29 Jan
2002
29 Jan
'02
11:55 a.m.
On Tue, 29 Jan 2002, Tony Duell wrote:
[HP 'classic series' battery packs]
Sure, they're available over here (about \pounds 10.00 IIRC). They're one
possible replacement for restuffing the original HP pack.
You do want to start with an HP pack, though. You want the plastic
housing and terminal contacts. That way you can make something that slots
into the calculator like the genuine pack. Yes, you could wire the
terminals to the contact strips in the calculator (or to the appropriate
connections on the adapter plug), but it's more messy that way.
For that reason, never throw out an old HP battery pack (even though HP
never considered them to be repairable). It's _always_ possible to
rebuild them. and you need some parts from the old pack
It's getting that way with old laptops and portable computers these days
too. Replacement "packs" are either not available or are way to expensive.
More often than not, the batteries inside those things are standard
(usually still have to be ordered) NiCad or Nimh type cells.
-Toth
There's no off-the-shelf replacement, but most HP calculator hackers
have learnt to crack open the plastic housing and replace the cells (3
tagged AA NiCds in this pack).
They sell those 3-cell AA NiCad packs here as replacements for cordless
phones. I've often see them in local shops for $10-12.