Re: Minorly OT: IT Equipment Express has something that's reasonably priced?

Hi William !


However: the 86$-bill for USPS Express to Europe is a true showstopper.
Something slower but more economical would have done too.


If you'd like to have one, I'd be happy to forward it. $86 seems awfully
high.

Rather steep I'd say and I really would like to get one.
Payment might be a problem - if you are not on PayPal ...

If you get one for your own purposes (it is an original spare part no less they say) - get one for me too.
For payment we need to be creative and ingenious ... ;-)

I would have taken one for my L40SX, since it hasn't got one
anymore I could use to crap out and refurbish with matchin
NiMh-cells.


I worried about using NiMH cells in mine due to the comments made in the
past here on the group regarding the differences between NiCad and NiMH. The
L40SX seems to be coping. I never leave it unattended while
charging...actually, I don't leave any of my "active" laptops plugged in
unattended what with the high numbers of serious battery related fires in
recent times.

Depends on.

Basically the NiCd-chargers are pretty simple designs, while NiMh needs a little more attention ... and I would never try to charge a LiO with it. New generation NiMh cells are similar in behaviour to NiCd (current over time / cell temperature towards charge end) but different in the rush-in current draw on a totally discharged cell. That latter one might cause damage on NiCd chargers, because NiMh cells tend to have 50 - 100% larger capacity (and higher current draw) than their NiCd cousins of same form factor.
Many ads say that the NiMh cells are compatible with NiCd elements (like these AA and AAA batteries that can be used in portable equipment)

On NiMh however it is essential to track cell temperature towards the end of the charge curve and -at least- have an overtemp breaker switch in series with the cells to avoid the worst. There is a reason why commercial NiMh battery packs have a very complex electronic supervisor board inside.

The L40 internal charger is "simple NiCd", which tracks current and voltage and only checks the temperature with a single thermo-resistor. (3rd contact on the battery). It is likely that a substitution with NiMh may work fine as well, but chances are high that the cells never reach their absolute maximum charge level.

--
Very friendly greetings from Peter in Germany
http://members.aol.com/mcapage0/mcaindex.htm

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