Ebay Li-ion battery pack... Can This Be Right?

[milkyspit]

I've got a Canon PowerShot S30 digital camera that takes the Canon NB-2L Li-ion battery pack. Canon's own NB-2L is rated at 7.4V with 570mAh capacity.

Lately I've been shopping for a couple new battery packs for my camera, and on ebay I'm seeing generic NB-2L Li-ion packs that allegedly provide 1000mAh capacity. Is this really possible, or is it more likely that they excluded the protection circuitry to make more room (dangerous?) or are just plain lying? It seems odd that Canon wouldn't build the higher capacity into its own NB-2L packs if it were possible.

The generic cells are said to be made in China with cells from Japan. I've seen prices somewhere in the $10 range, give or take a few dollars, as opposed to $30 or more for the genuine (and lower capacity) Canon NB-2L pack.

I guess the bottom line is, can I go for the generic NB-2L without undue risk of buying a deathtrap battery pack, and can the 1000mAh claim be feasible?

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif

 

[kongfuchicken]

Their capacity methods might be different. I bought a li-ion battery for my mp3 jukebox that was rated higher than my original pack (2400mah opposed to 2000mah) and I experienced a slightly decreased autonomy compared to my old one when the unit was brand new.
Go figure...
But I am happy with this purchase as it brings back life into my player. The manufacturer of the unit always affirms the battery last a lifetime and therefore needs never to be replaced so doesn't offer replacement batteries for sale. What a bunch of $%^&*@s! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/jpshakehead.gif

 

[Doug S]

[ QUOTE ]
milkyspit said:
I've got a Canon PowerShot S30 digital camera that takes the Canon NB-2L Li-ion battery pack. Canon's own NB-2L is rated at 7.4V with 570mAh capacity.

Lately I've been shopping for a couple new battery packs for my camera, and on ebay I'm seeing generic NB-2L Li-ion packs that allegedly provide 1000mAh capacity. Is this really possible, or is it more likely that they excluded the protection circuitry to make more room (dangerous?) or are just plain lying?

[/ QUOTE ]

Short answer: Plain lying. I have disassembled many of these NB-2L packs from various sources. The ones marked 1000mAHr when opened up had cells clearly marked 600mAHr. I found no relationship between the claimed capacity of *any* of the ebay sources of these packs an the actual capacity marked on the cells once the packs were opened. The highest actual marked [on individual cells] found was 650mAHr but their measured capacity did not exceed those marked 600mAHr and by one measure where inferior as their internal resistance was higher.

 

[milkyspit]

Thanks Doug! That resolves it. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif

Er, it does make me ask, though, given the relatively high cost of the "real" NB-2L battery pack, is it feasible to open the pack and replace the Li-ion cells themselves with new ones (which are presumably fairly inexpensive) rather than buying a whole new NB-2L... or are there problems in doing that?

 

[Doug S]

[ QUOTE ]
milkyspit said:
Thanks Doug! That resolves it. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif

Er, it does make me ask, though, given the relatively high cost of the "real" NB-2L battery pack, is it feasible to open the pack and replace the Li-ion cells themselves with new ones (which are presumably fairly inexpensive) rather than buying a whole new NB-2L... or are there problems in doing that?

[/ QUOTE ]
Why bother when the cheap aftermarket packs have actual capacities of 550mAHr [at least that was the lowest I found] or more? But to answer your question, I find that I mangle the packs getting them open so no, I would say it is not practical.

 

[CM]

I've also bought some packs to get at 18500 cells. They were rated 1500mAH, took them apart and they were actually 1150mAH, stamped on the casing. Took a photo, sent it to the seller and asked to get my money back. He graciously complied and apologized. It's not really all his fault, the company that made the pack is the one committing the fraud as they are the ones that put the 1500mAH label on the package.

CM