Hi Peter I have had continuous tracking from one pair of Lithium batteries for over 2 weeks - restarting tracking each day, and the batteries are still running. In all my tests, running SPOT for 2 weeks in NZ, a number of glider flights, drives etc, I am only on my second batteries in 8 months. If you turn your SPOT off at night (not just tracking but altogether) you do save lots of power.
Totally unofficially - the request for Lithium is based on safety requirements. Lithium batteries work at a much colder temperature to most other batteries, and have a very long shelf life. This is because SPOT is designed as an emergency device. So you can use other batteries. It is likely that some of the SPOT units at the competition have been left on for long periods (not tracking, but still getting GPS). (also, I sell 4 lithium for $15 - http://www.personaltracker.com.au/) Scott ----- "Peter Stephenson" <[email protected]> wrote: > John, > have you any idea how long the batteries last on continuous tracking? > Spot specify not cheap Lithium batteries ($8.95 a pair of AA Lithium > Energisers at my chemist next door) only and we have been discussing > how long they last. > Changing them in mid-air is a bit fiddly and probably dangerously > impairing good look-out. > PeterS > > PeterS > > John Switala wrote: > > > > > Guys > > > > Spot tracking devices have been installed in all gliders in the 18 > metre and Open classes for Day 2 of the Australian Multi Class > Nationals being held at Benalla, Victoria. > > > > Yesterday we had a few pilots who forgot to turn on the spots and a > couple of failures due to low batteries, so not all gliders were > shown. The ones that were on the track maps gave us a good look at > what was happening out there! > > > > There are 8 gliders in Open class and 12 gliders in 18 metre. > > > > The link for Open class is: > http://track.glidingmaps.com/event/multiclass09-open/current/display > > > > The link for 18 metre class is: > http://track.glidingmaps.com/event/multiclass09-18m/current/display > > > > Launch time is 2:15pm. Class launch sequence is: Standard, 18M, 15M, > then Open. > > > > The original task set for the day was a 720km fixed task, but the > temperature didn’t break the inversion so a delay was called. The B > task was selected but the day again did not prove to be cooperative. > Then the wind changed affecting the runway selection. The gliders have > been re-gridded and a C task determined. The task is an AAT (Assigned > Area Task) of 3 hours duration for all classes in the comp > > > > The task is: > > Benalla > > Boree Creek - 30 kilometre radius area > > Deniliquin - 70 kilometre radius area > > Glenrowan - 15 kilometre radius area > > Benalla > > > > Minimum distance is 319 kilometres; Maximum distance is 709 > kilometres. > > > > Weather forecast is a blue day, temperature 41C in Benalla. Thermal > strengths should be an average of 8-10 knots over the task. Heights > forecast are 10,000-12,000 feet. Wind is currently Northerly to change > in the late afternoon to more westerly. > > > > Browsers to use are Firefox or Safari. Internet Explorer does not > function well. > > > > Thanks to New South Wales Gliding through the Narromine Club for the > loan of their 10 spot devices. > > > > Thanks also to John Wharington and Scott Penrose for the development > effort for glider tracking. > > > > John Switala > > Ops Director > > > _______________________________________________ > Aus-soaring mailing list [email protected] To check > or change subscription details, visit: > http://lists.internode.on.net/mailman/listinfo/aus-soaring > _______________________________________________ > Aus-soaring mailing list > [email protected] > To check or change subscription details, visit: > http://lists.internode.on.net/mailman/listinfo/aus-soaring _______________________________________________ Aus-soaring mailing list [email protected] To check or change subscription details, visit: http://lists.internode.on.net/mailman/listinfo/aus-soaring
