Post by John Cantor on Apr 13, 2020 18:40:46 GMT
This old solar radio is typical of old re-chargeable items. It didn't hold its charge. It only worked in direct sun. Clearly the batteries have lost their umph. This is typical of all sorts of things from battery drills to some old torches. This radio had factory-fitted batteries, so its not simple to replace them.
However, I think many people who might feel a little unconfident about tackling this, could actually do it themselves. Batteries can be bought from ebay, and it could be done without soldering.
Here goes -
The radio came apart easily, having 4 screws (look out for hidden screws behind trim or rubber feet on other models)
I could identify the battery easily. Its the item in photo marked GOLDEN POWER. This is a pack of 3 x AAA batteries, and it tells us they are 600 mAh, milli Amp Hour. This is a measure of its capacity - its size. This battery pack can give 600 mA (0.6 of an amp) for 1 hour when new.. and this capacity drops off over time with use. Each of the 3 batteries will be 600mah at 1.2v. The 3 are joined in series, and still give a total of 600mah, but at 3.6v If you take the old ones apart, the way they are wired can be.
These are solder-tag type, so are normally soldered together, However, if you dont have a soldering iron and solder, you can use a little connector as shown in the photo. You probably need to fold the tag down its length using pliers so that it can push into the connector. The one shown is 5A (amps) rating, so quite small. You will need a small screwdriver.
There are two main type of battery. Ni Cad (nickel cadmium) are the older ones, and are 1.2v. This radio is old, so no doubt had Ni Cad. NiMh (Nickel Metal Hydride) are newer and 1.2 or 1.5v. Its safer to swap like for like, since the charger for each battery type is different, I this case, I have taken the risk, and I am fitting NiMH. Since this is solar charged, I dont think it will be a problem. Batteries are available in different mAh rating, and its safest to fit like for like, but generally, I look for slightly bigger ones. e.g. if the original was 600, then 800 should be fine. 1000 is heading towards double, so a chance of blowing your mains charger. Especially if its a low-cost item.
Anyhow, I am breaking all my recommendations, and fitting MUCH bigger AA batteries, simply because I had some in my collection of batteries.
So, after checking that they would fit in the case, I joined the wires as the were originally, made sure that bare wires were covered with tape to stop accidental 'shorting' by touching something else. I fitted it all back, and hey presto... after years of fading radio when a cloud passes, now it simply keeps going, so long as we keep it in a sunny location.. It lives in our greenhouse.
However, I think many people who might feel a little unconfident about tackling this, could actually do it themselves. Batteries can be bought from ebay, and it could be done without soldering.
Here goes -
The radio came apart easily, having 4 screws (look out for hidden screws behind trim or rubber feet on other models)
I could identify the battery easily. Its the item in photo marked GOLDEN POWER. This is a pack of 3 x AAA batteries, and it tells us they are 600 mAh, milli Amp Hour. This is a measure of its capacity - its size. This battery pack can give 600 mA (0.6 of an amp) for 1 hour when new.. and this capacity drops off over time with use. Each of the 3 batteries will be 600mah at 1.2v. The 3 are joined in series, and still give a total of 600mah, but at 3.6v If you take the old ones apart, the way they are wired can be.
These are solder-tag type, so are normally soldered together, However, if you dont have a soldering iron and solder, you can use a little connector as shown in the photo. You probably need to fold the tag down its length using pliers so that it can push into the connector. The one shown is 5A (amps) rating, so quite small. You will need a small screwdriver.
There are two main type of battery. Ni Cad (nickel cadmium) are the older ones, and are 1.2v. This radio is old, so no doubt had Ni Cad. NiMh (Nickel Metal Hydride) are newer and 1.2 or 1.5v. Its safer to swap like for like, since the charger for each battery type is different, I this case, I have taken the risk, and I am fitting NiMH. Since this is solar charged, I dont think it will be a problem. Batteries are available in different mAh rating, and its safest to fit like for like, but generally, I look for slightly bigger ones. e.g. if the original was 600, then 800 should be fine. 1000 is heading towards double, so a chance of blowing your mains charger. Especially if its a low-cost item.
Anyhow, I am breaking all my recommendations, and fitting MUCH bigger AA batteries, simply because I had some in my collection of batteries.
So, after checking that they would fit in the case, I joined the wires as the were originally, made sure that bare wires were covered with tape to stop accidental 'shorting' by touching something else. I fitted it all back, and hey presto... after years of fading radio when a cloud passes, now it simply keeps going, so long as we keep it in a sunny location.. It lives in our greenhouse.
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