The Shop > Electronics & IC Programing
Recharging non-rechargeable batteries
andyf:
Hi John,
I have looked in the old file where I kept "useful" electronics articles, and it was in Everyday Electronics (now defunct?) for Sept '91. Your memory is good; the gist of the article was that the cathode needs to be replated, and a "normal" NiCad or NiMH charger supplying pure DC produces a spongy plating, whereas "periodic current reversal" does a better job.
I have only ever recharged alkaline, rather than zinc-carbon, cells, but what you say about the cheapos makes sense.
Incidentally, while I have the article in front of me, it says that cells should be revived before they are completely discharged (some, esp. zinc carbon, dry out as they discharge) and should not be left lying around in a partially discharged state for too long before being recharged.
It also recommends limiting the recharge time - "Don't try to put more energy back into a cell than it originally contained" - but gives no guidance on timings. Timings might be hard to calculate, for the reasons set out in my post of 11 Jan 2010. Gosh, has a full year gone by already?
Andy
AdeV:
--- Quote from: andyf on January 16, 2011, 10:34:06 AM ---
Everyday Electronics (now defunct?) for Sept '91.
--- End quote ---
EE is still going, albeit it's merged with Practical Electronics (which was always the more complicated one), to become EPE. I'm not sure, but that may even have happened by '91? Certainly it had by '99, which was the last time I had a subscription.
IIRC, it mostly concentrates on computer interfacery these days; the old analogue circuits seem to have mostly bitten the dust. I recently built a "fuel gauge" for water tanks - the original design had no digital circuitry on it at all (unless you could an LED as digital). It was cleverly wired to show L(ow), I (in-between) and F(ull) on a 7-segment LED. I added some simple logic (recovered from a PET motherboard) to allow it to drive 3 LEDs. (If you're interested, the original project was called Caravan Dipstick, and was in the Sept 1984 issue of EE).
John Swift:
Hi Andy and AdeV ,
Everyday Electronics was a spin off fron Practical Electronics
now part of Everday Practical Elecronics magazine ( P.E , E.E and Electronics Today International magazines combined)
at first I thought it may of been from Practical Wireless Take 20 series (upto 20 components and 20 shillings limit ( £1-00))
found this link to some http://vintageradio.me.uk/radconnav/radcon.htm
you will have a job to build a "joule thief " for a pound these days
another way to extract the maximum use out of a battery
( could be adapted to step up the voltage from one cell to charge 2 or 3 cell battery in a phone , may be ?
since AAA cells work out more expensive than C cells for example )
http://www.emanator.demon.co.uk/bigclive/joule.htm
John
tylernt:
--- Quote from: andyf on January 11, 2010, 07:07:14 AM ---Duracells seem to last rather longer between charges than the rechargeables which came with the camera.
--- End quote ---
What kind of rechargables did you try? Cheap NiMHs do suck, but there are better alternatives on the market.
--- Quote from: andyf on January 11, 2010, 12:27:50 PM ---A typical AA cell has a capacity of just under 3Ah, which is about twice that of a NiMH rechargeable,
--- End quote ---
Actually, quality NiMH cells like Sanyo Eneloops have 2Ah and Eneloop XX have 2.5Ah.
One advantage for NiMH is for a camera flash. NiMH can supply far more current than alkalines, which translates into shorter flash (re)charge times. That's also why flashaholics generally reject alkalines in favor of Eneloops for their high-power flashlights.
andyf:
--- Quote from: tylernt on February 09, 2012, 09:03:09 PM ---What kind of rechargables did you try? Cheap NiMHs do suck, but there are better alternatives on the market.
Actually, quality NiMH cells like Sanyo Eneloops have 2Ah and Eneloop XX have 2.5Ah.
One advantage for NiMH is for a camera flash. NiMH can supply far more current than alkalines, which translates into shorter flash (re)charge times. That's also why flashaholics generally reject alkalines in favor of Eneloops for their high-power flashlights.
--- End quote ---
I was only comparing them with those which came with the Sony camera 12 years ago, and I can't remember the type. The camera is mainly where I use the recharged alkalines, and I am not interested in photography as such, so slow recharging of the flash is immaterial to me.
Welcome to Madmodders, by the way.
Andy
fast rechage
Navigation
[0] Message Index
[#] Next page
[*] Previous page
Go to full version