p.1 #1 · Quantum Turbo Z - Question About Replacing Cells.
I just can't seem to pinpoint what to put in this thing and where to get it. Plenty of info available on the Turbo... but not Turbo Z. The only thing I noticed after much googling is that most people are dropping NiMH into the Z and abandoning the NiCads.
p.1 #2 · Quantum Turbo Z - Question About Replacing Cells.
The voltage is similar, but the charging profile for a NiCad is very different than the charging profile of a NiMH cell. The charging characteristics of NiCd is quite different than NiMH. I would fear that the use of the original charging circuitry could result in improper charging of the new NiMH replacements.
"What's the difference between a NiMH battery charger and a NiCd battery charger.
"The biggest differences are in the charge rate (how fast the charger can charge batteries) and the charge control (how the charge determines when to stop the charge). Many of the inexpensive NiMH battery chargers are simply NiCd chargers that have been modified slightly. Typically a 5 hour NiCd charger has a switch that allows the charge time to be increased from five hours to eight hours. Thus a 5 hour NiCd charger becomes an 8 hour NiMh charger. As we mentioned above, we do not recommend this type of charger design. While a timer type charger is less expensive to manufacture than a smart charger, it can lead to overcharging and battery damage if batteries are frequently charged before they have been discharged (that is, the batteries are used for a short time and then fully charged again).
"NiMH smart chargers have actually been designed to detect when a NiMH battery is fully charged and then shut off or go into a trickle charge mode. Because of the more complex circuitry, this type of charger costs more to make, but should lead to greater battery life. Some of these chargers only cost slightly more that the "dumb" chargers. We strongly recommend investing in a smart charger for your NiMH or NiCd batteries."
The other problem that you may run into is if the original cells are 'welded' to each other into a battery which fits the Turbo Z...replicating that physical arrangement can be challenging, as simply using a soldering iron won't work to join the cells together in a do-it-yourself configuration!
p.1 #4 · Quantum Turbo Z - Question About Replacing Cells.
I bought one of the NiMh battery replacements on ebay and installed it in mine and it worked great. If memory serves I paid around 40.00 for the battery.
