Charging N cell batteries......

[coachbigdog]

Just wanted to say that charging the n cell battery for the Tnc n cell is as easy as they said it was.All you do is use a spring to "fill in the gap" between the battery and the charger and charge as normal.No need for a special charger!The only "problem" is I've surfed all over the net and can't find a n cell rated at 500 mah.I wonder if this is a typo on the TNC website?

 

[83Venture]

coachbigdog

I found the information in one of the TnC threads:
http://www.battlepack.com/ Just ordered 6 500mah, came to $16.75 with shipping. Click on the loose cells icon on the left and scroll down. Watch when you place order as it entered 48 for me and I had to keep clicking the decrease amount until I got down to amount I wanted. Hope this is what you were looking for.

 

[3rd_shift]

I have had very good luck with my battlepack 500mah nimh N cells over the last 2 months. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
They are driving my ledlenser v2's really hard though. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon15.gif
They really pack a punch when charged fully. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif
I have had the best luck charging them with a D cell Rayovac smart 3 in 1 charger. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif

 

[stockwiz]

I charge mine with an accumanager smart charger. They charge in about 45 minutes, and are no warmer to the touch then any other rechargeable cell after a 600 mah/hour charge. Very durable cells.. pleased with them.

 

[83Venture]

I received my batteries last night. Put one in the charger and after three hours it was still charging. Took it out because I did not want to damage it. My charger works on Alk, NiCad, and NiMh. With the standard battery size it shuts down when charged - about 12 hours for AA 2100s. Maybe I chickend out to soon and should have left it running, but I remembered stockwiz saying his only needed 45 min.

 

[coachbigdog]

My Panasonic charger stopped automatically also.Maybe should have waited a little longer. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon3.gif

 

[flashlight]

Are the Battlepack 500mah batteries that you guys have all unmarked & sealed in clear plastic only? I thot they were supposed to be GPs?

 

[coby1man]

does the metal of the spring matter? I'm assuming some are more conductive than others? But are there some common springs that are non conductive, or poor conductors, and how much of a problem would that be? I'm also wondering if anyone knows where to obtain springs that are more conductive?

 

[coachbigdog]

Well if it came from electronics,then you know it's highly conductive.I just used the one out of the garrity 2aa I used to mod the xm2 with.

 

[Doug Owen]

[ QUOTE ]
coby1man said:
does the metal of the spring matter? I'm assuming some are more conductive than others? But are there some common springs that are non conductive, or poor conductors, and how much of a problem would that be? I'm also wondering if anyone knows where to obtain springs that are more conductive?

[/ QUOTE ]

All *metal* springs should work fine. Corrosion is an issue, of course, but if clean and metal will conduct just fine for this use.

I'd use plated steel ones from the hardware store myself, although some brass alloys and phosphor bronze ones might be a little lower in resistance in some cases. Not to worry, though.

Doug Owen

 

[Atomic6]

I just set up and charged the N using a spring. That spring works fine. I do have a question on the lime green 500 MA N's. I use a CCrane automatic charger. I started a charge at 1.25 volts and ran the discharge cycle. I cut-off the charge when the battery read 1.51 Volts. I was afraid to test the automatic shut-off of the C Crane Charger. My aa's don't read that high-ever. How high can these little N's go? Thanks for any help on this. What is a normal full charge?

 

[Cato]

Help me out, I am of the visual type- anybody got any pics of the loading procedure?

What would be the best charger to use- is there one with a dedicated N size unit?

Best Regards

Cato

 

[vcal]

Atomic6 & Cato;

The only difference between a 500mAh AAA NimH cell and a 500mAh NiMH "N" cell (to the charger) is the physical length of the battery. Your only problem obviously is to extend the length of the shorter N cell so that it makes contact with the terminals in the charging bay. I use compressed Al foil, but just about anything conductive will work just fine.

I've been charging N cells for a long time with my CCrane unit and have had absolutely noo problems....the charger doesn't care about the battery's physical dimensions...only it's chemistry and capacity. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif

-Atomic6..occasionally you'l have an individual cell with a higher finish voltage, but it will make no difference operationally, and by the way...the cell NEEDS a few cycles to "break in" properly.

FYI-the only time I've had trouble with using the Crane unit is with batteries of less than 150mAh capacity. The charger wanted to skip over the "main (fast) charge" portion of the cycle, resulting in only charging the cell at 60%. In other words the charger went from "soft start" directly to "top-off".
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif

 

[3rd_shift]

[ QUOTE ]
flashlight said:
Are the Battlepack 500mah batteries that you guys have all unmarked & sealed in clear plastic only? I thot they were supposed to be GPs?

[/ QUOTE ]
That's the way mine came too.
They work better than my rat shack 360ma nimh n cells.

 

[Atomic6]

Thanks vcal-

I ran it a second time and let the charger do its thing. It went into trickle mode just fine and this time read about 1.49 Volts.

Thanks again...

 

[flashlight]

[ QUOTE ]
3rd_shift said:
[ QUOTE ]
flashlight said:
Are the Battlepack 500mah batteries that you guys have all unmarked & sealed in clear plastic only? I thot they were supposed to be GPs?

[/ QUOTE ]

That's the way mine came too.
They work better than my rat shack 360ma nimh n cells.

[/ QUOTE ]

Thanks. They look so nekked /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif Just wondering how to be sure if they are supposed to be what they are. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thinking.gif

 

[spica]

I have the MAHA Powerex MH-C204F (the one identified as the "The mother of all chrgers") but am still waiting my Battlepack 500mah cells. I will use spring extenders.

Will the combo of Battlepack 500mah cells and MH-C204F work ok? Will I have to monitor the charge process or will it complete as though I was charging a AAA? Thanks...

-spica

 

[Fitz]

spica- I have the same charger and the same question. Anyone with an answer?

 

[vcal]

While I don't personally own a Maha charger, there's simply no plausible reason why the unit would treat the NiMH 500mAh "N" cell ANY differently than a more ordinary NiMH 500mAh "AAA" cell-IMHO.

 

[spica]

vcal,
thanks - right on...
Fitz,
I received my Battlepack 500mah cells over the weekend and tried once so far charging a pair with the MH-C204F. I didn't have springs handy; I created spacers with a pair of nails cut to size and rubber banded together so the heads were at opposite ends for secure fit.

It worked fine and the n cells never got hot or very warm. They completed a charge and the charger light changed to green. I am using them now and they are fine. I don't have anything to measure the charge with tho.

So go ahead and get some of these - the cells are good and so is this combo.

-spica