New Life for Old Battery Pack
Bill Grumbine, Kutztown PA
>Good morning all
As many of you know, when I turn I use a PAPR, or as I refer to it, an air helmet. It is a great tool, and does a very good job of protecting my face and lungs. Since I have a great face for radio, I guess you might say it also protects others when I have it on. But anyway...
It is not a cheap tool, and one of the more expensive consumable components is the rechargable battery pack. Mine went belly up about 18 monts ago or so, and I replaced it with a new one to the tune of about $125.00. I hung on to the old pack for a combination of reasons. In the first place, I am too lazy to investigate disposing of it properly, and too conscientious to throw it out in the trash. In the second, I thought that maybe someday I would rejuvenate it somehow. Well now someday has come. The second pack turned out to be much less vigorous than the first, and was showing signs of dying. So, I began some research to see what could be done.
After a lot of reading on the nature of NiCd batteries, a few posts on the main board here and elsewhere, I have ended up with a Tim Taylor sort of battery pack. The original pack was rated for 4.8V and 2300MAh. I have souped it up to 4.8V and 5000MAh. What that means in English is that my old 4 hr battery is now at least an 8 hr battery. I have a smart charger for it that is capable of handling 8 hr batteries, so no worries there. It will not fit back in the old casing, but duct tape will take care of that. ;-) And the best part is, I was able to purchase it locally, and instead of $125 - $150 for a new pack, I spent $40.00 for new batteries.
I don't know if this solution would work for everyone who has a PAPR. It was easy for me because my battery pack is completely external, and I was not constrained by any size requirements other than the proper voltage. I could have purchased 1/2 D sized batteries that would have fit back in the case, but I opted for more power (hence the Tim Taylor reference). If anyone is contemplating the same course of action, I would be glad to share more of my experiences.
Oh yeah, one last thing. The only reason I even knew about this electronics store local to me (which is not Radio Shack) was through previous questions here and on Badger Pond. Gerry Meekins, if you are reading, thanks once again for letting me know about Barbey's.
Bill