Need reliable 7.4 volt replacement battery pack for disconti

D

David Farber

Guest
I am servicing an Orascoptic Zeon Discovery controller/power pack. A
description of the device can be found here:

https://www.dentalcompare.com/4591-Operator-Lights-for-Dental-Loupes/42352-Zeon-Discovery-Portable-LED/

I was neither given the charger nor the headlamp that it powers to test
it however a quick check showed that the power led would not illuminate
and the rechargeable 7.4 volt battery pack measured 0.2 volts. I charged
the nearly dead battery with my bench supply and the voltage came up
successfully though initially there were some current spikes that kept
triggering my bench supply's overload circuit. I would like to replace
the battery but the company that makes the device, Orascoptic, told me
it's a discontinued model. Instead I was told that if I send the battery
pack to them, they will refurbish it with new cells and a new protector
PC board for a cost of $325 +$25 shipping. That seems a bit steep for a
battery pack.

The writing on the battery says:

Electrochem www.electrochemsolutions.com
SDS Kerr 931549 S10001-140
7.4 VDC 17.76 WH Lithium Ion Battery Pack
ROHS compliant
HG should contain less than 0.0005%
CD should contain less than 0.002%

The closest product match I could find on the internet (which came from
North America) was this:
https://www.onlybatteries.com/showitem.asp?ItemId=14569
It's 7.4 volt @2600mah battery pack (which converts to 19.24 WH)
My main hesitation in purchasing this item is that I have no idea how
trustworthy this aftermarket battery is. It's supposedly made by Samsung.

This website also shows what seems to be a good fit and it even matches
the product's application but it's from Australia and I was hoping for
something local that could be purchased with a couple of clicks.
https://www.master-instruments.com.au/products/64245/MB987.html

Thanks in advance for your suggestions.

--
David Farber
Los Osos, CA
 
It looks like a pair of 18650 batteries held together with heat shrink tubing. You can get these batteries from several sources for under US$10 each. If you are going to build your own, get the ones with solder tabs already welded on such as https://www.sparkfun.com/products/13189 (disclaimer: I have no relation to this company, and only found them in a google search on 18650 batteries).

If you are billing a customer (as opposed to doing this for a hobby or a favor), then get one already built up and charge your usual retail markup. They seem pretty common if you search on "18650 battery pack".
 
On 9/10/2018 11:35 AM, jfeng@my-deja.com wrote:
It looks like a pair of 18650 batteries held together with heat shrink tubing. You can get these batteries from several sources for under US$10 each. If you are going to build your own, get the ones with solder tabs already welded on such as https://www.sparkfun.com/products/13189 (disclaimer: I have no relation to this company, and only found them in a google search on 18650 batteries).

If you are billing a customer (as opposed to doing this for a hobby or a favor), then get one already built up and charge your usual retail markup. They seem pretty common if you search on "18650 battery pack".
Click to expand...

According to the sparkfun product description, it's good for ~300
charges. That seems a bit on the low side. Also, would I just reuse the
original protection PC board?

Thanks for your reply.

--
David Farber
Los Osos, CA
 
On 9/10/2018 11:06 AM, David Farber wrote:
I am servicing an Orascoptic Zeon Discovery controller/power pack. A
description of the device can be found here:

https://www.dentalcompare.com/4591-Operator-Lights-for-Dental-Loupes/42352-Zeon-Discovery-Portable-LED/


I was neither given the charger nor the headlamp that it powers to test
it however a quick check showed that the power led would not illuminate
and the rechargeable 7.4 volt battery pack measured 0.2 volts. I charged
the nearly dead battery with my bench supply and the voltage came up
successfully though initially there were some current spikes that kept
triggering my bench supply's overload circuit. I would like to replace
the battery but the company that makes the device, Orascoptic, told me
it's a discontinued model. Instead I was told that if I send the battery
pack to them, they will refurbish it with new cells and a new protector
PC board for a cost of $325 +$25 shipping. That seems a bit steep for a
battery pack.

The writing on the battery says:

Electrochem www.electrochemsolutions.com
SDS Kerr 931549 S10001-140
7.4 VDC 17.76 WH Lithium Ion Battery Pack
ROHS compliant
HG should contain less than 0.0005%
CD should contain less than 0.002%

The closest product match I could find on the internet (which came from
North America) was this:
https://www.onlybatteries.com/showitem.asp?ItemId=14569
It's 7.4 volt @2600mah battery pack (which converts to 19.24 WH)
My main hesitation in purchasing this item is that I have no idea how
trustworthy this aftermarket battery is. It's supposedly made by Samsung.

This website also shows what seems to be a good fit and it even matches
the product's application but it's from Australia and I was hoping for
something local that could be purchased with a couple of clicks.
https://www.master-instruments.com.au/products/64245/MB987.html

Thanks in advance for your suggestions.

--
David Farber
Los Osos, CA
Click to expand...
How much is your business worth?
Medical equipment!! Lithium Battery!!
You've found a battery that's DESIGNED and approved for use in that
device. Doesn't say how much it costs, but cutting corners on safety
to save someone else a few bucks is RISKY.

If you jury-rig a battery and anything ever happens, you're gonna get
sucked into the legal fight even if you did nothing wrong.
Is it worth the risk?
 
On Monday, September 10, 2018 at 3:28:17 PM UTC-7, mike wrote:
How much is your business worth?
Medical equipment!! Lithium Battery!!
Click to expand...

I had not considered the liability issues, only the costs of fixing the battery at a labor rate of $50-$100 per hour.

I did an ebay search on "led dental headlight" and got lots that look the the original for $10 to $30, with matching charger and the letters "FDA" in the title. So, maybe about $50 from your full-price medical supplier. Given these prices and the potential legal exposure, I would junk the old one and offer it to some hobbyist to cannibalize.
 
On Monday, September 10, 2018 at 6:28:17 PM UTC-4, mike wrote:
On 9/10/2018 11:06 AM, David Farber wrote:
I am servicing an Orascoptic Zeon Discovery controller/power pack. A
description of the device can be found here:

https://www.dentalcompare.com/4591-Operator-Lights-for-Dental-Loupes/42352-Zeon-Discovery-Portable-LED/


I was neither given the charger nor the headlamp that it powers to test
it however a quick check showed that the power led would not illuminate
and the rechargeable 7.4 volt battery pack measured 0.2 volts. I charged
the nearly dead battery with my bench supply and the voltage came up
successfully though initially there were some current spikes that kept
triggering my bench supply's overload circuit. I would like to replace
the battery but the company that makes the device, Orascoptic, told me
it's a discontinued model. Instead I was told that if I send the battery
pack to them, they will refurbish it with new cells and a new protector
PC board for a cost of $325 +$25 shipping. That seems a bit steep for a
battery pack.

The writing on the battery says:

Electrochem www.electrochemsolutions.com
SDS Kerr 931549 S10001-140
7.4 VDC 17.76 WH Lithium Ion Battery Pack
ROHS compliant
HG should contain less than 0.0005%
CD should contain less than 0.002%

The closest product match I could find on the internet (which came from
North America) was this:
https://www.onlybatteries.com/showitem.asp?ItemId=14569
It's 7.4 volt @2600mah battery pack (which converts to 19.24 WH)
My main hesitation in purchasing this item is that I have no idea how
trustworthy this aftermarket battery is. It's supposedly made by Samsung.

This website also shows what seems to be a good fit and it even matches
the product's application but it's from Australia and I was hoping for
something local that could be purchased with a couple of clicks.
https://www.master-instruments.com.au/products/64245/MB987.html

Thanks in advance for your suggestions.

--
David Farber
Los Osos, CA

How much is your business worth?
Medical equipment!! Lithium Battery!!
You've found a battery that's DESIGNED and approved for use in that
device. Doesn't say how much it costs, but cutting corners on safety
to save someone else a few bucks is RISKY.

If you jury-rig a battery and anything ever happens, you're gonna get
sucked into the legal fight even if you did nothing wrong.
Is it worth the risk?
Click to expand...

It's a fancy flashlight for dentists...

Really bright, optimized for color temp and for not curing compounds.
 
On Wed, 12 Sep 2018 14:20:30 -0700 (PDT), makolber@yahoo.com wrote:

Do 18650 cells have built in protection or not?

mark
Click to expand...
Some do and some don't. You need to look at the specs when ordering.
Eric
 
On 9/12/2018 2:56 PM, etpm@whidbey.com wrote:
On Wed, 12 Sep 2018 14:20:30 -0700 (PDT), makolber@yahoo.com wrote:

Do 18650 cells have built in protection or not?

mark
Some do and some don't. You need to look at the specs when ordering.
Eric
Click to expand...
Also note that protected cells are slightly longer and won't
always fit. If you don't have a tab welder, soldering to tabs
might produce a package that won't fit.

It's easy to find protected cells on ebay. There might be a vendor
using quality cells and tested protection, but you won't be able
to tell from the ad. I wouldn't buy any lithium cells on ebay.
Everybody lies...some just do it more convincingly.

Never, ever touch a lithium battery that belongs to someone else.
It is NOT worth the risk. Low risk, but unlimited liability.
Are we feeling lucky?

Having said that, I do unrecommended things with lithium batteries
all the time. But I would NEVER let anybody else get near the result.
The sound of an exploding battery and battery goo on your safety glasses
is an experience you never forget.
 
Here is an article from one of the electronics trade magazines on 18650 cells:

https://www.electronicdesign.com/power/standard-18650-li-ion-cell-isn-t-always-standard?NL=ED-001&Issue=ED-001_20180920_ED-001_284&sfvc4enews=42&cl=article_1_b&utm_rid=CPG05000000306689&utm_campaign=20055&utm_medium=email&elq2=d60026c895f74e0289ff9cc19fbc9ac3
 
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