Feldfernsprecher battery info...

[Desertfarbe]

Hi Folks!

I just got my second and last Feldfernsprecher...
This one is from 1944 and it seems it never seen a field during the WWII...actually it seems brand new!!!Just little scratces here and there...
It is in fully working condition as the previous one I got from 1941(really nice one!)

The main thing in it is the presence of the original battery...


No cracks on the upper side...no leaks...

[Desertfarbe]

My surprise is...this is in working condition after 70 years...

As you can see through the tester...not full 1.5V...but half of it...







So my questions now:

There were Two (or more than two?) kind of batteries as I know:

-One type with filling water

-One type Lead zinc

This one is for sure not the one using water (as also written on the label)...so it should be the LEAD ZINC type...Shouldn't it?


-Do you know if it is possible to charge it any way?
I have acid lead charger....Could it work with it?

-What about the hole on the top as highlighted in green on the pic?

I tried to put a wire in it and it seems it can be passed through something soft...and once there it works as positive...







I saw many batteries like this with one or two holes on the top... they should house a sort of glass tubes as I saw in a pic on the web and as I can read on the label:


Versand und Lagerung

1. Vor Versand und Lagerung beachten,daß der blanke Ableitungsdrath durch Isolierschlauch gegen
Kurzschluß gesichert ist.

2. Lagerung nur in kühlen,trockenen Räumen.
Element stets aufrechtstellen


Inbetriebsetzung

3. Element nicht mit Wasser füllen.

4. Kurzschlußgefahr beachten I Element hat Spannnung. Isolierschlauch abziehen.

5. Offnen d. Luftweges: Glasröhrchen abschlagen

[Desertfarbe]

Thanks in advance for your help and opinions!


Cheers!

[Funksammler]

I think these are Zinc-air cells, a variation of the standard Leclanche element. With the air kept out, the batteries had a longer storage lifetime. When taken in use, the glass tops were broken off the air tubes and the battery starts working. Zinc Air batteries have a longer lifetime than standard Leclanche cells, but can only produce low current, ideal for an application like powering a microphone in a telephone. FF33 batteries are always dry cell batteries (either standard Leclanche cells or Zinc-air cells), so water should never be added. Unfortunately they are not rechargeable...

regards,

Funksammler

[Desertfarbe]

Hi!
Thanks for the hint!
So they are zinc-air ones...
It is a pity they are not able to get a charge...

FF33 batteries are always dry cell batteries (either standard Leclanche cells or Zinc-air cells), so water should never be added.

Anyway...I talked about non dry cell due to I saw some FF Leclanche' batteries on the web...
They work by adding water...

Like these from 1969:

[Funksammler]

Never seen these Swiss ones before, I guess this would be considered a "wet" cell. I am not aware that the Wehrmacht used this type (I am not sure how these batteries react to low/high temperatures such as on the eastern front/Africa), but they may have been sold commercially in Germany. It puts the warning on the German made zinc air batteries not to add water in context.

regards,

Funksammler

[rv12p2000]

Hello

the technology used at this time was zinc carbon batteries (leclanché) see : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leclanch%C3%A9_cell

some information about the zinc air technology : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zinc%E2%80%93air_battery

regards rv12p2000

[Desertfarbe]

Hello

the technology used at this time was zinc carbon batteries (leclanché) see : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leclanch%C3%A9_cell

some information about the zinc air technology : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zinc%E2%80%93air_battery

regards rv12p2000

Hi!

Oh yeah...you are right...
I wrong when I wrote "Zinc lead"...I meant Zinc carbon...

Thanks for the further explanation...and links...


Cheers!

[Desertfarbe]

Never seen these Swiss ones before, I guess this would be considered a "wet" cell. I am not aware that the Wehrmacht used this type (I am not sure how these batteries react to low/high temperatures such as on the eastern front/Africa), but they may have been sold commercially in Germany. It puts the warning on the German made zinc air batteries not to add water in context.

regards,

Funksammler

Hi!

As I wrote this one is from 1969...so not used from Wehrmacht...
But I'm a rookie...so just wondering if any of these wet ones were used at that time...

Thanks for your opinion...


Cheers!

[Desertfarbe]

I just tested again the battery and now it is at 1.0Volt ...better than before...but I guess too low to supply the feldfernsprecher mic...so I'll be forced to use my home made one with D cell inside....

So in short:

This is a Zinc carbon battery and it is not re-chargeable...

But it is great the idea to have one original battery still ALIVE...



Thanks again!

Cheers!

[Funksammler]

I am surprised there is any life left in it after all this time, but I'm afraid it is for display only. It doesn't detract from the value of the battery, at least it is a nice original one!

Don't worry about being a rooky, I am still learning new facts (like that the swiss used wet cell batteries post war).

I once found some 2B38 (lead acid) batteries which looked to be in good condition. I filled them up with distilled water (I figured they had discharged and dried out) and I am using them to this day. It goes to show that you can be lucky sometimes, but I guess it would be much to ask to find a dry cell battery that will still work.

regards,

Funksammler

I just tested again the battery and now it is at 1.0Volt ...better than before...but I guess too low to supply the feldfernsprecher mic...so I'll be forced to use my home made one with D cell inside....

So in short:

This is a Zinc carbon battery and it is not re-chargeable...

But it is great the idea to have one original battery still ALIVE...



Thanks again!

Cheers!

[rv12p2000]

Hello

In the technology of used batteries there were several
Lead technology ' (planté) but resisted evil at low temperatures, experience of the Russian front
The technology of alkaline batteries: 2 type iron nickel and nickel cadmium
This gave the series of tubes 2.4 volts

Regards RV12p2000

battery iron nickel are built by edisson in germany (used in siemens manual exchange for army)