From: ghg@en.ecn.purdue.edu (George Goble)
Subject: Re: Best nicads??
Organization: Purdue University Engineering Computer Network
Date: Tue, 15 Dec 92 19:11:44 GMT

In article <1992Dec15.161824.7507@cc.gatech.edu> byron@cc.gatech.edu (Byron A Jeff) writes:
>In article <13635@optilink.COM> walsh@optilink.COM (Mark Walsh) writes:
>>From article <1992Dec12.131021.19612@panix.com>, by schuster@panix.com (Michael Schuster):
>>> In article <rich.724149537@pencil> rich@pencil.cs.missouri.edu (Rich Winkel) writes:
>>
>>#>I seem to recall radio shack (gasp) had among the best nicads, especially
>>#>in the D size, which were something like twice the capacity of all other
>>#>D sized nicads.  The reason is that other brands' D nicads were actually
>>#>C sized nicads camouflaged in D cases.
>>#>Well worth reading.
>>
>>> Are you sure the Radio Shack endorsement didn't just apply to their alkaline
>>> cells? The Radio Shack D nicads are =AA= cells in D cases!
>>
>>From the 1993 Radio Shack catalog:
>>
>>Size      Amp hours
>>----------------------
>>D         1.250
>>C         1.250
>>9V        0.065
>>AA        0.650
>>AAA       0.180
>>N         0.150
>>-- 
>>Mark Walsh (walsh@optilink) -- UUCP: uunet!optilink!walsh
>>AOL: BigCookie -- Amateur Radio: KM6XU@WX3K -- USCF: L10861
>>"What, me worry?" - William M. Gaines, 1922-1992
>
>I don't think that's the version referred to. RS has a line of high capacity
>NiCads (from memory of the 1993 catalog):
>
>Size:     Amp Hours
>-----     ---------
>D         4.3
>C         2.0
>AA        1.6 (I think) 
>
>note the D and C sizes have different capacities.
>
>These are Gold with Blue writing not the normal purple ones.
>
>I'm planning on using a battery pack with the D size batteries for a computer
>I'm building.
>

The Radio Shaft "High-CAP" D cells are great (4AH).  They were even on
sale for $4.95 in Aug, so I went to all three stores and bought 'em all
out (3 or 4 in each store)..Non sale price is $7.95 I think.  "commercial"
4AH D nicads are $12-$13 or so. Of course, during the "sale" none of the
stores could get any. I took this to mean they were being discontinued.
I did get one store manager to order 15 of them for me at the sale
price though.

Back in '87 I built a portable terminal, which used 18 of the RS
High-CAP D's.. It has a Zenith Z-181 Laptop, a Telebit trailblazer,
and a cell phone.  Runs great.. Still on the original cells since
'87.  They only get cycled 4-5 times/year... holds the charge for
months.

The non "high-cap" cells at RS, are the same junk everybody else
peddles, with the D being a C inside.. You can pick up a C and a D
and if they weigh the same, you know what is going on. The High-CAP
D cells are HEAVY.

Alexander battery sells a cell-phone pack for $42 which has six
"A sub F" (like AA, but 0.1 inch larger diameter) which are 1.5 AH!
instead of the usual 0.5-0.6 AH.  I asked Alexander (local rep)
if one can get individual cells, but they are still trying..to find out.

For now, I suppose one has to buy the pack (CL4038-UC) and
"mine" them for the 6 cells.  One can also buy a CL4038-SK
(it is a little less than 2X the price), and "mine" twelve cells
from that pack. (800) 247-1821 or (515) 423-8955.
--ghg