Homemade Battery Replacement for H/P Laptop

[gizmo78]

I have a very new H/P 'Envy' laptop that I use purely for entertainment. I mean like in the Summer sitting out under my Maple tree, watching a movie DVD or SKYPE-ing with family or old shipmates. The rest of the time it is stowed away, battery removed. I have an electronic background and I know rechargeable batteries both lose charge capacity, AND simply go down sitting on the shelf. I note the 'V104' battery pack for this L/T goes for almost $50. I also see it is rated at 14.8 volts; a little odd for a four (4) cell total, but Lithium Ion batteries are not 'old hat' to me.

That said, when this pack begins to not even do a Movie DVD, I'm giving serious thought to taking my Dremel tool out, carving open the battery pack, removing the old cells, wiring and taping ten (10) Garden Variety Duracell AA batteries together and running that. Ten AA's is a tad over 15 VDC, open circuit.

Has anybody here ever done this? Ten AA's is $3.75 from Costco; one helluva lot better than Amazon !!

Giz

 

[gizmo78]

[Obviously].....My lap top would either run on the Duracells {no power cord attached}, *OR*, homebrew pack REMOVED and A.C. cord in place...........

Giz

 

[Mellon Head]

The current draw on the Duracells might make them awfully hot...

I don't think this is a good idea.

 

[gizmo78]

So they get hot.... They will be outside both the computer and the plastic body of the original pack. Not sure about the actual A-Hr capacities, but I think each of those four Lithium Ions actually contain three CELLs in series; they can't have a whole lot of internal resistance [HEAT].

Hope somebody has taken soldering iron in hand and TRIED IT....

Giz................... old ham radio op with soldering skill and not afraid to try stuff!

 

[Mellon Head]

Just do me a favor and put some sort of blast shield over the Duracells when you do this. Just in case they pop. I'd hate for you to get shrapnel in your eyes or something like that.

Just to reiterate: I don't think this is a good idea.

Btw: Alkaline cells can burst when you solder to them.

 

[gizmo78]

I've soldered a lot of D cells; use a small, short, wire between 'em and one of my smaller pencil irons. I also did one set of AA's for my old H/P calculator when the local 'source' of rechargable's went out of business. [Due South of Victoria...amongst the stumps]

Man, for a 40 USD difference wouldn't you get creative, eh?

Giz

 

[Ranger4]

The only way you are ever going to find out is to give it a go, but as Mellon Head has suggested do be very careful.