i need to change about every three weeks, since i use nickel-cad rechargable batteries. Those darn things only give 1.2 volts, so my calc already loses 1 battery. fully recharged batteries have less power (4) than my energizers after three weeks (2). So, try to buy an akaline recharger if you want one..
and how the hell, does someone change their batteries every week. That's sad..

Do we have the same brand of batteries? Cuz mine's like that too. I use Eveready rechargable batteries, which are basically Nickel-cadimums. I have to recharge them every two weeks or so because I use my calculator like nuts!!! I hate it when I'm in math class and I playing the best game of Jezzball I have ever play when the batteries just go out. It's sooo boring.

yeah..there everday's...
even wierder is that we're in the same grade.
yeah, i have no life, i actually read bios, just look at my sad one :)

I hardly use any batteries at all. Most of the stuff I use I try out on emulator first to see if they actually work. Most games don't, so I don't end up using any batteries. Asm and some basic programs due tend to use batteries a lot, though, mainly for the programs that constantly test for keyboard input instead of waiting for a key to be pressed. But this is necessary for good games, you can't just wait for someone to press something, you have to do other things in between...

Oh, and anybody remember the phone cord that's supposed to hookup the calc to the phone line in order to get power? That would solve a lot of problems when you're just playing games and stuff at home.

what if the phone rang? :p

If the fone rang the voltage would raise and the calc would fry :(

Actually, (I never thought I would have to use this knowledge), when you are not on the phone it throws out around 46v across the ring and tip wires. I forgot if it's in ac or dc. When someone is on the phone or it's off the hook, then the voltages vary between 6v-9v. (I was really bored one day, don't ask)

I watched the USWEST guy install my second phone line and took the ooportunity to ask a few questions:

Not using the phone (ON-HOOK): 36v
Using the phone (OFF-HOOK): 12v
Ring: 120v

Oops! Hit the post button to early! He also said that in some areas the ring was 360v!!! (I pitty any calculator owner that's hooked their calculator to THAT system.)

If you really want a reliable power source other than batteries, Head down to your local Radio Shack and buy one of those 6vDC transformer block's and rig to your battery case.

Interesting to see that ticalc posts a non-controversial poll...

I don't replace my batteries often, because I use my TI about twice a week. But even when I used to use it more (say, it was on about three hours a day), it could last up to a month.

I'm under the impression that HPs eat more energy (taking into account the fact that they have only three AAAs), I had to replace the batteries of my GX almost every week!

Does anyone here use their TI often enough to have to replace batteries more than once every two weeks?

Dude! I've had a Casio fx-9700GE for just over 5 years now and I've only replaced the batteries once! True, I don't use it everyday, but still... I think that's a record. I use regular Duracell alkalines (AAA).

Non-controvertial...hmmm...we can't allow that! That would be a disgrace to the customs of ticalc polling. I'll just have to *make* it controvertial:

People who use alkaline batteries are idiots and should get lobotomies. All you stupid TI-83 using bastards don't know the first thing about battery management. Fools! And damn all you ASM programers; make me some games so that I can use all my batteries. NOW!! What else are the batteries good for? Come on, making me games is your job! BASIC is really good for games; they use less batteries. That's why you should pay us for making such high quality BASIC calc software.

There, I hope that gets a rise out of some people. Let the flaming begin!

Oh yeah, that's flamebait =)

I rarely laugh out loud when reading replies to the surveys. Thanks for making my day. :-)

--BlueCalx

<joke>
Idea for next poll:

Just pick one.
.- TI
.- HP
.- Casio
.- Other
.- I don't use calculators.
</joke>

LOL. Spies from hpcalc.org will probably create a ton of new user profiles and vote for hp three hundred times, just to confuse new ticalc users. :-)

You should add an item:
.-I'm illiterate.

I'll vote for Epson. :) Does that land me in the illiterate category?

Non-contraversial poll? You didn't see the mini flame war up above defining "having no life" in terms of frequency of battery change? Well, actually all the old contraversial stuff used to start when they would post something like "3 games ported to ion" and Rabbeler would come and say that it wasn't important enough, how come something else didn't have a news item, and BTW you said "this evening" when it was 7:00 GMT, then Beasty would come in and say we all suck and he hated all of us. This seemed to happen every time a topic like this came up. And then there was the whole "you have no life" deal with the laptop scheme to surf in class and the phone line power cord, niether of which seems contraversial but both of which provoked considerable "you suck for having such a geeky idea" posts.

I use recharable batteries but I just started using my TI-86 and they have yet to run out of juice. These batteries have more power than the average battery. They kick butt and will save you money in the long run.

alkaline recharge or what kind?

Unless they leak.........