• If you haven't done so already, please add a location to your profile. This helps when people are trying to assist you, suggest resources, etc. Thanks (Click the "X" to the top right of this message to disable it)
  • We're having a little contest, running until the end of March. Please feel free to enter - see the thread in the "I Did That" section of the forum. Don't be shy, have a go!

FR8 Battery Storage

I will be away for 8 or 9 weeks. Should I remove the battery from my Roland FR8 while I'm away?
The manual says: "Remove the battery pack whenever the unit is to remain unused for an extended period of time".
What is an "extended period of time"?
I would play safe and remove the battery pack. It costs nothing and puts your mind at rest. :giggle:
 
For me, removing the battery pack is an overkill. As JerryPH said, the danger is when you let it fully discharge. This is when the screen on your 8X says "Low Battery Please Recharge"

Here's some data I have taken from four 8X, on the shelf, Battery packs. Surprisingly the voltages across all packs were nearly identical.
On 11/15/20 all batteries were fully charged. Voltage = 27.82 V
On 12/27/23 (3 years later), the battery voltages were: 25.40V, 25.40V, 25.39V and 25.44V
S-o-o, 3 of the 4 batteries were "Orange" and one was still "Green"
All measurements were taken with a Fluke 189 DVM

The 8X battery "screen" colors change at the following values:
Green to Orange = 25.40V
Orange to Red = 24.83V
Red to "Low Battery Please Recharge" = 23.74V

After 3 years "on the shelf" the batteries were still 1.66V (25.40V-23.74V=1.66V) above the fully discharged voltage.

As JerryPH has mentioned in a previous thread, it's best to charge the battery with the power button on the 8X OFF as the current output from the power supply board is near it's limit with both the Charge button and power button ON.
 
removing the battery pack is an overkill
Risk consists in the probability of the event multiplied by the cost of the event.
Say the risk of leaving a battery in an unused FR8 for 3 months is 1%.
So the value of the risk is about $80, the cost if the event occurs is probably in the thousands of dollars plus a lot of your time spent on managing the repair.
The cost of removing the battery is a about 5 minutes of your time. If the value of your time is greater than $80 * 12 ($960) per hour then you should leave the battery in.
I'd bet that few on this list value their time at that rate yet have spent more time arguing against the reasonableness of removing the battery than it would take to actually remove it.
In 35 years I've had only one broken water pipe in my house yet when I go to Paris for 3 months I shut the water main off. I like to sleep worry free.
 
and even in the Winter, i close off the two inside shut-off
valves to the two external water faucets, plus cover them,
AND
hang an old trouble-light with a 15 watt bulb off the one at the
back of the house (takes the brunt of the usual weather pattern)

but the other issue is these 8's were not designed to swap
batteries easily like the 7's meaning Roland shifted their
position regarding the risks and potential usage by customers

i actually took some aluminum and built myself a short retainer
for my 7x that allows me to slip the battery in and out without
unscrewing

whether we have minimized our "gotcha's" by luck or
attention to pre-emptive routines and even re-engineering,
so long as you all never have a Gig interrupted by tech troubles
we thank the Lord for this.. in my case the Lord that helps those
that helps themselves mostly ! though i will not claim an
ounce of prevention is worth any more, or less, than a sincere Hail Mary
 
Back
Top