I can’t even imagine being able to use 200+ cells. I think dale has like 300 I believe he said. I can’t even imagine that many and I thought a couple dozen was a good amount
S4G, I don’t even have that many (a couple dozen) and I thought I had enough! Heck, I know I have enough for my usage.
These gents have a serious problem! Cool! I like that! 
It’s good to know serious people are the primary drivers here. Maybe I should request another Q8; yeah, the Q8’ll be good.
I’ve been overlooking that aspect so I’ve gained something- thanks!
I’m just glad they are because this kind of depth is where better things for us all come from. My own needs push me toward a factory-made charger and I’m seeing that a 4-cell model or two is in my near future when funds allow. I doubt that I’ll ever have that many cells and the need to charge so many at once, but that’s a nice set-up for those who do.
Phil
I agree Phil. It’s something that I can’t see me ever doing, but I sure am glad they do and then share their knowledge.
Storing batteries in case of a shortage is no different than other people who are peppers who keep on hand other necessities. Any international dilemma, at this time, causing an interruption in international shipping would have battery supplies limited.
We’re already seeing the effects of the latest shipping restrictions which is why I’ve already ordered the 30Q’s for my Q8 even though it may be months before it’s produced. And I do prepare for the bad things which could happen, but I still don’t need that much myself, and I have other things wanting my time and money right now regardless.
Dreams are good, and it’s great when you achieve them, but reality always holds the trump cards.
Phil
Just so you know, that while I tend to go a bit extreme on new things that interest me, I also like to buy smart as I am always on a budget it seems. Guess thats why I ended up here.
The grand total I have invested in my battery collection at this point is less then $50 believe it or not.
I got a boatload of HE2’s for a deal I just could not pass up (less then $2 a cell) and was able to sell the extras I didn’t need (well I thought at the time I would not need anyways, wish I had kept more at this point) for enough to cover the cost of all the batteries I kept at that point.
In fact the largest part of my outlay for batteries at this point is a set of 30Q’s I ordered to compare them to the HE2’s. (The HE2’s are better for high drain uses but obviously less capacity, I find I generally go with either GA’s or HE2’s in all my good lights)
The rest of my cells are all laptop pulls that I get from a local repair shop for free/$1 a pack depending on who is there when I pick them up.
My charging setup has around $40 invested once you add up the little things but it is worth the convenience for me.
It is nice to just swap batteries now and worry about charging them later.
Good points, I have invested in portable solar panels and battery banks to augment my supply of rechargeable batteries.
I like your set up, and you need not justify it for me. 
lol, yeah I guess it did kind of sound like that.
I was more going for “wanting to show off the deal I got, while not sounding like a show-off”
Needless to say this is basically impossible to achieve.
Eventually I’ll amass a lot more then I need for prepping and hurricane prep to. Katrina was ground zero bsl ms 40+ feet of storm surge. When I get my taxes back this year I plan on buying around 50-100 batteries. The NCR b is really cheap now. $200 will get 64 shipped. Even 50 ga is about $200. In the mean time every 2-3 months I try to purchase 4-8 cells. GB runs flash sales all the time. 4 cells for 11.99 or some 2600-2800 mah Samsung I believe for like $9 my powerbanks get yearly battery swaps. And I’ll keep a battery until it hits under 2000 mah. Unless it gets warm charging or the ir gets stupidly high. I use my worn out cells for night lights for my daughters and charge them daily. None of my current lights use more then 5-6 amps even tired cells run them on turbo for a good half a hour. Raccoons come and try to steal the cat food and get into the rabbits cage nightly. So I go through 4-5 cells a day between watching and night lights. My vc2 is charging something literally 24/7
Keep an eye on your local recycle bins. In the last year I have been luck to score 48 like-new high discharge cells in 2 tool packs. Have to be patient sometimes, but they are out there getting thrown away every day.
I wish it was easier in my area. My area isnt very big on recycling. The big hardware stores will take them but its behind the counter. There is no bins out front. The closest place best buy about 30 mins away has them inside the doors and the way it goes in you can’t really see what’s in there. It like has a flap. Not that way but once a month. It was overflowing last time saw a couple tool packs grabbed and left. But they weren’t lithium ones. Best buy has a person that stands by the door also. Just turned and kept walking. Maybe in a few weeks I’ll try again and see if it’s over flowing again. But we don’t have open bins like I see some people describe here. Recycling isn’t pushed here besides scraping metal. I guess because your actually payed for the metal. We don’t even have emissions laws here. You can remove catyltic converters here for better gas mileage legally. But for the poorest and most obese state in the nation I don’t have high expectations for people caring about the environment. Quick example of thr aversge income. You can purchase a 2000sq home with a half acre yard for about 25 grand. Most couples combined are lucky to make 35 grand combined with fulltime jobs. Besides that one best buy I’ve never seen a battery recycling bin anywhere before. This site had me looking for some and online I found the hardware stores Lowes HD etc take them but when I went to them they accept them at the counter not a drop off in a bin kind of thing
Thank you for your comment, it gives me pause to think how many other people are in a similar situation concerning income.
This thread had me calling around today to see what can be had. I suspect a lot. One computer repair place told me that they were hazardous waste and seemed receptive to me taking them, but I need to discuss it with the boss.
^
In my experience, used (used, not old stock unused) laptop packs are pretty much always a disappointment. They will yield some cells that are good enough for tame lights. Tool packs on the other hand seem to sometimes get thrown out in new condition.
Sorry to hear about your situation out there Speed4goal. Maybe you can figure out a way to set up our own collection bin somewhere?
Texas_Ace,
Have you looked under the hood of your Accucell 6? I just did on mine and it looks like it may have the same board at the Original IMaxB6. I can’t see the MCU because the display is soldered to the main PCB. It is labeled SK6000A 10/10/2009. Did your B6 have that label on it’s PCB? Here is a pic from Cheali-Charger of the Original IMaxB6:
I can ditto that used laptop packs are VERY hit and miss, mostly miss. I have gone through 50+ packs so far and I have come out with about 20-30 good cells, about the same for cells I would only really use in low drain devices and a bunch that I had to toss.
New old stock packs are the best things to get but they are not less then $1. So for the price I am happy with what I got out of them. I would not spend more then $1 per pack for darn sure though.
I did look at flashing the Accucell-6 but when I opened it it had a completely different board and like yours I could not see the chip. Mine also did not have any noticeable interface port with which to attach a programmer to try it so I gave up on it and sold it. Figure I will use the money to buy another Imax B6 if the need arises. Or actually I think I would grab one of those 15A power supplies instead come to think of it, not as many features but great for raw charging power and still plenty accurate to get a good charge.
Lifted the display and an Atmega32 MCU was revealed. Looking a pictures of original IMaxB6 PCB’s, it appears that the original Accucell 6 and B6 are the same except for FW and case color/labeling.
So took the chance and flashed with the Accucel 6 file. I think Pawel Stawicki says on the site that the Atmega32 files are pretty much the same except of calibration settings. The unit wouldn’t work with the hex file I downloaded. Luckily, Mr Stawicki has is a short trouble shooting section. It suggested using the raw data. So I copied and pasted the raw data into a Notepad (Awesome program) and saved the file. Flashed that and the unit seems to work fine. Haven’t really used it yet (other than calibrating it) but looking forward to it.
So it turns out I didn’t need to purchase the IMaxB6, but it will be nice to have a back up and it only cost $15. Probably will keep one unit in the shed for charging options out there.
Anyway, just wanted to say thank you Texas_Ace. Now my hobby charger can charge more types of cells and do more things like charge 4.35v cells and measure internal resistance. You the Man!
Great! glad it worked out for you. I had the new 6A version of the accucell, I guess they changed some things for it as there was no port to flash it that I could find anywhere, no open pins at all for that matter. Were your pins above the LCD?
Now make up a set of charging leads that have some wires running to pin 0 & 1 of the balance port (he shows the pins in the calibrating section) and connect them to the ends of the main charging leads. This allows it to get accurate voltage readings without the voltage loss in the wires.
Mine had a 6 amp capability too. It is now 5 amps with the new FW, but it’s worth it to me for the additonal features. Hopefully, the FW continues develop and brings back the 6 amp capability.
My PCB looks just like the B6 PCB pictured in Post 36 above, except that mine just has through holes where the connector is in that picture. I just soldered the programmer’s cables to the through holes.
Great suggestion on the balance wires 0 and 1. I’ll do that.