Courtney Thomas inscribed in red ink for all to know:
Where do you get the flat metal tabs and what kind of solder/gun/etc/ do you
use, please ?

Thank you,
Courtney
"Gordon Wedman" wrote in message
news:uCzPg.20189$bf5.5278@edtnps90...

"Glenn Ashmore" wrote in message
news:rXiPg.49461$ok5.21130@dukeread01...

I have one of those fancy Maha C777+ chargers that charge, discharge and
monitor mAh in, mAh out, voltage and charging time so I have been playing
with several different brands of batteries.

I use the Maha Powerex 2500s which are the latest version of the highest
rated Ni-Mh double A's. Definitely an improvement over a lot of the

older

models. They have a first 24 hour self discharge rate of about 5% but
even Maha says they should not be expected to hold a usable charge

longer

than about 30 days. The Energizer (Sanyo) Ni-Mh double As are among the
worst loosing up to around 25% in the first day.

One other thing I have found. You can't get a new Ni-Mh to accept a

full

charge until it has been cycled 4 or 5 times. If you charge them then

use

them until the voltage starts to drop and recharge several times you get
20 to 25% more capacity.

--
Glenn Ashmore

I'm building a 45' cutter in strip/composite. Watch my progress (or lack
there of) at: http://www.rutuonline.com
Shameless Commercial Division: http://www.spade-anchor-us.com

"Larry" wrote in message
...

"Glenn Ashmore" wrote in news:Q3fPg.49456$ok5.43395
@dukeread01:


Up to 10% in the first 24 hours
and 1 or 2% per day after that

Hmm....I wonder if that is still true on the new Ni-Mh batteries. I

just

turned on a little flashlight I keep in my desk. It's got two Tokima
2200
maH Ni-Mh batteries I can't remember when I charged, but it has to be

8-9

months ago. The bulb, not LED, in the little flashlight is just as
bright
as it ever is. I'm going to leave it on to see how long it will be

until

it's dead. 230maH in the first day? Wow, that's a lot of loss...

These batteries should have self-discharged long ago, by now.



--
There's amazing intelligence in the Universe.
You can tell because none of them ever called Earth.


I have two comments on this discussion:

1. Batteries Plus probably uses crappy Chinese batteries like everyone

else.

If you buy your own batteries from a place like Batteries America you can
get high quality Sanyo batteries and other good makes.

2. I have successfully soldered the flat metal tabs on these batteries
without any problem. I had no trouble getting solder to wet the tabs. I
line up the batteries in the proper series orientation and then bend one

tab

back onto the battery so that the tab from the next battery lies over it.

I

then tin both surfaces and then overlap them. Now applying some heat to

the

outer tab melts the solder on both tabs and connects them. Taping the
batteries together beforehand helps keep things aligned.



Courtney,

You can buy the batteries with the tabs already welded on, usually for
the same price as the plain ones. But the tabbed ones. As the poster
above said, the tabs are easy to solder, and when done reasonably
quickly, do not harm the battery when soldering.

You should use "electronics" solder when doing the work - that is, rosin
core. Do NOT use acid core solder, unless you want corrosion in your
battery pack downstream.

I use my regular soldering iron - a small cheap one designed for
electronics and /or electrical work - I've had it for years - it
probably came from Radio Shack. Don't get the smallest one - it will
take some heat to get the tabs up to temperature. Using too small an
iron will tempt you to hold it in contact with the tabs for a long time,
trying to get them hot enough. This WILL cause damage to the battery by
heat conduction down the tab.

bob
s/v Eolian
Seattle