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The battery on a specialized device has gone bad. The company wishes to charge me an exorbitant amount of money to replace it. I do know that it is a 12 volt battery, however I don't know the amperage that it can output, nor do I know the AmpHours it can hold.

(It is 4" x 2" x 1.5", an odd size with no markings on it at all)

Can I replace it with ANY 12 volt battery of comparable size?

Allen
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    Why all the secrecy? Why go to the effort of saying its a specialized device without telling us what it is? Did you somehow think it wasn't relevant? The fact you mention its specialized implies you do think its relevant but still kept it from us. There's a huge difference between something like a flashlight and pacemaker. If all we have to go on is that its "specialized" then all we can say is no, you can't just stick any similar battery in because its a specialized device. – DKNguyen Jan 20 '20 at 04:49
  • Is the battery just for the light? I've not heard of a battery powered microscope. Or is this not a compound microscope but ones of those medical fiber optic instruments? And how is it normally charged? – DKNguyen Jan 20 '20 at 05:12
  • This happens to be for a microscope used in a medical setting, however the function shouldn't really matter. I'm not schooled EE, but from what I understand, 12 volts is 12 volts. That leaves amperage as the main issue, and I believe that the circuit attached to the battery will pull the amperage that it requires. If that's the case, then I mostly care about having the required amps, which I'm sure are at a reasonable level (not jumping a vehicle here). – Allen Jan 20 '20 at 05:20
  • Well, if you're in Uganda checking blood samples, you don't rely on electricity. – Allen Jan 20 '20 at 05:22
  • Function matters because batteries don't output a constant 12V. Fully charged they are >12V and as they drain they fall below 12V. Certain equipment is more sensitive to that than others. Where they start and end depends on battery chemistry. Different chemistries are also capable of different maximum power levels for their energy level (different max currents for total storage capacity). Some batteries are much more vulnerable to over discharging, and overcharging or improper charging causing fires or explosions. They retain their charge at different rates- important if needed on demand. – DKNguyen Jan 20 '20 at 06:08
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    Also, provide photos of the battery. We might be able to tell what type it is just by looking at it...or not if it's a really custom-made battery. We can also guess the amperage from the lead wires (if there are lead wires, but if there are contacts instead of lead wires you are SOL anyways trying to replace it with your own). – DKNguyen Jan 20 '20 at 06:08
  • Also the age of the instrument. For example, certain battery types were uncommon 20 years ago. – Mattman944 Jan 20 '20 at 06:31
  • @DKNguyen what does "SOL" mean? – jonathanjo Jan 20 '20 at 09:09
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    @jonathanjo It's a vulgar English idiom that roughly means that there is no chance for success. – Elliot Alderson Jan 20 '20 at 13:30
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    @DKNguyen Please try to remember that there are many readers here who are not native English speakers, and many more who will be unfamiliar with colloquialisms. – Elliot Alderson Jan 20 '20 at 13:31

1 Answers1

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Can I replace it with ANY 12 volt battery of comparable size?

No.

In the first instance, is it a rechargeable or non-rechargeable battery? -- you can't swap really swap them. Rechargeable batteries come in a number of different kinds which have different charging circuits and properties. You can't use a battery of one type where the charging circuit is for another. The main kinds of rechargable batteries are Lead-Acid, Nickel-Cadmium, and Lithium-Ion, but there really are many other kinds. Batteries are high-density stores of energy, and if you abuse them you can get sudden release of that energy, ie explosions, fires etc. It's really worth reading Why is there so much fear surrounding LiPo batteries? and watching the linked videos.

Second, do you know anything about the device that's being powered? The usage patterns (discharge frequency and low/high current) are different for different devices, and correspondingly battery selection has to match.

But yes

If you get a battery of the right technology with the same charging requirements with similar capacity and it fits in the box or you can get it connected somehow ... then it will work. It's the charging requirements which are the problem, if you don't have any specification for the battery.

PS. You say in comments its for a microscope. If it's just for the lamp any modifications are likely to be much more successful than if it's for some other feature of a complex microscope, but we can't really guess what those might be unless you tell us about the device: a photo or two would really go a long way!

jonathanjo
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    I don't have the scope here with me in the US right now, but will try to get a pic sent to me and post. Yes, it is rechargeable. Thanks to everybody here for all of this great information! – Allen Jan 30 '20 at 17:05