SAT - Hardware questions

[Inventrncs@aol.com]

In a message dated 97-01-05 16:06:06 EST, Newton Hunt wrote:

< The SAT protects itself by shutting off when the battery is too low to
operate
< tuning functions.  If the battery is allowed to discharge completely you
will
< not only loose your tunings, but the program that makes the SAT function.
 It
<will have to be send back for reprograming.

The Sanderson Accu-Tuner (SAT) does turn itself off when the battery is too
low, but there is more to it than the battery discharging completely to
losing your tunings/program.  There is a capacitor that charges up as you use
the SAT, and will retain the memory for 3-4 days, if the unit is not turned
on in that period of time (3-4 days), a lithium battery on the memory board
will retain the memory for 6 - 7 years. When the SAT comes in for any
maintenence, we put the units through a checklist and two of the items
checked are the capacitor for performance and the lithium battery for
voltage.

> Lead acid batteries were used for years because the cycle charged just fine
as
> does your car battery.  NiCad batteries without charge memories what veen
> around for a while, but newer SATs have Lithium recharables that hold a
charge
> longer and do not have a charge memory.  They last for about two weeks
tuning
> about forty pianos before needing a recharge.

Lead acid batteries were used up until the fall of 1990, there was a dramatic
drop in the reliability of the lead-acid batteries and we were forced to drop
the lead-acid battery we were using.  We went to Nickel Cadmium (NiCad)
batteries, as they were the strongest battery available for the Accu-Tuner.

We are still using NiCad batteries in the SAT, and you will get better life
span out of the batteries if you discharge the batteries before charging.
 This does not mean that you have to use the SAT until the  Lo-Batt
indication every time, but use this as a guideline to longevity.

Inventronics was at one point using a lithium rechargeable battery
(1987-1989) for our main battery, this may be where Newton's confusion is
coming from.  The company that manufactured the lithium rechargeable battery
had a recall with a different line of rechargeable batteries which drove the
company into bankruptcy.

I appreciate Newton answering the question, but I did not want to let the
lithium battery rumor get too far.

Sincerely

Paul Sanderson
Inventronics, Inc.
Inventrncs@aol.com