Newbie Question: Field recording using a lone AA battery?

[slowchimes]

Hi all,

Just picked up a old cheap Sharp MS-721 today that I plan to take to Africa with me in a week or so to use for field recording. What I wanted to ask is: is it OK to run the unit on a single AA battery, without recharging the Li-ion battery? I ask this because I will be going to some very remote places and will have no hope whatsoever of being able to recharge my battery for weeks/months at a time (I'll be lucky to have running water let alone a power socket!!).

The mannual says "Do not use the unit if it only has an alkaline battery in it", yet later on it gives the specs for recording and playback using only an AA battery...

Has anyone had any experience with this or got any advice? A bit of a boring question, I know, but I would really appreciate some advice, as the places I am leaving for in about a week are very remote, and if this unit really can't work on an AA Akaline battery alone I think I'll have to return it....

Thanking everyone in advance....

[Reactive]

I don't see why it would be a problem, you can leave the dead rechargeable in the unit and continue to feed it new AA as needed.

Note: I have successfully field charged the MD internal battery by taping together two D cells (in series to create 3v). I then taped a wire to each end of the battery terminals, and then to the dead minidisc battery respectively. After approx. 3hrs the battery was fully charged! I was able to further recharge the battery several times using the same D cell. The charge voltage is about right, and the amps are self regulating (ie. the MD battery will only take what it needs).

A VERY handy thing to have out in the middle of nowhere. BE SURE TO GET THE POLARITY CORRECT or you'll be sorry

Best of luck!!

[KJ_Palmer]

Maybe a solar cell battery recharger would be of use? I bought one of these in an electronics shop ('just in case' ) and it came with appropriate adapters for DC in. You can set it to various voltages up to 12V DC. I haven't actually used it in 'in anger' (yet), but it does seem to work even here in soggy UK...

But yes, you can use the Sharps with an empty rechargeable in place. It won't work without the rechargeable battery in, though, unlike Sonys...