Make an NiMH battery pack to power your electrical device.
A nickel metal hydride (NiMH) battery is a rechargeable battery that produces 1.2v output, the same as a nickel cadmium (NiCd) battery. However, many electrical items need a higher voltage to operate, so you must use a battery pack to power the device, and it can be expensive. A less expensive alternative is to make your own NiMH battery pack. Wire the NiMH batteries in series and make a battery pack that produces the voltage you need.
Instructions
1. Check the voltage specification on the label of the electrical equipment you intend to power using your NiMH battery pack. Divide the voltage on the label by 1.2. The result is the number of NiMH batteries you need to purchase. If the answer is not a complete number, round it down or up to the nearest complete number. For example, if the voltage on the label is 8v, 8 divided by 1.2 equals 6.67, so round it up to 7.
2. Place the NiMH batteries you want to make into a battery pack on a table. Lay them flat, then alternate the batteries' terminals by turning every other battery in the line around. For example, if you are using six batteries, turn three batteries 180 degrees so you end up having three positive and three negative terminals at one end and the same on the other end. It makes wiring in series easier. The batteries are labeled "+" for positive on one end, and "-" for negative the other.
3. Put a number on each battery using a pen. If you are using six batteries, label them 1 through 6. Wrap insulating tape around the batteries so they are held together in a pack.
4. Cut strips of AWG 18 gauge wire using a knife. The number of strips you need depends on the number of batteries you are using to make your NiMH battery pack. You always need one more strip than the batteries in your pack. Two of them need to be long enough to connect between the battery pack and the device the battery pack powers, while the others only need to be about 1 inch long. For example, if you are using six batteries, use five 1-inch strips and two long strips, making seven in total.
5. Use wire strippers and remove just under ¼ inch of outer plastic off the ends of all the strips of wire. This exposes the metal core that connects to the NiMH battery terminals.
6. Heat a soldering iron to operating temperature. Put the end of one of the long strips of wire on the positive terminal of the battery you labeled "1." Touch the soldering iron onto the wire and battery terminal and introduce some solder. Let the solder melt onto the wire and terminal, then remove the soldering iron and let the solder solidify.
7. Put the end of one of the small strips of wire onto the negative terminal of battery 1. Place the soldering iron on the wire and terminal, and melt some solder. Remove the soldering iron and let the solder solidify.
8. Connect the opposite end of the short wire from the negative terminal of battery 1 to the positive terminal of battery 2, using the soldering iron and solder as before.
9. Repeat the process by attaching a short strip of wire to the next negative terminal of the next numbered battery, and the opposite end to the positive terminal of the next numbered battery, until you have attached the last end of a short strip of wire to the last numbered positive terminal in the battery pack. Use the solder and soldering iron as before to attach the wires.
10. Attach one end of the remaining long strip of wire to the negative terminal of the last numbered battery in your pack, using the soldering iron and solder. Turn off the soldering iron.
11. Let the batteries completely cool. Wrap insulating tape around the whole pack, including the wired terminals, once the batteries are cool.
12. Connect the opposite ends of the two long wires attached to the positive terminal of battery 1 and the negative terminal of the last numbered battery in your pack to your electrical device. Turn on your device and your self-made NiMH battery pack powers your device.
Tags: battery pack, soldering iron, NiMH battery, terminal battery, negative terminal, NiMH battery pack, positive terminal