newer battery will charge its self and regain some potential if kept warm. So if your camping on the dark side of the moon and leave the lights on in the moon raker; build a small fire, put the battery close enough to warm up, pull the cosmo antenna off of your communication transponding suit, get to short wires from the transport shuttle ( DO NOT PULL THEM FROM THE RETRO BOASTERS), clamp the wires to the anode and cathode of the battery while tapping them on the antenna. Try to code out " S. O. S. " for rescue.
Les Stroutes take envey.
  • Posted 30 Mar 2011 18:36
  • By 7777
  • joined 8 Mar'11 - 649 messages
  • New York, United States
The battery is a brick after 15 years, guaranteed
  • Posted 30 Mar 2011 10:30
  • By LTTechie
  • joined 30 Jul'10 - 11 messages
  • Illinois, United States
What kind of items would you have???? gas or deisle engine??
automatic or standerd transmission????any tools ??? ther are ways to charge a battery but we need to see the full picture of the problem
  • Posted 28 Mar 2011 23:02
  • By Prentice
  • joined 25 Jun'08 - 600 messages
  • Ontario, Canada
Interesting...... Any chance you are ET, and are broke down here on Earth with a dead battery, and trying to phone home?
  • Posted 25 Mar 2011 09:52
  • By mrfixit
  • joined 11 Dec'08 - 1,434 messages
  • New York, United States

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