I'm thinking of re-celling some Metabo cordless batteries, do I have to break open the battery pack to tell what size the cells are or is there an easier/obvious way?
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2 years ago
How to tell if cordless batteries are C or sub-C?
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- posted
2 years ago
I've only ever seen Sub-C in a power tool.
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2 years ago
Is that the old U2 size..?
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2 years ago
Though beware of different lengths and diameters of sub-C
No, U2/SP2/HP2 are "D" sized
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2 years ago
So there's "sub-c" and "sub-c" as it were?!
I'm some of the way to getting the battery case open, it's glued together so I'm slowly cutting through the joins with a knife. I guess I'll have to measure the cells and trust the seller (any recommendations?) to tell me the size of their cells correctly.
I was going to say that! :-)
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- posted
2 years ago
Yes. Only way to be sure is to measure what you've got.
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2 years ago
The only way is to measure their dimensions as accurately as you can.
Sometimes the plastic case will physically take full size C cells even if it was fitted with sub C. Strikes me as the battery equivalent of shrinkflation since you cannot see from outside what size they fitted.
I have seen sub-C with a ~2mm thick sticky tape on their circumference to make up the difference. I expect they are smaller *and* cheaper...
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- posted
2 years ago
No.
C cells were different - more U11 IIRC
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will tell you want size a sub C is and let you know if it's what's in your pack - 99% it is, though
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- posted
2 years ago
Size of pack vs voltage derived? I mean you can get more sub cs in than Cs. However I came unstuck some years ago with a Sony Ni Cad pack for a cassette recorder, it seemed to hardly have much life at all, That was because the flashy housing was D sized but the batteries inside were C sized due to the battery charging and monitoring circuit. Much better when you simply remote charged D cells and changed them when they were going down!
Brian
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- posted
2 years ago
Sub C is a shorter length of C in my experience. One also has to beware of Alas hidden inside C cases and the same with cs inside D cases.
Brian
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2 years ago
Most are shorter e.g 1/2, 2/3 or 4/5 length; but some are longer e.g 5/4 or 4/3 length, but are called "sub" because of reduced diameter
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2 years ago
Utter crap. Sub C has an *exactly* defined meaning. An *exactly* defined size. "Sub C batteries look like a small version of a Standard C size cell. They measure 23mm in diameter by 43mm in length. " End of.
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2 years ago
So a company like Panasonic wouldn't make a 4/5 length sub-C then?
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- posted
2 years ago
No
That is not a sub C. It even says so at the top.
I am not arguing what sizes of batteries people make. I am stating what the industry standard Sub C size is.
Sub C, rightly or wrongly, because a specific size and was the most commonly sold NiCd/NiMh cell for power use.
I think the 2/3AA was the next most common