Substitutes for old mercury batteries.

[raftman]

Since so many of the older cameras take this sort of battery for their light meters, and since these battiers are no longer readily available in the USA, I was wondering if anyone knows what would would be a modern equivalent to the Mallory PX-13 and where (if anywhere) can it be acquired?

 

[colyn]

Since so many of the older cameras take this sort of battery for their light meters, and since these battiers are no longer readily available in the USA, I was wondering if anyone knows what would would be a modern equivalent to the Mallory PX-13 and where (if anywhere) can it be acquired?

Check out http://www.colyngoodson.com/manuals.html
Click on the battery adapter link.

 

[ray_g]

There are different options. I prefer using zinc-air batteries, since they give you the same voltage (1.35v) as the old mercury. Unlike alkalines, there is no voltage drop until the battery dies, about 3months from the time you open the air tabs.

Wein makes one identical in size to the px-13. They get costly, however. I prefer using 625 size zinc air hearing aid batteries available in packs for cents a piece at Walgreens or Radio Shack. Use with a #9 O-ring from the hardware store.

 

[richard_l]

I use these adapters, and they seem to work perfectly -
http://www.criscam.com/old/mba.htm

Richard

 

[Andrew Touchon]

I use these adapters, and they seem to work perfectly -
http://www.criscam.com/old/mba.htm

Richard

The diadvantage of the zinc-air batteries is their short life span. I have also had good results using the Criscam adapter.

 

[ClaremontPhoto]

Small Battery Company know their stuff.

 

[mbisc]

Depending on which camera/meter you are talking about, there may be an even easier solution. For example, Gossen makes a little adapter that allows you to use modern batteries in their older meters (they are available at the usual internet vendors). Also, many of the older German cameras (Rollei, Zeiss Ikon etc.) had voltage stabilizers built in that allow you to use modern batteries without any changes. If that's what you have, check with discussion groups on the particular camera type. If your camera doesn't have a voltage stabilizer, you can also ask a good camera repair person to recalibrate your meter to the new voltage of the modern bateries.

Cheers,
Mike

 

[HuubL]

There are different options. I prefer using zinc-air batteries, since they give you the same voltage (1.35v) as the old mercury. Unlike alkalines, there is no voltage drop until the battery dies, about 3months from the time you open the air tabs.

Wein makes one identical in size to the px-13. They get costly, however. I prefer using 625 size zinc air hearing aid batteries available in packs for cents a piece at Walgreens or Radio Shack. Use with a #9 O-ring from the hardware store.

Just checked. I put a Zn-air Wein 625 replacement in my MR4 meter last February and it still goes strong after 9 months!

I've heard about the hearing aid batteries. That's an interesting alternative. How long do they last?

 

[payasam]

Three years ago I bought, from a Dutch fibre optics engineer who made them in his spare time, three adaptors. Each is a hollowed out 625 shell with a diode soldered along the rim, plus some insulation. Put a 1.55V silver oxide cell in one, output is reduced to 1.35 volts. Silver oxide has a flat discharge curve as mercury does and as alkalines do not. The name is Frans de Gruijter, and the address in late 2003 was battery.adapter@wanadoo.nl. I do not know if he still makes the things. He also sold kits for the adventurous, and he published detailed instructions for the even more daring. Cost me a great deal less than similar adapters would have done. The adaptors are working perfectly, as are the cells I put in at the time.

 

[David Murphy]

I use Wein cells -- no problems -- available on eBay

 

[rxmd]

There is a very good survey of various battery adapters with instructions how to build your own at http://www.stutterheim.nl/rollei/download/batt-adapt-US.pdf (500 kB PDF).

Philipp