Re: (ET) battery drainage question

[Christopher Zach <cz alembic crystel com>]

George Stoneberg wrote:
> David,
>
> Good point, all my NiCad experience is with battery packs, not 
> individual cells and is from about 20-30 years ago.  When we let our 
> packs go all the way dead, sometimes one ore more of the cells would 
> fail and need to be replaced.  I defer to your greater experience with 
> NiCads.  Personally though, I am happy to move away from NiCads.

Actually it has been my experience that flooded BB600 NiCDs really don't 
reverse much. When they hit empty they usually have pretty high 
resistance which drops the tractor below 30 volts. Once you go below 30 
volts the contactors drop out and that's pretty much that.

30 volts is also 1.0vpc with 30 cells. Which is a good bit higher than 
the "empty" voltage of .8vpc.

> There are certainly places for NiCads, but in an EV lithiums are the 
> future.  They are beginning to automate some of the assembly of the new 
> packs.  Hopefully prices will drop as they develop better manufacturing 
> methods.

I would gladly take anyone's unloved ST5-180's or ST5-100's. I'll even 
pick them up.

Chris