Battery life for AT822
 

Greetings.

I've got a AT 822 stereo mic that has a AA battery.

1. How long do the batterys last?

2. How do you know when the battery is low or dead.

I've just been replacing the AA every now and then, but since there is no battery level indicator.....

Thanks.

Jonathan

According to the AT website their spec for this mic claims 1000 hours battery life. Mind you, I suspect if it's something important you'll put a new one in anyway!

I can't tell you about the AT822.

But I have the AT897 and just went to AT website to check this out.

In the mic brochure it say 1,200 hours, which I found to be fairly high.

I read somewhere else (can't remember) that the battery duration is 150 hours.

Well, since AA batteries are cheap I decided to exchange them everytime I used it for a very long time, or on the beginning of an important shoot.

I don't plan on using AA batteries anymore. I bought a 2Ch Juicedlink box that gives phantom power. It has great preamps, will run my AT897 on phantom, everything contributing for a better noise floor.

Hope this helps.

Hi Pietro,

Yes that does help and thank you for that reply. I think if my math is correct, if I divide the 1000 by six (assuming 6 hours of usage perday) the battery might last 166- 6 hour shoot days.

But like you said if it were something my carreer was riding on, I think new battery for everyone.

Jonathan

My AT822 is running to builders specs. I use those Arlec AAs in the 30 pack buys from Bunnings, great batteries. Don't use any rechargeable ones, short life and they die damn quick.

Also a good item to carry in the kit is a little battery checker, the one that will check AA, AAA, 9V and buttons. Cheap at Radio Shack, Tandy and Dick Smith, pays for itself in no time.

Just be careful when you screw the 822 body back on after replacing the battery, it is possible to cross thread it. Go carefully, I remember when ATs were so badly built no one would buy them.
Cheers.

Hey Allan, thanks for the advice on getting a battery checker. I'll pick one up for using with my recently purchased AT-822 (which you've helped me out a lot with over on this thread: http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/canon-xh-...eo-mic-a1.html ).

Could you explain wwhat you mean by "cross thread it"? You have me worried now about opening and closing my AT-822. I didn't know there was anything to watch out for.

Cross threading is when the threads on the two parts aren't perfectly aligned to each other and when you try to screw them together they end up crooked and jammed. Most mic bodies are made from brass which is a comparatively soft metal and it's easy to damage the threads if they're not aligned and you try to force them. Schoeps capsules have a very fine thread and they suggest that when installing them, hold the two pieces together and turn slowly and gently counter-clockwise until you feel a slight 'click' as the starts of the threads on each piece ride over each other, then reverse and gently turn clockwise to engage the threads and screw on down. Same technique should work with your battery compartment.

Good advice Steve. Crossing brass screw threads usually happens when you're in a hurry. By the time you realise you're doing it and/or you've locked the parts together it's too late. At that point stop! don't try to unscrew 'em till you're settled.

Brass has a low heating point so wrapping a heated cloth around a mic barrel will expand the outer casing to help unscrew it off the body, then take it to a good machinist to get a quote. If there's minor damage the threads could be re-machined. Maybe not worth it but with a sorrowful look or your girlfriends help, you never know :)

Soon as you get any gear with fine threads, make a mental note to be very careful and go sloooowww.

Many years ago AT mics were badly made causing many folk to avoid them. The brass composition used was very soft and scratching, denting and damaged threads were rife, this has since been rectified. Brass can change its composition with time becoming very brittle and fine parts just snap.

Cheers.