Rolleiflex flashgun

The flash gun to my 2.8F Rolleflex camera has gone duff, I opened it up and the Nicad pile battery is sulphated. Crystals formed outside the casing of the battery which is dead. No doubt I will not be able to replace as a Nicad but hopefully a similar type. As it is a pile battery 35mm dia. x 29mm long, where do I look?

You could Google search for NiMh (Nickel metal hydride) cells. They have less memory effect than NiCds and can use the same charger.

Good luck

I would probably start browsing here: **LINK**

https://uk.rs-online.com/web/c/?sra=oss&r=t&searchTerm=pile+nimh+battery

The search filters are pretty good, as is the documentation.

MichaelG.

There used to be company at M E Shows specialising in batteries.

They made me up a replacement for for my Rollei 140 at a reasonable price.

But, of course with Lockdown, they've not been around and weren't at the Fosse last week.

Might be worth looking for batteries for model boats or aircraft.

Howard

Try the Component Shop, based in Wales. Good Luck Noel

When I wanted a NiMh battery stack for my M&W Micro 2000 micrometer, I used AllBattery.
Seamed reasonably priced, with quick delivery
https://www.allbatteries.co.uk/battery-technology/nimh-button-cell.html

Bill

PP3 rechargables have a pile in them.

PS you will have to replace the black -ve wire as well, the gunk travels up it and turns the copper inside the sheath black.

Edited By Dave Halford on 18/10/2022 19:28:29

Clive, I forgot to ask, how many cells in the stack, or what voltage is it?

Bill

Hi Bill it has 3 cells, it's dead so I cannot measure it. I have just cut the shrink sleeve around it and it has leaked white powder all through the pack

£ cells will give you the overall voltage of 3.6v @ 1.2v per cell, but it's a long time since I saw any as big a diameter as that.

This one would fit in the space available, but only 26mm diameter
https://www.allbatteries.co.uk/nimh-battery-pack-3x-v350h-3s1p-st4-3-6v-350mah-mbh0067.html

Varta's catalogue now only goes up to V300H, rather than the one above at 3 x V350H cells.
https://www.varta-ag.com/fileadmin/varta/industry/downloads/products/nickel-metal-hydride/FOLDER_Rechargeable_NiMH_Button_en.pdf

These Varta V350H are listed at AllBattery, and cheaper, but not tagged together and also out of stock, so maybe not made any more.
https://www.allbatteries.co.uk/nimh-industrial-battery-v330h-1-2v-330mah-abh2804.html

Maybe the best option;
It looks like you could stack 3 of these together and get a larger capacity of 600mAH
https://www.allbatteries.co.uk/nimh-button-cell/type-varta-v600hr.html
Since this firm offers specials, they might weld them together into one battery stack for you, which will probably be higher capacity than your original ones.

Several other firms list V600HR individual cells, but are out of stock
This outfit claim to have them with ring tags, so you can solder up your own stacks, but also list a conductive glue at the bottom of the page; I've never used it or the company myself
https://www.smallbattery.company.org.uk/sbc_industrial_nimh.htm#NC-4-5AA

What make/model of flash is it? Electronic strobe, or for setting off flash bulbs?

Bill

Edited By peak4 on 19/10/2022 01:43:15

Hi again Bill, it's a Rolleiflex flash gun, I have had it since new, maybe mid 70's. Matches the Rollei 2.8F camera I have. I never see the Rolei flash guns of that age for sale anywhere.

I will follow up the recomendations you have offered. Clive

That nice Mr Butkus might have a manual for the flashgun

**LINK**

https://www.butkus.org/chinon/rollei/rollei_flash_units/rollei_flash_units.htm

but I will leave it you, Clive, to recognise the specific model

MichaelG.

Clive , Are you sure they Nicads and not DEACS ?

Trevor .

What's the difference?

I thought DEACS were a manufactures name for circular Nicad packs used in R/C models many, many years ago.

Edited By Howi on 19/10/2022 09:36:54

Howi , Yes , that's my recollection too . Think it was the German manufacturers initials and also don't know if they were of nickel cadmium construction. What I can't remember is what the voltage per cell . I think it may have been 1.2 volt . My point was that if it was lower than that , then wondered if replacing them with Nicads may damage the circuitry.

Trevor .

From a different forum, though the info looks correct from what I recall; in Clives case 3 cell not 4, so 3.6V

It looks very like the old airborne Ni-Cad batteries we used to use in the 1960s. These were 4 cell, giving 4.8v, and were a distinctive button cell, initially made by the Deutsche Edison Akkumulatoren Company GmbH. So they were generally known as DEACs (even when they weren't made by them...!

Bill

Q.E.D.

**LINK**

https://www.radiomuseum.org/r/deac_nickel_cadmium_akkumulat.html

MichaelG.

Thank you for another excellent link Michael .

Trevor.

Thank you Michael, the flash identifies as model E19.

I have printed off the user manual and the spec. says the battery is NIcad 5v223 mAh.

I can now follow up Bills pointers.

Thank you