Rechargeable Batteries

Forums › Gadgets, robotics, home automation, electronics (including wearables) › Rechargeable Batteries

MurrayM

2455 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#129080 3-Sep-2013 11:16

A while ago I purchased a rechargeable battery pack for my Wii Balance Board but it wouldn't power the board. I left it charging for 12 hours, as instructed, but when I put it in the board and pressed the power button the blue light wouldn't come on. I put in some normal batteries and it worked fine, so I figured the battery pack was no good and I returned it for a refund.

Now I've purchased some rechargeable NiMH batteries and charged them up, but again the board won't turn on with them in (works fine with normal Alkaline batteries). The rechargeable's work ok in other devices, so they are working, just not in the balance board.

Does anyone know why this is? The balance board manual says it can be used with NiMH batteries.

Has it got anything to do with the fact that normal batteries are 1.5 volts, and therefore the four that go in the balance board would put out 6 volts, but rechargeable's are only 1.2 volts, making a total of 4.8 volts for four. Is this simply not enough to power the balance board? But if this is true then the rechargeable battery pack I bought specially for the balance board would never work, so why would a company make something that doesn't work?

andrewNZ

2487 posts

Uber Geek
Inactive user

#888855 3-Sep-2013 11:30

I can't recall if I've ever used rechargeable batteries in mine.

Anyway, it should work, the manual says NiMH batteries are OK, and all NiMH batteries are 1.2v so that shouldn't have any effect. There is a chance the board or the battery pack you purchased is a dud.

So stupid question time... The batteries are all inserted the correct way around?

MurrayM

2455 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#888860 3-Sep-2013 11:40

Not a stupid question at all! But yes, the batteries were inserted the right way around. After trying the new rechargeables that I bought (and after charging them up) I tried some other rechargeables that I normall use for my camera and they wouldn't work either. So that's three sets of rechargeables that I've tried and none of them will power my balance board. I tried them in the Wii remotes and they work ok there.

I also tried the battery pack that I bought in another balance board before I returned them, and it didn't work in that board either.

The only thing I can think of is that 4.8 volts simply isn't enough to power the board. But then why are there so many different rechargeable battery packs around for the balance board? Amazon is full of them! Although many of the reviews I've read on Amazon say they don't last long or they created a burning smell...

The one I bought looked like this:

Oblivian

7296 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

#888873 3-Sep-2013 12:00

Thats the knockoff market for you.. make something people want. No matter if it works or not as the return cost is likely too high so income SCORE :)

Check the full power ratings of device vs batteries and use online calculator. You might find it needs more current than the batteries can supply @ 1.2. Especially if they have feedback motors etc

russelo

328 posts

Ultimate Geek

#888874 3-Sep-2013 12:02

This happened to me a number of times with different devices.

Closely inspect all the battery terminals and make sure they make contact with the wii board's terminal when you put them in. Sometimes even when you see they're touching, they don't have enough contact to pass the current through. Use a multimeter if necessary.

In my case, I either have to solder a small amount of led on the battery to reach the device's terminal or I shave off some plastics from the device's so the battery can touch the terminal.

MurrayM

2455 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#888875 3-Sep-2013 12:04

russelo: This happened to me a number of times with different devices.

Closely inspect all the battery terminals and make sure they make contact with the wii board's terminal when you put them in. Sometimes even when you see they're touching, they don't have enough contact to pass the current through. Use a multimeter if necessary.

In my case, I either have to solder a small amount of led on the battery to reach the device's terminal or I shave off some plastics from the device's so the battery can touch the terminal.

Hmm, good point! Time to break out the multimeter when I get home tonight.

MurrayM

2455 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#888880 3-Sep-2013 12:06

Oblivian: Thats the knockoff market for you.. make something people want. No matter if it works or not as the return cost is likely too high so income SCORE :)

Check the full power ratings of device vs batteries and use online calculator. You might find it needs more current than the batteries can supply @ 1.2. Especially if they have feedback motors etc

I'll have to do some Googling to try and find the power rating for the board, I don't think I noticed anything like that in the manual.

Niel

3267 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#889168 3-Sep-2013 18:47

4x 1.5 = 6V
4x 1.2 = 4.8V
Although Alkaline batteries run down to 1V or less, the bulk of the curve is higher especially at low current. There is a chance the design requires close to 5V to work (perhaps 3.3V regulator with 1.2V drop-out with 0.3V diode input protection = 4.8V). Suggest you buy 2x LiFePO4 cells which are 3.2V each (2.5V discharged) and a purpose made LiFePO4 charger. Fast/normal charging requires a current limited 3.65V per cell and charge termination, or float charging requires 3.45V.

You can never have enough Volvos!

Equinox IT

Cloud spending continues to surge globally, but most organisations haven’t made the changes necessary to maximise the value and cost-efficiency benefits of their cloud investments. Download the whitepaper From Overspend to Advantage now.

tchart

2379 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

Trusted

#889177 3-Sep-2013 19:00

I got some rechargeable AAs from the warehouse and they work in some devices and not others. Basically the contact on the + end is too short/stubby and doesn't make contact.

MurrayM

2455 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#889192 3-Sep-2013 19:30

Niel: 4x 1.5 = 6V
4x 1.2 = 4.8V
Although Alkaline batteries run down to 1V or less, the bulk of the curve is higher especially at low current. There is a chance the design requires close to 5V to work (perhaps 3.3V regulator with 1.2V drop-out with 0.3V diode input protection = 4.8V). Suggest you buy 2x LiFePO4 cells which are 3.2V each (2.5V discharged) and a purpose made LiFePO4 charger. Fast/normal charging requires a current limited 3.65V per cell and charge termination, or float charging requires 3.45V.

Thanks for the info, I just don't know enough about this stuff!

anth

15 posts

Geek

#895652 14-Sep-2013 17:39

MurrayM: The balance board manual says it can be used with NiMH batteries.

Has it got anything to do with the fact that normal batteries are 1.5 volts, and therefore the four that go in the balance board would put out 6 volts, but rechargeable's are only 1.2 volts, making a total of 4.8 volts for four. Is this simply not enough to power the balance board?

I've got 1.2V NiMH AA rechargeables in both my balance board and wiimotes. The work fine.