weird switch/battery observance

[chipdouglas]

I have a phr in a project box with a ddl driver and a radio shack on/0ff slide switch. its powered at 120ma with 9v alkaline batt. its about 8 months old and I have never changed the batt. a couple days ago i woke up and it was on. so i slide the switch to off but no good, or so i thougt. but i said what the heck i'll leave it on to kill the batt. i came home 10 hrs later and it was barely lasing. i changed batt and switch miraculously worked. strong lase. but i put old batt in and switch problem occured again. so for 2 days i have left it on barely lasing. I assume my wiring is getting jumbled but what ever. now i am just seeing for how many days it will stay on.

 

[Greenmechanic]

My guess is; slide switch is the problem.(conductive build-up on the rails, new battery had enough current to overcome this)
Always use "clicky" switches for laser builds.

 

[Flaminpyro]

You have Ghosts

 

[chipdouglas]

greenmechanic and flaminpyro.... two completely different answers but both very plausable...
and i'm on day 4 now and the old 9v still has enough juice to let the LD emit light (although not lasing.). also, i will try a clicky switch, thanks.

thanks
michael