Anybody Up for a "Lowest Price" Challenge?

[pigoo3]

I need a new CMOS/PRAM battery for one of my old Macintosh computers...it looks like this:

It's a Rayovac 840 4.5volt alkaline "Computer Clock Battery".

The lowest price I have found for it (with shipping) is $10.48 from "macsales".

Can anybody find a lower total price??

Thanks,

- Nick

 

[clayneal]

Found what I think is a good price but since I dont know where you are I cant find the shipping price so....

http://www.dalco.com/ProductDetailsPrint.aspx?SKU=55770


Clay

 

[pigoo3]

Found what I think is a good price but since I dont know where you are I cant find the shipping price so.....
Rayovac 840 4.5volt alkaline "Computer Clock Battery"

Hey...so what's the website...or are you just teasin' me!

Yeah...I thought about the shipping part after I posted. I'll do the shipping part & let you know if you beat the lowest price I found.

Thanks,

- Nick

Edit: Ooops...I see you made an edit & included the website!

 

[chscag]

C'mon Nick.... We used to make those up ourselves. No need to buy a new one. Three each 1.5V Alkaline AA, some insulating tape, solder, and yer
done! ;D

Just kidding. But seriously, when we had to service a whole group of machines that used that same battery pack, that's what we would do to save time. Took forever to order from government stock via GSA.

Regards.

 

[pigoo3]

Found what I think is a good price but since I dont know where you are I cant find the shipping price so....

Dalco.com - Print Product Details


Clay

Sorry Clay...Dalco doesn't win! They're lowest cost shipping to me is over $7.00...for a total cost of over $14.00.

Thanks,

- Nick

 

[clayneal]

I just knew this contest was rigged !;D

 

[pigoo3]

C'mon Nick.... We used to make those up ourselves. No need to buy a new one. Three each 1.5V Alkaline AA, some insulating tape, solder, and yer
done! ;D

Just kidding. But seriously, when we had to service a whole group of machines that used that same battery pack, that's what we would do to save time. Took forever to order from government stock via GSA.

Regards.

Hey that may be just the thing I need to do. I actually just picked up another Mac last night...and I think that the CMOS/PRAM battery is dead or mostly dead (used the multimeter on it). I'm getting about 1.0 DC volts for what's supposed to be a 4.5 volt battery.

I know for a fact that the model Mac I got will not turn on or boot with a dead PRAM battery. So basically I just need a decent battery (home made will do) to get the computer to boot...to simply see if this computer just needs a new PRAM battery...or if it has bigger issues (such as the power supply).

Would you happen to have a quick diagram or sketch how the 3 AA batteries need to be wired/soldered up? I was then going to cut the lead off of the old PRAM battery to plug it into the motherboard.

Thanks a ton for the idea,

- Nick

 

[pigoo3]

I just knew this contest was rigged !;D

No way man...I would've bought you a Taco Bell burrito the next time I pass thru Lincoln!

Yes I know...BIG spender!

- Nick

 

[clayneal]

Just connect them in series ( + /-/+/-/+/- ) with the positive of the pigtail(red) to the positive side of the 1st batt and the neg side of the pigtail(black) to the neg side of the last batt.


and I just love taco bell as you know !

Clay

 

[bobtomay]

Thought you would have been burnt out after your under $10 lunch Saturday.

 

[clayneal]

Thought you would have been burnt out after your under $10 lunch Saturday.

boy you would think so ....but no !;D

 

[pigoo3]

Thought you would have been burnt out after your under $10 lunch Saturday.

I was thinking the same thing...no Taco Bell Burritos for a while!!!

- Nick

 

[pigoo3]

Just connect them in series ( + /-/+/-/+/- ) with the positive of the pigtail(red) to the positive side of the 1st batt and the neg side of the pigtail(black) to the neg side of the last batt.

Thanks for that Clay!

Yeah after I posted my last message...and was away from the computer. I thought about it...and thought if I wanted to make it "butt-ugly simple"...I could just line up all three batteries "head to tail" so to speak.

Then just connect a red lead to the top & a black lead to the bottom...and good to go.

Thanks again,

- Nick

 

[pigoo3]

Ok...so I did the "home-made" PRAM/CMOS battery thing (before & after pictures below).

It's not very pretty (look mom no solder )...but I only needed to use it once to see if the computer would boot properly before investing in a new PRAM battery.

Success!!!...the computer booted up fine...got to the desktop...everythings good (no other hidden issues)!!

You can also see the "butt-ugly" setup to see if the computer would boot in picture #3 (HD on top of the PS, CD & floppy drive removed, homemade PRAM battery laying outside the case, etc.).

BIG thanks to "chscag" for the homemade PRAM battery idea...and a BIG thanks to "clayneal" for the wiring instructions!!!

- Nick

 

[clayneal]

Nice bit of field craft my friend ! Glad it worked.

Clay

 

[hughvane]

Just a fraction off-topic, but here's a couple of neat tricks I learned at high school, about joining batteries in series.
File or grind a bunch of steel (not galv) nails into a few drops of epoxy-resin glue, making sure it's saturated with filings, and then apply the glue to the base or tip of the batteries you wish to connect. Park the bare wire end in the glue while it's still pliable, and then let it all set. You're very unlucky if the wire somehow manages to evade contact with the steel filings. Contact adhesive sometimes works too.

Find an empty narrow confectionary tube, push one bared wire end (-) to the bottom, and then stuff about 1/2" (10 mm) of metal wrapping foil in to seat it firmly. Park the batteries in series on top of the foil. Make a small coil, like a spring, of bare wire from the other (+) wire lead and push it on to the terminal of the top battery. Push in some more bunched foil, making sure it's really tight, followed by the plastic cap of the tube. Hey presto, a home battery pack.

 

[pigoo3]

Hugh,

Thanks for posting the idea about the steel filings & epoxy! Very easy...and a reasonable alternative to soldering.

Certainly better than the tape I used!...but then I only wanted it to be temporary.

- Nick

 

[chscag]

Hey Nick, with talent like that, the US Government might just hire you! You did better than some technicians I worked with. ;D

Regards.

 

[pigoo3]

Hey Nick, with talent like that, the US Government might just hire you! You did better than some technicians I worked with. ;D

Regards.

Thanks man...your homemade PRAM battery idea did the trick!!!

Just one problem with a lot of those government jobs...after 20-30 years you end up in a mental hospital!...ask any USPS employee.

- Nick

 

[chscag]

Yeah, I know what you mean. It's kind of hard responding to all these posts from my straight jacket.

Regards.