Battery powered ukulele amplification...

Damn! Now it has happened to my own Roland Mobile Cube .... the battery compartment is dripping wet with acid from Energiser batteries this evening! The amp was playing up so I swapped to 6 x new batteries, then it stopped altogether! Pulling the 2nd lot of batteries out .... they were dripping wet!

I now read on the Energiser website that they will replace damaged items from ‘their’ leaking batteries .... so I need to go back and retrieve the 12 batteries that I threw away at our practise venue this evening .... I just hope the bin hasnt been emptied when I go there in the morning, as they need the batteries AND the amp to check them out!
https://www.energizer.com/about-batteries/battery-leakage

There are at least 15 screws on the back of the amp - and I removed 7 of them, without being able to remove the back and access the battery compartment ..... so put them back.


Would Wurth Contact Spray help if I sprayed some onto the 4 ‘contacts’ ? Is there any way to neutralise the acid before it totally stuffs the whole amp?

I will definitely look at Coolforcats99’s external powerpack idea for any other mobile amps! Grrrr

Alkaline batteries, you need acid!
Vinegar...

You could also just glue/screw one o f these bad boys on: https://www.amazon.com/TalentCell-R...ix=9v+rechargeable+pedal+power,aps,267&sr=8-9

Thanks Mick ... I have used white vinegar on Cotton Buds on the 4 x contacts to try and neutralise the acid and am now trying to dry it off in front of a heater. I will try to fire it up in the morning .... when it should hopefully be dry! Just hoping the acid hasn’t travelled too far!

I do have a Powerbank but will need the correct fitting USB/9v connection with correct polarisation! I don’t think I will ever try internal batteries again!

I use this computer battery with my Yamaha 5THR and Phil Jones bass amp. Never a problem and have done gigs of over 5 hours with battery still having 4 of the 6 lights lit. Recharges in a couple hours to full charge from near zero.

Sadly the bin had been emptied overnight, so I don't have access to the damaged batteries, but I do have the box, which they may be able to determine the manufacture date, in case it was a dud batch.

The amp fired up ok this morning, but for how long? The acid will continue to do damage inside ....

I've contacted Energiser about their 'repair/replace' guarantee & hope to hear from them soon.

The batteries were fairly new, too - so hadn't been in the amp for any longer than a couple of months.

Some sites recommended using Baking Soda to neutralise the acid .... but as it is so difficult to access the contact points, it would have been almost impossible to wipe it off ..... they also recommend using an eraser to 'buff' the contact points to make them a cleaner contact!

arpie said:

Sadly the bin had been emptied overnight, so I don't have access to the damaged batteries, but I do have the box, which they may be able to determine the manufacture date, in case it was a dud batch.

The amp fired up ok this morning, but for how long? The acid will continue to do damage inside ....

I've contacted Energiser about their 'repair/replace' guarantee & hope to hear from them soon.

The batteries were fairly new, too - so hadn't been in the amp for any longer than a couple of months.

Some sites recommended using Baking Soda to neutralise the acid .... but as it is so difficult to access the contact points, it would have been almost impossible to wipe it off ..... they also recommend using an eraser to 'buff' the contact points to make them a cleaner contact!

Click to expand...

I have used white vinegar to neutralize the acid and then rubbing alcohol to clean up any residue from the vinegar. The article at the link details this...

https://www.reviewgeek.com/32730/how-to-clean-battery-acid-off-your-gadgets/

That’s a great site, I’ve bookmarked it and passed it to family and friends, wc-uke .... and have also purchased that joyo cable to connect my Power Bank to the Amp that Coolforcats recommended (which I hope will continue working well!) Should I still try and wipe the contacts with the isopropyl/rubbing alcohol? I basically used a dry cotton bud/qtip, and paper towel to dry it, plus in front of a heater to dry any liquid I may have missed!

Energiser has got back to me and basically said they will do nothing re their ‘repair or replace guarantee’ as there is no evidence it was their product as I had trashed the damaged batteries ... (they will not even replace the batteries and I have no faith in the rest of the pack of 48 - which I have said they can also examine, as they may be a dud lot!!) as I had not kept them for them to examine! I told them I had lots of witnesses who would sign a Stat Dec re the episode, as they watched it happen!

I’ve sent a letter back, advising them that their own site advises the reader to ‘toss them’ (not to keep them and send them back to them with the damaged item ....) So will see what they have to say now! LOL

https://www.energizer.com/about-batteries/what-is-battery-acid

QUOTE: How do I clean an alkaline battery leak?

Leakage from an alkaline battery is caustic and handling should be avoided to prevent chemical burns. If attempting to clean battery leakage from a device, proper safety equipment would be advised (i.e., protective eye wear, gloves, etc.). The leaking batteries should be removed from the device and placed in a plastic bag for disposal in the trash. The best way to remove alkaline leakage from the device is to neutralize by carefully dabbing with a few drops of a mild acid like white vinegar or lemon juice. For stubborn leaks, an old toothbrush dipped in vinegar or lemon juice gets the job done. After the leakage has been neutralized (fizzing stops), carefully dry the area. After the area has dried thoroughly, the metal device contacts can be scraped to remove any residue and then polished using a pencil eraser. UNQUOTE

So, to anyone still using alkaline batteries in their amps .... use Energizers and KEEP THEM if they fail and leak ..... as required under their R&R guarantee!

OK ... I tested the 'external battery' last night at practise - and there was random 'squelching' noises - usually on the E string .... does anyone know why this was happening? I will take my 'spare' amp today & see if it happens with that one as well!! grrr

The polarity is correct - negative in the middle.

The 'spare' Mobile Cube, whilst not 'squelching' - cut out numerous times for no reason.

I now notice that the Roland Power Cord is detachable from the 9v 'insertion' point ..... I will do some research to see if I can find a USB cord with the correct 2 pin shape, so I can use THAT instead of the Joyo converter & see if that makes any difference.