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I'm wondering what would be a reasonable voltage to see if the cells are top notch, under 100ohm load. I figure to at least test one of the cells tomorrow using such a resistor, that I intend to buy in the morning. If I don't like the result, I'll just send them back. But I'd like to know what reading would indicate that the batteries are AOK.
I like the Panasonic ones.
You can get a cheap tester like this one:
I'm sure it's just a simple, shitty movement with a series resistor so the 3V cells don't peg it. "Load" is probably 20k ohm or some high value not enough to cause drop so essentially it's an open terminal voltage tester. But I could be wrong, and as cheap as it is even with shipping, it would be easy to add a load resistor with a switch to see how much it drops under load. Compare that to a legit cell.
You can get a cheap tester like this one:
1.55V /3V Button Watch Repair Coin Cell Battery Power Checker Test Tester Tool | eBay
Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for 1.55V /3V Button Watch Repair Coin Cell Battery Power Checker Test Tester Tool at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!
www.ebay.com
I'm sure it's just a simple, shitty movement with a series resistor so the 3V cells don't peg it. "Load" is probably 20k ohm or some high value not enough to cause drop so essentially it's an open terminal voltage tester. But I could be wrong, and as cheap as it is even with shipping, it would be easy to add a load resistor with a switch to see how much it drops under load. Compare that to a legit cell.
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I used to have a meter something like that. Went through my tool room the other day and couldn't find it. Have no idea how well it would have worked.I like the Panasonic ones.
You can get a cheap tester like this one:
1.55V /3V Button Watch Repair Coin Cell Battery Power Checker Test Tester Tool | eBay
Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for 1.55V /3V Button Watch Repair Coin Cell Battery Power Checker Test Tester Tool at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!www.ebay.com
I'm sure it's just a simple, shitty movement with a series resistor so the 3V cells don't peg it. "Load" is probably 20k ohm or some high value not enough to cause drop so essentially it's an open terminal voltage tester. But I could be wrong, and as cheap as it is even with shipping, it would be easy to add a load resistor with a switch to see how much it drops under load. Compare that to a legit cell.
Also, the other day, I poked around at Amazon and Ebay looking at their cell testers. All kinds of stuff from under $3 (slow shipping from China, etc.) to $4-5 stateside (ebay), to more expensive things on Ebay and Amazon. Didn't settle on anything as a good idea. I did like one youtube video that clearly demonstrated testing a cell (AA IIRC) with 100ohm resister load and alligator clips. I figure I'm going to try that today before making a decision on whether to send the cells back or not.
It's possible the cells sent me are legit Panasonic. They look the part, well, I don't know how Panasonic CR2032 are usually packaged, so I don't really know.
Problem with batteries these days is you really can't trust anyone aside from known legit sources! So many fakes out there it's not funny.
OMG no! Amazon is horrible for stuff like that.
I don't buy that many primaries (non rechargeable) cells but li-ion (eg 18650) places like Lithium Ion Wholesale are my go tos.
I use Mouser and DigiKey for parts like capacitors, they may sell them. Of course it's going to be more expensive but you get what you pay for.
Not that I would completely discredit those sources, but there's so much crap going on with Amazon sellers, proxy reviewing, etc. Utterly ridiculous.
I don't buy that many primaries (non rechargeable) cells but li-ion (eg 18650) places like Lithium Ion Wholesale are my go tos.
I use Mouser and DigiKey for parts like capacitors, they may sell them. Of course it's going to be more expensive but you get what you pay for.
Not that I would completely discredit those sources, but there's so much crap going on with Amazon sellers, proxy reviewing, etc. Utterly ridiculous.
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Now, let me get this straight. You're not suggesting that I can use rechargable cells instead of CR2032 are you?
Yeah, I read Amazon reviews with an eye to detecting the legitimacy. If too glowing, I suspect the seller has shills writing the reviews. You can tell when the reviewer is legit most of the time. For something like cells, well, you might get a real good legit review, you just look and see. Most Amazon reviews/reviewers are totally worthless. People just don't know and are way too terse. But there are a lot of people writing reviews at Amazon who aren't stingy with their time and who have deep knowledge. Those are the reviews I look for, of course. Buying online is quite an art! I've made some mistakes, but overall my track record is pretty good! I hate buyer's regret!
I'm good at a keyboard and am prideful and write a lot of detailed Amazon reviews. If I have something valuable to share, I do it.
No, most certainly not.
This is a legitimate item!
CR2032 Panasonic - BSG | Battery Products | DigiKey Marketplace
Order today, ships today. CR2032 – Coin, 20.0mm Lithium Manganese Dioxide 3 V Battery Non-Rechargeable (Primary) from Panasonic - BSG. Pricing and Availability on millions of electronic components from Digi-Key Electronics.
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The reviews I'm seeing at Amazon are useless. Nobody can attest to the capacity of the cells. A few anecdotal references to long lasting, nothing convincing. I can't understand why most people bother reviewing when they have nothing to add to the discussion.
TBH, I'm leaning toward the cells that aren't known US brands, i.e. not Duracell, not Panasonic. I mean, who would bother to make a knock off for a brand that isn't recognizable? However, maybe those brands ARE recognizable elsewhere, i.e. in Asia where they are made, and surely there's a big market in Asia for them. Well, I'm going to test the cells I have before deciding to return them. Not sure how confident I'll be just seeing that the voltage doesn't drop much with a 100ohm load.
Those Panasonic at Digikey are cheap enough but the shipping is expensive, i.e. over $8 for 10 cells.
TBH, I'm leaning toward the cells that aren't known US brands, i.e. not Duracell, not Panasonic. I mean, who would bother to make a knock off for a brand that isn't recognizable? However, maybe those brands ARE recognizable elsewhere, i.e. in Asia where they are made, and surely there's a big market in Asia for them. Well, I'm going to test the cells I have before deciding to return them. Not sure how confident I'll be just seeing that the voltage doesn't drop much with a 100ohm load.
Those Panasonic at Digikey are cheap enough but the shipping is expensive, i.e. over $8 for 10 cells.
You're misunderstanding the problem with Amazon. Yes, review shilling is a problem but you can either read the reviews carefully or use a 3rd party site that purports to analyze the reviews algorithmically (reviewmeta.com or fakespot.com). This helps you decide whether a product is worth buying.
But the bigger problem with Amazon is that because they fulfill orders for thousands of sellers, there is a significant problem of counterfeit products. It's apparently a problem that Amazon is unwilling to attack or solve as that could threaten its growth and dominance of online shopping.
I'm careful about what button cells I purchase (mostly Energizer from reputable sources), but if you asked me how I identify counterfeit batteries, I mostly have no clue. I've bought different Sony and Panasonic cells on Amazon and they've worked fine in the car key fobs I've put them into.
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I'd never heard of sites that evaluate customer reviews, sift and come up with wizened judgements. I'll have to check out those sites. I've always just trusted my seasoned judgement. Truly, having read dozens of reviews of CR2032 cells at Amazon today, I marvel at how totally worthless the reviews are. On top of that, many of them had dozens of votes for them being "helpful." Virtually every review was totally worthless in determining the quality of the cells. Just because your fob or garage door opener works when you use one doesn't mean it's a quality cell. It just means it's not dead!
Yes, I do read reviews carefully. I am super experienced at reading reviews. TBH, I doubt that those sites you indicate can do a better job of evaluating the value of reviews/products than I can by virtue of carefully reading reviews.
Lately Amazon has instituted something different. It's harder to see all the reviews. They've tweaked their system. They show a link to read only the reviews created in the USA. That's crapola. Otherwise, it's most highly rated or most recent. I usually read the top handful of reviews and then go to most recent, so I get a more unbiased assortment of recent reviews. The way a product was several years ago may not reflect what you would get now.
Many reviewers are intelligent, considerate, smart. The great majority are anything but.
I also read Amazon questions, they are often helpful, although most are dumb or repetitive. Many times the seller or manufacturer will answer customer questions. All that stuff (customer reviews and questions), including Amazon's unique (AFAIK) system where others can comment of other people's reviews or questions, make shopping Amazon a great resource. Of course, the mechandise is another matter! And a lot of the time you can get the exact same thing significantly cheaper elsewhere (usually ebay).
But the typical Amazon customer is stupid and lazy. Blows my mind that someone will answer a question about a product offered at Amazon with this answer: I don't know. Someone who would say that there is a straight up idiot. I've seen that answer, basically, there probably dozens of times.
Yes, I do read reviews carefully. I am super experienced at reading reviews. TBH, I doubt that those sites you indicate can do a better job of evaluating the value of reviews/products than I can by virtue of carefully reading reviews.
Lately Amazon has instituted something different. It's harder to see all the reviews. They've tweaked their system. They show a link to read only the reviews created in the USA. That's crapola. Otherwise, it's most highly rated or most recent. I usually read the top handful of reviews and then go to most recent, so I get a more unbiased assortment of recent reviews. The way a product was several years ago may not reflect what you would get now.
Many reviewers are intelligent, considerate, smart. The great majority are anything but.
I also read Amazon questions, they are often helpful, although most are dumb or repetitive. Many times the seller or manufacturer will answer customer questions. All that stuff (customer reviews and questions), including Amazon's unique (AFAIK) system where others can comment of other people's reviews or questions, make shopping Amazon a great resource. Of course, the mechandise is another matter! And a lot of the time you can get the exact same thing significantly cheaper elsewhere (usually ebay).
But the typical Amazon customer is stupid and lazy. Blows my mind that someone will answer a question about a product offered at Amazon with this answer: I don't know. Someone who would say that there is a straight up idiot. I've seen that answer, basically, there probably dozens of times.
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Duracell and Energizer aren't manufacturers. They are rebranded cells. Chinese cells are even worse and those are in super cheap toys, ornaments, promotional keychain lights, etc. They aren't particularly designed for very high drain and like most cells, discharging at 5C and higher results in greatly diminished capacity overall.
VirtualLarry
No Lifer
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I get two-packs of "Sunbeam" CR2032 batteries at my local Dollar Tree for $1 (+tax). Pick up a few every once in a while. PC motherboard CMOS batteries aren't too demanding on battery current capacity, as long as the voltage is up to snuff. Your applications may be different.
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I load tested a couple of those "Panasonic" batteries today using a 100ohm resistor. FAILURE! One showed 2.4v under that load, the other far less. Not sure I had great continuity, it's not easy to test them while in the packages. Anyway, I sent them back today. I'm down to my last unused, 10 year old CR2032. Maybe I'll hit a dollar store, maybe pull the trigger on some online offer.
You're loading the battery too much for that test. See here for more info.
electronics.stackexchange.com
Testing Chinese CR2032 Li-ion Battery Capacity
I recently bought a lot of cheap CR2032 batteries from aliexpress. Since there is no manufacturer stated on the package or the batteries, I would like to know if these batteries really have 220 mAh...
I over-analyze my prospective purchases, but the OP appears to have spent hours to determine whether he was ripped off for $4 on TEN button cells! I get that it's a matter of principle, but the eBay seller has very high feedback marks and even the product itself is well-rated. I suspect those cells were fine.
The only thing that's a bit dodgy is that they expire in 4 years (despite 10 year shelf life), which means these are "overstock" items that had been sitting around somewhere for a while.
You can just walk into Walmart and easily buy CR2032 (could be either Duracell or Energizer branded) and at least you'll know they aren't counterfeit. They'll also cost a lot more than 35 cents each. Thanks Fir, we did learn a lot in this thread!
As for something like ReviewMeta, sometimes I don't have the patience to read a bunch of customer reviews on Amazon (esp. for cheap products). Often I just want to know at a glance if a product is being shilled or not.
The only thing that's a bit dodgy is that they expire in 4 years (despite 10 year shelf life), which means these are "overstock" items that had been sitting around somewhere for a while.
You can just walk into Walmart and easily buy CR2032 (could be either Duracell or Energizer branded) and at least you'll know they aren't counterfeit. They'll also cost a lot more than 35 cents each. Thanks Fir, we did learn a lot in this thread!
As for something like ReviewMeta, sometimes I don't have the patience to read a bunch of customer reviews on Amazon (esp. for cheap products). Often I just want to know at a glance if a product is being shilled or not.
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Although the listing said 4 year expiry date, as I said above in this thread, the cells' cardboard sleeve said PD 01/19 ED 2029. Still, it's an open question if the merchandise really is Panasonic in origin or is a knock off. TBH, I would have suspected nothing, wouldn't have given it a thought (I was that naive) if the open circuit voltage wasn't 3.20v with my Fluke 15B+ multimeter.
Well, it's already in the mail on its way back to the seller.
I have this in my Amazon cart. Seems OK from where I sit, but who knows. What do you think?
- - - -
15 Genuine Sony CR2032 3v Lithium 2032 Coin Batteries Freshly Packed by Sony Size: 15 Pack Model: (Electronics Consumer Store)
by Electronics 4 People
48 ratings| 3 answered questions
Amazon customer average rating 4.9 out of 5
Price: $6.86 ($0.46 / Count) & FREE Shipping on orders over $25.00 shipped by Amazon.
Honey's price history shows it was actually selling for $5.12 three days ago!
Too good to be true?
Reviewdata analyzed it for me last night and said the reviews look straight up fine and they too have it at 4.9 stars.
VirtualLarry
No Lifer
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This. I mean, don't get me wrong, the whole "quest to find PERFECT CR2032 cells" is amusing, in a sort of short-bus way, but really? That much time on your hands? And I thought I over-analyzed some things.
Edit: Then again, most of my threads are short-bus-worthy too, I suppose.
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It didn't start out as any kind of quest to find the perfect CR2032 cells. I just wanted to know if 3.20v open circuit tested new "Panasonic" CR2032 cells were gonna crap out on me way before they should. I suspected just that. This thread is an education. Honest, I knew next to nothing about the cells.
The term short-bus is lost on me. Is that a reference to the movie? (I haven't seen it.)
EliteRetard
Diamond Member
- Mar 6, 2006
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Since society is disgusted by people with disabilities they were often shipped off on their own. Since there are fewer of them, they often rode on smaller "short buses". Thus saying somebody rides the short bus is basically saying they're "retarded", which society also equates to "utterly stupid/incompetent".
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Gotta admit I sometimes feel like I'm at the back of the short-bus.
Edit: But sometimes I feel like a genius. Maybe I'm both...
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So, I just received my 15 Sony CR2032 ordered through Amazon. Open circuit, tested with my Fluke 15B+ multimeter, they read 3.226v. Across a 100ohm load using same meter, 3.225-3.226v! Across a 130ohm load, over 3.20v. I have much more confidence in these cells. The seller of the questionable "Panasonic" sells received my return shipment and was supposed to credit me by Wednesday. I did not get the credit yet and tonight asked Ebay to "intervene." I'm pretty confident they will ding the seller for the ~$4. If I didn't check for the refund with Paypal I would never have known that the seller was creeping out on me. I suppose I should leave negative feedback, something I haven't done in years. I once got in very nasty negative feedback war with a seller who shipped me used DVD movies that were so scratched up my player wouldn't play them. I think those days of a seller crapping you because you post negative feedback are gone, so I've heard. But I'm pretty sour on the whole feedback mechanism on Ebay. Most of the time I don't bother to post any.
lxskllr
No Lifer
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Glad you got batteries that you like. Here's my testing protocol when I get new batteries. I install them, and if the thing that didn't work, now does, Good Batteries! If it doesn't work, I go hmm... and troubleshoot. Usually turns out it wasn't a battery issue in the first place. Some batteries last longer than others. If I gave it much thought, I'd be losing money. Use them up, and buy more when needed.
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I have a ~1.5 quart covered can in the refrigerator where I store all my cell type batteries... LR44, CR2016, CR2032, etc. I figure (probably right) that they hold a charge longer refrigerated. Also, of course, I know where they all are. A few I store in drawers, but most in that can. I also have some C and AAA alkalines in the fridge, Duracells I get at Costco. Mostly I use Eneloops for AA and AAA, which, of course, don't benefit from cooler storage (AFAIK). I have many Eneloops!
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