Nickel metal hydride packs: how to choose
Nickel metal hydride packs are chosen differently from lithium packs: the voltages are lower per cell, the sizes are standardised, and the most common job is replacement rather than new design. This guide covers that logic.
Layered pack cross-section — the site's recurring diagram motif. It is a schematic, not a photograph of a product, factory or customer project, and it is not presented as a photograph of this company's factory.
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A NiMH cell is 1.2V nominal, so pack voltages follow from the cell count: four cells give 4.8V, five give 6V, six give 7.2V, eight give 9.6V and ten give 12V. The detail pack on this site is a six-cell 7.2V 1100mAh pack, and the wider range includes 2.4V, 3.6V, 4.8V, 7.2V, 9.6V and 12V NiMH configurations. A buyer replacing a pack should first count the cells or read the original pack's voltage, because a pack at the wrong voltage will either underperform or damage the device, and no capacity figure corrects a voltage error.
Cell size is the second fact. NiMH cells come in standard sizes — AA, AAA, 2/3A, sub-C and others — and the pack's dimensions follow from the cell size and arrangement. The detail pack uses 2/3A cells at 70 x 46 x 18 mm for the finished pack, and other NiMH packs in the range use different cell sizes for different devices. A replacement pack must match the original's dimensions as well as its voltage, because a pack that is electrically right but mechanically too large still fails, and a pack that is too small may move, vibrate or disconnect in use.
Termination is the third fact, and it is the one most often missed. The detail pack has nickel tabs extending outside the battery, without cable or connector, so the customer welds the tabs directly to the device. Other NiMH packs use wires, connectors or different tab arrangements, and the termination must match the device's connection method. A buyer who orders the right voltage and size but the wrong termination still faces rework on arrival, and rework on a welded pack is not a trivial job.
Charging is the fourth fact. NiMH packs charge simply compared with lithium packs, and the charger range on this site includes 4-slot LCD smart chargers and 8-bay smart chargers for NiMH cells, with real-time status display. A NiMH pack should be charged with a NiMH charger, not with a lithium charger, because the charge termination methods differ. For a custom NiMH assembly, state the cell size, the cell count, the arrangement, the termination and the PVC colour if it matters — the detail listing offers black, white, green, red and other colours — and confirm the full specification in writing before ordering.
Questions to ask before you order
- How many 1.2V cells does the device need — what pack voltage?
- What cell size and finished dimensions must the pack match?
- What termination — tabs, wires or connector — does the device use?
- Does the charger match NiMH chemistry and the pack's cell count?
- Is this a replacement, where the original pack's facts decide, or a new design?
Related pages
7.2V 1100mAh pack · NiMH range · NiMH chargers · Choosing a custom pack
How to place an inquiry, step by step
- Send the device facts. Tell us the device type, the available space (length, width and maximum thickness), the nominal voltage you need, the capacity or runtime you target, and the peak current if your device has motors, radios or heaters.
- Name the model or the chemistry. If a page on this site matches, quote its model description and listing details. If nothing matches, say so and describe the chemistry and voltage you need, so the conversation starts on the custom route.
- Confirm documents and terms in writing. Ask for the certificate set for that exact model, confirm the minimum order, the price basis and the lead time for that listing, and confirm payment and warranty terms before you pay. Terms stated for one model listing do not transfer to another model.
- Agree the sample step. Confirm whether the next step is a listed sample, an engineering sample for a custom design, or a small trial order, and what test you will run on arrival — fit in the enclosure, runtime, or peak-current behaviour.
Send all of this in one message through the contact page: device type, space, voltage, capacity, peak current, model description if you have one, and the documents you need. That is the whole inquiry — no separate form, no account, no extra step.
What to send us now
Send one message with your device type, the space the pack must fit, the voltage and capacity you need, the peak current if it matters, and the model description if a page on this site already matches. Add the documents you need — certificates are available upon request — and whether you need a listed model or a custom design. Use the contact page or write to [email protected], or call +86-755-25629920. A specific message like that is what turns a range of hundreds of models into a short, answerable question.