6V rectangular lantern battery

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C

captianworkbench

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Feb 2, 2006
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54
Location
FL
Good evening gents. I have several old lanterns that I enjoy collecting and using and have recently acquired a couple more.

These all use the old rectangular style screw top 6V lantern battery. (EN521, MN918.... etc)... which now seems to of totally gone the way of the dodo.

I was wondering if there is any suitable replacement out there for these?

For the square, spring top version,s I know there are several options, but I can't seem to find one for this type.

Does anyone have some ideas or suggestions?

I have thought of a few things already. One, I could print a case and fill it with cells and/or the appropriate electronics to get the voltages I need.

I could also do the same but fold something up out of metal, which honestly, would be my preferred approach. I could envision something made of sheet copper with some rivets and solder to hold it all together. Again, it would just be an appropriate case to hold the necessary cells and electronics to power the light.

Thoughts?

CWB
 
Hmmm. I know the battery you are talking about. I wonder if you could get two of those 4D cell spring top adapters, and remove the springs, wire them in parallel, and put bolts in them, sticking up through the top at the proper locations. Then you could make an outer shell and enclose it. Have it slide up from the bottom or down from the top, but able to easy-on, easy-off so you can remove and change the 8 D cells. I think that would maybe be the easiest.
 
sol man: I have checked the Energizer, Duracell, and Raovac websites. The 918 and 521 rectangular 6v lantern batteries are not even listed any more. I think the batteryjunction page is just non-updated and parked. Just for grins I did email them but I doubt I will get a positive response.

fivemega: That link you provided is a great option for the SQUARE spring top 6v lantern batteries and I have several of those that I use in my vintage Justrite and Big Beam lanterns. What I am on a quest for now is the RECTANGULAR screw top 6v batteries.

I would welcome a rechargeable option and as mentioned in my original post. I may end up modding an original battery, or print a new case, or bend up a case out of sheet metal and stuff either of these with rechargeable cells and a regulator to obtain the proper voltage.

-CWB
 
He's talking about *THIS*
type of battery --

1689698127173.png
 
Info received back earlier today from battery junction confirms that the MN918 and Rayovac 918 are discontinued and no longer available.

And Sol Man, I just now see your post from 10:55 last night regarding making up an adapter. Functionally, that is what I would be going for. Practically, whatever I come up with will have to meet my own functional and presentational requirements. If I have to end up bending metal it will most certainly have a steampunk look when I am done.

One alternate question, as I have been long absent from the forum: If I want to segue this into a WTB post I should probably make this a separate listing in the parts for sale area, no?

-CWB
 
captianworkbench said:
Info received back earlier today from battery junction confirms that the MN918 and Rayovac 918 are discontinued and no longer available.

And Sol Man, I just now see your post from 10:55 last night regarding making up an adapter. Functionally, that is what I would be going for. Practically, whatever I come up with will have to meet my own functional and presentational requirements. If I have to end up bending metal it will most certainly have a steampunk look when I am done.

One alternate question, as I have been long absent from the forum: If I want to segue this into a WTB post I should probably make this a separate listing in the parts for sale area, no?

-CWB
Click to expand...
I believe that is correct, Sir. In addition, it is my understanding that one must be a paid member to use the B/S/T section.
 
Did you ever find a solution to the 6V rectangle battery? I know this one down below is a 6V but does not fit all lanterns.
 

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captianworkbench said:
Info received back earlier today from battery junction confirms that the MN918 and Rayovac 918 are discontinued and no longer available.

And Sol Man, I just now see your post from 10:55 last night regarding making up an adapter. Functionally, that is what I would be going for. Practically, whatever I come up with will have to meet my own functional and presentational requirements. If I have to end up bending metal it will most certainly have a steampunk look when I am done.

One alternate question, as I have been long absent from the forum: If I want to segue this into a WTB post I should probably make this a separate listing in the parts for sale area, no?

-CWB
Click to expand...
If you end up making your steampunk version, please post a photo of it here, I would LOVE to see it!
 
Since you have the ability to 3D print a container, I'd suggest that you consider getting a pair of these, and hook them up in parallel. I suspect they would outperform the alkaline cells in both amperage output, and time. Plus they are rechargeable, alleviating the need to be on a continuous search for replaceable batteries.

 
Last edited:
My plan at the moment is to order a couple from Newark. I addition to that, the ones that I have that are dead will have the bottoms carefully cut and have the cells removed. I will then replace the cells with a SLA of appropriate size. This will be the most expedient approach at the moment. A cell tab welder is on my list of tools to acquire. Once I have one of those I will probably transition to a custom 18650 pack or something like that. Printing a new enclosure will eventually happen.

Thanks everyone for the input.
 
I find it bizarre that Eveready still makes the 991 6V battery but does not sell it here in the US.
 
captianworkbench said:
My plan at the moment is to order a couple from Newark. I addition to that, the ones that I have that are dead will have the bottoms carefully cut and have the cells removed. I will then replace the cells with a SLA of appropriate size. This will be the most expedient approach at the moment. A cell tab welder is on my list of tools to acquire. Once I have one of those I will probably transition to a custom 18650 pack or something like that. Printing a new enclosure will eventually happen.

Thanks everyone for the input.
Click to expand...
Cool! That's a bit of a lead time, but beats a dead end! I guess either they're more popular in Europe, or few people bought them there so there's more NOS. Either way, Newark is generally my first stop for an electronics supplier (despite their unfortunate name), so I'm not surprised they can get it for you. I'd definitely order 2!
 
I fondly recall these old batteries. We had a big flashlight using one, for time at a summer cottage. They were zinc-carbon at the time. I learned basics of electricity by hooking them up to lamps, buzzers, switches, motors and other things.

Dave
 
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