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Rubbish camera batteries

P

Periproct

Jan 1, 1970
0
My proprietary camera batteries don't last long when new and as I'm not a
photography enthusiast I find, when the camera does come out, the batteries
have discharged to the point of not taking a charge.

My cunning plan is an external battery pack of standard (cheaper and higher
capacity) NiMH. Trouble is I need a dummy battery of the correct shape and
with contacts in the right place to wire my external battery pack to.

What do you reckon to me removing the guts of one of my dead Lithium Ion
batteries? Am I going to die in terrible pain? Googling just tells me they
are fine in normal use but I'm not sure about cutting the things up.

I do have a paint spraying respirator as well as an unused one left over
from some asbestos removal at work. Rubber gloves and everything done on a
big sheet of plastic to be disposed of afterwards?
 
H

Homer J Simpson

Jan 1, 1970
0
My cunning plan is an external battery pack of standard (cheaper and
higher capacity) NiMH. Trouble is I need a dummy battery of the correct
shape and with contacts in the right place to wire my external battery
pack to.

What do you reckon to me removing the guts of one of my dead Lithium Ion
batteries? Am I going to die in terrible pain? Googling just tells me they
are fine in normal use but I'm not sure about cutting the things up.

Cut a wooden dowel the same diameter as the battery to the right length.
Stick two brass thumbtacks in the ends and solder wires to these from the
battery pack.
 
P

Periproct

Jan 1, 1970
0
Homer J Simpson said:
Cut a wooden dowel the same diameter as the battery to the right length.
Stick two brass thumbtacks in the ends and solder wires to these from the
battery pack.
Unfortunately the battery isn't a standard cylindrical shape.

Having had a further google I'm getting the impression that there is quite a
risk of Lithium Ions exploding if you chop them up so maybe I should carve
myself a wooden one.
 
My proprietary camera batteries don't last long when new and as I'm not a
photography enthusiast I find, when the camera does come out, the batteries
have discharged to the point of not taking a charge.

My cunning plan is an external battery pack of standard (cheaper and higher
capacity) NiMH. Trouble is I need a dummy battery of the correct shape and
with contacts in the right place to wire my external battery pack to.

What do you reckon to me removing the guts of one of my dead Lithium Ion
batteries? Am I going to die in terrible pain? Googling just tells me they
are fine in normal use but I'm not sure about cutting the things up.

I do have a paint spraying respirator as well as an unused one left over
from some asbestos removal at work. Rubber gloves and everything done on a
big sheet of plastic to be disposed of afterwards?


The problems with lithium batteries appears to be thermal runaway when
charging. Lithium is not particularly toxic (it might even stabilise
your mood, if you injest some) so if the battery is near flat, I can
see little problem with removing the guts.

I have a Sony Mavica, which came with a battery that lasted about 2
years (accepting a considerable loss of capacity). Li Ions die whether
used or not, so I suspect that this was merely old stock. I bought a
non-proprietary battery when the Sony became unusable, and it has been
going strongly for six years. Probably needs a new battery now, and
use this as a spare. I rarely charge the thing past where the charger
light goes out, although you can stick an extra hour's worth in. Use
them gently, and they last better, or is it that I just feel better?

ps Lithium metal is flammable and reacts violently with water giving
off hydrogen. Lithium hydroxide thus formed is very caustic. Use a
face shield as you should, doing most of the things I do without one.
Luckily I now need glasses and no longer suffer from regular foreign
bodies in the eyeball.

jack
 
H

Homer J Simpson

Jan 1, 1970
0
Unfortunately the battery isn't a standard cylindrical shape.

Having had a further google I'm getting the impression that there is quite
a risk of Lithium Ions exploding if you chop them up so maybe I should
carve myself a wooden one.

Yes. Wood or plastic but don't saw these suckers.
 
Unfortunately the battery isn't a standard cylindrical shape.

Having had a further google I'm getting the impression that there is quite a
risk of Lithium Ions exploding if you chop them up so maybe I should carve
myself a wooden one.

That's only possible (unlikely) if charged. You don't have to saw it
in two. Lever the plastic moulding apart with a screwdriver and just
pluck out the Li-Ion cells. Remember (which I usually don't) where the
screwdriver is going to end up if it slips off your target.

jack
 
P

Periproct

Jan 1, 1970
0
The problems with lithium batteries appears to be thermal runaway when
charging. Lithium is not particularly toxic (it might even stabilise
your mood, if you injest some) so if the battery is near flat, I can
see little problem with removing the guts.

I have a Sony Mavica, which came with a battery that lasted about 2
years (accepting a considerable loss of capacity). Li Ions die whether
used or not, so I suspect that this was merely old stock. I bought a
non-proprietary battery when the Sony became unusable, and it has been
going strongly for six years. Probably needs a new battery now, and
use this as a spare. I rarely charge the thing past where the charger
light goes out, although you can stick an extra hour's worth in. Use
them gently, and they last better, or is it that I just feel better?

ps Lithium metal is flammable and reacts violently with water giving
off hydrogen. Lithium hydroxide thus formed is very caustic. Use a
face shield as you should, doing most of the things I do without one.
Luckily I now need glasses and no longer suffer from regular foreign
bodies in the eyeball.
I've bought three since I've had the camera and they are all dead. Having
done some more googling it seems they like to be stored at 40% charge. Not
sure how I'm going to organise that.
A timer set to come on for an hour a day with a power strip plugged into it
with everything that needs to be kept charged was suggested to me. Maybe not
the best thing to do with Lithium Ion batteries tho'.
 
J

john jardine

Jan 1, 1970
0
[...]
A timer set to come on for an hour a day with a power strip plugged into it
with everything that needs to be kept charged was suggested to me. Maybe not
the best thing to do with Lithium Ion batteries tho'.

That's what I have. One of those motorised thingies with a ring of plastic
indents. Set for 15 minutes per day and charging a heap of power tool and
other rechargeables.
Having used rechargeables for about 1000 years, my feeling is that if they
aren't Lead acid then they will be trouble. (despite anything the makers
and technologists say otherwise).
 
S

SparkyGuy

Jan 1, 1970
0
That's what I have. One of those motorised thingies with a ring of plastic
indents. Set for 15 minutes per day and charging a heap of power tool and
other rechargeables.

Make & model?
 
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