Critterhunter
New member
I wanted to add one more aspect in more detail to the battery sticky, but didn't want to muck it up more than I already have, as links are more approapiate in stickys of course. So here it is...
Of particular interest for packs you can't buy anymore for older models before the Elite, but also of note for Excal/Elite/GT users...
Far as I know all Sovereign packs are 10 cells wired in series so you can tell them that, but confirm that on you're own. I'm only speaking of Elite/GT packs, which are 10 cells in series. I'd also ask them to install smaller physical cells than Sub-As (elite/GT) or Sub-Cs (I think were used in at least some older Sovereigns). Easy to do in the stock GT/Elite holder, but if the pack is loose and not inside a container on an older Sovereign and doesn't require it's physical size to snug up in the control box then you can do that with them as well for less weight. Shoot for at least Sub-As if you can if your older Sovereign used Sub-Cs, or regular size AAs or perhaps AAAs in a Elite or GT pack to lighten the weight up. You can get those size cells in higher capacity than the old stock cells, even though those were bigger in physical size.
It's always a rule to only replace cells with the same type, meaning nimhs for nimhs or nicads for nicads. IF the older Sovereigns are using a charging circuit (not sure on that, but I think they don't) that means it's specific to that battery type and so you must use the same type (nimh or nicad). I *think* Kered said the XS only had a diode and termister (if that), which I *think* is only to prevent the pack draining when it's still plugged into the charger but the charger is not plugged into the wall (diode), or might have been needed due to the nature of possible AC current from the wall transformer being converted to DC for the battery, and the thermister is a safety feature that will open if the pack gets too hot during charging (or say overcharging). I think this is the same with the Excals, and that Kered was building packs for his XS and Excal without using those and still using the stock charger (if they had them in the first place)...
BUT, you be sure to check that out on your own...Because I don't own an Excal or an older Sovereign and tinkering around with the wrong thing might cause a fire or worse, but IF that's the case then it wouldn't matter if you replaced nicads with nimhs because you just have a simple wall transformer putting out a steady current, and the diode and resister aren't part of a more elaborate charging circuit meant only for say Nicads, so he might have even left them out when building a new pack for the stock charger, or at least because he was using an aftermarket charger.
Again, do NOT take my word on this. Dig up some old threads from Kered in this forum and in the Modifications forum. Search for "Kered" user name in the mods forum, and to narrow it down in the Sovereign forum search for user name Kered and perhaps "battery" for the search word, ALL DATES. He has experience with the older XS and the Excal and I do not, so don't trust what I'm telling you or you risk a fire or worse. What I can tell you is this, they either had no components or might have only had a diode and thermistor, and if they did he might have even left those out when building a new pack and charging with the stock charger, or at least with an aftermarket charger since it has it's own safety features. Again, confirm on your own, and don't listen to me. Not responsible if you burn your house down or blow up your machine, and that goes for any of the battery info I've given on the forums.
Always verify on your own from other sources. Always a good idea when playing with chargers and batteries.
One more disclaimer...A thermister is designed to open when the battery gets too hot due to overcharging or some other problem. If you don't use one on a new pack and are using the stock charger you are jumping without a parachute, so to speak, where you don't have a safety net to catch you should you fall in a manner of speaking. Aftermarket chargers have various safety features to avoid problems, but a primative wall transformer that comes with the Sovereign or Excal doesn't, so that thermistor IMO is a VERY good idea to use on any new pack, along with the diode just in case it serves more of a purse then preventing the pack from discharging if the wall charger is unplugged, such as being needed to convert an AC output to DC (I'm not sure if the wall transformer outputs AC or DC, but the current needs to be DC to charge the pack, so the diode might be needed.
There, I sprinkeled a ton of disclaimers and warnings throught the various threads and links, but there is always room for one more. Playing with this stuff is not a game. Don't mess around unless you know what you are doing and get your info from several trustworthy sources. My opinions are just that and I don't claim them to be facts.
Of particular interest for packs you can't buy anymore for older models before the Elite, but also of note for Excal/Elite/GT users...
Far as I know all Sovereign packs are 10 cells wired in series so you can tell them that, but confirm that on you're own. I'm only speaking of Elite/GT packs, which are 10 cells in series. I'd also ask them to install smaller physical cells than Sub-As (elite/GT) or Sub-Cs (I think were used in at least some older Sovereigns). Easy to do in the stock GT/Elite holder, but if the pack is loose and not inside a container on an older Sovereign and doesn't require it's physical size to snug up in the control box then you can do that with them as well for less weight. Shoot for at least Sub-As if you can if your older Sovereign used Sub-Cs, or regular size AAs or perhaps AAAs in a Elite or GT pack to lighten the weight up. You can get those size cells in higher capacity than the old stock cells, even though those were bigger in physical size.
It's always a rule to only replace cells with the same type, meaning nimhs for nimhs or nicads for nicads. IF the older Sovereigns are using a charging circuit (not sure on that, but I think they don't) that means it's specific to that battery type and so you must use the same type (nimh or nicad). I *think* Kered said the XS only had a diode and termister (if that), which I *think* is only to prevent the pack draining when it's still plugged into the charger but the charger is not plugged into the wall (diode), or might have been needed due to the nature of possible AC current from the wall transformer being converted to DC for the battery, and the thermister is a safety feature that will open if the pack gets too hot during charging (or say overcharging). I think this is the same with the Excals, and that Kered was building packs for his XS and Excal without using those and still using the stock charger (if they had them in the first place)...
BUT, you be sure to check that out on your own...Because I don't own an Excal or an older Sovereign and tinkering around with the wrong thing might cause a fire or worse, but IF that's the case then it wouldn't matter if you replaced nicads with nimhs because you just have a simple wall transformer putting out a steady current, and the diode and resister aren't part of a more elaborate charging circuit meant only for say Nicads, so he might have even left them out when building a new pack for the stock charger, or at least because he was using an aftermarket charger.
Again, do NOT take my word on this. Dig up some old threads from Kered in this forum and in the Modifications forum. Search for "Kered" user name in the mods forum, and to narrow it down in the Sovereign forum search for user name Kered and perhaps "battery" for the search word, ALL DATES. He has experience with the older XS and the Excal and I do not, so don't trust what I'm telling you or you risk a fire or worse. What I can tell you is this, they either had no components or might have only had a diode and thermistor, and if they did he might have even left those out when building a new pack and charging with the stock charger, or at least with an aftermarket charger since it has it's own safety features. Again, confirm on your own, and don't listen to me. Not responsible if you burn your house down or blow up your machine, and that goes for any of the battery info I've given on the forums.
Always verify on your own from other sources. Always a good idea when playing with chargers and batteries.One more disclaimer...A thermister is designed to open when the battery gets too hot due to overcharging or some other problem. If you don't use one on a new pack and are using the stock charger you are jumping without a parachute, so to speak, where you don't have a safety net to catch you should you fall in a manner of speaking. Aftermarket chargers have various safety features to avoid problems, but a primative wall transformer that comes with the Sovereign or Excal doesn't, so that thermistor IMO is a VERY good idea to use on any new pack, along with the diode just in case it serves more of a purse then preventing the pack from discharging if the wall charger is unplugged, such as being needed to convert an AC output to DC (I'm not sure if the wall transformer outputs AC or DC, but the current needs to be DC to charge the pack, so the diode might be needed.
There, I sprinkeled a ton of disclaimers and warnings throught the various threads and links, but there is always room for one more.
Playing with this stuff is not a game. Don't mess around unless you know what you are doing and get your info from several trustworthy sources. My opinions are just that and I don't claim them to be facts. 