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From: fmgst@unix.cis.pitt.edu (Filip Gieszczykiewicz)
Newsgroups: sci.electronics
Subject: WARNING: NiCad batteries related...
Message-ID: <28874@unix.cis.pitt.edu>
Date: 16 Aug 90 00:24:44 GMT
Reply-To: fmgst@unix.cis.pitt.edu (Filip Gieszczykiewicz)
Organization: The Last Jedi
Lines: 37


	Greetings. 

	I'm sure all of you have heard that a way of "fixing" dead
	NiCad's (that have grown crystals inside and shorted out)
	was to "blow" them with a large capacitor.

	Here's what they don't tell you:

	The batteries are usually well made, however the (+)
	cap is connected to the battery (insides) with a small,
	thin, "shoddy", steel band. When you discharge the
	capacitor through a battery that has that metal band
	corroded - IT BLOWS LIKE A FUSE.

	*******

	Just thought I mention that. I killed 8 AA batteries that way
	last night. I took a .8 Farad (yup!) 10V cap and charged
	it well and blow the batteries to battery-hell! Out of
	19 batteries, 8 are dead, 2 are not working because they are
	dry inside, and the rest are doing great! 

	By the way, if you are cheap, like me :-), you can still
	use the blown batteries. I took the (+) cap off, soldered
	a wire to the remainder of the metal band, and covered
	the top of the battery with epoxy - to keep it from drying
	out - the work just fine. (There is no relief "valve" now
	so if I short them, they explode like granades ;-)


	Take care.
-- 
_______________________________________________________________________________
"The Force will be with you, always." It _is_ with me and has been for 10 years
Filip Gieszczykiewicz    "A man without a dream is like a fish without water."
FMGST@PITTVMS  or  fmgst@unix.cis.pitt.edu "My ideas. ALL MINE!!"