What do you call the metal wires this battery is mounted to? Where to buy? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / beginners

author: jayvee
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: April 02, 2022, 05:40:13 pm
content: Hello,I have a ton of machines with veeder root counters/totalizers. Inside is a battery labeled CR14250P. It is mounted to the circuit board via through-hole soldering of some pretty stout and rigid metal jumper wires that are spot welded to the battery. In the picture, the pieces I am referring to are a lot like a bent paperclip in diameter and rigidity. It isn't really relevant to the question, but I have never seen a battery installed with the case/side used as the negative the way this battery is installed.What I would like help with is what these metal connectors/jumpers might be called and where I might buy them. I assume I'll need to bend them into shape myself, but have struggled to find replacements online. It would be an interesting item to have in stock to use for other purposes beyond this repair.The only other unique thing about them is that the have a flat end that allows a surface for spot welding. I dont know if this was just hammered/pressed flat, but I could always solder some nickel tabs to a wire if I can't buy this wire with a pre-existing flat on the end.I realize that I CAN drill out the existing spot welds and just install a new battery, but I am interested in figuring out where to buy these wires/connectors and what they would be called. After a few replacements, I'll have too many drilled out holes to keep reusing them.One more note... these are rigid enough as to support the weight of the battery, so I can't just use flexible wire.I feel like this may be a dumb question... I apologize... please be gentle, hahaha. Hopefully the picture comes through... this is my first time posting anything here. Thank you!

author: Stray Electron
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 02, 2022, 11:04:26 pm
content: I don't know what those wires are called but I wonder if buss wire won't work? You should be able to flatten one end so that it can be spot welded. OTOH if you're in the US call someone like TNR (the battery pack rebuilders) and ask them, they probably use it. I've done a lot of business with their store in Sanford, Florida over the past 30 years and their technical people (not the telephone droids) have always been very helpful.Allied Wire and Cable's webpage says that their Mil-Spec AA59551 buss wire is useable for component leads so it should work for what you want.https://www.awcwire.com/product/buss22

author: bdunham7
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 02, 2022, 11:24:24 pm
content: That's a pretty interesting way of doing that. Is the battery able to flop around in the unit held only by those wires? The first thing might be to figure out what the wires are made out of. Are they springy? What diameter?Replacing that might be interesting as I don't know of any batteries like that that come completely bare. Perhaps you'd need to peel them? If you have a lot of these, perhaps you could design a small daughterboard that would sit on that IC, then use the common version of that battery that has dual-pin solder tabs for attaching to a PCB.

author: BrokenYugo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 02, 2022, 11:29:55 pm
content: Not sure about this stuff, but nickel strip usually peels off with pliers, no need to drill.I'd be inclined to replace it with a battery holder rather than spot weld in another one, if that is at all possible. Any 3V lithium primary battery should do.

author: james_s
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 03, 2022, 12:33:29 am
content: Usually the wire leads come with the battery, you buy it with them already attached. There's no reason you couldn't spot weld some nickel wires to a standard battery if you wanted but I'd probably just install a holder if I couldn't find the wire leaded batteries.

author: sleemanj
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 03, 2022, 12:42:06 am
content: Almost certainly custom formed specifically for that device, it's not carrying a lot of current so it could be just steel (nickel plated perhaps).I'd replace it with a holder if there is room, or a battery with tabs spot-welded, and hotglue to hold it in place.

author: JimLev
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: April 03, 2022, 01:48:44 am
content: Unsolder the battery, buy these. Cut the plugs off and solder the wires to the PC board.Put a dab of RTV on the battery to hold it in place.https://www.ebay.com/itm/193667197002?chn=ps&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-213727-13078-0&mkcid=2&itemid=193667197002&targetid=4580496732614416&device=c&mktype=&googleloc=&poi=&campaignid=418233788&mkgroupid=1230353745471221&rlsatarget=pla-4580496732614416&abcId=9300542&merchantid=51291&msclkid=dacf974f6eec12396d38f50792d0610eOR these partshttps://www.amazon.com/General-14250-LITHIUM-Battery-CR14250/dp/B000V5ZUOAhttps://www.amazon.com/LAMPVPATH-14250-Battery-Holder-ER14250/dp/B08Q3M18YC/ref=pd_day0fbt_sccl_2/145-1416556-1477618?pd_rd_w=jcX4q&pf_rd_p=bcb8482a-3db5-4b0b-9f15-b86e24acdb00&pf_rd_r=BNDMVSRAMTP2EQBYCN6K&pd_rd_r=8ef8799d-0d0d-43c3-a9e8-ebc35c820c07&pd_rd_wg=LFk7z&pd_rd_i=B08Q3M18YC&psc=1

author: jayvee
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: April 03, 2022, 07:43:12 am
content: Thanks to everyone for taking time to reply.Believe it or not, the assembly was pretty rigid and the battery did not seem to move around, even when shaking/poking it.I was able to pry the spot welds off the dead battery. I did break the flat of the positive wire and did kind of a sloppy solder to attach the wire to a nickel battery tab. Then I peeled the wrapping off the new battery and was able to spot weld both connections to the new battery.Its a little ugly, but works. Im not warrantee-ing this repair, hahaha (its an internal tool anyways) and replacement counters are $180 and have 80 business day lead time at the moment, so no downside to giving this a try.This board goes into a plastic snap-together case, so space is something I need to consider. But the next one I try this on, I'll make sure to have on hand some of the buss wire, battery holders, and the RTV silicone that has been suggested.Thanks again, this seems like a very helpful community.

author: Terry Bites
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 03, 2022, 12:46:15 pm
content: knock yourself out with these tabshttps://www.batteryspace.com/Component-1-pc-Soldering-Tab-for-D-size-battery.aspx

author: Oilngas
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: April 04, 2022, 02:15:26 am
content: If you use RTV silicone, make sure to use electronic-safe grade. The RTV silicone with a vinegary smell is corrosive to electronics.

author: james_s
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 04, 2022, 06:50:36 am
content: Quote from: Oilngas on April 04, 2022, 02:15:26 amI've heard that, although I've used it on electronics lots of times in the past without issues. It will oxidize bare copper traces but using it to glue down parts doesn't seem to cause trouble.

author: Berni
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 04, 2022, 10:29:03 am
content: If its very rigid it might be steel with a plating of nickel or silver or something to make it solderable.But as others have said i wouldn't worry about it. Just use whatever you got and if you are worried about the battery moving around too much then glue it down with some silicone.You definitely want to use the proper electronics RTV silicone. The common silicone you find in a hardware store is the Acetoxy type. This type produces vinegar while curing and is the reason why it stinks so horribly. When trapped inside a enclosure the acetic acid vapors condense on all the surfaces inside, making them corrode. You just need to look around a bit for the other types. They are called Alkoxy or Neutral cure types, so they produce things like alcohol or acetone or keytones etc.. that are all just harmless solvents, so they evaporate quickly without corroding anything, they also smell pretty nice too. The only catch is that these kinds of silicone typically have a significantly longer cure time. So where as regular silicone might be fairly firm in 1 hour these need more like 10 hours at room temp. But they do have the same excellent properties of silicone (remain flexible, high temperature resistance, chemical resistance..etc)If you can't find this special silicone locally, then the usual parts suppliers like Farnell,Digikey,Mouser also have it