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Re: [OM] (OM)Control Pack 2 Charging.

Subject: Re: [OM] (OM)Control Pack 2 Charging.
From: Frank van Lindert <lindertv@xxxxxxx>
Date: Sat, 15 Aug 1998 20:18:25 GMT
On Sat, 15 Aug 1998 07:15:10 +1000, "Michael O'Carrigan"
<moc@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

>I recently purchased a NiCd Control Pack 2 but do not have an original Oly
>charger unit to charge it up. I have made an adaptor to allow me to connect
>an after market charger to the pack.
>
>John Camtech kindly answered a question for another list member (June 22)
>and I now know which two contacts, of the six, to use for charging purposes.
>
>"Holding the pack so the Oly name reads right side up, of the six contacts,
>you use the two upper left, the corner being +" - Thanks John.
>
>Can anyone tell me if using an after market power supply will damage the
>control pack?
>
>I have a small power supply that has an output of 15vDC (regulated) with a
>maximum current capacity of 300mA. It was not designed originally to be a
>battery charger but will it do the job?
>
>Do the electronics inside the control pack 2 have anything to do with the
>charging of the internal batteries or are they only for the operation of
>the winding functions?
>
>Another question is, if the batteries fail to hold a charge and I have to
>have them replaced, I was advised to stay with NiCads and not go to NiMH.
>The reason being that developments in NiCad design, in the past few years,
>have made them a lot more reliable (than NiCads of ten years past) and they
>also hold their charge as well or better than NiMH. They are also more
>robust and forgiving of overcharge than NiMH.
>
>Does anyone have answers to this small problem?
>
>
>Michael.

To start with your last but one question: in the control pack the only
relevant component for charging the NicCad's is a diode in series with
the leads coming from that pack. Just for protection.... Unfortunately
this diode makes it impossible to use an intelligent charger which can
empty the pack through the same leads as used for charging...

About the charging: You have to be careful indeed. You will definitely
need one with a current limiter, because the cells in the NiCad
battery must be charged with a current of 30 mA or less. This maximum
of 30 mA is already for so called quick charging in 5 hours! 

I use a charger coming from a large European electronics mail order
firm (Conrad) which is capable of charging any NiCad battery between 1
and 12 cells (exactly the number in the NiCad pack of the MD) with a
current adjustable between 20 mA and 1400 mA. It has cost me only $40
and it does a great job, it can also charge the 6 volt leadgel
batteries in my Power Packs 2 and many other rechargeables which I
use. 

For the MD NiCad Packs I use the minimum current of 20 mA and this
charges the completely empty NiCad pack in 7-8 hours. Same applies for
NiMH packs I use.

Although you are partly right in your critical words about the NiMH
pack, I prefer them for practical reasons: they can be recharged when
only partly empty without the hazard of 'memory effects' which the
NiCads can show in time. 

Frank van Lindert
Utrecht - NL.




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