OT:Button Cell Batteries

[Bill Stock]

Not exactly on Topic for this group, but I'm not sure where else to ask.

I've got one of those digital appliance timers, which takes (3) 357A cells. According to most sources the LR44 is a direct replacement for this battery. But the LR44s I have for the cat toy (Laser Pointer) are much too thin. I can buy 357As in 'The Source' in Canada, but the price is almost the same as the timer itself. I'd hate to buy 357As online, only to find out that they ship me LR44s or some other skinny substitute. Does anyone have experience with these cells or know of an ACCURATE cross reference?

TIA.

[Rich]

Could you use a penny or something like that to make up the difference? seems like a cheap alternitive?

Rich

[Richard J Kinch]

Someone's misinformed. 357A and LR44 are the same size.

[Doug Miller]

Better double-check your batteries -- one or the other isn't what you think it is, because the LR44 *is* a direct replacement for the 357A. Same diameter, same thickness.

[Bill Stock]

I guess my LR44s aren't to spec. The 357As are .22 inches thick and the 'LR44s' are .204 inches thick. This gives me a total difference of .048 inches or just enough to make them fall out.

[Grandpa]

Then you don't have LR44s. Depending on your application, if its high drain, you'll want SR44s. Anyway, take a look here:

see if you can understand what you actually have.

[George E. Cawthon]

Go to a hobby store and buy a pack of brass shims/flat sheets. Select the correct sheets to make up the thickness you need or simply fold a thin sheet to get the thickness and cut it out with scissors. Best is to have it at the negative end.

[Joseph Meehan]

Just stick a little aluminum foil in there to make up the difference.

[Doug Miller]

I guess *none* of your batteries are to spec. 0.22 inches is 5.6 mm, and spec height for both the LR44 *and* the 357 is 5.4 mm.

I'll bet that all of these batteries are no-name made-in-China cheapies, right? Try getting name brand batteries next time. They last longer, too.

[Bill Stock]

Yeah, the LR44s are eBay specials. Although they're certainly labeled LR44, both on the cell and the shrink-pak. They work in the laser pointer, but not for too long. Although $5 vs. a few cents goes a long way towards a somewhat shorter life.

[Doug Miller]

I think you found the source of your problem...

[mm]

Chinese-made batteries may be shorter because the land area of China is greater than that of the US. So the cumulative gravitational pull of the earth tends to compress things during the manufacturing process. Sometimes they expand again after shipping, but usually they don't.

This is also why Chinese people are usually shorter than Americans, for example.

[Doug Miller]

Uh-huh. Yao Ming is a good example of that.