How to rebuild cordless tool battery packs

Cordless tool batteries are a topic that could make for a decent sized book! To keep this reply shorter(but it’s still long!)I would like to make it clear that I am speaking ONLY of Ni-Cads; trying some of these things with other batteries and cells can result in an explosion right in your face. We need to begin with the basics. A battery is simply a group of individual cells; please keep this in mind as we go along.

A Ni-Cad cell likes to be discharged fairly deeply before charging, but a Ni-Cad battery does not. With any battery, one or more cells will be weaker than the rest and overuse can reverse-charge one or more cells which cannot be corrected. This is caused by the stronger current running through a weak cell while it can no longer add to the current; therefore the current flow in that cell will be going backwards.

With a Ni-Cad Dewalt battery, charge it when performance just begins to fall off and it will last a lot longer. Heat also kills Ni-Cads so don’t run the battery hot and let it cool before charging it. I’ve had some of my batteries last over 6 years in almost daily use because I follow those rules no matter what!

Ni-Cads of any given size differ. Most cordless packs consist of a number of 1.2 volt cells in a size known as “Sub C”, because they are slightly smaller than an ordinary “C” cell. Their capacity varies from 600ma to over 1400ma and the price follows. In the name-brand packs you’ll find cells(usually unmarked)that run to the higher end of the scale. The “Harbor Freight” etal packs use lower capacity cells. Quality of the cells varies too, with some designed to be rapid-charged while the cheaper ones unable to withstand that high rate of charge for long(if at all).

Again, the name brands(DeWalt, Milwaukee, Craftsman, Ryobi, etc)are rapid-chargers, the cheaper ones aren’t. Ni-Cads are all better off with a slow charging cycle but there’s not much loss with the rapid-charge type and the time difference(1 hour vs 5+ hours)makes them worthwhile. Chargers also differ. While some will adapt to charging a lesser than intended capacity, others will just overcharge the cheap cells and ruin thewm.

While the cheap cells can be used to rebuild a battery, you won’t be getting the same performance that a new pack will give. It may be good enough if your application is medium duty, but heavy usage will show this to be true. I know because I have rebuilt dozens of batteries and I run them hard at work every day. My tools and Makita batteries have a hard life keeping up with me!

One of the characteristics of a Ni-Cad cell is a tendency to create “dendrites”, which are tiny build-ups of metallic particles inside the cell which effectively create a short circuit that gets worse with time. Excessive charging or discharging(especially the cheap cells)aggravates the situation. Dendrites can be burned off by ‘flashing’ a higher voltsge and current across the cell. This is the ‘repair’ method you hear so much of and it works for this condition. Observe correct polarity and use a car battery but don’t apply the current for long, just a few brushes like you’re striking a match.

Too long and the cell can explode. Remember we’re talking cells, not the entire battery, and each cell must be flashed indivudially. And keep your distance and sparks far from the hydrogen at the car battery; remember the Hindenburg? Nuff said!

Which brings us to the actual repairing and rebuilding of Ni-Cad packs. If you have one or two bad cells you can replace them with like cells from another old pack, thus restoring it. If several are bad replace them all(saving the good ones for the above purpose later on if you wish). From the factory most batteries are connected through stainless steel ribbons which are spot-welded on. This is done as overheating a cell will ruin it or cause it to explode. The spotwelding is done so rapidly no heat buildup occurs. Soldering is possible here but it takes a lot of heat applied quickly and removed quickly, as well as a good flux.

Roughening the surfaces with sandpaper seems to help. As a Ham radio nut I’ve soldered extensively and this is the toughest soldering job I know of. The internet has plans for making your own spot welder but I haven’t built one so you’re on your own there. The specialized spot welders for bosch batteries cost more than you’re going to want to pay!

Now the good part: Replacement cells can be had with tabs already spot welded on and these tabs are very solderable so use them only. You’ll be glad you did! Buy the best cells you can find, again the extra quality is well worth the cost. The downside is that you’re probably going to spend nearly as much(or even more!)than a new or factory rebuilt pack. Sorry for that bad news and if you know of a good source for quality cells cheap please let me know!

I cheat-I buy new Craftsman packs at K-Mart(much cheaper than at Sears and nearly top-of-the-line cells)and use those for my rebuilds. I’ve bought a new 19.2 volter there for $19.99 on sale. My last 18V batch of Sub-C NiCads cost me $62 after shipping and were a lesser capacity to boot.

By studying the way the battery goes together you can usually cut the Craftsman apart in a way that minimizes the soldering you’ll need to do. If you have space you can even take off the positive or negative connection(according to the battery you’re working on)from a different place. All that matters is that all cells are in series, that the new take-off point goes to the right connector in the pack case, and that you’re added connection can handle the current. If I’m out of copper ribbon(which I make from the gutter man’s scraps)I use 12ga stranded wire if I can fit it.

However you do it, be certain that a short circuit is impossible or you’ll find yourself with a fire at best or an explosion at worst, not to mention the melted plastic all over everything(hopefully not your charger where a short will usually occur). If you use plastic to insulate be sure it can handle a lot of heat; I like to use the heavy cardboard from a notepad back. So long as it’s kept dry it makes a great insulator but it will ignite easily if a short heats things up.

Sorry for the long reply but like I said, there’s a lot more to cordless batteries that meets the eye and we haven’t even touched on the Nimh’s or the Lithiums! If the subject intrigues you check out the technical forums at www.battery-company.com.au

You might even luck out and find a good deal on the replacement pack you need there. I’ve used them several times and I can reccomend them but they don’t carry as extensive a line of replacement packs as they used to.

About the Author

Battery company is an operated online retailer of high-quality electronics accessories, specialising in laptop batteries and laptop adapter, battery chargers, camera batteries, camcorder batteries, power tool batteries and mobile phone batteries. Battery company has quickly grown to one of the top online Australian retailers of electronics accessories, offering generic product brands that provide the same quality as the big brand names but at half the price. Now at www.battery-company.com.au, we offer customers a wide selection of products at unbeatable prices, together with personalised customer service and fast shipping for our customers.

Owatonna, Steele County MN Ham Radio VE Test Session

Survivors $24.00 WHAT IF THE WORLD AS WE KNOW IT ENDED TOMORROW? The America we are accustomed to is no more. Practically overnight the stock market has plummeted, hyperinflation has crippled commerce, and the fragile chains of supply and high-technology infrastructure have fallen. The power grids are down. Brutal rioting and looting grip every major city. The volatile era known as “the Crunch” has begun, and …

Three Hundred Zeroes $4.99 Dennis Blanchard’s Vietnam Era promise to his brother haunted him for over forty years. Finally, when there were no more excuses, he set out on the Appalachian Trail to fulfill that promise. He learned that walking in the wilderness can reconnect one with a Norman Rockwell America that at times seems long lost and forgotten. The difficulties encountered walking over 2,200 miles are easily underest…

The Ham Whisperer’s Technician Class License Course $7.99 This Amateur Radio Technician Class license course focuses on providing an easy and enjoyably way to study for and pass the Technician Class exam! The thirty-five lessons in this course break the Element 2 Technician Class question pool in to manageable pieces to aide the student in the understanding and retention of the exam material. A simple and easy to comprehend explanation is given for each …

antenna rotor system

Best Portable 2m amateur band antenna?

I am I would like and amateur radio operators that use my radio when I go trekking, camping and when I am. I want this antenna on the boat with. I need a portable all-round flexible VHF-band or dual band antenna switching plans. It should be flexible to get it in a backpack . Lay One can not claim the base, because I do not find some metal at the top of the hill. I have the coaxial cable antenna, link is here: http://www.qsl.net/pa0fbk/Frameset_ham_uk.htm Unfortunately, SWR values ​​too bad and I can not fix it. Thank you.

Working for portable 2m, you can use a reasonable Results 1 / 4 wave whip and get a series of ground radials. The ground radials, and even the whip for that matter, can be made of the lengths of 12 AWG copper wire. The Wires are flexible, and so the whole can then be packed away and carefully unpacked and straightened before use. A good example of this type of antenna, including a nice drawing and computer lengths for elements is: I http://www.hamuniverse.com/2metergp.html multiple antennas such as these over the years, with good results – 2m, 70cm and FM bands consider Otherwise, a base plate with you – a layer of foil or wire mesh placed top of the ground works well in conjunction with commercially made "Rubber Duck" flexible whip antennas.

ham radio qsl card transmitter

Hello World: A Life in Ham Radio $10.08 To an outsider, the world of ham radio is one of basement transmitters, clunky microphones, Morse code, and crackly, possibly clandestine, worldwide communications, a world both mysterious and geeky. But the real story is a lot more interesting: indeed, there are more than two million operators worldwide, including people like Walter Cronkite and Priscilla Presley. Gandhi had a ham radio, as do Ma…

Activities for radio hobbyists

Amateur radio or ham is mostly a hobby activity. The majority of Thel hobby time in the making in contact with and under discussions with the spent men and women in remote regions and from different cultures. Two-way communication, identification, and their location and station area Region and location is the custom. This is generally followed by other casual communications. If the contact is made for a competition for two-way communication with pretty much many amateur radio stations or to make as possible, all this information shared.

DX-ing and DX-expeditions
A primary hobby is amateur radio it is in contact with with as many stations as possible as very few parts of the world as accessible. DX stands for distant stations. The DX-ing is usually followed with the QSO. (A Q-code., See below), which indicates "a conversation".

DX-expeditions in the sense that they organized expeditions / solely to The purpose of establishing contacts with some special or rare stations and regional planning varied. Some men and women to travel long distance to provide only Contact with some non-represented region or location.

Radio Frequency Scanners on the internet now a days are the best tool on the experiments. The radio scanner scans found for signals until a strong signal and so on.

QSL cards:
The Q code is a standardized collection of three-letter codes message all beginning with the letter "Q", originally designed for commercial communication radiotelegraph and later by other radio services, especially amateur radio adopted. In today's audio signal transmission age, the Q-codes are not decisive. but still in use and considered a kind of tradition.

As part of DX-and DX-ing expeditions of the QSL card or proof of getting in contact with card is divided. QSL is 1, such as Q-code, which declares, "I acknowledge receipt". The prevailing practice was that those who generated at a specific frequency exchange a QSL card in the e-mail to confirm their contacts and conversations. This QSL cards be used as evidence for their production and contact with amateur operators who make contact with a certain number of other radio amateurs in a particular Time is excellent. In addition, they are awarded and honored as they are as effective radio amateurs.

Remote Region Contact:
Some countries have less hams and creating contact with shall be deemed special. So if a radio amateur makes these regions in contact with them, other ham operators flock to establish communication with this / these hams. Generate contact with that has a lot less prominent places his awards and unique considerations within the procurement programs.

Hamfest:
Social events for families and friends of the ham. It is like the family oriented social customs, where it actually sales, Exchanges, meetings and fun. Likewise, the party with the sale and exchange of ham is stuffed ham meeting real life friends and fun events for every day, or often over several days.

Discussion groups and networks:
Ham operators form a discussion group on common interests other than bacon or can also be a ham related discussion group and they are able to form networks or networks.

When a radio hams with all these different activities is involved, he or she is positively boring in any way. Take a look at some of them, and see if you want to get involved.
Doc. No.323-FB-LRD25-mr23

Mayhar Manning Hans Burger is a sports writer www.sportsfantreasures.com check his passion for you at Baby Crib bedding and puppies for sale English bulldog

Ham Radio 10 Meter QSO Between Dave M0OGY and Volker ZS3Y IN South Africa

Uniden BC72XLT Handheld Scanner (Black) $79.99 DETAILS: Uniden NASCAR scanner Tune in to your favorite drivers and teams, hear pit crew action, monitor track talk, or quickly tune in to emergency channels 100 Channels/10 banks Designed to be compact for added flexibility and portability. “Close Call RF Capture” Technology: instantly tunes to signals from nearby transmitters Weather scan Backlit display Frequency coverage: includes the most …

Amateur radio: Morse code, NATO phonetic alphabet, Single-sideband modulation, Baudot code, Radioteletype, Q code, Club, ITU prefix $22.43 Please note that the content of this book primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online. Pages: 134. Chapters: Morse code, NATO phonetic alphabet, Single-sideband modulation, Baudot code, Radioteletype, Q code, Club, ITU prefix, Software-defined radio, QRP operation, Automatic link establishment, Slow-scan television, Voice-operated switch, Crystal radio, Cal…