Tom,
Thanks. It's a great story and it's rather odd to think that two cells in that battery were launched into orbit with the rest, but were nothing more than packing (expensive packing too).
Perhaps the special merit of the "NASA" cells, over those selected by the "Kayser" process, is that the NASA were designed to go open circuit after 25 years in space (hi hi). However, while the commonly held view is that the satellite started working again because the battery became "open circuit", the telemetry suggests that it is not, so the real cause may be far more subtle.
There are some very fine wires coming out of the thermally conductive goo that holds the thermistor to cell no 5. Were these joined to the yellow and grey wires that disappear under the battery?
I guess there's a special "satellite design" reason that double wires are used (instead of one thicker one) for the current carrying battery leads?
Leaving aside Geoff's (vk2tfg) point that the telemetry may be irrelevant because of the doggy value in channel 6D, it would seem that the five top cells (between half volt point and +12V - numbers 2,3,4,5,6 counting clockwise) are being charged with a current of 80mA and have reached a terminal voltage of 6.4 volts (8.8 - 2.4). This represents a voltage of 1.28 per cell (6.4/5) and is thoroughly reasonable. This idea is supported by the temperature of cell number 5 at 60.28 C.
The five cells between the half voltage point and ground are not so healthy. The figure of 2.4 volts suggest that 3 of them are short circuited.
Of course anything could be happening. The whole box could be a morass of goo with leakage currents going everywhere.
I will try and capture some more telemetry myself, as soon as the house painting is finished and I can remount my satellite antennas..
Geoff,
You made a comment: "Check channel 6D, anything other than about 0.5 means that the others are likely to be dodgy (invalid)".
Can you tell me any more about this. How is the value should in channel 6D derived?
Boy, a circuit diagram would be a diagnostic great tool here.
Sil - ZL2CIA