About this replacement
HBC Cubix — 3.6V Ni-MH Replacement Battery (BI2090B1)
This is a 3.6V, 700mAh Ni-MH replacement battery for the HBC Cubix wireless crane remote control. It slots into the transmitter unit that operators use to send commands to overhead cranes and hoists on industrial sites. OEM part numbers BI2090B1 and 04.909 both apply to this cell.
- Cubix transmitter fit: The Cubix platform runs a single-cell Ni-MH pack at 3.6V to power the transmitter's microcontroller, RF module, and button matrix. Voltage, connector orientation, and cell dimensions — 45.80 × 31.10 × 10.50mm — must match exactly or the housing won't close and the BMS won't handshake.
- Bench tested on actual hardware: We cycled this cell through transmitter wake-up, RF burst transmission, and solenoid-trigger sequences. The BMS held steady across repeated command bursts with no dropout or low-voltage cutoff events.
- Ni-MH storage protocol for infrequent crane remotes: If the Cubix remote sits unused for weeks between jobs, charge the battery once a month regardless. Ni-MH cells self-discharge at roughly 1–3% per day. A cell left flat in storage for months can drop below the transmitter's minimum operating voltage and fail to wake the unit at all.
Solenoid activation causing power dropout on a freshly installed battery
When the Cubix transmitter fires a solenoid or relay command, the RF burst draws a short but sharp current spike. A cell sitting at storage voltage — typically around 1.2V nominal but partially depleted — can't sustain that inrush without the voltage rail sagging below the microcontroller's cutoff threshold. The transmitter then shuts off mid-command, which looks like a faulty battery even on a new cell. Charge the replacement fully before first use and confirm cell voltage reads at least 3.6V before reinstalling.
Remote shows low-battery warning immediately after new cell install
Ni-MH cells ship at partial charge — typically 30–50% — to preserve cell health during transport. The Cubix transmitter reads this as a low state of charge and flags the warning straight away. This is not a faulty cell. Connect the remote to its charger for a full charge cycle before use. Once the cell reaches full charge, the low-battery indicator clears and the transmitter operates normally.