vidor: Making a working L5550 (B148) Battery pack

There are two styles:

1) Box in style of original.

Plan for a Box. Will not fit on one A4 sheet. Don't Print this.

 

2) Two part box like "chocolate box".

I recommend the second style. In either case the entire cover will not fit on one sheet. The layouts are 200 dpi and thus should both print 231mm wide and 172mm high.

Convert to 16M colours if you want to adjust the colour.

Always print on high quality 80gms or 90gms paper and paste to shiny side of cereal packet or other heavy card using Pritt/UHU paper glue strick or Spray Mount.

Do the top first.

 

Then make the base 2mm smaller in each direction so it fits inside. Test before gluing,

Inside must be folded 2mm smaller each way on base.

 

Inside view:

Cut the circles with a craft knife on a suitable surface (waste expanded polystyrene or corrugated box or cutting mat.

Use "general purpose" glue or Impact adhesive and glue outer first.

The socket can be made with two layers of margarine tub plastic, Impact adhesive and strips cut from coffee tin.

 

Use existing plug to mark the plastic and make holes in TWO sheets. Ideally the full size of the side witht the socket. Optionally colour it.

Cut strips with scissors from coffee tin and bend to triangle profile sockets.

 

Make two slots beside holes and cut of third tag.

Insert the tabs through slots and bend back on underside as solder tag. Make sure strips are bent with shiny bare tin side inward.

Coat this sheet and the front cover part with Impact Adhesive. (follow directions on tin/tube)
Stick the cover plastic matching the holes.

 

Parts of the box:

 

Ten x PP3 9V packs (90V) and five  x Alkaline AA Cells fits with plenty of space.

These are all needed and fit easily (the Maplin batteries were 70% off).

The attachment shows connection layout for LT-, LT+ (7.5V nominal), HT- and HT+ (90V nominal).

The end point for LT is about 6V. The point for HT is about 55V.  Fitting new LT cells each time wears the filaments faster as the new cells are too high a voltage. LT is better using Alkaline (up to 10 years shelf life) or NiMH (but poor shelf life). The PP3 Alkaline are actually 6 x AAAA cells, so the capacity increase is about 590mAH vs the 460mAH of Zinc layer cells.  HT drain is 8mA to 9.5mA on a Vidor Lady Ann and about 23mA LT average. Earlier models used a larger L5546 which would have been very akward to fit. The connector is believed to be the same as used on large 90/7.5, 90V/9V and 90Vdual 7.5V/9V packs on a few UK sets and many US sets (9V). The 9V is a different pin to 7.5V and some plugs may have both pins. In such case add a dummy hole. The middle offset pin has no connection and is purely a "key" to insure correct connection. It's possible an Octal socket works. But I haven't checked.

If you can't see two attachments click on the title. They are hidden if the model page is displayed.

Attachments:

• Vidor L5550 top (64 KB)
• Vidor L5550 base (28 KB)

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