Re: Batteries!

[Q_x]

Batteries are easy: piece of copper, piece of zinc (or galvanized steel), salt or vinegar, small piece of cloth... Who needs batteries, really, if there are no lightbulbs around?
Take a fat-fueled lamp or birch bark / resin / tar torch and you're ready to go

[laclongquan]

Basic form of batteries is easy on the face of it: piece of copper, piece of zinc (or galvanized steel), salt or vinegar, small piece of cloth.

block of compact batteries produced by industrial process is another matter entirely. And we are discussing industrial batteries, not handmade ones.

As for the use of it in trade, people should trade an item along with a block of batteries: an electric blanket come with a few block of batteries could be a lifesaver, and it damn well better be sold along with them or it would have been useless.

[Q_x]

With industrial batteries there is a problem: after 20 years of frosts, no source of them will probably work. You can find few like in old mine or cave, left in waterproof flashlight. But - try to go to the forest, away from civilisation, and find one that works. Its not that easy. Basically frost and moisture will kill it sooner or later and 20 years is beyond any lifespan. Hence the idea of improvising it. Zinc-copper (washer-coin if you like) gives around 0,8 V, so with 6 - 7 of those stacked just like that you can even try to turn old battery radio to operation. or light LED with two and it will light for few good hours.

[zenbitz]

Obviously any (working) batteries be they pre-war or handmade would be useful trade good.
I guess you could power a weak light with a 0.8V battery.

[laclongquan]

So make two form of batteries: High value, high endurance compact industrial ones, and lower value, less endurance, bulky handmade ones. One type make for trade goods, and one is used often as a resource.

[dracre]

Make two types of batteries; charged and depleted. If you find a generator and have fuel, you can recharge them. This means you'll have to spend some precious fuel but you can use the charged batteries to use electronic devices or sell them at relatively high price. Towns could also have shops that recharge batteries if you can cough up the squirrel skins.

[Gaspard]

Did the 80s have normal re-chargable batteries ? Would have to look it up, but weren't the commercial ones mainly low-grade-chemical that just ran out of juice either by using them or even by just lying on a shelf, dormant. In 20 years these kinds of batteries would be snuff.

So for some quest purposes there could be home-made batteries, or some older machine batteries (warning: HEAVY as balls !) that could be dragged around on a sled, also - probably they wouldn't get a car started before some heavy tinkering õ_õ

[zenbitz]

Car batteries (sulfuric acid based) are obviously rechargable.

I think they had some small commercial rechargables back then but they kind of sucked.

[Gaspard]

Car batteries (sulfuric acid based) are obviously rechargable.

In early 2000s I spent summers working in a garage - I remember old used batteries lost their ''spark'' as in so no matter how many times you re-charged them, they'd run out by next morning. And that was dealing with batteries with manufacture dates post-1990 õ_o

But I mean - if it is a necessary story element - I am sure that we can figure something out, if 100% realism is a must. But I doubt that we'd see "rich" NPCs driving Caddilacs in the frozen wastes with trunks full of Duracell batteries and expensive furs covering the seats

[kb1pkl]

Car batteries (sulfuric acid based) are obviously rechargable.

In early 2000s I spent summers working in a garage - I remember old used batteries lost their ''spark'' as in so no matter how many times you re-charged them, they'd run out by next morning. And that was dealing with batteries with manufacture dates post-1990 õ_o

But I mean - if it is a necessary story element - I am sure that we can figure something out, if 100% realism is a must. But I doubt that we'd see "rich" NPCs driving Caddilacs in the frozen wastes with trunks full of Duracell batteries and expensive furs covering the seats

All batteries slowly lose their ability to fully recharge (capacity). It's something that just can't be avoided.