Birchley Products Dive Light Problem

[Rimp]

Hi. I don't know if this is the right place to ask these questions, but maybe someone that frequents this forum will be able to help.

I purchased a Birchley Products rechargeable dive light in England back in 1990. It worked great for the first dive, then the battery went dead. I connected it to the charger but was not able to recharge it. I was living in Portugal at the time, so there was no option to return it to the manufacturer for warranty or anything.

A number of years later I moved back to Canada (where I am currently) and i'm getting back into diving. This lamp is still with me.. brand new really, but not chargeable.

I took it apart, broke the glue that was holding the battery pack to the bottom of the unit, and did some continuity checks on the wires to the charging port. It seems one of the wires was faulty. I have now corrected this.

My first question is. There is a small diode pack that connects between the recharger port and the batteries. It has two leads coming into it (+/- we can call these A & B), and two leads coming out (C & D). If i connect positive (from meter) to B (-) and negative to C&D I show power. If I reverse this I get nothing from C&D. If I connect negative to A (+) and positive to C&D i again show power. The reverse shows nothing. I'm not sure this indicates the array is good, but it might.. Am I testing this sufficiently?

Second question. Since moving back to Canada. I no longer have the recharger. It was left in Portugal since it was a 220v unit (we are 120v here).

What could I use as a replacement for this?

My battery pack looks like 4 D cells strapped together. I assume these are NiCD cells since that is what the Birchley products website says for a (more modern) similar model. Is there a recharger I could use (or build) to keep this sucker juiced up?

I would email Birchley, but for some reason they only list a telephone number and no email address on their website.. I will do this as a last resort if nobody here knows the answer.

I hope someone can answer those two questions. It would be fantastic to be able to use this dive light again (finally).

Doug.

Edit: I found an email address on their website opening page that I missed earlier. I have sent them a question regarding this now. :11ztongue

 

[Rimp]

Wow, this was a stumper eh? heh, no replies, but 33 people read it.

I received a reply from the manufacturer. Here is what he said;

After 14 years I doubt if the ni.cd. cells are any good.
To recharge them you will need a 20 volt source, & put in a 7 w / 20 ohm resistor in the line. Make sure that there is a bridge rectifier
in circuit to the battery pack. It must be charged with direct current, positive from bridge rectifier to positive on cells.

So there ya go.. what I called a diode array, was a bridge rectifier, and I need a 20 vdc transformer and a resistor to be able to charge it. I suspect that transformer will be half the cost of a new lamp, but I'll look into it.

Move along now, nothing to see here.

/em loves talking to himself. :11ztongue

 

[chrisch]

Just so you don't feel lonely.

I too have one of these lamps, but it works and always has. If it packed up I would throw it away. Full marks for your persistance and DIY skills.

Chris.