Unusual battery

OzzieDoc · Sep 11, 2003

I have just been given an old rechargeable flashlight made by Source. I have been unable to identify the batteries despite hours searching on the net. The battery(ies) appear to be NiCad, have no makers name and have only the number 3182 on the cardboard sleeve enclosing the pack. The battery is cylindrical, 1 inch (25 mm) in diameter and 3 11/16inch (94mm) high, about 2 C cells joined together except it is 4 cells joined together with solder tags at each end. No voltage is marked but the bulb is a 4V Osram and the charger is 5.8V.Any help appreciated. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif

eluminator · Sep 11, 2003

I'd guess they are NiCad if the flashlight is more than a couple of years old.

Does it work or is there a dead cell?

You could probably find replacements on the internet. You could use NiMH or NiCad. Not worth the trouble and expense though except as a learning experience.

Here's one web site that sells them by the millimeter.
http://www.powerstream.com/Size.htm

RevDavid · Sep 11, 2003

There were some batteries like that in the camera business, for Hasselblad EL cameras. Osram made them, but thy were only about the length of one C cell. You might find two of them to work, but they were very expensive... something like $40 each, I think. They were usually blue, with a "corrugated" shrink wrap on the outside. NiCd is what they used. I do not remember the specs.
David <><

Doug Owen · Sep 11, 2003

My bet is 3182 is a date code. Week 31 in 1982. It's twenty years old.

You should be able to make a suitable unit out of conventional sub C cells, perhaps even inside the original tube?

It's almost sure to be NiCd, and the charger primitive by conventional standards.

Doug Owen

Brock · Sep 11, 2003

If you have a Batteries Plus near you they will take it and figure out what it is and build you a new one. Most of the time they get it right, they then to not put the best in as replacement though. I mean I had a 12v NiMH pack that was running some small 550mA cells, well they had a similar sized cell that was 750mA and 1000mA, they put the 750's in because they figured the charger might not like the 1000mA. I suppose it makes since, but something to keep in mind.

LEDmodMan · Sep 11, 2003

Likely some kind of sub-c (1/2 maybe) cells. If you go look at the batterystation.com website, you will likely figure out the type of battery used in the pack based on the dimension of the single batteries. Just match up the batt. dimension you have to what's on the page and that's likely the one. As most single rechargeable cells are 1.2v, you can probably replace what you have with four of whatever will fit.