running jtv59 on battery, or better to use vdi cable?

[grumol 5]

i want to avoid "wearing out" any of the electronic connections on my new 59 -- this will now become my primary guitar, and i play 3/4 hrs/day, have for years, so i'm concerned about this "in and out" with the battery, since, unlike my laptop, it doesn't charge when connected -- i just keep picturing the contacts wearing out, etc. --  i have a used podxt live, and could buy a vdi cable, power the 59 with that, and, i believe, transmit the digital or analog signal through that cable(?) -- i mean, are people who are playing this guitar regularly doing it just with this rechargeable battery? -- i can see on an occasional basis, but doesn't seem an efficient way to power the guitar on a daily basis? -- also, will the 59 power with a trs cable like my v300 did?

 

thanks again

[psarkissian 362]

Been using the same JTV's in the lab since JTV's came out, hasn't been

any problems with battery contacts.

 

I like using VDI so that I don't have to think about batteries. But keep a couple

batteries close by, they do comein handy in a pinch when you need one.

 

[specracer986 64]

When you are hooked up to the pod with the vdi cable, you won't be drawing power from the battery. It's only when you are using a standard 1/4" guitar cable that you will wear down the battery. I don't think the vdi cable will charge the battery. It just doesn't draw power from the battery while you're using it.

When you use a standard cable, remember to unplug the 1/4" cable when you're not using the guitar, as the battery will keep discharging as long as the 1/4" cable is inserted.

You should have gotten a charger for the battery. I keep an extra battery charged and swap them so that I can keep playing while the one is charging.

As far as keeping the battery installed so that you don't wear out the contacts. I don't know what to say about that. I'm pretty ocd, but life is too short to worry that much.

[grumol 5]

i think i saw a post somewhere that if you turn the volume down to "0", even if the 1/4" cable is still plugged in, it doesn't draw on the battery(if modelling is off)

[psarkissian 362]

Trickle current,... takes a while longer, but it still drains.

Even the way you describe.

[davidb7170 219]

i think i saw a post somewhere that if you turn the volume down to "0", even if the 1/4" cable is still plugged in, it doesn't draw on the battery(if modelling is off)

Well, no.... If you turn the volume down to zero and leave the 1/4" plugged in, it goes into a low power mode - ok for a break, but over hours will drain down the battery, Think of it like a laptop computer, if you close the lid on it with the power on, it goes into a sleep mode - low power.... If you leave it like that, the battery will drain down. Laptop batteries are bigger - have more capacity, so will last longer, but they will drain down. best way to avoid that is to turn the laptop off. It's the same concept with the Variax JTV's or standard, the best practice would be to turn it off, by pulling out the 1/4" cable....

 

My 2 cents....  I also pretty exclusively use my Variax with the VDI - been doing that all along, but like others, I keep a charged battery in my guitar case. Since I started with my Variax 300 and the XTLive POD in 2005, then on to my 2 JTV's through the X3Live, HD500, HD500X, to my Helix, I've had to resort to the battery exactly 1 time, when I stepped on my VDI cable end and deformed it just a bit so it wouldn't go in the VDI jack. I pulled out my battery and used the 1/4" that gig.... Got a replacement VDI cable. that had to be at least 4 or 5 years ago....

 

Dave

[cruisinon2 2,597]

Batteries suck. End of story. Use the cable.

[grumol 5]

ok, makes sense -- thanks for the help

[Akkan74 0]

Never had any problems with batteries. I bought a second battery, so even one is still fully loaded.

Didn't noticed a lack of sound at low battery as some guys replied.

Last week i played a song during rehearsel with LP model. During the song the battery died and modeling switched off. I noticed it only after the song when i tried to switch the model. That's a big advantage. The stock pickups sounds really good in my opinion.

For me its absolutely not necessary to use a cable.

[Charlie_Watt 432]

I use VDI when I can but often I am going into an amp and then I use the battery.  Never had a problem doing that.