14" 15" T42 BATTERY FITMENT, SONY SANYO INFO (long

[Kenn]

This is to followup my previous posts regarding battery fitment issues between the Sony and Sanyo batteries and 14" and 15" t42 thinkpads.

First, some background info on what I used for my test.
15" 2373-CXU t42
15" 2373-7XU t42p
14" 2373-3VU t42

1 Sanyo 6-cell made in japan
2 Sanyo 6-cell made in China
1 Sony 6-cell made in China
1 Sanyo 9-cell made in Japan

The Sanyo 6-cells performed identically regardless of where they were manufacturered, so I reference them together as simply "sanyo 6-cell."

The 15" notebooks had identical fit with all batteries, so I reference them together as 15" as well.

Note: I'm including more or less full-sized images so people can see in greatest detail and judge for themselves. However, if/when I start running low on disk space, I'll drop the resolution down to something more managable (probably 800x600 at the minimum).
---

14" Fitment:
My first post tested only 15" fitment, and i found both Sanyo 6 and 9-cell batteries to be just fine. Sony was perhaps a bit tighter, but it was marginal at best. With the arrival of the 14", things got interesting. The included Sanyo 6-cell Japan battery was LOOSE, which I believe is at least somewhat intentional given the fact that it had two locking mechanisms. Shake, rattle, and roll, but at least you could be sure it wouldn't fall out or lose a connection as long as both locks were in place. Unfortunately, the poor fitment could be annoying at best or disconcerting at worst. It really did rattle, and if you cradle the notebook under your arm, you're sure to feel how loose it was. I measured the maximum gap at the edge of the battery/chassis area, and it came out to a whopping 2mm.

http://www.pbase.com/image/31679836.jpg
Here you can see the natural gap with the Sanyo 6-cell on the (double-locked) 14".

http://www.pbase.com/image/31679837.jpg
Here is a closeup with a ruler for scale. I <i>lightly</i> pulled the battery away from the body to give an idea of the maximum non-forced gap. Also, my measurements are rough eyeballing at best, so don't assume I took calipers to them. Make your own decision as to whether it's 2mm or if it's acceptable/excessive.

http://www.pbase.com/image/31679839.jpg
Closeup with Sony 6-cell on 14". I measured a little more than 1.5mm gap. Better by a small bit, but with 2mm as a base, anything helps!

http://www.pbase.com/image/31679838.jpg
Closeup of Sanyo 9-cell on 14". Roughly the same gap as the Sanyo 6-cell, but remember that this battery is heavier, with more weight on the outside edge (and the protruding housing for the extra 3 cells is likely to be used as a cradle support/handle when the notebook is carried).

----

15" Fitment

I posted more extensively about this before. Very quickly - much better than the 14" overall, looks like IBM took the opportunity to tighten some tolerances, to the point where a second locking mechanism is no longer needed. Measurements included for comparison with the 14":


http://www.pbase.com/image/31679840.jpg
Sanyo 6-cell on 15" - about 1.5mm gap. Arguably a bit loose but does NOT rattle like all batteries on 14".

http://www.pbase.com/image/31679842.jpg
Sony 6-cell on 15" - about 1mm gap. Not a lok-tite grip, but indeed slightly (some would say imperceptibly) better fitting than the Sanyo.

http://www.pbase.com/image/31679841.jpg
Sanyo 9-cell on 15" - about the same 1.5mm gap as the Sanyo 6-cell, but it feels a bit more firm, which is good, again due to the fact that the 9-cell is heavier, has more weight on the outer rim, and is more likely to be held directly as a stabilizer.

---

So that's it for now. Again, my own opinion is that 15" users, if their results are like mine, will not benefit much from a fitment issue alone by using a Sony 6-cell over a Sanyo. 14" users have much more of a legitimate claim to get the Sony over the Sanyos, but with that second battery lock, I doubt anyone will run into functional problems with the thing popping out or losing a connection.

FRUs for all units are included in all images. Also, to quote the information I was first shown in Flatdraft's post (http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?t=1279&postd
ays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=sony+sanyo&start=15),
"
FRU # size & make
08K8193 6-cell sanyo
08K8198 9-cell sanyo
92P1011 6-cell sony
92P1013 9-cell sony
"
As always, questions and comments are welcome and appreciated.