Battery question

[aaannndddyyy]

Hi can any one tell me the formation and type of cell in the PowaCycle Cambridge battery pack 24v 8amh as i am planning on re-celling a battery pack (Heinzmann 36v nihm silver box ) sometime in the future, are the batterys compatable, having read about Flecc's recelling using PowaCycle Windsor and Salisbury to the lafree (very helpfull), The Cambridge case looks slimmer. sorry I have a lot more questions than answers at the moment as i am still new to electric bikes.
Andy.

 

[flecc]

I don't know Andy, but as you say, the battery is slimmer. That suggests the cells are in four columns of five cells each. The eZee NiMh battery uses this vertical column type of construction. Is that what your Heinzmann construction is like?

You could ask Carl at Powacycle in the Clinic on this site's entry page if he can tell you offhand the Cambridge battery setup.

That vertical construction is difficult to work with as the contacts are made by pressure only so the columns need to be tightly bound.
.

 

[aaannndddyyy]

The Heinzmann batteries are in 3 rows of 10 side by side Flecc when you say a pressure fit do you mean no welds or solder used, that could work as i could start with single batteries and make the write pattern.

 

[flecc]

That's right Andy, just in columns, positive button to negative plate, with wire joins between the columns. The latter means soldering onto the cells at those end points, and that must be done quickly with a very hot iron to avoid cell damage.

I'm assuming that on the Cambridge battery judging by the tall thin shape. Ian has recelled an eZee battery in this way, but he's on holiday at the moment and won't be back for about a week so he's not around to help.

However, he passed on the need for tight end to end binding to make the contact secure and able to pass the current. You'll need to re-use the existing Heinzmann thermistor and any internal fuse fitted of course, scrapping the Powacycle ones.
.

 

[aaannndddyyy]

Yes I understand the principles of battery re-celling making an identical copy of the original battery all wires thermistor and fuses in the same places, There is enough room in the Heinzmann case to use button or tab cells.
Andy.

 

[flecc]

That's good Andy, Ian found the eZee case was very cramped for the button type and only just managed to squeeze them in. Just the question mark on that Cambridge battery now.
.

 

[HarryB]

That's good Andy, Ian found the eZee case was very cramped for the button type and only just managed to squeeze them in. Just the question mark on that Cambridge battery now.
.

Flecc,

Do you know what size of cells we are talking about?

HarryB

 

[flecc]

Yes, they're D cells Harry, virtually universal in bike NiMh batteries.
.

 

[HarryB]

Yes, they're D cells Harry, virtually universal in bike NiMh batteries.
.

Yes I can see why everybody ends up buying packs and modifying them. The cheapest I can find is £6.23 per cell for tagged 9000mAh. Works out more expensive than the 50 cycles replacement battery (if they ever appear in stock).