YS-90 Battery question

[kevreid]

Reading the manual for my YS-90, I note the battery recommendation is for batteries rated up to 1000mA. I have been using much higher rated batteries than 1000. I can't even find batteries rated below 1800.
What's the risk using the higher rated battery? Should I keep using them, if not, where can I get the 1000's?

 

[Reeveseye]

No risk at all. I just bought my own YS-90a a month or two ago, and saw that same statement in my manual. I went back to the guy who sold it to me and asked about it. He said that the manual was written back when 1000mA was high end for a rechargeable, and they weren't sure about the safety of anything stronger. Use whatever you have - I've been using 2000 mA rechargeables myself on several dives. They work perfectly, and with no ill effects for the flash.

 

[JaxvilleDiver]

You should have no problems using the higher rated batteries...

 

[herman]

The higher rating is fine, more mAhs is always a good thing.
A different problem is the use of NiMH batteries if the strobe is not rated for them. Basically, they sometimes put off hydrogen gas which MAY explode, how likely it is that it will happen is debateable. Most of the newer strobes and other equipment have been modified to handle the problem and I suspect S&S can modify yours.

 

[Reeveseye]

The higher rating is fine, more mAhs is always a good thing.
Basically, they sometimes put off hydrogen gas which MAY explode, how likely it is that it will happen is debateable.

Thank you for bringing that up, Herman - I'd forgotten all about that. The store owner who sold me the strobe mentioned that as one of the concerns the manufacturer originally had, but said that the YS-90 had since been modified in some way to keep the gas from building up to dangerous levels.

 

[kevreid]

Thanks all for the information. I had been using up to 2000mA with out any problems, but was concerned. I couldn't find any batteries lower than 1800mA anyway so didn't have much choice.
I do appreciate all of you replying.

 

[Dee]

About 3-4 years ago, S&S put out a recall on their YS-90 battery caps. All you had to do was call or email them and they would replace it. The old caps didn't have the release valve type of thing. That's what for years S&S said not to use NiMH at all.

Kevin...if your strobe is new or only a couple years old, don't worry about it. Thomas Dist. now has 2300NiMH. that's what I'm using in camera and strobes.

 

[MarkH]

A different problem is the use of NiMH batteries if the strobe is not rated for them. Basically, they sometimes put off hydrogen gas which MAY explode, how likely it is that it will happen is debateable. Most of the newer strobes and other equipment have been modified to handle the problem and I suspect S&S can modify yours.

I had this problem with NiMH batteries in my old Toshiba TM1 strobe. After a dive, when I took off the battery cap, it seemed like there was alot of pressure in it. Eventually, it shattered and blew off underwater. Another engineering kind of guy I work with said that capacitors (spelling?) "trickle" back some current to the batteries, effectively charging them and causing hydrogen to release. I also had an internal pressure issue with a flashlight using NiMH batteries as well. There's no capacitor in a flashlight though, so maybe something else is going on here.