PX625, Best Mercury Battery Substitute Solution For Use In Leica M5

[Alex_Es]

<p>Here is what I use in place of a mercury battery. </p>

[Alex_Es]

<p>Here is what I use in place of a mercury battery. </p><div></div>

[Alex_Es]

<p>One more try.</p><div></div>

[Mike Gammill]

<p>A touch of irony here: as mercury cells are consumed, the mercury (II) is reduced to elemental mercury (which is the big hazard). A typical mercury cell has about the same mercury content as two CFL lamps. However, the average consumer is more likely to dispose of worn out or defective CFL's improperly (just tossing out in trash) than us well-informed photographers. I think they should have kept mercury cells and banned CFL's. And if you have a darkroom, a CFL can glow faintly for a short time after turning it off- possibly enough to fog faster films.<br>

If I can step off my soapbox here, it looks like you've got some good suggestions here. I still stand by the recommendation that the meter be recallibrated for silver oxide 1.5 volt batteries.</p>

[bob_sunley]

<p>By far the largest consumers of mercury button cells were hearing aid users, not photographers.</p>

<p> Until very recently, there has been no recycling centers that will accept 24-96" long florescent bulbs either.</p>

<p>Here, CFLs can be brought to Home Depot and other big box stores for recycling, long tubes are supposed to be securely wrapped and thrown in the trash where the compactor truck will crush them as it makes it's rounds. :(</p>

[Mike Gammill]

<p>Good point, Bob. Around where I live, though, very few people bother to dispose of them properly. No local disposal sites are available and not many of them want to drive 20+ miles to the nearest Home Depot. Yeah, I remember that hearing aids once used mercury cells. Back when flashbulbs were widely used some photoflash batteries were mercury cells. Eventually alkaline batteries became popular (due to lower cost). </p>

[robert_hooper1]

<p>Here is someone who was selling PX625 batteries until recently. The first thing to go was his email link.</p>

<p>People have a point about about those darn CFL Light Bulbs. Most just throw them in the trash and a they contain Mercury plenty of Mercury. I guessing that Murcury CFR light bulbs contribute more contamination to land fills than, batteries ever did. Does anyone remember someone telling us CFL bulbs were supposed to last a lot longer? I think we've been had once again. The ones I get at Home Depot don't.</p>

[robert_hooper1]

<p><a href="http://www.px625.com/px625_static/px625.html">PX625 link may not work now.</a></p>

[robert_hooper1]

<p>I don't know how to hack a sight, but at least I thought we could crash it. Seem to be like the energizer bunny, though. It just keeps going and going.</p>

<p>Have you ever seen victims of Minamata Disease<strong>, </strong>especially children?</p>

[Jeffrey L.T. von Glück]

<p>I posted this way back in 2003:</p>

 

<blockquote>

<p>The CRIS adapters are a little fatter and you may have trouble tightening the cover. There is a gentleman in the Netherlands that makes adapters by hand out of an actual old PX625 cell that accepts S76 or compatible silver oxide cells; the diode reduces the output voltage to 1.35 volts like the CRIS adapter. Because the adapter is actually made out of a standard PX625 cell, it fits perfectly in the M5 or SL--at least they do in my case. The adapters are $21 each (sent registered airmail) or he sells a do-it-yourself kit (for the mechanically inclined who are adept at soldering) for $10 (registered airmail). You can e-mail Mr. Frans De Gruijter at battery.adapter@wanadoo.nl. He accepts PayPal.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>I don't know if Mr. De Gruijter is still at it, but his adapter is a perfect fit, better than the CRIS.</p>

 

[gerry_rosen]

<p>"Gerry, how was the meter accuracy over time as the battery aged? Did it stay pretty much consistent? How long did the meter last?"<br>

I used silver S76 rather than alkalines. I would move the whole set up, adapter and battery, from camera to camera. My daily carry around camera was the M5 and IIRC I got well over a year with no perceptible meter fluctuations. </p>

[john_shriver]

<p>I think it was partly scummy Chinese manufacturers using mercuric-oxide batteries inappropriately that pushed them from "controlled substance" to "banned". They were putting them into the kids shoes with the sparkly lights in the transparent soles, rather than using alkaline or silver oxide batteries. People didn't even know that throwing the shoes out was putting mercury in the waste stream.<br>

I saw what was happening 10 years ago, hoarded four of the PX625 batteries, have been using one in my Topcon Super D and Pentax 7s, and the other three are in a sealed bottle in my film fridge. I've got many more years before this is an issue to me. (Heck, film availability may nail me before I run out of batteries.)<br>

I've got a CRIS adapter, but it doesn't work in the Topcon Super D, the shape of the rather large spring in that camera shorts out the battery in the adapter. Haven't tried it in the 7s yet.</p>

[ag-chicago]

<p>Hey Paul, the zero adjust on a Gossen Luna only sets just that, the zero point. The alkalines have a very different voltage then what the Gossen's were made for, and I can guarantee you it is not accurate across the 0-20EV range they are made to work in. I say this because I Schottky diode modify them, then use adapted silver-oxide 357s, and recalibrate them at four points across the EV range. I've checked them with alkalines, they will not work without re-calibrating. And once the voltage drifts, which may take a long time, it won't be accurate anymore. The only way to check a meter (in camera or hand held) is to check it across it's useful range against a known calibrated standard (whether a camera or bench analyzer). I'm sure you are getting an accurate reading at one small range, but no likely across the whole useful range.<br>

<br />Let your camera shop recalibrate the meter for silver oxides, use a simple rubber/foam adapter, it's hands down the best solution.</p>

[paul_keller]

<p>Aileen:<br>

Here are the results of several comparison tests with known accurate meters. The meters used are Gossen LunaPro SBC and Gossen DigiFlash. I Have others but these were handy.<br>

At 1EV the alkaline filled LunaSix was .5 EV lower than SBC and .33 EV lower than Digiflash<br>

At 7EV the alkaline filled LunaSix was .3 EV lower than SBC and .25 EV lower than Digiflash<br>

At 11EV the LunaSix was one sixth EV lowere than SBC and matched the digiflash.<br>

At 14EV all meters matched.<br>

These measurments were not cherry picked from many tests. They were all objective and done rapidly. I did not use scientific methodology but I believe them to be reasonably accurate. The meter needle of the SBC allows visual fractions of each stop while the Digiflash indicates when it is at the edge of each 1/3rd stop reading. Some interpretation of the change point was necessary with the digiflash.<br>

We have all compared meters to each other and understand the frustration and confusion it can bring. To have a maximum varience of .5 stop at 1EV light level I consider to be within acceptable tolerance. Everyone is so concerned about the alkaline voltage roll off and so am I. But it is eliminated by using alkalines before they roll off. Silver Oxides have a much flatter curve, but don't fit. So I use more Alkalines than I would Silver oxides. No big deal. They are cheap and available with no adapters or internal modifications. And the non roll-off lifespan is fairly decent. <br>

If a better option comes along, I'll use it, but I have yet to find one. I also invite everyone to compare their own meters at 1 EV and see what they get. It's often not pretty.</p>

 

[steve m smith]

<blockquote>

<p>Hey Paul, the zero adjust on a Gossen Luna only sets just that, the zero point.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>I did the same adjustment to my Lunasix as Paul did and it seems accurate. Whilst the adjustment does change the zero point, it also shifts the full range of the meter so adjusting it for the battery check position which is also in the same area as normal daylight range should make it accurate in this range. I have yet to check it in low light though.</p>

[fwstutterheim]

<blockquote>

<p>I don't know if Mr. De Gruijter is still at it, but his adapter is a perfect fit, better than the CRIS.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>He is. I am in regular contact with him.<br /> <a href="http://www.rolleigraphy.org/download/batt-adapt-US.pdf">http://www.rolleigraphy.org/download/batt-adapt-US.pdf</a> <br>

Skip to page 11 for ordering information.</p>

[ag-chicago]

<p>I don't disagree with what you're seeing. Only that the alkalines will roll off, consistently and gradually, taking your calibration with them. I just don't see the point in using them since a 357 silver oxide costs $2.56 at the corner drug store, and all you need is a small piece of 1/16" foam or a short piece of 1/2" ID vinyl tubing (any hardware store has this) to make them fit into the battery area (ok, and bend the spring tab on the screw cap up a little more). Then, you can do your zero adjust and know it won't change.</p>