Everything for Electronics

Tech Forum





July 2017

Battery Killer

I have an older model Hunter SRC sprinkler controller that came with my house. Recently, the unit has been “resetting” to 12:00 am rather than keeping time. The unit has a nine volt battery that was reading 2.7V, so I replaced the battery. Within a week, the problem was back and the new battery was also dead (3.1V).

Any ideas what could be killing the batteries? I can’t find a schematic for this unit.

#7172
Norris Shaw
Santa Ana, CA



Answers

No doubt an electrolytic cap in the power supply has excessive leakage. You could replace all electrolytics but the large one in the power supply is most likely the culprit.

Russell Kincaid
Milford, NH