Here are some tidbits I have collected. I havnt tried these, so dont blame me if it doesnt work.
"I just rebuilt one using cells from DigiKey.com, part: P018T-ND 4/3A Nickel
Metal Hydride.
The case comes apart easily with some careful prying and pulling then it's
a matter of pulling the connections off the cells with fine-nosed pliers,
and soldering the new cells in place. Pay careful attention to polarity.
Make a diagram of the original configuration if you need to. Since the new
cells have their own protective covering, there is no need to replace the
cardboard tube covers. Just make sure the center connections don't stick
out to far and short against each other. Shorting these cells would be bad
(see Ghostbusters for definition of "bad").
These packs are much easier to rebuild than the 500 series packs.
Good luck!,"
"Take a look at
<http://www.primecell.com/index.htm>
They say they'll rebuild a 1400 battery for $84 plus $5 shipping -- it'll be
better than "new" (probably) because any "new" 1400 battery you might come
on has undoubtedly been sitting on the shelf somewhere for years and more or
less exhausted from boredom if nothing else."
"I just re-packed the cells in my 1400s battery pack, and what a
difference!! The old ones were getting a little long in the tooth (7 years
old 🙂 but I didnt realise just HOW old they were until I put these new
ones in.
To anyone even a little handy with a soldering iron, this is so easy to do,
I wish I had done it sooner. Pay attention to the polarities and other bits
and pieces in the battery bay, (and that they go back in the right places),
but other than that it is dead simple.
Just thought Id let you know, Ill go back to sitting anywhere I like with
my running-off-batteries Powerbook now."
"Hey there. I guess you're getting swamped with requests. The specifics
on my battery (a 1400 power book) is that it's a 9.6v, and with NiMH
batteries can produce 3.5 AH. How would I know how many and what type of
cell to order? Would the outcome be better using lithium instead of
NiMH as your note suggests, or was that not meant for me?
Tom V
Okay Tom, you say your present battery pack outputs 9.6 V at 3.5 A/hr.
A single cell outputs 1.2 V at varying current, depending on the size.
Yu can make a guess at the size of the cells, based onthe battery pack
outside dimensions, assuming two rows of cells packed side-by-side, the
usual configuration for flat powerbook battery packs.
To get 9.6 V , you need 8 cells. To get 3500 mA/hr, you need something
like a C or D size cell, so if your pack is thinner than either of those
formats, you can assume two banks of 8 cells connected in parallel, each
outputting 9.6 V and at least 1750 mA/hr. If you don't have a battery
pack around that you're willing to cut open, which is the route I would
take regardless, then you might measure your pack, and figure out which
way the two side-by-side rows of eight are laid out inside, using the
cell dimensions from the Battery Merchant URLs I posted earlier. For
example, from the listing at www.batteriesplus.com/Product/roundcells.html,
I can see that one of the candidate cells (remember it must output
1750 mA/hr or better) is the following 4/5A size cell:
Cell model number Voltage Current Type Dimensions Cell Type
T6939H 1.2 2000 NiMH 17.0x43.0 4/5 A (F)
Two banks of these side by side would be:
(43mm long + 43mm long) X (17mm diameter X 8 cells) or
86mm X 136mm = 3.39in X 5.35in
which you can round up a bit, to allow for case thickness, tabs, and
internal wires. I've never seen a 1400 power cell, but I'll bet it's around
3-1/2" X 5-1/2" and about 3/4" thick, give or take. If it is, then
chances are pretty good that it uses 4/5A cells in this configuration.
You'll only know for sure when you open it up and peek inside! If y
