Opening up Kenwood battery pack
J.D. Cronin
I'd like to replace the NiCad cells in the battery pack for
my Kenwood TH-77A. It's the standard PB-6 pack. There are
no screws visible, and none under the "Kenwood" label on the
side. An experimental pry along the seams yielded nothing.
Is this a lost cause? It looks like the entire thing was glued.
At least Radio Shack had the decency to use screws. Any
ideas?
73...Jim
N2VNO
wa2...@arch4.ho.att.com
glue joint was weak on one side of the pack. Also the glue joint
appears to be spotty rather than continous around the joint.
I pushed on the joint with a needle nose plyers. That broke the joint.
I then made a tool by bending a ground lug into the shape of an L.
I was then able to slide the ground lug around the joint on three
of the four sides (top surface is not glued).
The pack then opened up. I replaced the cells and wrapped them with
double sided carpet tape and put the case back together.
I used no glue, just the double sided tape.
I had a small amount of damage on the case where the solder lug
slipped, but overall, no worse than scratches from use.
Alternate solution:
Haven't tried this one. I was told that putting the case in the
freezer makes the glue brittle and then the glue joints will break
when hit or pushed on with an object.
Joe Wilkes
Dan Hughes
>
>I'd like to replace the NiCad cells in the battery pack for
>my Kenwood TH-77A. It's the standard PB-6 pack. There are
>no screws visible, and none under the "Kenwood" label on the
>side. An experimental pry along the seams yielded nothing.
Hi Jim, I was at a hamfest this weekend and I asked Mr. Nicad himself
about the Kenwood pack. He said that it is virtually impossible to open
it without destroying it. He sells repacks for it, but he said for the
grief involved most people just buy a new unit (I think his price was
about $45).
Nonetheless, I plan on tearing into mine rather than just throwing it away.
---Dan
--
Jim Holtzman
> J.D. Cronin wrote:
> > I'd like to replace the NiCad cells in the battery pack...
> >There are no screws visible...It looks like the entire thing was glued.
> Either glued or sonic welded, which amounts to the same thing. The only way
> I"ve found is to cut the case apart using a very sharp hobby knife. Be
> very, very careful, as you have to exert a lot of force, and one slip could
> cost you a finger. The case can be reassembled with glue pretty well, but
> it will never be perfect. Good luck.
> Mike, N4PDY
I have been able to open some battery packs by breaking them open. The
advantage is that there is no kerf, that is, gap caused by the cutting
instrument. I have found the best way to break the case is to put it into
the vise and apply pressure in the right spots. It usually breaks, or cracks
along the glue seams. You may have to do some additional prying with a
screwdriver to completely open the case. Some battery packs use very strange
cells that I have not been able to locate.
Hope this helps.
James Holtzman kc6ncg (holt...@shazam.ecs.csus.edu)
J.D. Cronin
I'll try the cold/break glue method, then go for more destructive
techniques.
Here's another criteria for selecting HT's: Look for one that lets
you easily replace the cells when they finally die. Icom/Radio
Shack win on that one. Are there any others that use screws? Are
all the aftermarket packs assembled with screws, or do they glue
too?
73...Jim
N2VNO
Dan Hughes
>I'll try the cold/break glue method, then go for more destructive
>techniques.
Please post your results, Jim, because I'm eager to try to get into mine
too. Thanks! ---Dan
--
Michael L. Ardai
-Here's another criteria for selecting HT's: Look for one that lets
-you easily replace the cells when they finally die.
Instead of getting regular packs, get the AA pack and load it with NiCds.
It is cheaper, trivial to replace cells, and thanks to the walkman, you
can find alkaline AAs anywhere if the NiCds die while working a public
service event. (I know this won't be a good replacement for high current
or higher voltage packs, but it works for most people.)
/mike
--
\|/ Michael L. Ardai N1IST Teradyne ATB, Boston MA
-*- -------------------------------------------------------------------------
/|\ ar...@maven.dnet.teradyne.com n1...@netcom.com
VR2XVI
:
: I'd like to replace the NiCad cells in the battery pack for
: my Kenwood TH-77A. It's the standard PB-6 pack. There are
: At least Radio Shack had the decency to use screws.........
:
: 73...Jim
: N2VNO
They use ultrasonic to fuse-up the battery case for
a waterproof (and lower cost of course). If you
think screws is a good idea you have to think about
who pay for that screw first.
OK! Back to your PB-6, if you want to open it up,
you need a thin blade, point it to the fusion line,
give it a hit with a hammer. For a better result,
you need some practice. DON'T hit it too heavy or
you'll break it into pieces. Use chloroform to
stick it up after you replace the NiCds if you're
luckily to find some.
- Philips Wong, VR2XVI
Michael Stratford-Collins
>J.D. Cronin wrote:
>> I'd like to replace the NiCad cells in the battery pack...
>>There are no screws visible...It looks like the entire thing was glued.
>Either glued or sonic welded, which amounts to the same thing. The only way
>I"ve found is to cut the case apart using a very sharp hobby knife. Be
>very, very careful, as you have to exert a lot of force, and one slip could
>cost you a finger. The case can be reassembled with glue pretty well, but
>it will never be perfect. Good luck.
>Mike, N4PDY
I've been successful using a 2", blunt chisel in the slot where the
2 halves join. With a series of sharp blows from a hammer, I have
been able to break the weld, leaving the plastic intact to allow it
to be re-glued (now you see why a *blunt* chisel is required :-).
Good luck,
Michael Stratford Collins (KC6TCU)
--
col...@acuson.com
George Lyle (233789)
I've also gone the chisel route with my Icom BP-84 packs. I used
a sharp chisel and smacked it with the heel of my hand instead of
a hammer. On the Icom packs, you have to break loose a panel
on the bottom of the pack for access. Two common 3-cell ni-cad
AA cordless telephone packs from Radio Shack fit nicely with
slightly less capacity than the originals (but more than the dead
pack :-) ). Back on the air for less than $20.00!
George Lyle, N7TNJ