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A Miracle? 21 years old batteries working!

Posted: Fri Oct 12, 2018 9:10 am
by NikonD1X
Image

I really beg your pardon for the "faux pas" presenting a (my!) Canon in this forum. But a Kodak/Canon could be accepted. I think the sensor is almost the same as the one used in the Kodak/AssociatedPress NC2000/e.

Kodak/Nikon/Canon-DSLRs N90s(F90X)/EOS1n NC2000e/DCS3c: Teil 2

https://www.digicammuseum.de/geschichte ... 0xnc2000e/

Why do I post?

I have bought this DCS3c 1997 for about 8500 Dollars! The only Chance to shoot Basketball. At that time I was in the Canon camp. Now, 21 years later it was possible to charge the 21 year old batteries! OK I used this DCS3c until 2000 and had a rebirth 2015. Still the same batteries! For me it's a miracle. Now 2018 two days later after charging the batteries still content energy. Maybe a question for "our" forum-engineer Stan Disbrow ;-)

Here you can find my Kodak DCS3c-Report. If you can stand Canon… Please enjoy!

Die 1,3 Megapixel Kodak/Canon EOS 1n/DCS3c – oder: „1995 bis 2015, 20 Jahre DCS3c“

https://www.digicammuseum.de/geschichte ... 72015-neu/

Ralf

Re: A Miracle? 21 years old batteries working!

Posted: Fri Oct 12, 2018 11:17 am
by Stan Disbrow
Hi,

Good old NiCd batteries. Their lifespan is measured in charge/discharge cycles more than years. On top of that, the lower capacity ones last longer. The key there is lower capacity cells have better separator (insulation between the Ni and Cd) material. That helps prevent the metals from growing tendrils which wind up shorting the cell internally.

I have some NiCd AA cells from analog cell phone packs which still work today. They are from 1993-5. I use them in my camera mounted flash, and have been since I popped them out of their original packs. Since I seldom use a flash, yet charge them up every so often, they still keep working. I recently measured their capacity and they are still delivering 80% of their rating. Yeah. I have test equipment for analyzing batteries. Of course I do! ;)

And, there is the real question: how many shots do you get now vs. when the pack was new?

I have two original NiMH packs from my 760c which still work, but for only a few dozen shots. Yes, newer, but also NiMH isn't as good for long life as NiCd. Still, pretty impressive.

Stan

Re: A Miracle? 21 years old batteries working!

Posted: Sun Oct 14, 2018 7:14 pm
by pieroc91
Oh nice!

The person who sold me my NC2000e had another that still holds charge fine, the one that sold me was missing the N90 body since lots of year and battery pack exploded on the inside long ago, corrosion was getting to the main board, had to replace the connector.

Now i'm running it from a couple of old cell phones Li-Ion batterys in series and works like a charm, like 1000 shots on every charge, even charging with the original charger that undercharges the Li-Ions

Re: A Miracle? 21 years old batteries working!

Posted: Sun Oct 14, 2018 8:26 pm
by Stan Disbrow
Hi,

Good thing it undercharges. Or, it'd puff up like week-old roadkill at the least. Li-Ion batteries have no sense of humor at all....

I have one I use for show and tell from the old Ericsson T68i phone, and it puffed up and split the plastic case. It was hurt during charging, but puffed up when it was almost discharged. So, it didn't leak anything out in the process.

Stan

Re: A Miracle? 21 years old batteries working!

Posted: Tue Oct 23, 2018 1:04 pm
by pieroc91
i like phone li-ions, they have protection for almost everything, overdischarge, overcharge, overvolt, overconsumption, overheat, hurricane(?). i like to used them for small projects because they charge with whatever you put them as soon is DC and not too much over the specifications... tho one day had a really cheap knock off BL-5C that i was using for an old nikon SB-9 flash, it went poof on first charge, there were pieces of battery everywhere and the house was full of really toxic fumes for a while... :shock:

Re: A Miracle? 21 years old batteries working!

Posted: Thu Oct 25, 2018 12:04 pm
by Stan Disbrow
Hi,

Some Li-Ion batts have internal processors for keeping track of just where it is cycle-wise, and FET switches controlled by those processors to cut off current in and out. Some do not, requiring what they are installed in to perform that function.

Phone batts can easily be either way. Which, is OK as long as you use them where intended. Problem is, phones come and go. There are always leftover bits in the factories come end of a product. Those are more often than not sold as surplus.

Here is where it gets dicey. Batts from one thing get bought up and repackaged somewhere else, as long as they physically fit. They can easily not have internal charge control circuits, and then get used where they need that stuff. And, Poof!

They are just as likely to erupt in flames as just spit those fumes when they go. Most are in the 2000 mAh or larger sizes. That gives them the same energy, or more, than a WWII hand grenade. Usually without the Shrapnel, but still not what you want them to do. And, just what they are really wanting to do!

Li-Ion is by far the most dangerous form of battery ever. Give me the old NiCd any day. The only danger there is a dead short across the terminals, and that can be safed by a Buss Fuse. ;)

I see a lot of Li-Ion packs out there for the old Kodaks and Nikon D1 series. If they have the proper electronics inside, they can work in the NiCd and NiMH environments of the originals. But, how to know if they sport the *proper* internal electronics? The sellers all will say they do, but they ain't the makers. So, all that is: a smoke screen of a different sort......

Stick with what is meant to go inside things, and from the maker of the things, and you might even be OK with Li-Ion. Unless the maker screwed up, but then it is always in the news when they do. And, you can avoid those or return one if you already bought one. And, they get to buy you a new house if necessary.

Stan