FR-4X Battery tips?

[joden]

Just started with a brand new set of batteries, however they are not lasting anywhere near as long as suggested in the manual - I'm getting about 4 hours, speakers off. Only using headphones or Audio outs.

Are there any tips for increasing battery life- for example any functions I can turn off when playing live?

 

[pentaprism]

What brand/type of batteries did you get?

 

[joden]

EneLoop (old Panasonic) - 2500mAh

 

[CC_PDX]

I feel like I get a bit longer than that on my FR1x and FR4x with speakers, but the battery level meter is wildly inaccurate -- it may have a couple "o"s showing just before it goes critically low. A cheap voltmeter can help detect if some of the 10 batteries aren't carrying their weight anymore. I recommend multiple sets to have a quick failover option.

 

[JerryPH]

PowerEX, 2800mAh, properly charged in a smart charger.

 

[Ventura]

waaaaay back with the FR3, we quickly selected a more powerful 12 volt battery pack
that could be slipped under the backpad and simply plugged in instead of the power cable,
thus increasing reliability on gigs dramatically

today there are even better options, as some Lithium Ion packs are available with a
rated constant 12 volt (and other voltages as well) output

this is achieved by using one more cell than typical packs, then adding a voltage
regulator output circuit to drop it down to the target voltage.
Since the native internal voltage is higher than the output, you get zero fatigue
from any weaker cell and usable power typically lasts until depletion

the FR 3 and 4 shut down when a "brownout" lower voltage is reached

such packs (from Talent as one example) usually come with a simple
wall wart recharger, and are reasonably priced with MaH ratings reflected in the prices

 

[Keymn]

Energizer is my best bet…I bye locally and know you are getting a consistent product. Yes, they are more expensive then others, but I buy known brands, not unknown brands just because it is lower cost…change them often like oil in your car…as they get tired and lose the charge after time.