Leica R8/R9 Motor Drive Battery Pack #14423

[kk_hui]

Has anybody replaced their NiMH batteries in the Leica R8/R9 Motor Drive Battery

Pack #14423. If so where do you get the batteries from?

 

The battery in question is the HHR 150AAB01 (made by Panasonic?!) each rated @

1500mAh. The pack takes 8 of them making up to 9.6v (1.2v x 8). All one has to

do is un-solder the pack and re-solder the new pack as far as I can see.

 

It is a shame that one needs to replace the whole unit #14423 ($150) for a

cluster of batteries that cost perhaps around $30 or so. Wished Leica had

designed the MD module for use with AA batteries in the first place!

[sandor_a._feher]

http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXBGF7&P=0

 

http://www.maxxprod.com/mpi/mpi-8a.html

 

One of this place you can find the right battery combination and build it yourself. Just open the case and would fit into, plus a little soldering.

[john_shriver]

If the batteries are connected by metal strips into the packs, you need someplace that can do that type of spot welding. You can't solder directly to a rechargeable battery.

 

Some possible vendors (no experience whatsoever with them):

 

http://www.batteriesamerica.com/

 

http://www.criticalbattery.com/

[mark-j]

Years ago, I rebuilt some battery packs on equipment. I have not checked recently, but they used to make a battery with a "tab" on it. The tab was attached to the battery and it made it easy to rebuild a battery pack. Good luck. With some skill, you can solder directly to the batteries.

 

Mark J.

[jonathan_lee3]

Digikey (US or Canada) sells them with a solder tab.

 

http://search.digikey.com/scripts/DkSearch/dksus.dll?Detail?name=P015-F021-ND

 

Digikey is a GREAT online electronic supply retailer (no connection except being a long-time customer etc, etc...).

 

Let us know if you do this, it'd be nice to know that with a stash of these babies I can keep my DMR running beyond Leica's desire to keep battery packs in production.

[jim_jeblee]

I have one of these battery packs that I do not use much and now I can only get one LED to light. I tried discharging it & recharging but it did not seem to help. Camera runs w/ the motor now but for how long and does this mean it is time for me to think about rebuilding my pack also?? Thanks for help I can get, Jim.

[kk_hui]

Thank you all for the replies!

Will try and source locally here in Hong Kong for the 1500 mAh NiMH AA cell with soldering tabs.

 

Jim, I have a pack that does exactly what you said. I think its time for a re-build. Getting a new pack from Leica is far too expansive for me and I don't think it justifies to throw the whole unit away.

[raymond_tai]

KK, Many places will rebuild the battery pack for you at little expense. Try Camera Repair at Champagne Court in

TST.

[kk_hui]

Have just rebuilt the battery pack with eight new Sanyo NiMH 1850mAh cells as the 1500mAh version is not available anywhere here. It takes about an hour or so to have the soldering work done.

 

Replaced the original pack in the unit and started the charging cycle but hit the 'one LED' problem as Jim Jeblee described above. The measured output voltage is correct and the unit works fine in the camera however. The unit just refuses to fully charge the pack despite repeated discharge/charge cycles. Suspect either the Charger or/and the circuitry in the battery unit is at fault ... I'm not sure what's the way forward since I've not found the necessary circuit diagrams.

[terry_dent1]

I too have experienced the one light after charge. A couple of more discharge/recharge cycles usually brings them back to three lights.

[roel_w._van_der_knoop]

Hello,

 

From Conrad Electronics (www.conrad.nl or www.conrad.de ) I ordered eight Panasonic NiMH-accu HHR150AAB batteries

(article-nuber:250068 ).

To my suprise they were indentical to the original batteries found in the Leica R8/R9 Motor Drive Battery Pack #14423. The

one I ordered also have a light green plastic cover. The batteries are from 'Panasonic' (printed on the plastic cover).

Long story short; I soldered them together and put them back into the Leica battery case.

After approx. 4 hours (discharge / charge proces) the green LED on my Leica Charger was turned on. When pushed the

little black button on the battery pack itself, the three little red LED's were glowing.

My 'new' battery pack works fine on both my Leica R8 cameras.

 

 

Greetings,

 

Roel van der Knoop

 

P.S. I typed this answer before but for some reason I didn't make it to this site.....

[rick_d]

here's a link to a thread I kicked off over on the Leica Users Forum, with pics of installing new cells in an R8 battery pack.

 

http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-forum/customer-forum/56224-put-new-cells-my-motor-drive.html

 

I'm now trying to repair my motor drive, which has stopped driving. Other links on the LUF go into this effort (ongoing!)

 

Thanks for the posts above.

 

Rick.