rebuilding laptop battery packs

[Tom Metro]

Randy wrote:
> OT: anyone know where to obtain quality aftermarket battery pack? 

If you want quality, it may be easier to find a vendor that rebuilds
packs. Probably more expensive than a Chinese clone, if one is available
for your machine, but it might be easier to find quality ratings on the
vendor.


> It is such a blind good that I am contemplating soldering in new
> batteries of identifiable manufacture rather than buying a no-name
> battery pack.

Almost all laptops these days use Lithium Ion batteries, which are heat
sensitive, and can pose an explosion danger if soldered to. The pros
build packs using ultrasonic welding.

Probably for a slight incremental cost, laptop vendors could design
battery packs that could be opened and the cells replaced. But it would
add some cost, maybe some bulk (extra room for screws and springs),
could potentially decrease reliability (spring contact vs. welded
contact), raise liability concerns (consumers putting in the wrong kind
of batteries), and mostly they just have no motivation to do this.

Just think how much cheaper batteries would be if laptops, cameras, and
power tools each used one of a handful of standard battery packs. (Less
practical for things like cell phones and tablets, where a standard
battery size would likely hold back advances in miniaturization.)

 -Tom

-- 
Tom Metro
Venture Logic, Newton, MA, USA
"Enterprise solutions through open source."
Professional Profile: http://tmetro.venturelogic.com/