NiHg batteries How do I test?

[Jim GM]

I have 8 NiHg batteries and charged them for 16 hours.  Charge lasts 5
minutes before KX3 goes dead. Minimum voltage is set for 8.4V. with a 13.6
volts 50 amp DX Astron supply max charge voltage get up to 10.6 VDC says my
KX3. When checking the voltage independantly on each cell they all give me
the same reading on my battery tester saying they are good so the tester is
full of it.

How do I test these cells for find my bad one or 2?

--
Jim K9TF
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[Jim GM]

NiMh I ment to post. Oh well

--
Jim K9TF
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[k6dgw]

I figured that's what you meant.

Not quite enough info to understand what is happening for you and what
your charging situation is.  NiMh cells are nominally at 2V.  My
experience has been that when they've reached the "End of Old," [a term
coined by our kids to distinguish between Grandma and Grandpa, who were
much older than Mom and Dad ... but not yet dead, and those who were],
NiMh die rather quickly at the End of Old.  They'll be working pretty
well, and then not take a charge.  If your's are new, you might have a
charger problem.

73,

Fred K6DGW
- Northern California Contest Club
- CU in the 2014 Cal QSO Party 4-5 Oct 2014
- www.cqp.org

On 8/17/2014 7:19 PM, Jim GM wrote:
> NiMh I ment to post. Oh well
>


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[KB9WMJ]

Measure the amps you are charging them with, and charge them at C/10, where
C is the capacity of them.  Say you have 1200mA NiMh batteries, charge them
at 120mA overnight.  You can charge up to C/1, but be careful not to
overheat the cells.  You should be able to hold them in your hand.

Then put some sort of a load on the batteries, and measure the voltage on
each individual cell.  As they discharge, the weakest cell will drop in
voltage faster than the rest.

Keith KB9WMJ


----- Original Message -----
From: "Jim GM" <[hidden email]>
To: "Elecraft" <[hidden email]>
Sent: Sunday, August 17, 2014 6:48 PM
Subject: [Elecraft] NiMh batteries How do I test?


I have 8 NiMh batteries and charged them for 16 hours.  Charge lasts 5
minutes before KX3 goes dead. Minimum voltage is set for 8.4V. with a 13.6
volts 50 amp DX Astron supply max charge voltage get up to 10.6 VDC says my
KX3. When checking the voltage independantly on each cell they all give me
the same reading on my battery tester saying they are good so the tester is
full of it.

How do I test these cells for find my bad one or 2?

--
Jim K9TF

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[Fred Townsend-2]

Fred, I think you mean 1.2 or 1.25v nominal each cell. Jim NiMh don't take heat well. Sounds like you may have over charged. Did they get hot?

73
Another Fred, AE6QL

-----Original Message-----

>From: Fred Jensen <[hidden email]>
>Sent: Aug 17, 2014 7:34 PM
>To: [hidden email]
>Subject: Re: [Elecraft] NiMh batteries How do I test?
>
>I figured that's what you meant.
>
>Not quite enough info to understand what is happening for you and what
>your charging situation is.  NiMh cells are nominally at 2V.  My
>experience has been that when they've reached the "End of Old," [a term
>coined by our kids to distinguish between Grandma and Grandpa, who were
>much older than Mom and Dad ... but not yet dead, and those who were],
>NiMh die rather quickly at the End of Old.  They'll be working pretty
>well, and then not take a charge.  If your's are new, you might have a
>charger problem.
>
>73,
>
>Fred K6DGW
>- Northern California Contest Club
>- CU in the 2014 Cal QSO Party 4-5 Oct 2014
>- www.cqp.org
>
>On 8/17/2014 7:19 PM, Jim GM wrote:
>> NiMh I ment to post. Oh well
>>
>
>
>______________________________________________________________
>Elecraft mailing list
>Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
>Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
>Post: mailto:[hidden email]
>
>This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
>Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
>Message delivered to [hidden email]

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[Jim GM]

I did check the voltage on each cell when depleted.. There is a sleeper or
2 in the bunch.

--
Jim K9TF
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[Bob N3MNT]

You did not mention what power level you were running.
To find a bad one you need to check the voltage under load.  Even a bad one can look OK after a short rest with no load.