The Case against Batteries

As a stompbox hacker, I’ve been through my share of 9 volt batteries. The so-called convenience of these innocuous devices has led me over the years to completely ignore their effects on the environment. I even thought it was great when I learned one could buy batteries dirt cheap at wholesale sites on the web, and thereby avoid the huge markup enjoyed by retail stores. But over the last few months I’ve been doing some thinking about the whole battery thing. And my conclusion is that using batteries in stompboxes is just plain crazy.

The Case for the Prosecution

There are environmental and practical issues to ponder...

Batteries burned in waste combustion facilities can release mercury or cadmium to the air and water, ultimately entering the food chain and posing health threats to people and the environment.
After 1994, manufacturers stopped adding mercury to alkaline batteries. But alkalines still contain potassium hydroxide, a corrosive agent.
The manufacture of batteries is an odious business and has a very negative effect on the environment.
9 volt batteries wear out real quick. Which means if you use them, you are likely going to use a lot of them. Think about this: what it is the carbon footprint of making a 9 volt battery, and when it gets down to around 7 volts, it won't power most stompboxes. So you are throwing away something like 60% of the "product."
The standard battery-disconnect design for stompboxes (disconnect the input jack to disconnect the battery) is brain-dead. How many batteries have you burned through because you forgot to disconnect the input jack.
Batteries are crazy-expensive when compared to AC/DC adaptors. For the cost of two name brand alkaline batteries, you can buy a cheap 9 volt adaptor.
Have you ever forgot that old cheapy battery you left in a stompbox four years ago, only to re-open it later and find a bunch of acid sludge?
Battery snaps are usually the first thing to break on a pedal due to the mechanical stress on the wires and the battery clip itself. What a hassle.

So using batteries simply doesn’t make sense.

But Wait!

“What about the convenience!!!?” you say. “What about just testing pedals, batteries are great for that!”. I’d say that you should reconsider the convenience. Again, if you have a cheap 9 volt AC adaptor on hand, that is way more convenient than unscrewing the pedal, dicking around with the battery and closing it up again. Think about it….

“What about my vintage fuzz? It sounds best with a dying carbon cell battery!” Of course it does—that is a great sound. But you don’t need a battery for that. Just spend a few dollars and parts and build a series-resistance voltage sagger. And think about it, if the fuzz pedal sounds so good with a dying battery, what happens when the battery really dies? And how long do you discharge the battery to get to that “golden zone.” And how long does that perfect sound last? For sure it is easier to build a simple resistor/pot assembly that will allow you to set the exact “dying” voltage every time, spot on.

But What if I Really Need a Battery?

That's ok too, but the sooner we all start relying on AC adaptors the better. Another thing you can do for those times when a battery is really useful is this: make a super-easy battery adaptor. Get a 9 volt battery clip and a 2.11 mm coaxial plug. Wire the battery + to the barrel and the battery - to the tip. Snap a 9 volt battery on and plug it into the DC jack of your pedal. Voila!

Enter the Lithium Polymer Rechargeable

It used to be that if you wanted to use rechargeable batteries, you were stuck with either NiCads (Nickel Cadmium) or NiMh (Nickel Metal Hydride). NiCads really sucked because they didn't hold a great charge and suffered from the memory effect which made charging a pain. NiMh rechargeables were a bit better, but still not terribly practical for stompbox use. Now we have Lithium Polymer which is the same excellent rechargeable battery technology that you'll find in you cellphone or Ipod. The availability and price point of 9v Li-Poly batteries has recently converged to the point where they can offer decent performance and are also RoHS compliant. Sparkfun (a great parts and info site) now sells the battery:

http://www.sparkfun.com/commerce/product_info.php?products_id=9081

and the charger:

http://www.sparkfun.com/commerce/product_info.php?products_id=9077

If you want to stick with batteries, give 'em a try!

Onward and Upward!

When weighing all these facts, I’ve decided that future beavis designs are going to be built without battery snaps. I think that is a positive step forward and hope that you agree. Got a flame? Comment? Kudos? Wat? Send me an email to dano /at/ beavisaudio.com.