Lithium battery packs for $30 each

jradomski

Don't get fooled by the max mAh rating.. The batteries you are comparing appear to be manufactured by able new energy company (same discharge curves, weight ect).. They have a good rating when used in low draw device.. Compare it with a reasonable continuous load, say 30ma @20c the alternate batteries are 5.5 mAh or at 20ma about 6.0 MAh, while the safts are just under 6.5 mAh or at 20ma its 6.75mAh


The able batteries dont list the lithium metal content.. only total weight of 55g, the saft cells list the total weight as 48g with a metal content of 2.0 g.


both are sold as LiSOCl2 cells

The saft cells use a SS container, this is optional on the other cells..

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Joe Radomski
CCR Trimix Instructor Trainer
ANDI Instructor Trainer Director #10

All posts are personal opinions and DO NOT reflect any affiliated agency unless specifically stated.

RonMicjan

I built my own lithium c cell packs about a year ago and have well over a hundred hours on the primary (solenoid firing side). The cells were quite expensive but not having to change them made it worth every penny.

the issue of lithium cells in the breathing loop started with the classic inspiration, that units battery holders have no o ring seal and just hang out in the loop with no protection. This has been remedied with the vision system, which now have an o ring sealed compartment for the batteries to live in. The meg has never had batteries open to the loop. It has two seperate, solid acetal 1 ATA housings with a serious O ring and a o ring sealed connector to transmit power through the bulkhead. A mag reed switch handles the hard power control.

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Skipbreather

Hi Joe-

I too was skeptical re the 9ah rating.

Using even your 20 & 30 ma load numbers, the alternate cells give 85% ~ 90% of the Saft life. That would cut down their expected life in service to “only” 180 hours for the primary and 360 hours for the secondary. After reading about the HH’s battery munching appetite & similar issues some Inspo owners face, 180 hours doesn’t seem to shabby.

I guess in the end it all comes down to economics. Getting even 90% of the Saft’s life for only 1/3 the cost (when hazmat shipping is taken into account) works fine for me.

One advantage Meg owners w/ APECS 2.0 handsets have is the system monitor function. At any time I can access battery voltage both no load and, for the primary, under load as well. It really helps keeping an eye on things. It was especially handy this winter when I put together a connector & experimented w/ a common 9v alkaline in the primary side. After 5 hours of normal use (i.e., firing solenoid at normal demand) it was still showing above 7 volts, even under load. For me that translates into one hard/ two easy days of diving. That little connector and a sealed 9v battery now reside in my save-a-dive kit. Disclaimer: I do NOT know if or how well this would work w/ handsets other than the APECS 2.0 series. Investigate at your own risk.

Hope this helps-

Best,
Ken

jradomski

I didn't price the batteries, I was merely pointing out the mAh rating can be misleading.. A higher number doesnt always translate into better performance.. The larger cells like c handle current surges better than smaller cells like AA, and don't degrade as much with reasonable current spikes....

I felt its prudent pointing out the cells will last 85-90% of the saft versions not ~16% longer.. Thats a pretty large swing in endurance.. Either way it looks like a good way to go..

I haven't tried shipping C cells, I have never had a problem with AA or 1/2 aa cells even in "bulk" so I stick with the saft cells even though I personally don't like supporting a certain countries products... They seem to have the best ratings across the board..

__________________
Joe Radomski
CCR Trimix Instructor Trainer
ANDI Instructor Trainer Director #10

All posts are personal opinions and DO NOT reflect any affiliated agency unless specifically stated.

PacketSniffer

Ken,

What was the outcome on these batteries? Did they perform as advertised?

If not, are the Saft batteries still the way to go then?


Thanks

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RonMicjan

I just got in 50 of the c lithium, from taderian (spell?) and will be making up some packs tomorrow to play with. guessing I will sell a few at $40 a pack when I get them done. What did your cells ending up costing Ken?

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Skipbreather

Hi Richard-

Cells haven’t missed a beat. Have not been out of rig since last winter. After diving all season- and doing various endurence testing on scrubbers- primary is still showing about 6.9 v no load and 6.7~6.6 v under load. Secondary is obviously better. Verdict is I’m already $$$ ahead over the higher priced brands.

Link to site: Primary Lithium thionyl chloride Battery C Size 3.6V 9.0 Ah , same as LS26500 and ER26500 etc - LM-ER26500


Hi Ron-

If you buy just 5 at a shot even w/ the mega $0.25 upcharge for spot welded tabs, they’re still under $10 each. Buy 51 cells and with tabs still under $9 each. And no hazmat shipping charge. The gold plated pins were about 50 cents each and the Molex connectors about 25 cents each.

50 cells just to “play with”?

Seriously, though, no matter how folks go about it some form of C cell lithium battery pack is the way to go. Think about it: Isn’t it orders of magnitude better to only have to change batteries every other YEAR instead of every other DIVE (like some electronics that will remain , well, nameless ) ?

Very best,
Ken

RonMicjan

I wasnt charged hazmat, but there is a marking on the box forbidding passenger aircraft for shipping, they came ground and cause lithium cells are so light, it was only about $10 to ship them : )

build day got pushed back, going to do it today

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schford

Can I sweet talk you into doing 4 for me and *coughs* airmailing them over?

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trob09

This is the thing I miss the most about my original Meg electonics. What I absolutely don't miss is wondering if the PO2 displayed is accurate - or even close - to what's in the loop.

Changing batteries is a small price to pay for stable and accurate PO2 readings...