Posts: 37
Threads: 15
Joined: Jan 2007
Found this on the Canadian Radio Shack website. 360mAh NiMH
N cell. I'll have to visit the local Radio Shack tomorrow.
See this link:
http://www.radioshack.ca/images/cat01l/2300521l.jpg
Radio Shack catalog no. 23-521
I'm still hunting for a distributor that carries the Gold Peak 500mAh
NiMH N cells ( GP50NH ).
Posts: 1,322
Threads: 115
Joined: Jul 2005
they exist at every store. and if your lucky you can still find ni-cad n cells clearance priced at $1.99 for two but, they have no charger for n cells. do you know where to get one or what to adapt?
Posts: 37
Threads: 15
Joined: Jan 2007
I grabbed the last 4 packs on sale for $2.99 ea. at a nearby
Radio Shack. My old HP92266A N cell trickle charger wall
transformer died many years ago but its battery holder works
fine with my variable DC power supply. Inside the battery holder is a
69 ohm resistor and a little LED across it. Thats all the components
in the battery holder. Any trickle charger that charges AAA size
NiCad batteries should work fine as long as the charger instructions
states 'trickle' and a charging time of 12-15 hours. Just add a metal
spacer to keep the N cell firmly in contact with the charger
terminals. Don't use a medium rate or high rate NiCad battery charger.
The charge rate should be about 0.1C ( 0.1 X 360mAh = 36mAh ) for
about 12 hours.
Posts: 1,322
Threads: 115
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 1
Threads: 0
Joined: Jan 1970
Many years ago I picked up a Radio Shack charger and some plastic adapters called an "N charging module" (also from RS) It is about the size and shape of an AA cell with a place to insert the N battery. Not sure if they are still available, or what the part number is.
Posts: 37
Threads: 15
Joined: Jan 2007
Radio Shack N Cell holder. Catalog #270-405
My local Radio Shack has them in stock.
Posts: 1,322
Threads: 115
Joined: Jul 2005
thanks. i'll see if they can order four tomorrow, and a real slow charger to match it.
Posts: 37
Threads: 15
Joined: Jan 2007
This N cell holder is just a plastic holder with
two leads. It's not for inserting in a charger. You still
might be able to wire the holders to a AAA NiMH charger.
I would include terminals to monitor the current to
the N cell holder.
Posts: 1,322
Threads: 115
Joined: Jul 2005
brian; the store here in river city had three. jim is getting me another. i'm thinking about a +/- 1.6 vdc at 60 ma and wire it paralel for about a 14 hour charge or am i missing something? this setup might work for a nimh, with a different time. but i'll worry about that in six years when these ni-cads are dead. thanks again - d
Posts: 37
Threads: 15
Joined: Jan 2007
Don't charge batteries in parallel. Charge as two in series or four in
series or individually. If you are charging NiCad N cells, limit the
charging current to about C/5 or 30 mA ( for 150 mAh N cells ). This
charging current is the same if you have one or more NiCad N cells in
series.
Here's a good NiCad charger circuit link:
http://www.dprg.org/nicad_charger.html