While you are all discording because I am sure it's become an official word by now.... I am still busy excavating and sorting lab stuff.
This evening was the turn of my DMMs. Started collecting them 4/5 years ago maybe, and every time I would put a new 9V battery in them.
That was maybe not such a good idea. Not just for potential / inevitable long term corrosion damage, but if just for cost because 9V batteries are very expensive and having so many of them draining away unused, is just a huge waste
![Roll Eyes ::)](https://www.eevblog.com/forum/Smileys/default/rolleyes.gif.pagespeed.ce.XcUK202Yqt.gif)
So I searched all my drawers and containers to try and make sure I had unearthed each and every one of them, and took them all apart one by one to check for corrosion (found only 2 with slight corrosion on the terminals only, were still working fine, but will open them up anyway to make sure..), and battery condition. A bin for the good (enough) batteries, which I will keep, and a bin for the bad or not so good ones, which will go to recycling.
Noticed my WaveTek DM27XT LCR meter has a big LCD problem sadly... you can barely see a faint segment or two.... but battery is healthy and it beeps healthily as well. So I guess just bad LCD connections ?!
![Confused :-//](https://www.eevblog.com/forum/Smileys/default/confused0024.gif.pagespeed.ce.5xOqKkq0Co.gif)
I don't know if it uses zebra strips, will have to check. Hopefully I can bring it back to life, I like this little LCR meter, and it's my only one as well !
I counted them, 23 DMMs ! Plus 3 analog meters which are not in the picture.
I understand removing the batteries from stuff you don't use for long periods of time is necessary but... the problem is that now if I want to take a random meter to give it some use time and have some fun with it... I can't, because it doesn't work any more... having to take it apart to stick a battery into it, play with it for short while then 10 minutes later have to take it apart again, remove the battery, put it back together and then put it back into "storage"... it's just too cumbersome, it's not fun anymore !
So I don't know... maybe I will try to find a compromise. Most of these meters are duplicates, the Metrix MX ones at least.
So maybe I could select just a few meters, the better specs ones (MX 54C and 56C), and pick the ones in best condition, and leave a battery in these, and keep them on hand, ready to use. Then all the others will stay in storage, battery less.
I don't know....
Oh, while looking into the containers searching for DMMs... I found some more power cords, a dozen of them !
![Face Palm :palm:](https://www.eevblog.com/forum/Smileys/default/xfacepalm.gif.pagespeed.ic.EBDwh1hCfo.png)
Mostly crappy 2 pronged ones. I will throw all of that straight to the bin, I am done with power cords !
![Scared :scared:](https://www.eevblog.com/forum/Smileys/default/scared.gif.pagespeed.ce.oZptHNcbsD.gif)
![](https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/test-equipment-anonymous-(tea)-group-therapy-thread/?action=dlattach;attach=1381417;image)