John Dirks Jr Posted September 26, 2009 Report Share Posted September 26, 2009 The Sun Nuclear 1027 will only run about 20hrs on a fresh 9v battery. I'm putting together an extended battery pack so I can run tests in home with the power shut off. It includes a holder that holds 8 AA rechargeables that are each 1.2v. The total will be 9.6v and the capacity of these 8 1.2v rechargeables should be able to run well beyond the 48hr minimum for the short term tests. Radio Shack has the holders for under $2 and they snap directly into the standard 9v clip on the monitor. The pack will sit outside of the compartment since it wont fit inside. The links below show the holder and the battery kits. Note, that same battery kit is at Costco for $19. That's where I'll pick it up tomorrow. When I get everything together, I'm going to set a CRM to measure at 4hr intervals and run the pack until it dies to see how long it will go. I'll let you know what the results are. http://www.radioshack.com/product/index ... Id=2062251 http://www.radioshack.com/product/index ... Id=3513361 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rocon Posted September 27, 2009 Report Share Posted September 27, 2009 I do not know what type of power tools you might have in your arsenal but I used to swear by Makita 9.7v drills. Now I have a Dewalt 9.7 v drill. I would think that adapting one of these types of batteries would be easy to do, and very convenient if you allready have a charger. I have seen some power tool batteries used like this on the TV show Mythbusters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Dirks Jr Posted September 27, 2009 Author Report Share Posted September 27, 2009 I do not know what type of power tools you might have in your arsenal but I used to swear by Makita 9.7v drills. Now I have a Dewalt 9.7 v drill. I would think that adapting one of these types of batteries would be easy to do, and very convenient if you allready have a charger. I have seen some power tool batteries used like this on the TV show Mythbusters. I thought about that and checked my power tool batteries. They're all 18v. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Katen Posted September 27, 2009 Report Share Posted September 27, 2009 With a little strip of platinum, you could build a hydrogen fuel cell. Me, I'd just use a long extension cord to the neighbor's house. - Jim Katen, Oregon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rocon Posted September 27, 2009 Report Share Posted September 27, 2009 Another option, you could try something like this... http://www.batteryjunction.com/t1et-wmh9-6sc3600-s.html And charge it with this... http://www.batteryjunction.com/tpp2-1880.html for more $ but 3600 MA is a lot of hang time. You could possibly even wire two of them parallel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kyle Kubs Posted September 27, 2009 Report Share Posted September 27, 2009 John, You should try the Femto-Tech monitors. They run on one internal battery pack for more than a year. Never have to charge anything or plug anything in, ever, and they are far, far better than the Sun Nuclear's. They take a reading every hour and have a much higher sensitivity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Carson Posted September 27, 2009 Report Share Posted September 27, 2009 I would consider upgrading to the 1028 or 1029. I seem to go forever on one battery. I like using my computer to set the thing up, control thing I am seeking help. What is the damage on a Femto tech? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neal Lewis Posted September 27, 2009 Report Share Posted September 27, 2009 Kyle, the Sun Nuke 1027 will take a reading every hour. Obviously the price is the big factor with the 1027. I got mine for $300. Years ago when I was using the Femto, the temp & humidity readings proved that someone opened windows right after I placed the monitor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark P Posted September 27, 2009 Report Share Posted September 27, 2009 http://www.femto-tech.com/default2.asp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Dirks Jr Posted September 27, 2009 Author Report Share Posted September 27, 2009 I know there are better CRM's out there. However, I just got 4 1027's for $600. I'm gonna get some good use from them before I consider upgrading. I loaded the holder with the fully charged Ni-MH's. The 8 of them are putting out 11.7v to start with. I know the 1027 uses a 9v backup but the mains are 12v so the charged pack should be fine even though it's beginning at 11.7v. The holder and batt kit came to $22. No soldering, just plug and play. It's now powering a 1027 and I'll see how long it lasts. I set up a normally powered 1027 next to it just to compare readings at the end of it all. Click to Enlarge 48.31 KB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kyle Kubs Posted September 28, 2009 Report Share Posted September 28, 2009 I would consider upgrading to the 1028 or 1029. I seem to go forever on one battery. I like using my computer to set the thing up, control thing I am seeking help. What is the damage on a Femto tech? Cost to buy them is over 3K but I lease mine for $165/month and that includes the lab certification of all the readings. Also, when they need to be recalibrated (required every year) I just trade it in for one that's done and don't pay anything for calibration. No very often, but once in a while, I have somebody tell me while I'm setting up the monitor, that my using not only a CRM but the Femto-Tech specifically, was a deciding factor in choosing me over another inspector. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erby Posted September 28, 2009 Report Share Posted September 28, 2009 Like you, Kyle, I lease. RadaLink Aircats. $165.00 a month per machine. They handle all but setting and retrieiving. Hourly Measurements of Radon Barometric Pressure Humidity Temperature Tamper Detectors Worker Exposure records Quality Assurance Plan Report Preparation and Delivery Equipment Check Records Headaches Client Questions Continuing Education for NEHA Certification I'm a home inspector, not a radon scientist. But customers want the service here. I provide it with the least pain for myself that I can and I charge appropriately for the tests. - Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Dirks Jr Posted October 1, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 1, 2009 Click to Enlarge 48.31 KB Three days on the battery pack alone and still running. The average readings are neck & neck with the second unit plugged to house current. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Dirks Jr Posted October 4, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 4, 2009 OK, the final results are in. Just for the record one more time, the 1027 will only record 90 intervals. Because of this I set the interval duration to 4hrs for the test. That would mean that the CRM could record for 360 hours in one shot. The 8 AA rechargeables in the $2 radio shack holder ran the monitor without house current for a period of 140 hours. Thats just a bit shy of 6 full days. The side by side results from the normally powered unit next to it differed by .1pCi/l as an average for the entire time frame of 140 hrs. So, there you have it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.