Weincell 625 battery hack

KerrKid · Dec 11, 2022

I did not know that the metal ring on a Weincell 625 battery could be easily removed and put on a 357 battery or 675 hearing aid battery to create an inexpensive 625-sized battery.

I squeezed the Weincell battery ring off with a pair of pliers placing one jaw of the pliers on the ring and the other jaw on the bottom of the battery.

It’s not too difficult to push the metal ring on to the bottom side of the 357 or 675 battery. Works a charm.

FWIW…. I got a pack of 24 Hearing Aid batteries at Harbor Freight for $8. A camera battery for 33 cents ain’t bad.

I use the 357 battery version in my Minolta SRT-101’s that have been modified to meter with the higher voltage and the 675 hearing aid battery version for my Konica Auto S2 rangefinders that haven’t been modified and need the lower voltage.

mshchem · Dec 12, 2022

KerrKid said:
I did not know that the metal ring on a Weincell 625 battery could be easily removed and put on a 357 battery or 675 hearing aid battery to create an inexpensive 625-sized battery.

I squeezed the Weincell battery ring off with a pair of pliers placing one jaw of the pliers on the ring and the other jaw on the bottom of the battery.

It’s not too difficult to push the metal ring on to the bottom side of the 357 or 675 battery. Works a charm.

FWIW…. I got a pack of 24 Hearing Aid batteries at Harbor Freight for $8. A camera battery for 33 cents ain’t bad.

I use the 357 battery version in my Minolta SRT-101’s that have been modified to meter with the higher voltage and the 675 hearing aid battery version for my Konica Auto S2 rangefinders that haven’t been modified and need the lower voltage.

Those hearing aid batteries are getting a bit scarce in my local Walgreens. The newer hearing aids use smaller diameter cells. I'm like you I saved my rings.
I bought some brass rings from a seller England that are a bit easier to insert the cell.

Eric Rose · Dec 12, 2022

Wow great tip! Thanks

blee1996 · Dec 12, 2022

I also use 675 hearing aid batteries in those brass rings from ebay. You can also 3D print those rings as well.

gone · Dec 12, 2022

You can use a small O ring from a hardware store too, but that usually means an added trip to go fetch one. Thanks for the tip Kerrkid.

It's funny though, isn't it? We'll spend hundreds or thousands of dollars on a camera, lens and film, then pinch a penny until it hollers to save a little bit on a battery.

KerrKid · Dec 12, 2022

mshchem said:
Those hearing aid batteries are getting a bit scarce in my local Walgreens. The newer hearing aids use smaller diameter cells. I'm like you I saved my rings.
I bought some brass rings from a seller England that are a bit easier to insert the cell.

I hadn’t looked for them in Walgreens but I saw the 24 pack of Thunderbolt brand batteries in Harbor Freight and couldn’t believe how inexpensive they were.

Figure around $5 for the adapter ring off the Weincell since that’s how much the battery costs. How much did you pay for the brass adapter you bought?

The Weincell ring is a tight friction fit but not that difficult to push on. A little file work on it would make it easier.

I have a Wards ep 504 camera (Konica Auto SE) that could use the hearing aid battery version but I’ll need to fashion a plug of the correct diameter and length to hold it in place against the negative tab in the battery compartment. And, of course, the battery needs to breath.

KerrKid · Dec 12, 2022

momus said:
You can use a small O ring from a hardware store too, but that usually means an added trip to go fetch one. Thanks for the tip Kerrkid.

It's funny though, isn't it? We'll spend hundreds or thousands of dollars on a camera, lens and film, then pinch a penny until it hollers to save a little bit on a battery.

I tried the O-ring but it didn’t fit as well and it doesn’t work well when the positive tab is on the side of the battery compartment and you need conductivity. I even tried wrapping foil around the o-ring to remedy that, but it was a kludge.

I’m of the “use what you have school” if at all possible, but that sure doesn’t make sense at times and trying to fashion a battery adapter for my Wards ep 504 out of an old 625 cell, a wire nut and a pen spring was one of those times. Geez, I could’ve discovered a new planet in the time I spent on that boondoggle and didn’t realize until today that I had an easy solution right on the desk in front of me.

I wish I could afford a $1,000 camera. If I can save $20/year on batteries, I’ll have one by the time I’m 115. Who’ll be laughing then?

ic-racer · Dec 12, 2022

I have used a number of things to adapt the zinc batteries. The right shows a retaining nut from a panel mount toggle switch that fits perfectly. Next is the washer from a Wien cell and to the left is a brass machined adapter from the internet. I just got the brass adapters and I think they are the most convenient solution. I got two to try them but would like a few more.

Don_ih · Dec 12, 2022

Regular copper house wire (like 12), stripped of it's plastic, wrapped around a pen tube (or similar) to make a circle, cut off with snips. If it needs to be thinner or thicker, you can hammer it either before or after you make the circle. Takes a minute.

guangong · Dec 12, 2022

momus said:
You can use a small O ring from a hardware store too, but that usually means an added trip to go fetch one. Thanks for the tip Kerrkid.

It's funny though, isn't it? We'll spend hundreds or thousands of dollars on a camera, lens and film, then pinch a penny until it hollers to save a little bit on a battery.

I found that by the time I needed a new battery, the 20 batteries that were a great deal have died. I buy as needed.

btaylor · Dec 12, 2022

Same here! That’s why I buy the expensive diode adapters. Then I feel confident I’ll have that good silver oxide spare when I need one. But I admire the penny squeezing here!

Paul Howell · Dec 12, 2022

I buy my zinc air from Amazon, one packet at a time, like many I use a rubber o ring, or cut a thin cardboard strip as an insert. Matter of fact, time to buy another packet, my Konica Ts use 2 batteries.

mshchem · Dec 12, 2022

Don Heisz said:
Regular copper house wire (like 12), stripped of it's plastic, wrapped around a pen tube (or similar) to make a circle, cut off with snips. If it needs to be thinner or thicker, you can hammer it either before or after you make the circle. Takes a minute.

This is a great suggestion. I have plenty of #12 wire.

MattKing · Dec 12, 2022

The brass adapters I have were ones that I purchased through Jon Goodman, of light seal fame. They work great, and were at the time very reasonable. And as mentioned, unlike o-rings, they work with cameras or meters that have terminals on the side.
Just remember to follow the instructions to retain the adapter when you dispose an exhausted battery!
It is also handy to have a toothpick nearby, for extracting the old battery.

KerrKid · Dec 12, 2022

Judging by the price of the brass adapters at only around $5/pc, that seems the best solution and they make more sense than buying $5 Weincells to take the rings off of. Glad to know they work.

For me, the o-ring solution doesn't work with all of my cameras and I've used the stripped wire method, but found it fussier than pressing on a metal ring. But, I'd use both methods in a pinch. I even hogged out an old 625 cell with a dremel tool (making sure it wasn't an old mercury battery) and shimmed it with a ring of copper wire in order to hold a hearing aid battery or the 357. It worked, but wasn't worth the trouble.

I really like the creativity and resourcefulness of using that toggle switch retaining ring, though. Whoda thunk? I would have been patting myself on the back for thinking of that one.

The point made about only buying the amount of batteries you intend to use in the near future is wise. That pack of 24 batteries I bought would be far less of a value if half of them were no good. For $8, I took a chance. Time will tell.

KerrKid · Dec 12, 2022

MattKing said:
The brass adapters I have were ones that I purchased through Jon Goodman, of light seal fame. They work great, and were at the time very reasonable. And as mentioned, unlike o-rings, they work with cameras or meters that have terminals on the side.
Just remember to follow the instructions to retain the adapter when you dispose an exhausted battery!
It is also handy to have a toothpick nearby, for extracting the old battery.

I put a slot in the side of one of the adapters I crafted to make extracting the battery easier. I used a dental pick since that's what I had handy.

Maybe a slot could be made in the brass adapter for that purpose?

EDIT: I see a hole in the bottom of the adapter for the purpose of pushing the battery out. Didn't notice that before.

Weincell 625 battery hack

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