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Activating zinc air batteries (5 minutes is absolutely not enough!)

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Hello all, I’ve been using hearing aids over 40 years and I was always careful to peel off the sticker and wait five minutes as I was always told. Just lately I was curious and took a voltmeter reading on two fresh rayovac 312 batteries after the 5 minutes I got 1 volt or less! Nevertheless I put them in my aids figuring the voltage would continue to climb as I used the aids. Two days later I rechecked and the voltage never came above 1.3 and even on day four, 1.33.

I activated a new pair of 312 batteries a day ahead of time of changing day and spot-checked the voltage. It took ONE WHOLE DAY–a full 24 hours-- for the voltage to come up to 1.4, and only then did I insert them into my aids. The sound quality throughout the 6 days of this cycle was greatly improved.

So what gives with this five minute rule? I’m sticking to my own 24 activation period because I proved it worked with my trusty voltmeter. Hope this improves all of your lives!

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One minute after peeling the 675 Oticon battery sticker, I insert the battery into the . I get only 70% battery power as shown in the Companion Apps. 3 days later the apps still a power level of 70%. Just wondering what happen?

Thank you for the info. That is interesting. Every Saturday morning, I peel the stickers off 2 size 13 batteries. I then take the magnet tool and remove the old batteries. I immediately use the same magnet tool and insert the new batteries. The hearing aids work fine. If I forget to replace the batteries on Saturday morning, I will get the warning beeps sometime Saturday afternoon/evening or even Sunday.

Interesting experiment, thanks for sharing. One thought…

@user955 said:

The sound quality throughout the 6 days of this cycle was greatly improved.

How would the power affect sound quality? I can understand the longevity of the battery, but it seems to me a hearing aid is somewhat like a digital switch–either it works or it doesn’t. Voltage affects the performance of the device?

I always thought you waited one to two minutes (after removing battery sticker) to use batteries. Five minutes seems long but maybe that’s the new wait time.

I have been wearing hearing aids for 66 years. In all these years I have just taken the stickers off of the batteries, taken the batteries out of my ’s and put the new in. I have never had a loss of sound quality. Whatever works for you.

In reply to @danka

@danka said:

Just wondering what happen?

The App isn’t accurate unless rechargeable.

Both mine and my friends Oticon, can say 100%, then 30%, then 70%, then 10% then 100% and then dead with the battery that hasn’t been changed yet.

Only time it’s accurate is when it’s dead.

In reply to @astrohip

I have found that sound quality by the last day is distorted and lower in volume, nothing like the crisp clean and loud quality you get when the batteries are first inserted. As an example, if your car battery is not charging, you will get decreased engine and tranny performance by the time the voltage drops to 11 volts, even the widshield wipers and turn signals will slow. -OP

In reply to @astrohip

@astrohip said:

it seems to me a hearing aid is somewhat like a digital switch–either it works or it doesn’t. Voltage affects the performance of the device?

Wierdly, I find the same phenomenom with my rechargeable aids. As the long day progresses, and perhaps I’ve streamed music, phone calls and TV, it seems the sound quality gets more crackly and not as clear. These rechargeables are new Phonak Lumity Life aids. I’m thinking power is not a black/white thing, but gradually diminshes during the day. Or, in the case of the peel-off sticker battery, may not achieve FULL power unless the air vents on the top of the battery have been exposed for 24 hrs?

I used the 5 min formula all the years I wore my Phonak Marvel battery aids. But it is intriguing!

@user955 said:

I’m sticking to my own 24 activation period because I proved it worked with my trusty voltmeter.

I used to wipe the tops of my newly-peeled batteries with alcohol to remove any sticky residue, but can’t say if that enabled FULL power right away. I never tested them with a voltmeter.

In reply to @Zebras

Thanks for your kind reply. The best way to know the power of the battery is to use a voltmeter. I would be safe to carry a pair of spare batteries when the Oticon On Apps should a 20%.

When I switched on the , the battery power is high. After a few minutes usage, it drop and stay there (balance) the whole day.

Better be safe - carry along a packet of spare batteries.

Have a nice day ahead.

Is it the battery or is it the measuring program?

My Osia aid will lose some clarity about an hour or two before crashing, and then crackle and then crash. I now have rechargeable . I think when I had batteries, the quality of sound would diminish, but only at the very end of the battery usage. I’m no longer sure.

In reply to @astrohip

Believe it or not (most don’t believe it though!)

Different brand of batteries, give a subtle different sound too. I try it myself many time and confirmed (to myself) its give a subtle different.

No, I am not hear thing. You can try it yourself. Go buy Powerone, Rayovac, Duracell. Test it out.

@astrohip said:

Voltage affects the performance of the device?

Yes, simple yes. Its hard to explains. Did you ever go to Healthcare professional and have hearing aid directly wired to Hi-pro device? You immediately notice the sound is different compared to battery.

So… if we can organise ourselves to activate batteries 24 hours before we need them, how much do we lose in battery life (24 hours of being activated but not being used)? And is there a convenient way of carrying those activated batteries with us? I’m guessing you can’t just throw them together in a plastic bag.

Other types of batteries don’t drain until you use them. I was not aware zinc air battery life starts to fade as soon as you peel them with no load.

In reply to @1Bluejay

@1Bluejay said:

Or, in the case of the peel-off sticker battery, may not achieve FULL power unless the air vents on the top of the battery have been exposed for 24 hrs?

Please post a link for the above. Oh on second thought no need - since no “link” exists to support such baloney. I’ve had many Audi’s say after a minute of air exposure (once battery tab is taken off) batteries are ready for use. As in “full power use”. No problem extending two minutes, or what ever but your 24 hr exposure doesn’t fly. Heck it doesn’t even walk.

This article confirms that it takes 24 hrs to come up to full voltage, but also mentions that they are draining once exposed to air and that the don’t need the max voltage. Hearing Aid Batteries109.

In reply to @astrohip

@astrohip said:

How would the power affect sound quality? Voltage affects the performance of the device?

oh here we go again, another battery thread. No it does not, a well designed hearing aid should shut off well before the quality hits

support a wide range of voltage, It only shut off if the range of voltage is lower than rated hardware range which is the buffer voltage to play the dead tone then shut it down safely.

@rasmus_braun @AbramBaileyAuD consider locking this thread…

In reply to @jeffrey

@jeffrey said:

My Osia BAHA aid will lose some clarity about an hour or two before crashing, and then crackle and then crash. I now have rechargeable BTEs. I think when I had batteries, the quality of sound would diminish, but only at the very end of the battery usage. I’m no longer sure.

You should probably seek a firmware update to get this fixed…

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