Shanester
Super Freak
I agree. I have a Koto piece that drains new batteries even when off. It can be a craps shoot when dealing with cheap button cells.
Sideshow 1/6 R2-D2
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I agree. I have a Koto piece that drains new batteries even when off. It can be a craps shoot when dealing with cheap button cells.
dsokyra
Super Freak
This is the response I got from Sideshow:
Dear Dan,
Thank you for contacting us. If you are not taking the dome off and turning the switch off when you’re not using the light, this could result in a drained battery. If you have been switching the dome off when not in use and it still drains the battery please let us know and we can proceed accordingly.
As always, please don’t hesitate to let me know if I can be of any further assistance.
Best regards,
Mike Hollister
So...why have the touch sensor on the outside of the dome if not taking off the dome and switching it off everytime drains the battery???
Dear Dan,
Thank you for contacting us. If you are not taking the dome off and turning the switch off when you’re not using the light, this could result in a drained battery. If you have been switching the dome off when not in use and it still drains the battery please let us know and we can proceed accordingly.
As always, please don’t hesitate to let me know if I can be of any further assistance.
Best regards,
Mike Hollister
So...why have the touch sensor on the outside of the dome if not taking off the dome and switching it off everytime drains the battery???
Yeah, my batteries are dead in my R2 and I assumed it was battery drain during non-use -- since I haven't touch it in months. So good news to confirm that's been an issue that SS has a response ready to address.
But it should last longer than a day. Unless you have it on all day.
But it should last longer than a day. Unless you have it on all day.
dsokyra
Super Freak
That's my point...and SS responding that I should have turned it off?? If this is the case, then there is absolutely no reason to have a touch sensor on the outside of the dome lol.
Well, that's true... but not everyone's is 'draining'. Friend of mine's still works fine after all this time. Must be luck of the draw.
Looks like you and I have to go thru the extra effort to actually turn off the sensor.
dsokyra
Super Freak
Yeah...I'm wishing that Tamashi had come out with their R2...I'm always hesitant to buy SS products...and this is why. It's just so flimsy and has a poor design.
Pixelpiper
Super Freak
Turn on/off the switch under the dome, just like the switch inside the Tama's head, and the batteries will last a looong time. IMO, the touch sensor is the inconvenient part, not the physical switch - you'd have to open a cabinet to touch it anyway and you can't leave it on all the time.
dsokyra
Super Freak
Did Tamashi ever release their R2?
Pixelpiper
Super Freak
No, but they showed a really under-scaled prototype, so a lot of people dodged a bullet on that one.
jedijim3002
Super Freak
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I always turn my switch off when not using it. I've had to replace the batteries 4 times now. I only turn the switch on when I'm about to show someone the light up feature which is not that often. I never have the lights on for more that a few seconds and always turn the switch to off after I'm done but still the batteries drain before the next time I can show it off. It's very frustrating.
Did you get the battery bypass working Pix? I may have to take you up on this one.
Yeah, R2's battery consumption is almost as bad as my Apple wireless touch mouse, which goes through two AA's every three weeks.
I've kind of given up on R2 - he sits dark now. The problem is those batteries are pretty expensive (because I won't risk using the cheapo versions in R2 due to my near-miss with leaking acid on the Probe Droid batteries.) These issues really do take the fun out of electronic features.
Pixelpiper
Super Freak
I did get it figure out including the ability to override the touch sensor with a user-installed widget I created. Only two issues: I dislike making the parts by hand and with this solution you can't turn on the projector.
Mad Old Lu
Super Freak
My R2 batteries *just* died last week. I've kept it in the "on" position since I got it when it first came out and I would turn it on with the touch sensor every once in a while for a few seconds. I tried it last week and it didn't turn on so I just took out the batteries and am going to keep him dark, like you said, Tali.
Nice to know I'm not alone in my battery drain. 
dsokyra
Super Freak
Nice to know I'm not alone in my battery drain.
Yep. I wish I could paste this whole thread in my email replies to the customer service rep at SS. It's like they don't even care that their product is crap.
This one is really irritating - the Probe Droid was actually a bit scary. Acid dribbling around inside...
After that, I pulled the batteries out of everything (IG-88's head was first.)
Interestingly, batteries left in 15 year old Hasbro toys are just fine (eg. AA's in vehicles or talking 12" figs, buttons in the 4" remote control R2 or other Hasbro sound-chip/LED R2's.) Maybe they made 'em better in the old days?
Pixelpiper
Super Freak
batteries not leaking is pure luck and nothing more unfortunately. I've had them leak in and out of toys, regardless of brand since I remember first using batteries for anything in the 70's. I have some LR coin cells sitting on a shelf here and one of them has started to leak - not touching anything else and sitting on wood. The other two near it haven't leaked yet, but one of them is very visibly rounded on what should be the flat positive side.
Shanester
Super Freak
I agree that any brand of battery can leak, but I think you vastly decrease your chances of falling victim if you use a reputable brand. My method of mitigating risk is to use a quality brand and try not to leave a set of batteries in anything for too long of a period.
So if a battery dies or drains on you first, is there still a chance of it leaking? Because I've had lots of dead batteries in my time, but hardly any actual leak that I can remember (other than in some of my old toys from the 80s perhaps).
In any case, I am tempted to put some kind of red or blue gel in R2's eye, so he can still look like he's actually "awake" on my shelf even when the lights aren't activated.
In any case, I am tempted to put some kind of red or blue gel in R2's eye, so he can still look like he's actually "awake" on my shelf even when the lights aren't activated.
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