Making a battery pack for an old marine radio? (First-time noob, please halp)

[Taurich]

Hello, 

 

I was visiting my dad, and he tossed an old Southern Marine Research SL9600 radio at me, and asked about a replacement battery for it... It's old as heck, and this was all I could find for a replacement. It looks like it's just 8 AA batteries in a shrink-wrap, and says it's 9.6v. From some googling, NiCad batteries are 1.2V, and 8 of them would be 9.6V total.

 

There are also two power inputs. One for external power (which says 13.8V max), and a different one for charging (no input power rating on the charging port)

 

• Do they have to be NiCad batteries, or can I use some Eneloops I have laying around (NiMH / 1.5V)?
• Because that External Power port says 13.8 Max, am I fine with basically anything between 9.6 and 13.8V?
• Would that charging port still work with NiMH batteries?

 

 

 

[manikyath]

37 minutes ago, Taurich said:

Do they have to be NiCad batteries, or can I use some Eneloops I have laying around (NiMH / 1.5V)?

NiMH more or less is a moden replacement for NiCd, they are essentially interchangeable.

 

38 minutes ago, Taurich said:

• Because that External Power port says 13.8 Max, am I fine with basically anything between 9.6 and 13.8V?

this sounds like it's designed to handle car battery voltage, but it's difficult to make any assumptions about that.

39 minutes ago, Taurich said:

Would that charging port still work with NiMH batteries?

i presume so, because charging NiMH is the same (within reason..) as charging NiCd.