Are Ni-Cd Batteries okay?

[snowpenguin]

I bought a 2000 mAh 7.2 volt Nickel Cadmium battery plus charger at Radioshack for $20. Many 'Portable How Tos' I see say to use either li-ion or ni-mh batteries, but this was the best battery I could find there for cheap. Will it work okay, or should I return it? I heard ni-cd batteries develop 'memory'... Help please, anyone!


P.S. I will be starting my very own N64 portable soon... I'm planning on either using a ZN-40, ZN-45, Lazerdoodle, or frankencased controller cut in half...

[MarioOwnsAll]

I bought a 2000 mAh 7.2 volt Nickel Cadmium battery plus charger at Radioshack for $20. Many 'Portable How Tos' I see say to use either li-ion or ni-mh batteries, but this was the best battery I could find there for cheap. Will it work okay, or should I return it? I heard ni-cd batteries develop 'memory'... Help please, anyone!


P.S. I will be starting my very own N64 portable soon... I'm planning on either using a ZN-40, ZN-45, Lazerdoodle, or frankencased controller cut in half...

yes these batteries will work, its just that lithum poly batteries are a little bit more effisient and energy dense

[blaze3927]

I can't say for sure if they will work, here is my experience with batteries and my first portable attempt, the psone.

a 7.5v ni-cd battery (newly bought 2000 mAh) didnt even have the capability to turn the PSone on

7.5v nim-mih worked

7.5v li-poly worked except lasted longer

[XCVG]

I can't say for sure if they will work, here is my experience with batteries and my first portable attempt, the psone.

a 7.5v ni-cd battery (newly bought 2000 mAh) didnt even have the capability to turn the PSone on

7.5v nim-mih worked

7.5v li-poly worked except lasted longer

Did you charge the NiCd first?

[superdeformed]

Yes, it will work. I have a few of these lying around and used to use one in my N64 portable. "Memory" probably won't be an issue because with the amount of current you'll be pulling from them you're likely to discharge the batteries enough when you use them, but if you're really concerned you can put a high-wattage resistor across the output to drain them down more before you charge them again. The only reason against using these batteries would be their relatively low capacity, but if this is your first portable (or first time doing anything like this), they're probably a good choice as NiCd batteries are fairly forgiving to anything bad you do to them.

[snowpenguin]

Yes, it will work. I have a few of these lying around and used to use one in my N64 portable. "Memory" probably won't be an issue because with the amount of current you'll be pulling from them you're likely to discharge the batteries enough when you use them, but if you're really concerned you can put a high-wattage resistor across the output to drain them down more before you charge them again. The only reason against using these batteries would be their relatively low capacity, but if this is your first portable (or first time doing anything like this), they're probably a good choice as NiCd batteries are fairly forgiving to anything bad you do to them.

Yeah, this is my first portable. I've been making electronic doodads and such for quite a while now, so I understand most of the concepts involved. Thank. It's good to know that people have used them without problem.