Here's One for You Troubleshooters

2LZ · 01-27-2021, 01:58 PM

Wife has tons of battery-powered (mostly AA) decorative lanterns and candles. The lanterns look old fashioned, glow when they're on and have one of those fake flames that wiggle around to deflect the light so it "flickers".

You can always tell when the batteries are dying because the little plastic flame gets really slow. So, Mrs. 2LZ proceeded to change batteries yesterday. I get home....

"The Duracells don't work in the lanterns. Can you check it out for me?"

This morning, I grab my DVOM. Obviously, my first thought was that maybe some dead batteries got put back into the pack on a night filled with adult beverages, or that maybe she slid a battery in backwards, etc....

I test the "dead" batteries she took out of the lanterns. .8V out of 1.5. I put them back into the lantern (four of them), turn the lantern on. It glowed and the fake flame wiggled slowly. Ok... The lantern works.

I take the dead batteries out and put in a group of supposedly new Durocells. Twist the "on/off" knob....nothing.

I take out the Durocells to check voltage. After all, they could be old, dead ones by accident. Nope.... 1.6V on all four.

I checked the little connectors and springs. Everything is in its place as it should be and no, no batteries have previously leaked in the lanterns. All connections clean. I put the original dead (.8V) batteries back in, the lantern works, albeit weakly. Replace the new, known-good, Durocells.....lantern does nothing. WTH???

**cheesy** · 01-29-2021, 03:07 PM

Just a stab in the dark here(sorry), possibly a failing voltage regulator on the circuit board.

Wild Dog · 01-29-2021, 03:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cheesy

Just a stab in the dark here(sorry), possibly a failing voltage regulator on the circuit board.

That could be, which would explain why with the depleted battery, the lights works but with the brand new they just refuse.

2LZ · 02-02-2021, 06:26 PM

I was wondering something like that.
There are two banks of LED's. One group shines down from the top to generally light the thing. Then there's the LED that shines up from underneath to illuminate the fake wiggling flame.

I have discovered that two (of four total) of the batteries operate the top set of LEDs and two batteries operate the bottom LED and flame.

Just weird. Of the six lanterns we have, only two of them do this.

01-27-2021, 01:58 PM	#1
2LZ Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Volcano, Ca Posts: 7,092	Here's One for You Troubleshooters Wife has tons of battery-powered (mostly AA) decorative lanterns and candles. The lanterns look old fashioned, glow when they're on and have one of those fake flames that wiggle around to deflect the light so it "flickers". You can always tell when the batteries are dying because the little plastic flame gets really slow. So, Mrs. 2LZ proceeded to change batteries yesterday. I get home.... "The Duracells don't work in the lanterns. Can you check it out for me?" This morning, I grab my DVOM. Obviously, my first thought was that maybe some dead batteries got put back into the pack on a night filled with adult beverages, or that maybe she slid a battery in backwards, etc.... I test the "dead" batteries she took out of the lanterns. .8V out of 1.5. I put them back into the lantern (four of them), turn the lantern on. It glowed and the fake flame wiggled slowly. Ok... The lantern works. I take the dead batteries out and put in a group of supposedly new Durocells. Twist the "on/off" knob....nothing. I take out the Durocells to check voltage. After all, they could be old, dead ones by accident. Nope.... 1.6V on all four. I checked the little connectors and springs. Everything is in its place as it should be and no, no batteries have previously leaked in the lanterns. All connections clean. I put the original dead (.8V) batteries back in, the lantern works, albeit weakly. Replace the new, known-good, Durocells.....lantern does nothing. WTH??? __________________ "Light a fire for a man, and you heat him for a day. Light a man on fire, and you heat him for the rest of his life." 2007 Suzuki DRZ400S (SM convert) 2009 Q Link XP 200 1967 BSA B25 250cc Starfire 2022 Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 2023 Royal Enfield Scram 411 1948 Royal Enfield Model G 350
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01-29-2021, 03:07 PM	#2
cheesy Moderator Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Elburn, IL Posts: 5,803	Just a stab in the dark here(sorry), possibly a failing voltage regulator on the circuit board. __________________ Cheesy ______________________________________ 07 Hi Bird Enduro-Flown the Coop 07 Ural Gear Up 79 Honda CX500 77 VeloSolex 4600 V3 73 VeloSolex 3800 I'm making this up as I go.-Indiana Jones Telling me something 'is for my own good', is a fast way to a fat lip.-Me I don't even care about my own problems, why should I care about yours?-Quote on one of my favorite t-shirts
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02-02-2021, 06:26 PM	#4
2LZ Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Volcano, Ca Posts: 7,092	I was wondering something like that. There are two banks of LED's. One group shines down from the top to generally light the thing. Then there's the LED that shines up from underneath to illuminate the fake wiggling flame. I have discovered that two (of four total) of the batteries operate the top set of LEDs and two batteries operate the bottom LED and flame. Just weird. Of the six lanterns we have, only two of them do this. __________________ "Light a fire for a man, and you heat him for a day. Light a man on fire, and you heat him for the rest of his life." 2007 Suzuki DRZ400S (SM convert) 2009 Q Link XP 200 1967 BSA B25 250cc Starfire 2022 Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 2023 Royal Enfield Scram 411 1948 Royal Enfield Model G 350
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