Original Sliders Timer "not" run on motorola batteries

[emeraldnite]

I have a Sliders timer by Don Colie and it is probably the pride of my prop collection. However I have gone through multiple motorola batteries to power it, and have even gotten a few off ebay that don't even work! I was just wondering if anyone had ever modified their Sliders timer to work off of other battery types (like modify the battery case to run off AAs), or maybe even adapted them for AC outlet usage (I would be ecstatic to be able to leave mine on constantly (^_^) )

 

[swhite228]

This may seem like a stupid idea but take a couple of battery packs to a Batteries and More store and tell them what you want to do.

They can replace the none working rechargables with new longer lasting ones, or may be able to wire one for you to plug into a wall wart.

The store next to my house mods laptop batteries all the time.

 

[emeraldnite]

Not a stupid idea at all, swhite228! That actually sounds like a great idea, and there happens to be a couple of battery stores near where I live. Don't know if they'd do mods, but it's worth asking. Thanks!

 

[thedarkotaku]

this actually applies to the original timers that im building. i have found that the original motorola batteries run 6 volts 700mah mostly (correct me if i am wrong). if you feel savvy you can take a dremel tool to the battery pack itself on the inside so as to hollow it out just dont hit the batteries. i am planning on doing this exact thing when i get home from work tonight lol, ironry i should run accross this thread. i will post pics when i do this. i have done it once before and what i did was ran my dremel tool (straight blade should work too) and went around the inside of it, leaving the battery contact terminals and the plastic intact for that. then i tore out the battery packs and tossed them to one side, and soldered the underneath side of the terminals to the appropriate leads to a battery pack and then put batteries in and snapped the battery back into place! thats pretty much it. iwould try a 3 aaa or aa pack first so as not to put too much power into it. 4.5 volts should do the trick (3 1.5 batteries) if not then add a battery, which will lead it to 6 volts and should work right. as far as running it off a/c, get yourself a cellphone charger for a blackberry or something long as its at least 5 volts and no more than 6 should power it just fine from the wall. i used a motorola cellphone charger (modern day) that was 5 volts and put a female usb connector inside of it to charge my mp3 player with the wall power this way lol. anyways i'd like to know what you came up with , cheers

 

[thedarkotaku]

one thing im doing for my own replica is adding a separate switch which will cut it off from battery power, and the battery pack has contacts on the back of it which connect to the charger station, so im going to gut out my charging station and put a 6 volt ac adapter inside of it hooked to the corresponding pins, so all i have to do to switch to just wall power is flip a switch on the timer and set it in its cradle and she'll run from the wall .

 

[emeraldnite]

Wow, that sounds very cool. Hope to see some pictures when you're done! =)

 

[thedarkotaku]

Heres what i did with the battery:

dremeled the outer edges of that inner lip, stretched it back, cut the rest off making sure that i didnt cut out the contact points that go to the phone, gently pulled the old batteries out so as to not rip that ribbon cable apart thats in there, it usually hangs out underneat the batteries so be careful. Then i figured out which point when to what contact point on the pack and soldered another battery into the pack. heres photos as promised:

 

[thedarkotaku]

i forgot to mention on this particular battery the ribbon hung about on the top of the batteries

 

[FuseNova]

Todd - so using this method, you are able to use the original cradle charger - just replaced the battery?

Will 6v kill your kit?

 

[thedarkotaku]

6v wont kill my kit, and the guy i did this for reported that the charger actually charged the battery. he did also say that he blew out some optics however in letting it run while on the charger. for best results i would gut the charger cradle and pin out to a regular 5 or 6 volt phone carger from present day.

 

[thedarkotaku]

another note i have had my kit up to 12 volts before. of course it wasnt long term and it caused the timer to count really fast, i wouldnt recommend it but shes tougher than she looks. i just recommend no higher than 6 or 7 volts for "oh no i think i killed a light " purposes