ZW ADD-ON VOLTMETERS

[sir james I]

You could have a bad meter. notice I said Could. I had to return my first one as it kept cutting the power to the track. The replacement has worked well so far.About 2 years.

[BILLBOBBOY1]

Maybe so, but the new batteries are not working properly, even after an all-night charge.  One minute one works; the next it does not.

[sir james I]

Thats pretty much what I and others have been telling you since Jan 29th.

[BILLBOBBOY1]

Rob/Roland,

I installed the batteries in both of my ZW voltmeters.  There was a surprise (to me, anyway) when I opened the voltmeter case: both had NiMh 140MaPh batteries.  The instructions specified NiCad 160MaPh.  Guess Lionel changed specs after the instruction sheets were printed.  Both were purchased new from Charles Ro; both were in their factory packaging when I received them.

Again, thanks.

Bill

[BILLBOBBOY1]

Roland/Rob,

 Thanks so much.  I'll install the batteries I received from Staples.

Regards,

 Bill

[USNRol]

According to the instructions that come with Nimh batteries, the recharger needs to be compatible with it.  In other words, charging a nicad and an Nimh are different and require different chargers.

I have been trying to find out if a BCR (battery replacement) will work.  It works with MTH systems.

 

Bill

They're close enough to the same thing where you could get by.  The charge/discharge curves are not quite identical so any peak charging or trickle charging equipment designed for NiCd batts used for NiMH would result in reduced life and performance in the batt but for a voltmeter...no problem.  An RC car nut who races electric cars would never think of charging NiMH batts on NiCd chargers though.

Roland

[ADCX Rob]

I've been charging ni-cads in NiMh chargers & NiMhs in ni-cad chargers for quite some time.  I use a 9 volt NiMh in the QSI QS-2+(PS-1 type) board as a replacement for the original 8.4 volt MTH style ni-cad battery with great results.

The ZW specs are nominal.  A NiMh with close numbers should work fine, a higher capacity 9v should work great.  About $6 at Harbor Freight.

Rob 

[BILLBOBBOY1]

According to the instructions that come with Nimh batteries, the recharger needs to be compatible with it.  In other words, charging a nicad and an Nimh are different and require different chargers.

I have been trying to find out if a BCR (battery replacement) will work.  It works with MTH systems.

 

Bill

[msacco]

Okay, I could be wrong but Isn't this the battery you're looking for in NIMH?

http://www.logicbattery.com/9v_quantity.htm

 

 

I have a voltmeter too and I don't  need a new battery yet, but I'd like to know I can get one when the time comes.

 

Mike S.

[BILLBOBBOY1]

Does anyone know if one of those BCR (battery replacements) will work on a Lionel ZW voltmeter?  I have looked all over the web for an identical battery (Ni Cd 9v, 160 Milli-amp) with no success.  All I can find are NiHyd ones with either lower milli-amps or higher.  The instructions for those batteries say you must use a charger made for the Ni Hyd type.  Did we even have NiHyd rechargables in 2000?

I thought I had success when Staples website showed one with the exact specs.  However, when they arrived they were not the right ones. 

Any advice/help will be greatly appreciated.

Bill