[SPARCbook] FS: SPARCBook 3GX is SOLD, Battery Question...

[Borgen_Gary]

I recently had a SB3 (Tadpole Series 2) battery pack re-celled at Batteries
Plus.  They have the correct Panasonic A cells and all the tools to do the
job.  Cost was about $35 when I did it, but they said actual cost should
have been more around the $45 mark.  I was their first real re-cell victim,
ah, I mean customer.

A couple of notes:
1.  Bring the pack to them for testing.  If it tests below the 80% capacity
mark they give you $5 off the replacement pack.  If it is above 80%, they
consider the pack good and charge you $5 for the testing.  Either way you
save money.
2.  When they re-cell the pack, tell them to cut the shrink sleeve open on
one of the narrow, curved sides, and not the flat middle area.  There is a
circuit board between the cell rows that can be damaged if they cut it down
the middle.
3.  Make sure they take a measurement of the length of the pack and that
they try and match it when they rebuild the new one.  Shorter is ok.  You
can add shims to make up the difference in the SPARCbook.  Longer is no
good.

Is it worth it?
Consider the following:  As part of the service, Batteries Plus calls to try
and find you a new one.  More profit for them, new battery for you.  Result:
There are no new batteries available at any price.

The new pack lasts about 45 minutes in a SB3GX without using any power
management techniques.  So I consider even the new pack to be nothing more
than a built in UPS.

Hope that helps,
Gary