ARCHIVED FORUM -- March 2012 to February 2022READ ONLY FORUM
This is the second Archived Forum which was active between 1st March 2012 and 23rd February 2022
Hi everybody,my master control panel 5000 had new batteries four months ago.
Have only used it five or six times at the most since installing new duracell batteries,went to use it today and it was completely dead,inserted new batteries and all works fine.
Just wondering how long batteries should last ?
Mine have had very little use,does the panel use power when not in use,or could there be a reason,or problem, with it draining the batteries so quickly.
All the best glen.
They do eat batteries - one reason the Beolink 7000, the last of the big panel remotes, switched to rechargeables. However I suspect a small power leak so would suggest removing one battery if you are not using the MCP for extended periods.
Peter
Yet I would disagree - I could count on two hands how many sets of batteries I've used in my MCP5000 in over 25 years!! Of course if you dance on the buttons everyday then,because of all the LED's then may be you can fry them quickly, but these are "D" cells. I certainly can't complain about my MCP5000 being battery hungry!!
Ban boring signatures!
I'll vote for a fault as well.
The 5000 may consume a bit more power than the later models, but I'm still on my first set in the MCP6500 I bought in early 2008.
Recently, I "repaired" a "faulty" MCP5500 by installing new batteries. The old ones had still enough juice to send a command every now and then, but not enough to light the MCP up to show responses. The batteries I found in it were Varta "Made in West Germany" - expired in 1990-09!
Anyway, it's still a good idea to remove the batteries for extended non-use, because if they leak, they can destroy the unit.
--mika
My guess is that there must be two versions of the MCP5000 with battery lifespans of 2-3 years and 2-3 months respectively.I have seen several of both but haven't been able to measure or spot any technical differences or faults anywhere.Maybe I'm just not smart enough to find it or maybe we are up against some kind of software bug, I can't say.The one in my repairshop had new batteries 4 years ago, it sees use about weekly and they are still fine,the same goes for my girlfriends but I have seen many like yours too.
And I agree on removing the batteries if you are not using the MCP for days.
Martin
Okay ,thanks guys.
Will remove the batteries when not in use from now on. It is a wierd scenario,my mcp 5500 is installed with duracells,these were in it when i bought it with the rest of the setup a few years back,it gets more use than the mcp5000 and i have not yet had to change batteries.
The batteries had not leaked and the spring connectors inside the battery housing are clean as a whistle.
Anyway many thanks guys for your quick response.
Kind regards to you all glen.
Dillen:My guess is that there must be two versions of the MCP5000 with battery lifespans of 2-3 years and 2-3 months respectively.
Interesting! If the schematics in the service manuals follow the truth, all of these must have the CPU running to scan the keyboard, there's no mechanism to bring it out of sleep only when someone presses a key. It could easily be a software bug that prevents the processor from properly going into sleep, or simply it was initially programmed to wake up & scan the keyboard unnecessarily often. As the firmware is in a mask programmed ROM, they couldn't have changed it until another batch of processors was ordered from the manufacturer (Hitachi I believe).
When you look at the capacity of the D cells,it's hard to believe that they can expire so quickly.It's a bit like when you leave the courtesy light on in the car,and only a few hours later,the battery is flat!!!
I've found over the years,with these panels and B&O tv remotes that battery life with normal use is usually very good.Normal use meaning average daily operations such as volume,function change etc.
When they "eat" batteries,it's usually due to contaminated keyboards,ie the remote is sending random signals,or leakage somewhere,favourite being the power stabiliser circuit transistors.
Nick
I put in batteries in my MCP 5000 in mid Mars and they are still like new, I use the MCP some 2 times a week and I leave the batteries in it.
Collecting Vintage B&O is not a hobby, its a lifestyle.
Get yourself a Terminal 5000 hand-held remote and use this to control most daily operations instead of your MCP 5000.