CF-28 new battery sources, needed.

I've got an 800mhz CF28 that has a trashed battery. Ran the refresh utility and all. Holds the charge for about 15 minutes. Since this one is a keeper I'd really like to get a new battery. Just wondering if anyone has any sources they could share.

 

I wish I knew. I'm in the same boat, and I'd like to replace ALL of my batteries.

One lasts 10 seconds or less, the other less than an hour, and the last one will run for 2+ hours but it makes a high pitch noise.

 

http://www.batteryrefill.com/laptops/Panasonic/cf-28.phtml

Thinking about giving this company a shot...

Seems legit.

 

It does, but if only they had a cheaper way...

I'd be out $300 in just batteries!

 

Yeah, seems like batteries are the most expensive and weakest part of the Toughbook system.

 

I just tried batteryrefill.com. The battery I received only holds a charge for like an hour. I did the swap for a refresh option for $89 and this is what I got. I just emailed them as they do have a warranty program. If I get it replaced with one that works good, I will be sure to let you all know.

~Paul

 

Thanks, let us know how that works out. I was thinking about that option.

 

I'm in the same boat, I just got a Mk2 w/o a battery. I was thinking about getting a dead battery somewhere for cheap and sending it in to get the $60 discount from batteryrefill.

Doobi, I've heard that since the cells in the batteries are brand new they might need to be worn in, a few charges in or out, have you tried that?

 

Possibly it needs to be recharged a few times... but I'd do the battery refresh utility on the BIOS before I call it duff. That utility is how the computer "relearns" the discharge curve of the battery; it doesn't know you have a new battery in it.

mnem<~~~ Certified Electron Wrangler since 1986

 

Yah, I charged/drained at least 8 times, and used the refresh utility at least 3 times. It shows as 100% in windoze each time, but only gives me about an hour of life. I think I got a bum one.

 

SPEW and a half!

Naahh... if you did all that, yer about certainly getting all that battery can give. Maybe they accidentally sent you one that hadn't been rebuilt yet...

mnem
*Seems to have misplaced his funk*

 

Modly,

Can you see how the battery comes apart?
Seems to me if thay can take it apart install new cells and put it back together then so could anyone with a little skill. and Maybe some advice.

I know you dont want to do that with this one but if you could get a dead one cheap somewhere it would at least be worth a try.
from my point of view.

Lokinb

 

Most of these battery packs use 18650 series LI-ION cells, which are pretty expensive in lots less than a gross. As in $6-$10 each, depending on brand & capacity... Do some shopping; you may find a closeout lot somewhere, but remember you need 9 cells for these battery packs. Remember too that OEM these cells were 1800mah for the blue tab or 2200mah for yellow; I don't know if running the refresh utility will make the smart chip in the battery learn both the charge curve and discharge curve of the new cells, or if that is a parameter which needs to be reprogrammed in it; it may not be a good idea to replace the cells in your pack with ones of higher capacity than it was designed for. The TB batteries have a small connector on one corner which suggests a port for reflashing a EEPROM...

mnem
Amps & uncles? That's reVOLTing...

 

Ive had nothing but great results with batteryrefill.com Ive purchased refurbished cf-72, 27, and 28 batteries from them. In all about 7 batteries. I only had one that was bad...but they have a one year warranty..they replaced it. All of my batteries from them get three hours plus running multiple applications. If the battery seems to loose time I fully charge the battery, unplug the machine and restart in safe mode with command prompt. Let the machine run until it shuts off. Do this two or three times and the battery has new life. Ive been doing this for over a year and the batteries are still going strong.

If any of you have gotten bad batteries from them...they are under warranty!

 

I've got one apart, but the problem is the circuit board inside. Toughbook replaced his batteries with new ones, and it still lasted the same amount of time because the board makes it think it's still dead.

As for getting them apart... whooooo, that's not fun Spent a good half hour just breaking the glue a little so I could pry up between the two halves.

 

Modly... Actually the rebuilt ones last for a long time now after cycling them.

I had a quick chat with the battery refill place that advertise on ebay for $85. Seems they have software that can totally reprogram the Panasonic battery, even if it is flashing red! Right now... I can only rebuild the batteries if they still are chargeable but only last a few minutes... Like what stiffnecked originally talked about. I think I paid $44 on ebay for 9 2200mAh 18650 batteries. The rebuild process was a little difficult on the first one I did. The battery is radio welded together. To top it off it is also a snap fit. So... after scoring the weld with an x-acto knife you need to VERY carefully split the case! The rest is straight soldering. BUT... They don't give you a lot of room for mistakes. You MUST be very careful when soldering that you don't leave blobs of solder on the tabs because the batteries must fit so close together when going back in. After cycling the batteries a few times I am getting 3-4 hours minimum (depending on activity) after the build.

If your battery is flashing red though... Your best bet is to send those away to be "reprogrammed". This is what the battery place told me and something that has been discusssed here before. They connect the battery to some sort of software to reclaim it to prepare it for new batteries. Now... They also said that there are also two fuses on the PC board that can cause the red flashing. Which ones they are... I don't know. One has to do with prior temps the battery has seen and the other one has to do with overcharging I think.

Anyway... This is something you can gamble your skills on. I wouldn't hesitate to do it again but the rest of my bad batts are all Energy + brand and flash red... So they are just paperweights at this point.

 

Well, they called me today in response to my on-line warranty request. They agreed that I must have gotten a bad battery and are sending a replacement immediately with a prepaid return label for the bad battery. I must say, I am at least impressed with the CS. If I can get a good batter this time, I give my props to them. Will let you all know....

 

They are supposedly using 2200Ah batteries for the refills which would make yours roughly a 6.6Ah battery. You should be getting 3+ hours MINIMUM!

 

That port on the battery is for an external charger to plug in but I don't know if it can also be used for programming the eeprom.

 

Probably not that port... The main port is how the laptop gets all the info from the battery. It's probably that one.

We just need the software and pinout... Okay... Who's tackling this job?

 

If somebody wants to remove the trans out of the hearse, rebuilt it, and put it back in... I'll do it.

Otherwise... I'm booked solid