docholliday
Well-known member
TL;DR: Hasselblad 2900/3200 H batteries can be easily upgraded to 3500mah for around $50 per pack (plus a $37 hazmat fee per order)...
I'm not sure how many H shooters are here, but hopefully this helps somebody and saves them some money.
For a while now, I've been looking for a replacement cell/pack to update the 2900/3200mah Hasselblad H5/H6 batteries. These batteries don't have anything special to them, containing only a pair of 18650 lithium cells, a cell balance board, and a charge controller board. So to me, the high cost of a new retail pack at ~$300 is not cost effective. And, of course, buying used packs is a shot in the dark, since one doesn't know how badly the pack was treated, how many charge cycles that pack has already been through, and the true remaining capacity of the cells. Well, at least without taking one apart and placing the cell pack on an analyzer. And, which can only occur after buying the pack, so I didn't want the headache of having to go returning it.
Here's my notes on how I did mine, in case somebody else out there wants to get "new" packs for a fraction of the cost. Two packs with shipping/tax/class 9 fee ended up slightly less than $150. I've fixed/upgraded two packs for 1/2 the cost of a new OEM pack!
Most lithium pre-made packs have their charge balance board applied axially to the end of the pack, so it's too tall to fit into the grip. These balance boards are laterally installed. The max length that the pack can be is 66mm+/-.5mm. The axially boarded packs are usually 68mm.
The original 2900mah packs were custom made for Hasselblad/Fuji and contained two Panasonic NCR18650A cells, with a nominal capacity of 3100mah. This allowed the packs to seem to have a higher than normal battery life by underrating. By the time the cells wore down to 2900mah capacity, they'd be "normal" if tested.
After looking at cells and balance boards, the cost to make my own packs was fairly high for the few assemblies I'd end up making. So it didn't make sense to buy a spot welder for the batteries and soldering the cells is a very touchy operation, as the slightest overheating can ruin the lithium matrix. I sought out different manufacturers to create a pack and most are in China with minimum orders of over 500 pieces. Plus, I also wanted to be sure the packs were made with a quality/authentic cell, not some knockoff.
So, I've been working with AA Portable Power out of California and over a few weeks of sending them specs and pics, they said they could create the packs one piece at a time. After some more requests, such as side exit wiring, a larger protector circuit, and a slightly higher current capability, as well as a laterally mounted balance board, they've added the custom pack to their catalog to make the custom order easier. The new pack uses a set of LG INR18650 MJ1 cells, which are rated nominally for 3500mah and my analyzer reports a capacity of 3610mah new. The nominal voltage is also a hair higher of .035v per cell, but since a fully charged 2s1p cell pack is around 8.45v, won't make a difference.
The new cells have been installed in my packs and they are working great. The camera actually operates a bit smoother and of course, lasts quite a bit longer.
In case somebody wants to upgrade their own packs, here's the details:
1. The packs are $45.45 each, but for each shipment, you have to pay a class 9 hazmat fee of $37 (doesn't matter if it's 1 or 10+ packs) and the usual tax/shipping. Takes about a week to custom make the packs, and then another few days as class 9 can only be shipped ground. Packs: https://www.batteryspace.com/custom...3-5ah-25-44wh-4-2a-rate-2s-s-inr18650mj1.aspx
The new pack is at the top, the old at the bottom:
2. The connector on the end is a standard "BEC" or JST/RCY connector, common for drone battery packs. I ordered mine without the connector, as I have tools and parts to crimp my own. For an additional $2-3 dollars a pack, they will add the connector onto the end for you, making the pack plug-n-play. You'll need to have them add a BEC/JST-RCY connector, female, with pin 1 positive. Keep the leads short, somewhere around 2-3" from the pack. Here's their page on the connector: https://www.batteryspace.com/connectoradaptor2pcsbecfemaleconnector6long22awg.aspx
Measure yours and add to your order notes the length you'd like. Here's what the connector (and components) look like:
And here's the process:
1. Open the grip by using a spatula, guitar pick, or butter knife to slide under the top inlay. Don't go too deep. There's a bit of glue along the long edge so you may have to slide around a bit to break the glue. You can see the glue ridge also in the last picture on this post...
2. Slide out the insert and remove the battery. Unplug the JST connector. BE CAREFUL that you don't break the connector wire to the board, or you'll have to resolder it! The battery is held into the casing by a thin layer of silicone caulk on the bottom. Use a pencil or wooden dowel to rock the battery a bit and it'll come out. Then, use something to scrape the remaining caulk out and blow out with some canned air or a compressor to ensure that you'll have all the possible space for the new, higher capacity cells.
3. I found a crack one of my grip casings...inspect and see if you find any. I fixed this with a layer of UV adhesive, which is as hard as glass. You can also use some epoxy or fiberglass to fix cracks. The liquid runoff you see is Loctite 770...nothing to worry about.
4. Reassemble the pack. Be careful not to stress the male side (white connector) where it solders to the little charge control board. The insert may have a set of ridges underneath the top contacts that keep the insert from sliding all the way down. I had to use a scalpel and shave a bit of these two "ribs" off.
5. Perform a two button reset on the pack, then charge overnight using the "newer" charger! It will take longer than normal as the capacity is higher. LiOn terminates the charge based on current and the cells will top off correctly, just takes longer to do so. The autofocus on my camera is snappier, the AF illuminator is crisper, and the camera lasts longer.
I'm not sure how many H shooters are here, but hopefully this helps somebody and saves them some money.
For a while now, I've been looking for a replacement cell/pack to update the 2900/3200mah Hasselblad H5/H6 batteries. These batteries don't have anything special to them, containing only a pair of 18650 lithium cells, a cell balance board, and a charge controller board. So to me, the high cost of a new retail pack at ~$300 is not cost effective. And, of course, buying used packs is a shot in the dark, since one doesn't know how badly the pack was treated, how many charge cycles that pack has already been through, and the true remaining capacity of the cells. Well, at least without taking one apart and placing the cell pack on an analyzer. And, which can only occur after buying the pack, so I didn't want the headache of having to go returning it.
Here's my notes on how I did mine, in case somebody else out there wants to get "new" packs for a fraction of the cost. Two packs with shipping/tax/class 9 fee ended up slightly less than $150. I've fixed/upgraded two packs for 1/2 the cost of a new OEM pack!
Most lithium pre-made packs have their charge balance board applied axially to the end of the pack, so it's too tall to fit into the grip. These balance boards are laterally installed. The max length that the pack can be is 66mm+/-.5mm. The axially boarded packs are usually 68mm.
The original 2900mah packs were custom made for Hasselblad/Fuji and contained two Panasonic NCR18650A cells, with a nominal capacity of 3100mah. This allowed the packs to seem to have a higher than normal battery life by underrating. By the time the cells wore down to 2900mah capacity, they'd be "normal" if tested.
After looking at cells and balance boards, the cost to make my own packs was fairly high for the few assemblies I'd end up making. So it didn't make sense to buy a spot welder for the batteries and soldering the cells is a very touchy operation, as the slightest overheating can ruin the lithium matrix. I sought out different manufacturers to create a pack and most are in China with minimum orders of over 500 pieces. Plus, I also wanted to be sure the packs were made with a quality/authentic cell, not some knockoff.
So, I've been working with AA Portable Power out of California and over a few weeks of sending them specs and pics, they said they could create the packs one piece at a time. After some more requests, such as side exit wiring, a larger protector circuit, and a slightly higher current capability, as well as a laterally mounted balance board, they've added the custom pack to their catalog to make the custom order easier. The new pack uses a set of LG INR18650 MJ1 cells, which are rated nominally for 3500mah and my analyzer reports a capacity of 3610mah new. The nominal voltage is also a hair higher of .035v per cell, but since a fully charged 2s1p cell pack is around 8.45v, won't make a difference.
The new cells have been installed in my packs and they are working great. The camera actually operates a bit smoother and of course, lasts quite a bit longer.
In case somebody wants to upgrade their own packs, here's the details:
1. The packs are $45.45 each, but for each shipment, you have to pay a class 9 hazmat fee of $37 (doesn't matter if it's 1 or 10+ packs) and the usual tax/shipping. Takes about a week to custom make the packs, and then another few days as class 9 can only be shipped ground. Packs: https://www.batteryspace.com/custom...3-5ah-25-44wh-4-2a-rate-2s-s-inr18650mj1.aspx
The new pack is at the top, the old at the bottom:
2. The connector on the end is a standard "BEC" or JST/RCY connector, common for drone battery packs. I ordered mine without the connector, as I have tools and parts to crimp my own. For an additional $2-3 dollars a pack, they will add the connector onto the end for you, making the pack plug-n-play. You'll need to have them add a BEC/JST-RCY connector, female, with pin 1 positive. Keep the leads short, somewhere around 2-3" from the pack. Here's their page on the connector: https://www.batteryspace.com/connectoradaptor2pcsbecfemaleconnector6long22awg.aspx
Measure yours and add to your order notes the length you'd like. Here's what the connector (and components) look like:
And here's the process:
1. Open the grip by using a spatula, guitar pick, or butter knife to slide under the top inlay. Don't go too deep. There's a bit of glue along the long edge so you may have to slide around a bit to break the glue. You can see the glue ridge also in the last picture on this post...
2. Slide out the insert and remove the battery. Unplug the JST connector. BE CAREFUL that you don't break the connector wire to the board, or you'll have to resolder it! The battery is held into the casing by a thin layer of silicone caulk on the bottom. Use a pencil or wooden dowel to rock the battery a bit and it'll come out. Then, use something to scrape the remaining caulk out and blow out with some canned air or a compressor to ensure that you'll have all the possible space for the new, higher capacity cells.
3. I found a crack one of my grip casings...inspect and see if you find any. I fixed this with a layer of UV adhesive, which is as hard as glass. You can also use some epoxy or fiberglass to fix cracks. The liquid runoff you see is Loctite 770...nothing to worry about.
4. Reassemble the pack. Be careful not to stress the male side (white connector) where it solders to the little charge control board. The insert may have a set of ridges underneath the top contacts that keep the insert from sliding all the way down. I had to use a scalpel and shave a bit of these two "ribs" off.
5. Perform a two button reset on the pack, then charge overnight using the "newer" charger! It will take longer than normal as the capacity is higher. LiOn terminates the charge based on current and the cells will top off correctly, just takes longer to do so. The autofocus on my camera is snappier, the AF illuminator is crisper, and the camera lasts longer.
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