Draining Battery

**PaulF** · 01-18-2009, 07:55 PM

Where are you placing the ammeter on the wire when checking?

**TTeuer** · 01-18-2009, 08:01 PM

I'm clamping it over the negative battery terminal. I've got a Craftsman multimeter...

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_03473756000P

**PaulF** · 01-18-2009, 08:06 PM

over the terminal itself, or the wire?

**TTeuer** · 01-18-2009, 08:09 PM

The wire, it reads the current by just putting the negative terminal through the "circle". I've read pretty good reviews about the one I just purchased today.

**PaulF** · 01-18-2009, 08:16 PM

Yeah i was just confused by the word terminal since it usually means the connector at the end of the wire.

This might sound like a dumb question, but it might be something that you're missing... is there only one negative wire run off of the battery?

**TTeuer** · 01-18-2009, 08:18 PM

Sorry abut that! Yes, there is only one negative cable coming from the negative battery terminal. That is the cable that I clamped the meter around (I was sure and "Zeroed" the meter first too).

**PaulF** · 01-18-2009, 08:24 PM

No problem.

This is just weird... a new battery should be lasting longer than this unless... maybe the alternator is defective and it never reaches full charge?

**TTeuer** · 01-18-2009, 08:32 PM

Alternator was replaced a year ago, and was tested okay as well... It sounds like 1.3amps isn't a lot, but from what I've read, the Mini's are supposed to use even less power than than.. in terms of watts around 3-5 when asleep.

I think I may need to get the USB devices off the Mini - right now, they're all powered by the Mini, and it continues to power them when in sleep mode.

That leads me to my next problem (assuming my assumption is correct), what is a good USB hub that I can find in stores that works when only powered via an external +5V source? I made another thread post about this, as the Belkin one I've got now doesn't seem to work the way I want it to.

**PaulF** · 01-18-2009, 08:55 PM

Well, I can't help you on the USB hub part, but something is wrong if your battery can't last with a .2 amp load. Out of a last ditch effort, if you clamp the ammeter on the positive wire, do you get the same numbers?

**TTeuer** · 01-18-2009, 09:03 PM

No, the numbers are different on the positive wire.

As far as the .2amp draw, that is not the usual scenario. I'll have to get a readout for the "#2" situation that you had asked about as that or #3 are the usual states when my battery dies. I don't like to do #1 (ALL power cut to carputer) because that results in the Mac Mini simply shutting off.

This is getting REALLY confusing now.