"Armond Perretta" wrote in
:

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;

In article ,
"Ernest Scribbler" 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

In article ,
"Gregory Hall" 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

--
remove bye and from mercial to get valid e-mail
http://www.heusser.com

"Marc Heusser" wrote
Of course everyone is free to use their preferred solution.

Whew.

wrote in :

Larry, where are you when we need you (weak
humor)?


http://www.powerstream.com/spot-welder.htm

This is how the tabs should be put on the cells. The holes are for
soldering AWAY FROM the cells so as not to heat them. They are for wires.

When someone makes a pack with the proper welding machine, there is no
soldering except for the output wires, which is the proper way to make a
pack.

"Larry" wrote
http://www.powerstream.com/spot-welder.htm
This is how the tabs should be put on the cells.

Umm, I don't have one of those...

The pros don't solder, they spot weld the tabs on.


"Gregory Hall" wrote in message ...

"msg" wrote in message ...
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

"Ernest Scribbler" wrote in
:

"Larry" wrote
http://www.powerstream.com/spot-welder.htm
This is how the tabs should be put on the cells.

Umm, I don't have one of those...




Precisely why you need to seek out a battery shop that does....

"Larry" wrote
Precisely why you need to seek out a battery shop that does....

Maybe in a perfect world, but Marc Heusser said I'm also free to solder them
if I like. (I thought it was quite the magnanimous gesture.)

wrote in message
...

I think you need to move up to the next larger sized tin foil hat. This
one is
too tight.

Bad, bad advice.

http://people.csail.mit.edu/rahimi/helmet/