https://www.batteriesplus.com/productdetails/nure9v=1 can I use this battery in both PS-2 and PS-1 mth engines?
thanks for any help on this.
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I usually go with the real McCoy MTH green battery 🔋 Train World has them in stock.
https://www.trainworld.com/man...und-battery-50-1008/
Thanks Chris Lonero
No problem. One other thing I do is put them in my charger just to top it off. Any standard charger that recharges 9v batteries will work.
The battery in the photo is a 8.4 volt which is what MTH recommends. Do not use a 7.2 Battery. I have BCRs in al my PS1 and PS2s with no problems.
The MTH green batteries are nothing special. I get my 9 volt batteries from the local hardware store or Menards. It's cheaper than the MTH battery with no shipping fees, faster than waiting for the mail, and the quality is just as good. Just make sure it is rated for 8.4 volts and at least 180mA. I usually get Rayovac or Energizer branded batteries.
Go with a J&W BCR and end any battery issues.
PAUL ROMANO posted:Go with a J&W BCR and end any battery issues.
I'm always on the fence with the 9v BCR in PS2 5 volt engines for two reasons.
1) The electronics in on the 5 volt boards are running close to their tolerance limits and are known to fail prematurely. The added stress of fully charging the BCR every time you run the loco won't increase the life of these boards.
2) The 9 volt BCR can't be recycled into newer 3 volt board. They are pretty useless once the board dies, unless you get another engine to put it in. They cost twice as much as a regular Energizer 8.4v rechargeable. (I can usually get these are Menards for $10).
And this purely my opinion, I won't say that you shouldn't use them but this is my preference.
I have several MTH engines with MTH green batteries and have never had any problems with them and they can also be recharged. Trying to save a couple of bucks on a cheap battery you get what you pay for.
MTH Green batteries are pretty generic, they are nothing special. Energizer, Duracell, and Rayovac have much more to loose in reputation risk than MTH by using cheap generics and slapping on their brand label on it.
I torture tested a stock of 8.4v rechargeable batteries which included an MTH Green battery, it was the second one to fail after another generic brand called "Powerizer". The Rayovac, and Energizer handled the stress test the best and outlived the MTH Green battery by a long shot.
Well who knew rechargeable "9v" batteries are not 9 volt... I had no idea.
https://michaelbluejay.com/batteries/9v.html
Yep, "9V NiMh" batteries are nominally 8.4 volts. I happen to use the EBL brand for replacements, I've never had any trouble with them, and they cost around $3/ea. The MTH green battery is exactly the same chemistry, and I seriously doubt it's a higher quality than most other NiMh batteries.
These have always worked for me 175 mAh 8.4 Volts (Top right corner indicates 8.4)
At your favorite hardware store.
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gunrunnerjohn posted:Yep, "9V NiMh" batteries are nominally 8.4 volts. I happen to use the EBL brand for replacements, I've never had any trouble with them, and they cost around $3/ea. The MTH green battery is exactly the same chemistry, and I seriously doubt it's a higher quality than most other NiMh batteries.
John, do you use batteries or BCRs (home brewed or otherwise) in your personal locos ? One of the prime reasons I chose BCRs over batteries is my belief that a capacitor is slightly less likely to leak and has less to leak. Before I switched I always looked for 9Vs with a plastic case thinking they are less likely to leak than a steel jacket battery. j
I use the same brand as Gunrunner John uses. I use the higher Mah. You can find them on Ebay for a steal.
I use standard batteries in my 5V boards, since there still is that nagging feeling that the BCR may be damaging the charging circuit of the 5V PS/2 boards. I've gotten several that died when the owner stated he installed a BCR and powered up, dead. I use home-rolled supercap replacements in my 3V PS/2, I haven't seen any issue with those boards and a BCR or clone.
shurlock1 posted:I use the same brand as Gunrunner John uses. I use the higher Mah. You can find them on Ebay for a steal.
Given the usage of the battery, I see no reason for excess capacity, the minimal use the battery receives doesn't need a lot of storage capacity. Why pay for capacity that you never use? 
John are these PS2-5V boards dying because the reg died ? Are other components on the board going down? I have home grown BCRs in all my 5V boards and SFSG. I do something on power up that I am not sure helps but I figured it can't hurt. Using vintage ZWs I always dial the voltage up slowly over a couple seconds rather than banging full power into the track in addition to that I only put 17v on the track never 18. Just looking for a little headroom. Some how I was unaware that the BCRs were suspected of this start-up glitch. Is the regulator seeing the BCR as a short for the first fraction second ? If that is the case dialing the track power up slowly may be of some merit. Whatcha think John ? J
On the original question, I wouldn't use the battery that is linked for two reasons. First, it costs 4 times as much as similar products. Second, it is not a 'Low Self Discharge' type, meaning it will be dead after several days sitting on a shelf. I do not know what type the "proper' green battery is, but I would recommend always using a LSD type NiMH battery unless you know for certain that you need the extra capacity or drain characteristics that that type provides. Low self discharge NiMH batteries (often marked "Pre-Charged" on name brand packaging) will hold a useable charge for up to two years on the shelf. For the folks concerned about the inrush current of a BCR, they should be equally concerned about the full charge current in charging a dead NiMH battery.
As for what I would recommend, any off brand 8.4v LSD battery will be of equal quality as a 'green' battery. I found a 2 pack for $8 on amazon with a quick search. For something where the quality of the battery actually matters, I have had the best luck with Duracell brand NiMH, but any brand that says 'made in japan' is going to be decent quality since they are all relabeling of the same cells made in the same factory. I have several sets of these Duracell AA's I've used in my camera equipment wilt 10+ years of service and over 500 charges. I've also had good luck with Amazon Basics brand and Rayovac. I have not had a good experience with energizer and no longer purchase them. (Less capacity than labeled and unacceptable failure rates after less than 1 year of service.)
JohnActon posted:... One of the prime reasons I chose BCRs over batteries is my belief that a capacitor is slightly less likely to leak and has less to leak. Before I switched I always looked for 9Vs with a plastic case thinking they are less likely to leak than a steel jacket battery. j
When it comes to rechargeable 9V size batteries I haven't seen any metal ones, as there is really no reason to make them. There's actually 7 tiny 1.2v cells inside of a plastic case in modern NiMH versions. As for leaking, the only thing that leaks from NiMH cells is hydrogen, and even that only happens when they are charged too fast. Using a LSD type will help with this since it is less likely that the battery will be fully depleted.
In the process of looking up the EBL batteries that GRJ mentioned, I ran across these batteries from EBL on Amazon:
Thoughts on using a different battery chemistry? It appears that the power retention is much better (75% remaining after 3 years of storage).
H1000,
I have little hands on experience with Li-ion 9v sized batteries, (a bit more with 3.6v, 18650 types) but in general, unless you actually need the 600mAh rating, NiMH chemistry tends to be cheaper and has less that can go wrong. I'm a bit nervous about Li-ion without a balance charger or at least a temperature monitor on the cells. Li-ion are rather finicky about how they are charged and can be damaged and even catch on fire if not properly charged. I would not trust them with the dumb charger found in model train engines.
I have to go with JGL, while Li-Ion is higher capacity, my experience with other lithium chemistries in aerospace applications makes me hesitant to use a lithium battery without some sort of charge and temperature monitoring. Overcharging and/or short circuits can really spoil out day, much worse than other battery chemistries.
I was intimately involved in the design of the battery monitoring for a large lithium battery, and the monitoring and safety systems were extensive and complex.
One company, who shall remain unnamed, tested a liquid pouch battery where one of the seven cells was overcharged to failure in the certification process. The total battery was 28V 70AH capacity. The video of the fire was breathtaking, and the test chamber had enough damage from the resultant fire and explosion where it required significant repair! This was in a so-called "armored" case that was supposed to contain everything but smoke through the vents, it didn't exactly work out that way.
Getting back to the topic at hand, the EBL 9V NiMh Battery at Amazon is more than sufficient at 280mah. It also is low self-discharge, another desirable characteristic. At $3.50/ea shipped, that's the price I want to pay for these.
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That's kinda what I was thinking too. Those videos of Lithium batteries explosions are pretty spectacular. I guess the only warning with the EBL battery is to make sure you are buying the right one. The packaging for both Li-on and Ni-mh batteries look nearly identical, one must have to pay attention to the details!
Not to mention there are plenty of other brands of Li-on batteries floating around out there at bargain prices. Knowing how much I've spent in the past on good laptop batteries, bargain Li-on batteries might end badly. The Ni-mh batteries are pretty much down to science now days and when they do fail, you aren't notified with a nifty explosion!
I stopped buying EBL brand after 3 out of a pack of 10 would not take a charge. I switched to Tenergy and never had a bad one. They advertise low self discharge and come in 200 or 250 mAh.
WOW, I've bought tons of EBL batteries, never had a bad one. I have also used Tenergy brand, same luck with those.
GRJ, this occurred about 4 years ago when I sold them in my train shop. I went through a lot of them and would pre-charge them, with their charger, then test them. I retried a few times then wrote them off as defective. They may have gotten better with practice.
I guess there can be a bad run of any product. I have yet to experience a failure with them, they're competitively priced, and readily available. That's why I use them.
Gunrunnerjohn, which is the better choice The Tenergy Centura or the EBL battery?
I've had good luck with both of them, I'd probably rate them pretty similar. The one positive of the Centura is it's a low self-discharge battery, so it can keep it's charge for several years on the shelf.
Just read this thread, and, it’s like divine intervention. Just bought my first PS2 5v, in 20 years, or so, and am awaiting the arrival of a J&W red bcr. Think I will return bcr, and stick with batteries as recommended by GRJ. Don’t want to do anything to hasten the demise of a new PS2 5v purchase.
