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Easy battery re-cell solution for Cinema Products CP16 cameras?


Eric Niemi

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Hello everyone,

Hope this message finds everyone safe and well.

I'm trying to find an easy and affordable way to re-cell my CP16 battery and I think buying TWO of these and stuffing them in the existing battery container might work!

https://www.amazon.com/Qsmily-Rechargeable-Connector-Suitable-Aircraft/dp/B08LH66LG7

It looks like you would simply solder the two batteries together in series and then solder to the positive and negative ports in your battery box.

Does anyone see a possible problem with this approach?

Would it work and still allow use of the original NiCad charger?

-Eric

 

Screen Shot 2021-09-06 at 4.34.51 PM.png

Edited by Eric Niemi
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What you’re thinking of doing is pretty similar to what I did.

If you crack open one of the original packs, however, you’ll see the cells are side by side vertically, and 16 total cells fit in.

So I bought these:

2x Exell Custom 9.6V 800mAh (8xAA) NiCd Battery Pack https://www.amazon.com/dp/B088G27D9M/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_CE4W4R3CT8EY9975PYBK

Then I measured the original pack casing, rebuilt it in 3D, and 3D printed a new casing for it. I can share the design with you if you’d be interested. (Possibly print you some too?)

For the type of batteries I bought, soldering them in series was the hardest/scariest part, because I had to solder leads to the battery contacts themselves, which is potentially dangerous. If you can find a pack that has leads coming off like in the link you showed, that would be safer.

I soldered the leads to little crimpable metal contacts that I hot glued to the openings where the cameras pins enter the casing. Hot glued all the cells in, hot glued the case cover on. Voila. 
 

I can add pictures of the finished product when I get to my camera (currently displaced due to Hurricane Ida). Also if I make another pack I can take pictures of the process a bit more possibly.

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23 hours ago, Tyler Purcell said:

Well, you can't really get the plastic housings apart without destroying them. Which is why people generally just buy re-celled batteries which have new plastic housings. 

Gotcha... yeah, didn't think of that. They look like they might fit in the box but looking at the battery box I can see if I try and pry it apart it will probably all break up to pieces.

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20 hours ago, Levi Porter said:

What you’re thinking of doing is pretty similar to what I did.

If you crack open one of the original packs, however, you’ll see the cells are side by side vertically, and 16 total cells fit in.

So I bought these:

2x Exell Custom 9.6V 800mAh (8xAA) NiCd Battery Pack https://www.amazon.com/dp/B088G27D9M/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_CE4W4R3CT8EY9975PYBK

Then I measured the original pack casing, rebuilt it in 3D, and 3D printed a new casing for it. I can share the design with you if you’d be interested. (Possibly print you some too?)

For the type of batteries I bought, soldering them in series was the hardest/scariest part, because I had to solder leads to the battery contacts themselves, which is potentially dangerous. If you can find a pack that has leads coming off like in the link you showed, that would be safer.

I soldered the leads to little crimpable metal contacts that I hot glued to the openings where the cameras pins enter the casing. Hot glued all the cells in, hot glued the case cover on. Voila. 
 

I can add pictures of the finished product when I get to my camera (currently displaced due to Hurricane Ida). Also if I make another pack I can take pictures of the process a bit more possibly.

Oh nice... yeah for sure share some pics and thanks for sharing your process here ? 

And no worries on the timetable. Be safe!

Thanks a bunch!

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2 hours ago, Eric Niemi said:

Gotcha... yeah, didn't think of that. They look like they might fit in the box but looking at the battery box I can see if I try and pry it apart it will probably all break up to pieces.

Yea you gotta cut it with something to get it apart. I took a little saw and sliced off the bottom. It worked ok, but it never really glued back together again very well. I wound up just buying new ones from Du-All camera. 

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