Opening DCS Battery Pack for Cell Replacement

Discuss older Nikon-based Kodak digital SLRs, including DCS 100, DCS 200, NC2000, DCS 400/600/700-series, etc. Ask questions, post general comments, anecdotes, reviews and user tips.
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atlas
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Location: Central Florida

Opening DCS Battery Pack for Cell Replacement

Post by atlas »

Can someone explain how to open a battery pack for the DCS 500, 600 and 700 series cameras?

Do I need to cut around the seam like with a Nikon D1 pack?
atlas
Posts: 32
Joined: Thu Sep 28, 2017 7:32 pm
antispam: No
Location: Central Florida

Re: Opening DCS Battery Pack for Cell Replacement

Post by atlas »

I figured I'd cap this off since no one else answered.
As I learned from Jim McGarvey, the two comprising plastic panels of the battery pack are ultrasonically welded to one another requiring the seam to be cut. I just used a utility blade, be careful not to cut yourself as it can be easy to slip off of the plastic considering the shallowness of the groove and the slickness of the material.
Stan Disbrow
Posts: 601
Joined: Fri May 20, 2005 7:33 pm
Location: Raleigh, NC USA

Re: Opening DCS Battery Pack for Cell Replacement

Post by Stan Disbrow »

Hi,

I want to let you know that I missed this post completely. I would have had a look at one of my packs to see how it might be done. Yes, things are usually ultrasonically welded. I use a fat metal handle X-acto knife and a very small ball peen hammer to crack packs open. ;)

Not that I have needed to with Kodak packs. They are still available cheap enough on eBay that I just buy those. Or, they were two years ago when I bought my last two.

Stan
Amateur Photographer
Professional Electronics Development Engineer
atlas
Posts: 32
Joined: Thu Sep 28, 2017 7:32 pm
antispam: No
Location: Central Florida

Re: Opening DCS Battery Pack for Cell Replacement

Post by atlas »

How do they perform?
I was planning to solder in some Eneloops after my experience with Chinese Ni-MH packs.
The aftermarket Li-Ion packs I bought for some of my cameras like a 350D work great, but when I bought some for my 1D, they were terrible.
Even after sitting overnight on the charger, they might hold a charge for just several days before not even being able to power up the camera.
Stan Disbrow
Posts: 601
Joined: Fri May 20, 2005 7:33 pm
Location: Raleigh, NC USA

Re: Opening DCS Battery Pack for Cell Replacement

Post by Stan Disbrow »

Hi,

They work as well as the original Kodak packs did. That is around 200 shots on the 760c per charge. Is OK. The most memory it can use is 2 GB. 225 shots. So, change card and battery at the same time.

They are all Chinese made cells these days, no matter who you buy them from.

I stick with NiMH. I *never* cross up chemistries. That is a good way to have a *poof*. Esp Li Ion where they were not originally. Too danged persnickity. They wanna go *poof* naturally.....

Stan
Amateur Photographer
Professional Electronics Development Engineer
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