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Toshiba Tecra 500 cdt battery replacement - Hard to find?

KLund1

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 22, 2012
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556
Location
Livermore, CA
I have this laptop that has very dead batteries. I have been looking for replacements, but am having a hard time.
The larger one I can find from China, but it will take 4 months to get here, and stuff from there like this is usually bad. Other places have these for $84 !! NO WAY that is going to happen.
The smaller one I can not find anywhere.
The compartment these fit into has about 1/8" to either side of the widest part on the battery. Then just a little more at the ends.
Anyone have any suggestions?
 

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Sometimes those batteries stores like batteriesplus can build up battery packs for you; it might be worth checking.
 
The maintenance manual for the Tectra 500CDT includes, "Three different batteries: a Lithium-Ion main battery, a backup battery (for memory backup), and an RTC battery (Real Time Clock)."

The 7.2V battery that you picture is the backup battery, used to support Toshiba's Resume mode - see [here]. My Toshiba 430CDT uses one as well, but because I do not use Resume mode, I do not have a backup battery fitted. At power-up time, my 430CDT does not 'complain' about the missing backup battery.

As for replacing the damaged 3.6V battery in my 430CDT, I found a similar battery (voltage, type, size, shape) online, but the small white connector on the end was the wrong type. I bought the battery, cut off the connector on both batteries, and connected (soldered the wires together) the connector from the old battery to the new battery. (This happened years ago.)
 
The maintenance manual for the Tectra 500CDT includes, "Three different batteries: a Lithium-Ion main battery, a backup battery (for memory backup), and an RTC battery (Real Time Clock)."

The 7.2V battery that you picture is the backup battery, used to support Toshiba's Resume mode - see [here]. My Toshiba 430CDT uses one as well, but because I do not use Resume mode, I do not have a backup battery fitted. At power-up time, my 430CDT does not 'complain' about the missing backup battery.

As for replacing the damaged 3.6V battery in my 430CDT, I found a similar battery (voltage, type, size, shape) online, but the small white connector on the end was the wrong type. I bought the battery, cut off the connector on both batteries, and connected (soldered the wires together) the connector from the old battery to the new battery. (This happened years ago.)
I agree that the best thing is to go for a similar 3.6V battery and splice the connector ... the originals are horribly expensive indeed. Alternatively try a 3V 3032 with a diode and see if that gives enough voltage for the RTC? Would be the cheapest option!
 
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Many thanks.
Lots to think about, and try.
I've seen the 3032 + diode many times but never tied it. I know little about diode labeling, measurement, size etc. I do know that they only let curent flow in one direction. In this cose so the unit will not try to recharge a discharge only battery.
 
The individual cells are Varta V30H. I think the V40H is their direct replacement. I've looked into the same thing recently and was going to buy individual cells and create a battery with my new spot welder.... but in the end I didn't need to as my 90s laptop has another rechargeable battery soldered to the m/b. That was easier to replace and pretty cheap. And it also keeps perfect time now. I have no idea why it has 2 different RTC batteries!
 
The individual cells are Varta V30H. I think the V40H is their direct replacement.
Being 40 mAh rather than 30 mAh, the 40H variants are expected to be larger. That can sometimes be a problem. For example, in a Toshiba 430CDT laptop, the 3/V30H barely fits, and some owners may not want to make physical modifications to their 430CDT unless they had no other option. (In my 430CDT, I could utilise the space created by the missing 7.V battery.)
 
In the case of V11H and their replacement V15H, the size is the same (I've compared those), just the capacity is larger. I don't know for sure but suspect it's the same for the V30H > V40H. Better, newer battery tech and increased capacity.
 
You can buy partially assembled battery modules and then customize them to your needs. If you get some 22 gauge stranded copper wire, strip the insulation off and hammer it flat, you can solder it to the battery. Cheaper than buying rolls of nickel strip you'll never use most of. Just make sure not to heat the battery too much, or it'll be destroyed. I'd recommend sanding the terminal and tinning it with solder, then tin the copper wire and touch the two together, it'll make a fast connection with least risk of overheating the battery.


Not sure if these are small enough. You can double one of these up to get the bigger pack. You can also chop and reuse the connectors if they're not corroded. If they are corroded, they look like Mini JST types, probably a 2mm pin pitch.
 
You can buy partially assembled battery modules and then customize them to your needs. If you get some 22 gauge stranded copper wire, strip the insulation off and hammer it flat, you can solder it to the battery. Cheaper than buying rolls of nickel strip you'll never use most of. Just make sure not to heat the battery too much, or it'll be destroyed. I'd recommend sanding the terminal and tinning it with solder, then tin the copper wire and touch the two together, it'll make a fast connection with least risk of overheating the battery.
That set on Ebay looks perfect. I once actually glued copper wire to a cell battery with super glue just to see if it worked ... to my surprise it worked a treat with full conductivity and no risk of heating the battery!
 
Thanks everyone!
Looks like getting the recovery battery is a no go.
But I found the 3 cell ones cheap in ebay. So I can at least keep the time and cmos settings. Recovery is no big deal as long as I shut down windows normally. and drop to dos.
I have another question that I will start a new thread about.
again thanks!!
 
Fedco's Energy + line of products may have the 7.2v battery. If not you can make one out of two 3.6v packs. Plus (+) lead connected to the minus (-) lead of a second one will produce 7.2 volts. Just pull the connector pins out and solder together plus from the first to minus of the second and extend the other lead to plug into the remaining connector. Maybe put heat shrink over the combined batteries.
 
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