NiMH Rechargeable Battery Repair

Matt Colie wrote:

>
> If you can't find cells with solder tabs, the only other choice it to
> use a micro size resistance welder.
>
>
Perhaps silver loaded epoxy as used for chip assembly would work, I have
used it to repair car rear window heater traces.
Dick
 >> Stay informed about: NiMH Rechargeable Battery Repair 

Armond Perretta wrote:
> Sorry for crosspost but r.b.e doesn't seem to see much traffic these days.
>
> I am trying to rebuild several old handheld VHF battery packs that seem no
> longer commercially available. The radios themselves seem fine and are
> certainly OK for my application. I took the batteries apart and tried a
> temporary fix with standard alkaline AA cells, taping aluminum foil in place
> to make series connections. The radios seemed to like this so I bought a
> quantity of the corresponding NiMH rechargeable AA cells to make a permanent
> repair.
>
> Problem is I am not at all sure how to secure a conductor from "plus" to
> "minus" with the cells to make a strong and long-lasting series connection.
> Is there some kind of conductive adhesive or conductive film that can be
> used for this application? Larry, where are you when we need you (weak
> humor)?
>
> --
> Good luck and good sailing.
> s/v Kerry Deare of Barnegat
> http://home.comcast.net/~kerrydeare

Hi, Armond, and group,

I took another device to Batteries Plus. Having already opened the
case, they did them microweld/jumper/connection tags to the
appropriate batteries for only the cost of the batteries themselves.

I expect that would be a good solution to your dilemma...

HTH

L8R

Skip

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 >> Stay informed about: NiMH Rechargeable Battery Repair 

"Armond Perretta" <newsgroupreader RemoveThis @REMOVEbigfoot.com> wrote in message
news:K_ydnQqSCI33NUbanZ2dnUVZ_g2dnZ2d@comcast.com...
> Sorry for crosspost but r.b.e doesn't seem to see much traffic these days.
>
> I am trying to rebuild several old handheld VHF battery packs that seem no
> longer commercially available. The radios themselves seem fine and are
> certainly OK for my application. I took the batteries apart and tried a
> temporary fix with standard alkaline AA cells, taping aluminum foil in
> place
> to make series connections. The radios seemed to like this so I bought a
> quantity of the corresponding NiMH rechargeable AA cells to make a
> permanent
> repair.
>
> Problem is I am not at all sure how to secure a conductor from "plus" to
> "minus" with the cells to make a strong and long-lasting series
> connection.
> Is there some kind of conductive adhesive or conductive film that can be
> used for this application? Larry, where are you when we need you (weak
> humor)?
>

Use copper wire and solder it to the top and bottom's of the respective
batteries. The trick is to not get the battery ends too hot. Use one of
those fancy butane torches that have a tiny flame. They will melt and stick
the solder without harming the battery. Practice on a couple dead batteries
first to get your technique down. Use rosin core solder.

--
Gregory Hall
 >> Stay informed about: NiMH Rechargeable Battery Repair 

Gregory Hall wrote:

<snip>
>>Problem is I am not at all sure how to secure a conductor from "plus" to
>>"minus" with the cells to make a strong and long-lasting series
>>connection.
>>Is there some kind of conductive adhesive or conductive film that can be
>>used for this application? Larry, where are you when we need you (weak
>>humor)?
>>
>
>
> Use copper wire and solder it to the top and bottom's of the respective
> batteries. The trick is to not get the battery ends too hot. Use one of
> those fancy butane torches that have a tiny flame. They will melt and stick
> the solder without harming the battery. Practice on a couple dead batteries
> first to get your technique down. Use rosin core solder.
>

Our local "Batteries Plus" (USA) will weld tabs onto customer's batteries
for a small token payment ($2 last time I had a dozen done).

Michael
 >> Stay informed about: NiMH Rechargeable Battery Repair 

"Matt Colie" wrote
> Do not solder to the cells. This is a recipe for problems.

I've soldered them successfully. It's definitely not a job for the
ham-handed, though, which is why the manufacturers tell you not to do it.
I've been buying cells from http://www.all-battery.com lately, btw. Pretty
good selection and price, tabbed and otherwise.
 >> Stay informed about: NiMH Rechargeable Battery Repair 

"Skip Gundlach" <SkipGundlach RemoveThis @gmail.com> wrote in message
news:df44038c-fb50-4132-b161-c439ec97fd93@a1g2000hsb.googlegroups.com...
>
>
> Armond Perretta wrote:
>> Sorry for crosspost but r.b.e doesn't seem to see much traffic these
>> days.
>>
>> I am trying to rebuild several old handheld VHF battery packs that seem
>> no
>> longer commercially available. The radios themselves seem fine and are
>> certainly OK for my application. I took the batteries apart and tried a
>> temporary fix with standard alkaline AA cells, taping aluminum foil in
>> place
>> to make series connections. The radios seemed to like this so I bought a
>> quantity of the corresponding NiMH rechargeable AA cells to make a
>> permanent
>> repair.
>>
>> Problem is I am not at all sure how to secure a conductor from "plus" to
>> "minus" with the cells to make a strong and long-lasting series
>> connection.
>> Is there some kind of conductive adhesive or conductive film that can be
>> used for this application? Larry, where are you when we need you (weak
>> humor)?
>>
>> --
>> Good luck and good sailing.
>> s/v Kerry Deare of Barnegat
>> http://home.comcast.net/~kerrydeare
>
> Hi, Armond, and group,
>
> I took another device to Batteries Plus. Having already opened the
> case, they did them microweld/jumper/connection tags to the
> appropriate batteries for only the cost of the batteries themselves.
>
> I expect that would be a good solution to your dilemma...


These posts piss me off. Whatever happened to self-reliance? Everybody but
myself's answer is to pay somebody else to do a simple job. Yes pay what a
battery costs to get somebody else to do what you should be able to do
yourself. Are there any REAL men left in the world anymore or are there just
lazy bums with more money than skill or sense?

--
Gregory Hall
 >> Stay informed about: NiMH Rechargeable Battery Repair 

"msg" <msg.RemoveThis@_cybertheque.org_> wrote in message
news:13tnvh9kf7uvr64@corp.supernews.com...
> Gregory Hall wrote:
>
> <snip>
>>>Problem is I am not at all sure how to secure a conductor from "plus" to
>>>"minus" with the cells to make a strong and long-lasting series
>>>connection.
>>>Is there some kind of conductive adhesive or conductive film that can be
>>>used for this application? Larry, where are you when we need you (weak
>>>humor)?
>>>
>>
>>
>> Use copper wire and solder it to the top and bottom's of the respective
>> batteries. The trick is to not get the battery ends too hot. Use one of
>> those fancy butane torches that have a tiny flame. They will melt and
>> stick the solder without harming the battery. Practice on a couple dead
>> batteries first to get your technique down. Use rosin core solder.
>>
>
> Our local "Batteries Plus" (USA) will weld tabs onto customer's batteries
> for a small token payment ($2 last time I had a dozen done).
>
> Michael

Strange how at least one subscriber here says "Don't do it!" yet it's plain
that it's done all the time. I guess what some people believe is THEY can't
do it while a so-called professional can. What they're really saying is
don't do it because *I* can't do it and I don't want you doing it because
YOU would make ME look bad. They don't believe they have the skill to do a
simple job. They don't have the guts to even try it on a dead battery. They
would have YOU be the same. How pathetic is that? And these people claim to
be sailors? Yeah right! Probably have to pay somebody to repair a tear in a
sail, or put an eye splice in doublebraid, or wire up their GPS, or put a
coat or two of paint on their boat's bottom, or install new standing
rigging, or install new parts in the head pump.

Stupidity, laziness, fear, sloth and ineptitude is all that one encounters
in this world anymore. A bunch of dependent people all queuing up to pay
somebody else with borrowed money to do things they should learn how to do
themselves. Disgusting and pathetic!

--
Gregory Hall
 >> Stay informed about: NiMH Rechargeable Battery Repair 

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 >> Stay informed about: NiMH Rechargeable Battery Repair 

"Armond Perretta" <newsgroupreader RemoveThis @REMOVEbigfoot.com> wrote in
news:K_ydnQqSCI33NUbanZ2dnUVZ_g2dnZ2d@comcast.com:

> I am trying to rebuild several old handheld VHF battery packs that
> seem no longer commercially available.

www.batteriesplus.com

Our local stores can take apart many, but not all, battery packs and
replace the cells with new, even improved ones. My old Standard marine
walkie has 2.8AH Ni-mh cells replacing the old .6AH Ni-Cds. Batteries Plus
has the spot welding equipment right in the stores to safely weld the
straps onto the cells without damaging either, same as the manufacturer of
the pack.

The best rebuilders hardly make a scratch breaking open the plastic welds,
but, of course, there's no guarantee. As he's breaking something that's
patently worthless, there's no risk. If you worry about him getting it
apart, do what I do, take the pack apart, YOURSELF, and carry the guts of
it into the store, then reseal the pack yourself.

That 2.8AH power beast costs about half what any Waste Marine would want
for a 600maH pack in a bubble pack. Having over 4 times the capacity of
the original is no-extra-charge...(c;
 >> Stay informed about: NiMH Rechargeable Battery Repair 

In article <K_ydnQqSCI33NUbanZ2dnUVZ_g2dnZ2d.TakeThisOut@comcast.com>,
"Armond Perretta" <newsgroupreader.TakeThisOut@REMOVEbigfoot.com> wrote:

> Sorry for crosspost but r.b.e doesn't seem to see much traffic these days.
>
> I am trying to rebuild several old handheld VHF battery packs that seem no
> longer commercially available. ...
>
> Problem is I am not at all sure how to secure a conductor from "plus" to
> "minus" with the cells to make a strong and long-lasting series connection.
> Is there some kind of conductive adhesive or conductive film that can be
> used for this application? Larry, where are you when we need you (weak
> humor)?

Conductive adhesive does not work for these currents.

Get them from a manufacturer's distributor - they will weld them with
strips in any shape you like, or even have them in your desired shape.
By far the best option.

HTH

Marc

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 >> Stay informed about: NiMH Rechargeable Battery Repair 

In article <JMKdnVY--5yVY0banZ2dnUVZ_g2dnZ2d RemoveThis @comcast.com>,
"Ernest Scribbler" <replies RemoveThis @newsgroup.only.please> wrote:

> "Matt Colie" wrote
> > Do not solder to the cells. This is a recipe for problems.
>
> I've soldered them successfully. It's definitely not a job for the
> ham-handed, though, which is why the manufacturers tell you not to do it.
> I've been buying cells from http://www.all-battery.com lately, btw. Pretty
> good selection and price, tabbed and otherwise.

I have soldered new NiMH, Nicad, and Lithium Cells into new battery
packs, for rebuilding Batteries for older Radios for years. I find
that if you file the Plating off a small spot on the Cell ends, that
they solder a whole lot easier, and with much less heat, than if you
don't. Never had a cell, explode, or die prematurely, Yet.....

--
Bruce in alaska
add <path> after <fast> to reply
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The pros don't solder, they spot weld the tabs on.


"Gregory Hall" <greghall.RemoveThis@home.fake> wrote in message news:1ndoom.83u.19.1@news.alt.net...
>
> "msg" <msg.RemoveThis@_cybertheque.org_> wrote in message news:13tnvh9kf7uvr64@corp.supernews.com...
>> Gregory Hall wrote:
>>
>> <snip>
>>>>Problem is I am not at all sure how to secure a conductor from "plus" to
>>>>"minus" with the cells to make a strong and long-lasting series connection.
>>>>Is there some kind of conductive adhesive or conductive film that can be
>>>>used for this application? Larry, where are you when we need you (weak
>>>>humor)?
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Use copper wire and solder it to the top and bottom's of the respective batteries. The trick is to not get the battery ends too
>>> hot. Use one of those fancy butane torches that have a tiny flame. They will melt and stick the solder without harming the
>>> battery. Practice on a couple dead batteries first to get your technique down. Use rosin core solder.
>>>
>>
>> Our local "Batteries Plus" (USA) will weld tabs onto customer's batteries
>> for a small token payment ($2 last time I had a dozen done).
>>
>> Michael
>
> Strange how at least one subscriber here says "Don't do it!" yet it's plain that it's done all the time. I guess what some people
> believe is THEY can't do it while a so-called professional can. What they're really saying is don't do it because *I* can't do it
> and I don't want you doing it because YOU would make ME look bad. They don't believe they have the skill to do a simple job. They
> don't have the guts to even try it on a dead battery. They would have YOU be the same. How pathetic is that? And these people
> claim to be sailors? Yeah right! Probably have to pay somebody to repair a tear in a sail, or put an eye splice in doublebraid, or
> wire up their GPS, or put a coat or two of paint on their boat's bottom, or install new standing rigging, or install new parts in
> the head pump.
>
> Stupidity, laziness, fear, sloth and ineptitude is all that one encounters in this world anymore. A bunch of dependent people all
> queuing up to pay somebody else with borrowed money to do things they should learn how to do themselves. Disgusting and pathetic!
>
> --
> Gregory Hall
>
 >> Stay informed about: NiMH Rechargeable Battery Repair 

In article <1ndoom.83u.19.1.RemoveThis@news.alt.net>,
"Gregory Hall" <greghall.RemoveThis@home.fake> wrote:

> Strange how at least one subscriber here says "Don't do it!" yet it's plain
> that it's done all the time. I guess what some people believe is THEY can't
> do it while a so-called professional can. What they're really saying is
> don't do it because *I* can't do it and I don't want you doing it because
> YOU would make ME look bad. They don't believe they have the skill to do a
> simple job. They don't have the guts to even try it on a dead battery. They
> would have YOU be the same. How pathetic is that? And these people claim to
> be sailors?

There are good reasons not to do it yourself here.
I can solder - but I also know that such a procedure will hurt the
battery, and I also know that solder joints are susceptible to failing
under vibrations, corrosion etc.
Just because something can be done and it works first does not mean it
will be reliable and live long. Qualities I tend to look for if it is
installed on my boat.
Of course everyone is free to use their preferred solution. I just do
not recommend soldering for this purpose.
It is just like I'd never use screw terminals to join conductors on a
boat.

HTH

Marc

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