I'm about to run out for some more SR44 batteries for my Wixey planer gauge. I absolutely love the functionality of this gadget (OK, I'll admit to a bit of a digital measurement fetish). The battery life, however, is a limitation.
The instructions, as well as my experience, predict a 6 months battery life. If I were using the planer every day, I wouldn't gripe. But it's 6 months whether the gauge is on or off. Being a hobbyist with very occasional shop time <insert usual sob story here >, I get very little actual use out of a battery, and chances are, by the next time I use the planer, it'll be dead again.
Sure, I could remove the battery when not in use and recalibrate each time. But I think this might be a better idea: There's no good reason that I can see why the gauge has to use a mini battery. It's attached to a 60 lb planer, so portability is hardly an issue! It would be a simple mod to solder in a pair of wires to an external single-cell holder. An AA battery ought to last for years. A D cell would probably be a lifetime investment.
I'll try to bounce this idea off Mr. Wixey, but does anyone else have any ideas on whether this is a good / bad / stupid / brilliant plan?