[Tfug] Source for notebook batteries?

[Linux Media]

>> The battery for my Thinkpad is barely holding a charge anymore, so I'm
>> looking at buying a new one.  (Tried reconditioning but without luck.)
>> Can anyone recommend a reliable source?  I'd like to avoid paying the
>> IBM premium, but online vendors of notebook batteries all seem pretty
>> sketchy.
>>
>> Thanks!
>>
>> Claude

> I'm wondering if there's isn't a better (or at least cheaper!)
> solution via "hardware hacking".  I'm in the same boat, dead Dell
> battery.  I'm wondering if we can't rip the shells apart, pull out the
> individual cells, solder new ones in place with the same voltage (and
> possible more amp-hours?) and "duct tape" the shell back together.
> (OK, not duct-tape but you get the idea...)
> 
> For an even crazier approach, wire up more batteries and extend the
> shell downwards.  Keep the voltage the same (use series/parallel if we
> have to), still use Lithium-Ion of course, should be good to go?
> 
> Out of the price of a $150 replacement laptop battery, how much are we
> paying for plastic shell and the laptop connector, versus how much for
> the actual cells?
> 
> Jim

I saw all the posts about doing it yourself and I still fall back to my 
main rule of thumb... that is... with volatile things like batteries, I 
would never take a chance. I say that because it dawned on me at some 
point in my life that with the more dangerous things like batteries, 
there could be just one "professional insider" piece of info, or one law 
of physics, or something that's just not obvious that that I may miss 
that may lead to a dangerous situation.

But if you have success building your own, let me know (Hehe, now I'm 
just being a wise guy).

Rocco