Nikon MD-2 Dead Batteries?

I just got out my Nikon F2 with MD2 and MB1 Battery pack which I hadn't touched in 2 or 3 months. It was sitting alone in is bag with nothing else touching it or putting pressure on any switches or buttons. The alkaline batteries were last known to be fresh. But I discovered it a little while ago to be dead as a doornail. I mean totally slap dead with .101 volts at most apiece. What might have caused that?

What brand and battery chemistry, and how old are they?

 

AFAIK, when the MD-2 is set to "off" there's really nothing that can drain the batteries from it, and it should only pull on the batteries when advancing or rewinding. Did the batteries show any visual distress(i.e. bulging) that might indicate a short?

They're just cheap Dollar Tree Sunbeam alkaline batteries, which I've been buying for years. They're really not a bad little battery. No they weren't bulging or leaking or anything. I might say that the MD 2 was not turned to any off position and the manual doesn't say anything about having to switch it to any "off". I guess I always assumed when it wasn't being used it WAS off. Not until I discovered this situation that a bell rang with the brilliant idea that even if the motor isn't advancing, a solenoid might be still charged the whole time unless you DO switch the thing off. Suppose that's it? Duh...

My reason for asking about bulging is that-regardless of the make of battery-that could indicate a short.

 

The MD-2 doesn't really do anything until you tell it to.

 

Just to check, I just pulled down my F2AS/MD-2, which I've shamelessly had loaded with Portra 400 for probably over a year now and not used, and the Duracells are still reading full. It's the only MD-2 I currently have(or at least the only one that doesn't sound like it's going to fly apart when I use it) but I've left others for a few months at a time and they're fine.

 

The only really notorious battery drainer that Nikon has made was the MD-11 for the FM/FE, a designed which they replaced with the much better MD-12.

The Sunbeam alkalines are good value for money, but I find they sometimes behave oddly in camera motor drives. I've had them go from brand new to sudden death in an MD3, and just this week was REALLY annoyed to discover a brand new set I'd installed in my Hasselblad 500ELX had completely drained, burst, and corroded the battery chamber lid after just a few weeks in storage.

 

This never happens with Energizers, and the Sunbeams work fine in other devices, so I'm at a loss to explain their eccentric camera behavior. I probably won't use them in a 'blad again unless its very temporary.

"I just got out my Nikon F2 with MD2 and MB1 Battery pack which I hadn't touched in 2 or 3 months."

 

I had the same problem with my Nikon MB-D11 power pack. This happened to me not once, but three times ! Of course I have to mention that all three power packs were bought on eBay, since I think that model is discontinued. The Nikon website says its Out of Stock, so who knows ? You can still buy them on eBay for cheap. All three power packs were working fine when I got them, but after a few months they went dead as a door nail. Not sure why, I tried new batteries and everything. To me your problem seems like a short in the unit that is sucking up all the battery power, but I could be wrong. My third power pack lasted about 3 years by the way, then went dead all of a sudden.

Alkaline batteries should not go dead in 2 3 months if nothing draws current from it.