I've jsut received some CR2032 batteries in the standard
cardboard/plastic packing and a "best before" date of 2022.

The batteries are spares which I expect to use over the next 2 to 5
years or so.

My questions a

1) I want to check if they are full voltage now. This means breaking
the wrapping. Is there anything in the way that they are wrapped
which I lose eg inert gas?

2) Is there a good way to store them to ensure that they are likely to
work when I come round to needing them?

3) Does the "best before" date mean that they need to be installed in
whatever a couple of years before 2022?

(Yep, I really have nothing more important to worry about at the
moment)


--
AnthonyL

In article ,
lid (AnthonyL) writes:
I've jsut received some CR2032 batteries in the standard
cardboard/plastic packing and a "best before" date of 2022.

The batteries are spares which I expect to use over the next 2 to 5
years or so.

My questions a

1) I want to check if they are full voltage now. This means breaking
the wrapping. Is there anything in the way that they are wrapped
which I lose eg inert gas?

I don't think so. Packaging sometimes has a hole in the plastic
bubble anyway (although that may be some other battery technology).

Avoid touching them with your fingers. Button cells are liable to
discharge through a fingerprint left on the insulator between the
terminals, which becomes significant given their long shelf life
and low capacity and very short tracking distance across the
insulator. Plastic tweezers can be handy.

2) Is there a good way to store them to ensure that they are likely to
work when I come round to needing them?

Cool and dry, I would expect, but I haven't researched it.

3) Does the "best before" date mean that they need to be installed in
whatever a couple of years before 2022?

It's a date which they are expected to meet their specification.
They won't suddenly die then, but expect a reduced specification,
things like capacity and possibly internal resistance.

(Yep, I really have nothing more important to worry about at the
moment)

--
Andrew Gabriel
[email address is not usable -- followup in the newsgroup]

On 30/09/2013 19:18, AnthonyL wrote:
I've jsut received some CR2032 batteries in the standard
cardboard/plastic packing and a "best before" date of 2022.

The batteries are spares which I expect to use over the next 2 to 5
years or so.

My questions a

1) I want to check if they are full voltage now. This means breaking
the wrapping. Is there anything in the way that they are wrapped
which I lose eg inert gas?

2) Is there a good way to store them to ensure that they are likely to
work when I come round to needing them?

3) Does the "best before" date mean that they need to be installed in
whatever a couple of years before 2022?

(Yep, I really have nothing more important to worry about at the
moment)



At the price I paid for a dozen recently (with similar date), I CBA to
worry. :-)

The last lot are pretty much at their expiry and work perfectly well -
though I doubt they will last quite as well as when they were closer to
their date of manufacture.

--
Rod

On Mon, 30 Sep 2013 20:31:43 +0100, polygonum
wrote:

On 30/09/2013 19:18, AnthonyL wrote:
I've jsut received some CR2032 batteries in the standard
cardboard/plastic packing and a "best before" date of 2022.

The batteries are spares which I expect to use over the next 2 to 5
years or so.

My questions a

1) I want to check if they are full voltage now. This means breaking
the wrapping. Is there anything in the way that they are wrapped
which I lose eg inert gas?

2) Is there a good way to store them to ensure that they are likely to
work when I come round to needing them?

3) Does the "best before" date mean that they need to be installed in
whatever a couple of years before 2022?

(Yep, I really have nothing more important to worry about at the
moment)



At the price I paid for a dozen recently (with similar date), I CBA to
worry. :-)

The last lot are pretty much at their expiry and work perfectly well -
though I doubt they will last quite as well as when they were closer to
their date of manufacture.


I avoided the "cheap" Chinese suppliers but and went for Panasonic.
Assuming they are genuine (Made in Indonesia) they were still cheap
(£1 for 4) , but it is more a matter of having them work reliably when
I need them instead of having to mess around getting some in.

--
AnthonyL

On 30/09/2013 21:11, AnthonyL wrote:
On Mon, 30 Sep 2013 20:31:43 +0100, polygonum
wrote:

On 30/09/2013 19:18, AnthonyL wrote:
I've jsut received some CR2032 batteries in the standard
cardboard/plastic packing and a "best before" date of 2022.

The batteries are spares which I expect to use over the next 2 to 5
years or so.

My questions a

1) I want to check if they are full voltage now. This means breaking
the wrapping. Is there anything in the way that they are wrapped
which I lose eg inert gas?

2) Is there a good way to store them to ensure that they are likely to
work when I come round to needing them?

3) Does the "best before" date mean that they need to be installed in
whatever a couple of years before 2022?

(Yep, I really have nothing more important to worry about at the
moment)



At the price I paid for a dozen recently (with similar date), I CBA to
worry. :-)

The last lot are pretty much at their expiry and work perfectly well -
though I doubt they will last quite as well as when they were closer to
their date of manufacture.


I avoided the "cheap" Chinese suppliers but and went for Panasonic.
Assuming they are genuine (Made in Indonesia) they were still cheap
(£1 for 4) , but it is more a matter of having them work reliably when
I need them instead of having to mess around getting some in.

I too went for Panasonic:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B003A5L83K

£2.85 for 12 with "free" delivery - and very speedy that was.

(Bizarrely, not the same supplier as that link displays.)

--
Rod

On Mon, 30 Sep 2013 19:16:01 +0000 (UTC), Andrew Gabriel wrote:

I don't think so. Packaging sometimes has a hole in the plastic
bubble anyway (although that may be some other battery technology).

I think you are right button/coin cell packaging tends to have hole
in the plastic and cardboard.

--
Cheers
Dave.

On Mon, 30 Sep 2013 23:21:50 +0100 (BST), "Dave Liquorice"
wrote:

On Mon, 30 Sep 2013 19:16:01 +0000 (UTC), Andrew Gabriel wrote:

I don't think so. Packaging sometimes has a hole in the plastic
bubble anyway (although that may be some other battery technology).

I think you are right button/coin cell packaging tends to have hole
in the plastic and cardboard.


I didn't find any but they have now. My multimeter prongs are almost
like needles. All batteries reading 3.2v which is healthy.

(Doh - I think I've caught up)

--
AnthonyL