Very Old NiCads

Try them-

My caving caplamp was converted from lead acid to NICADS twenty years ago, 'C' cell size from an electronics fair and not new then (unlabelled, probably out of an emergency lighting unit).

Charged it last week and went caving- probably 30/40% or original duration.

Nick
(yes, I did have a spare lamp!)
 
Its very likely......

That the negative leads will have essentially turned to dust.....you could replace the leads and try charging them......but I wouldn`t get my hopes up high...
 
Charge them up and give them a go. If you can get hold of a hobby charger it will measure there capacity and put them through a few charge discharge cycles which would do them good.
 
By regulated do you mean constant current, because that is what they need. A constant current charger is a regulated one. good luck. Age doesent seem to be an issue on these as long as they have been treated properly before. chris.
 
There are two types of charger. One is voltage ,like the normal car battery charger/car altinator. The other is the constant current one . This will keep the amperage in the circuit constant and instead of a tapering charge will keep the current the same all the time. that is untill the end of the charge when you switch it off. Your 600mh charger will do that OK.Chris.
 
NickRobinson said:
My caving caplamp was converted from lead acid to NICADS twenty years ago
Click to expand...

Nick, are any of the cavers still using the wet-cell NiFe miners lamps (the ones with the stainless steel battery cases) ? ... I wouldn't be at all surprised if some are still going strong.

(Edit: and they would be fantastic with an LED's in the headlamp!)

Vic
 
Last edited:
outing a speleologist....

I used to have one- Once when it died underground (Alum Pot) I took the cell plugs out, held it under in the stream to fill the three cells and it lit up again! (for a bit....)

High tech compared to my Premier carbide (acetylene) lamp....

Did/do you cave?

Nick
 
NickRobinson said:
Did/do you cave?
Click to expand...

Not quite...but as a young lad used to be responsible for charging the lamps for a couple of small private coal mines. One of them was a 'safe' mine and the older miners still preferred to use carbide lamps. Pit ponies too. (c. 1965).

Sometimes on a Sunday when all deserted, girlfriend and I would grab a couple of lamps and explore down a drift mine . Can you imagine that today!.

Vic
 
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