Hacking Laptop batteries

stubs
stubs Posts: 5,001
edited December 2010 in The Crudcatcher
Got a laptop I use for work a couple of times a week and the battery is dying on me only getting about 30 mins no matter how careful I am with power use.

Got a quote for a battery £107.75 :shock: done a bit of googling and there are a few vids and sites on building your own battery. Anyone done it, did it work and do you still have all your fingers and thumbs.

I am not spending that much on a battery when I am getting a new laptop in 5 months time so looking for a tight wad option to tide me over till then.
Fig rolls: proof that god loves cyclists and that she wants us to do another lap

Comments

  • montevideoguy
    montevideoguy Posts: 2,271
    Plug it in?
    Formally known as Coatbridgeguy
  • stubs
    stubs Posts: 5,001
    Montevideoguy wrote:
    Plug it in?

    Would need a very long extension cord :lol:

    Perhaps I could rig up a generator that runs off hot air usually lot of that around when I have the laptop on.
    Fig rolls: proof that god loves cyclists and that she wants us to do another lap
  • montevideoguy
    montevideoguy Posts: 2,271
    Got the same prob with hot air/laptop. If I play football manager I can't leave anything else running otherwise it overheats and turns off. Bad times
    Formally known as Coatbridgeguy
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    Montevideoguy wrote:
    Got the same prob with hot air/laptop. If I play football manager I can't leave anything else running otherwise it overheats and turns off. Bad times
    Sounds like an exceedingly badly designed laptop :shock:
  • mattv
    mattv Posts: 992
    You can get individual cells for model aircraft, with tags on already to solder them together. I would guess its easier to open the existing battery casing and replace the cells rather than bodge a whole new casing. Trick with soldering them is use a HOT soldering iron, to heat up a small area quickly before too much heat spreads throughout the cells, as this damages them. You need to look inside it anyway, as you need to know how many cells, and of what voltage, go into the battery. Also, find it if it Nickel metal hydride (NiMH), Nickel cadmium (Nicad) or lithium (Lion or Lipoly) cells. use the same type so you cans till use the charger.
  • angry_bird
    angry_bird Posts: 3,786
    Dynamo + hamster wheel?
    Angry Bird's offroad bikes
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    If in doubt, blame Wiggle.
  • montevideoguy
    montevideoguy Posts: 2,271
    yeehaamcgee wrote:
    Montevideoguy wrote:
    Got the same prob with hot air/laptop. If I play football manager I can't leave anything else running otherwise it overheats and turns off. Bad times
    Sounds like an exceedingly badly designed laptop :shock:

    Sounds like a Dell with a dodgy fan. My first and last experience of them. My ancient Vaio is still going strong (apart from the battery). World of difference
    Formally known as Coatbridgeguy
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    Had several dells here without any problems.
  • montevideoguy
    montevideoguy Posts: 2,271
    All about personal experience I suppose. I've heard some people slate Sony laptops to hell but between my sister's and mine I cannot praise them high enough. No idea what path I'm going to go down in terms of next pc purchase. Tempted to go for a tablet and leave the dell or Vaio for downloading stuff (at the mo I use the Vaio for the heavy downloading freeing up dell for football manager)
    Formally known as Coatbridgeguy

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