Was wondering...

[Waisulee]

I can't find the thread, but I've read that a recharge port can technically be used with a bettery holder (I'm assuming with a single cell so not to worry about multiple pcb's). Can anyone confirm this? Any thoughts?
Thanks :)

[Jay-gon Jinn]

Yes, recharge ports can be used with battery holders.

[Waisulee]

Ah cool. Am I correct in thinking with only one cell?

[GFJedi]

What type of battery are you trying to recharge in-hilt?

[Waisulee]

AA Trustfires

[GFJedi]

For Li-Ion, if you are going thru the trouble of installing a recharge port for in-hilt charging, is suggest replacing the battery holder you have now with this...

http://www.thecustomsabershop.com/Panasonic-Li-Ion-18650-37V-3400mAh-PCB-Protected-Rechargeable-Battery-P853.aspx

You should have enough space for it to fit if you have a 2xAA holder now, and it will provide roughy 4x the runtime of a single trustfire AA battery. Also make it easy and order an extra JST connectors to wire up the recharge port to make the pack quick disconnect if you ever need to take out the battery. If you have sound on your hilt, don't forget to pick up a killkey for the port to cut power to the soundboard when in storage.

[Waisulee]

Would love to but unfortunately TCSS does not ship these to Canada. Was just thinking of ulternatives until I can find a good source for packs

[GFJedi]

You should email Tim to see if you can purchase one of those packs minus the actual battery cell, and source a quality 18650 locally to build your own protected pack that is still MWS compatible. A couple quick solder joints and some heat shrink. It would be well worth not having to deal with constant recharging or swapping batteries when you are away from home.

[Waisulee]

Not a bad idea. I've been trying to stay away from soldering batteries. I've read it can be dangerous. Is there a thread showing how to solder batteries safely?

[GFJedi]

From what I understand, the internal components of a Li-ion battery cell can handle up to around 200c/400f so with a low melting point solder and a quick steady hand you should be able to tack it together. I'd scuff up the terminals, pre-tin the tabs of the pcb wiring, and pre-flux the battery terminals before soldering the pack together. I know manufacturers don't recommend messing with soldering Li-ion due to their construction, but plenty have done it without incident. Use your best judgement.

An alternate option is to source a protected 18650 battery holder if you have room for it, and just buy a loose unprotected cell. This option does get a bit bulky but much less risky than soldering the battery directly to save space, and you can still get a high capacity battery for long life between charges.

[Silver Serpent]

In fact, there is a thread on making your own li-ion packs. http://forums.thecustomsabershop.com/showthread.php?12829-Li-Ion-Battery-Packs

I always wear a face shield when soldering batteries. Actually, I always wear a face shield when soldering anything. I've been popped by solder a few times, and it HURTS.

[Sunrider]

Batteries with tabs are easier and safer to solder.