How to tell if cordless batteries are C or sub-C?

[Chris Green]

I'm thinking of re-celling some Metabo cordless batteries, do I have
to break open the battery pack to tell what size the cells are or is
there an easier/obvious way?

--
Chris Green
·

[Dave Plowman (News)]

In article <spu09i-...@esprimo.zbmc.eu>,

Chris Green <c...@isbd.net> wrote:
> I'm thinking of re-celling some Metabo cordless batteries, do I have
> to break open the battery pack to tell what size the cells are or is
> there an easier/obvious way?

I've only ever seen Sub-C in a power tool.

--
*Some people are alive only because it's illegal to kill them *

Dave Plowman da...@davenoise.co.uk London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

[Sysadmin]

On Sat, 18 Dec 2021 12:24:27 +0000, Dave Plowman (News) wrote:

> In article <spu09i-...@esprimo.zbmc.eu>,
> Chris Green <c...@isbd.net> wrote:
>> I'm thinking of re-celling some Metabo cordless batteries, do I have to
>> break open the battery pack to tell what size the cells are or is there
>> an easier/obvious way?
>
> I've only ever seen Sub-C in a power tool.

Is that the old U2 size..?

[Andy Burns]

Sysadmin wrote:

> Dave Plowman wrote:

>
>> Chris Green wrote:
>>
>>> I'm thinking of re-celling some Metabo cordless batteries, do I have to
>>> break open the battery pack to tell what size the cells are or is there
>>> an easier/obvious way?
>>
>> I've only ever seen Sub-C in a power tool.

Though beware of different lengths and diameters of sub-C

> Is that the old U2 size..?

No, U2/SP2/HP2 are "D" sized

[Chris Green]

Andy Burns <use...@andyburns.uk> wrote:
> Sysadmin wrote:
>
> > Dave Plowman wrote:
> >
> >> Chris Green wrote:
> >>
> >>> I'm thinking of re-celling some Metabo cordless batteries, do I have to
> >>> break open the battery pack to tell what size the cells are or is there
> >>> an easier/obvious way?
> >>
> >> I've only ever seen Sub-C in a power tool.
>
> Though beware of different lengths and diameters of sub-C
>

So there's "sub-c" and "sub-c" as it were?!

I'm some of the way to getting the battery case open, it's glued
together so I'm slowly cutting through the joins with a knife. I guess
I'll have to measure the cells and trust the seller (any
recommendations?) to tell me the size of their cells correctly.

> > Is that the old U2 size..?
>
> No, U2/SP2/HP2 are "D" sized
>

I was going to say that! :-)

--
Chris Green
·

[Dave Plowman (News)]

In article <j26792...@mid.individual.net>,

Andy Burns <use...@andyburns.uk> wrote:
> Sysadmin wrote:

> > Dave Plowman wrote:
> >
> >> Chris Green wrote:
> >>
> >>> I'm thinking of re-celling some Metabo cordless batteries, do I have
> >>> to break open the battery pack to tell what size the cells are or is
> >>> there an easier/obvious way?
> >>
> >> I've only ever seen Sub-C in a power tool.

> Though beware of different lengths and diameters of sub-C

Yes. Only way to be sure is to measure what you've got.

> > Is that the old U2 size..?

> No, U2/SP2/HP2 are "D" sized

--
*He's not dead - he's electroencephalographically challenged

[Martin Brown]

On 18/12/2021 14:13, Chris Green wrote:
> Andy Burns <use...@andyburns.uk> wrote:
>> Sysadmin wrote:
>>
>>> Dave Plowman wrote:
>>>
>>>> Chris Green wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> I'm thinking of re-celling some Metabo cordless batteries, do I have to
>>>>> break open the battery pack to tell what size the cells are or is there
>>>>> an easier/obvious way?
>>>>
>>>> I've only ever seen Sub-C in a power tool.
>>
>> Though beware of different lengths and diameters of sub-C
>>
> So there's "sub-c" and "sub-c" as it were?!
>
> I'm some of the way to getting the battery case open, it's glued
> together so I'm slowly cutting through the joins with a knife. I guess
> I'll have to measure the cells and trust the seller (any
> recommendations?) to tell me the size of their cells correctly.

The only way is to measure their dimensions as accurately as you can.

Sometimes the plastic case will physically take full size C cells even
if it was fitted with sub C. Strikes me as the battery equivalent of
shrinkflation since you cannot see from outside what size they fitted.

I have seen sub-C with a ~2mm thick sticky tape on their circumference
to make up the difference. I expect they are smaller *and* cheaper...

--
Regards,
Martin Brown

[The Natural Philosopher]

No.

C cells were different - more U11 IIRC

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_battery_sizes

will tell you want size a sub C is and let you know if it's what's in
your pack - 99% it is, though


--
WOKE is an acronym... Without Originality, Knowledge or Education.

[Brian Gaff (Sofa)]

Size of pack vs voltage derived? I mean you can get more sub cs in than Cs.
However I came unstuck some years ago with a Sony Ni Cad pack for a cassette
recorder, it seemed to hardly have much life at all, That was because the
flashy housing was D sized but the batteries inside were C sized due to the
battery charging and monitoring circuit. Much better when you simply remote
charged D cells and changed them when they were going down!

Brian

--

This newsgroup posting comes to you directly from...
The Sofa of Brian Gaff...
bri...@blueyonder.co.uk
Blind user, so no pictures please
Note this Signature is meaningless.!
"Chris Green" <c...@isbd.net> wrote in message
news:spu09i-...@esprimo.zbmc.eu...

[Brian Gaff (Sofa)]

Sub C is a shorter length of C in my experience. One also has to beware of
Alas hidden inside C cases and the same with cs inside D cases.

Brian

--

This newsgroup posting comes to you directly from...
The Sofa of Brian Gaff...
bri...@blueyonder.co.uk
Blind user, so no pictures please
Note this Signature is meaningless.!

"Sysadmin" <j...@home.net> wrote in message
news:spkldj$ard$1...@dont-email.me...

[Andy Burns]

Brian Gaff wrote:

> Sub C is a shorter length of C in my experience.

Most are shorter e.g 1/2, 2/3 or 4/5 length; but some are longer e.g 5/4 or 4/3
length, but are called "sub" because of reduced diameter

[The Natural Philosopher]

Utter crap. Sub C has an *exactly* defined meaning. An *exactly* defined
size. "Sub C batteries look like a small version of a Standard C size
cell. They measure 23mm in diameter by 43mm in length. "
End of.


--
In theory, there is no difference between theory and practice.
In practice, there is.
-- Yogi Berra

[Andy Burns]

The Natural Philosopher wrote:

> Sub C has an *exactly* defined meaning. An *exactly* defined size.
> "Sub C batteries look like a small version of a Standard C size cell. They
> measure 23mm in diameter by 43mm in length. "

So a company like Panasonic wouldn't make a 4/5 length sub-C then?

<https://www.farnell.com/datasheets/1422836.pdf>

> End of.

[The Natural Philosopher]

On 19/12/2021 15:26, Andy Burns wrote:
> The Natural Philosopher wrote:
>
>> Sub C has an *exactly* defined meaning. An *exactly* defined size.
>> "Sub C batteries look like a small version of a Standard C size cell.
>> They measure 23mm in diameter by 43mm in length. "
>
> So a company like Panasonic wouldn't make a 4/5 length sub-C then?

No

>
> <https://www.farnell.com/datasheets/1422836.pdf>

That is not a sub C. It even says so at the top.

I am not arguing what sizes of batteries people make. I am stating what
the industry standard Sub C size is.

Sub C, rightly or wrongly, because a specific size and was the most
commonly sold NiCd/NiMh cell for power use.

I think the 2/3AA was the next most common



--
For in reason, all government without the consent of the governed is the
very definition of slavery.

Jonathan Swift