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Hints, Tips and Solutions (Do NOT post requests for help here) If you have any useful general hints and tips for vintage technology repair and restoration, please share them here. PLEASE DO NOT POST REQUESTS FOR HELP HERE!

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Old 12th Apr 2014, 2:19 pm   #21
antenna441
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Default Re: Re-stuffing HT batteries with PP3s

Please find attached a slightly reworked version of my green DM526 and my grey DM526. I hope they are of interest. I know this isn't the place to ask, but if anyone has a genuine H1184, I'd love to know what it says on the base.
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Old 10th Feb 2015, 6:27 pm   #22
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Default Re: Re-stuffing HT batteries with PP3s

Always on the lookout for different kinds of vintage battery, I came across this example today on the Radio Museum website. Has anyone seen one in this colourway? and was the whole range (HT and LT) available? And does anyone have any idea of the dates when this particular version was on the market?

With reference to previous queries it would seem that the green Exide dates from the late 50s/early 60s, and the Red/Grey was later, mid 60s onwards, presumably until production ceased.

I've had a go at the artwork for a light blue DM526 which I will post if you think it ever existed
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Old 11th Feb 2015, 11:11 pm   #23
GJR 11L
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Default Re: Re-stuffing HT batteries with PP3s

For these last seven years, I've been stuffing the HT battery of my Roberts R66 (PP3s are cheaper than new mains smoothing caps you see..) with nine instead of ten and can honestly say that, when I discovered the fact that the Associated Dairies own brand PP3s are larger than GP ones and changed them, the extra battery made no detectable difference to that set's performance.
I'd also need to keep the little chap for a further 62 years at my current rate of usage for the 81V HT supply to be the cheaper long term solution!
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Old 13th Feb 2015, 8:50 pm   #24
antenna441
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Default Re: Re-stuffing HT batteries with PP3s

Thought you might be interested in my first trial build of a blue DM526 case. I'm still not sure if such a thing actually existed, but I think it looks OK. The works info across the bottom is just a bit of fun. I'm also working on a blue H1184, when they're both finalized, I'll post the jpegs
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Old 16th Feb 2015, 9:37 pm   #25
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Default Re: Re-stuffing HT batteries with PP3s

Do folk here tend to just clip the PP3s together or use battery clips? Or maybe solder them(?).
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Old 17th Feb 2015, 12:00 am   #26
Phil G4SPZ
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Default Re: Re-stuffing HT batteries with PP3s

All three, Graham, depending on the space available. Linking the press studs to give a long slab five cells long by two cells wide is the quickest and easiest inside large battery cases. Smaller ones like the B126 have insufficient spare room even for battery snaps, so I solder + to - in series using thin wire and a quick hot iron.
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Old 22nd Feb 2015, 5:26 pm   #27
Mike. Watterson
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Default Re: Re-stuffing HT batteries with PP3s

B126
I use one battery clip cut in half to join two sets of five PP3s. A second clip cut in half is used for the connections to socket. All but one type off PP3 I tried can clip to each other.

For other packs I use AAA or AA if they fit as they works out much cheaper per hour. Or some I use paralleled (using 1N4148 diodes to combine)stacks of CR2032 coin cells from China/Hong Kong (about 11p each inc postage). Note that as they have a better discharge curve that 79.5V (25 in series) is more than adequate for 90V pack, 38V (12 in series) for 45V and 60.5V (19 in series) for a 67V pack (terminal voltages via 1N4148 at 6mA to 10mA load, for 45V to 90V application).
For PP3 the 6F23 layer type is fine, the Alkaline only give about 60% more run tiime but do give x5 more shelf life.
CR2032 Coins are Lithium. They need to be parallel stacks as current per cell is limited.
The AAA and AA should be Alkaline, gives x5 to x10 shelf life and x2 run time at 10mA.

I try to fit a fuse. esp on AA and Lithium packs.
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Old 9th Mar 2015, 5:19 pm   #28
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Default Re: Re-stuffing HT batteries with PP3s

Just a word of warning ! I found when soldering the connectors they became o/c due to the plastic they were crimped on to seeping between the two parts of the connector, Mick.
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Old 9th Mar 2015, 6:17 pm   #29
Phil G4SPZ
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Default Re: Re-stuffing HT batteries with PP3s

I'd heard of this happening but fortunately it's not happened to me yet, because...
Quote:
Originally Posted by Phil G4SPZ View Post
...I solder + to - in series using thin wire and a quick hot iron...
Soldering to the edge, as quickly as possible, prevents too much heat travelling into the connector.
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