8-cell vs. X6 ultrabay

[qeldroma]

Hello and good evening,

i am wondering if any of the new availlable non-genuine Akku will work with the lenovo x6 docking station?
I saw somewhere in the forum an akku which has two rectangular extensions on the bottom, preventing it from fitting in the docking station, according to the user?

What about the new one with the round cells?
See ebay item #110965119745 for example?

I just can't afford the original akku, so i am searching for another solution on the non-genuine market, but i definetly need to have it working with the dockingstation..

anyone got a cheap 8-cell working in the dock?

Best regards
Florian

[rkawakami]

Welcome to thinkpads.com!

I have tried using a non-Lenovo (don't remember which brand it was) 8-cell X6x battery with an UltraBase. The problem was that the extended cells did not fit down into the depression along the back edge of the base, and therefore, it was not possible to push the laptop down enough to engage the latches in the UltraBase. I think it was because the rear cells were too close to the others. That pretty much turned me off on aftermarket batteries for the X6 systems.

Looking at the photos of the eBay auction you referenced, it looks like there's enough of a flat area between the four cells arranged in a line and the twin 'tubes' in the main part of the battery pack. I believe that I still have the non-fitting battery at home. If I find it tonight I'll take some measurements of the case and post the information.

Some of the aftermarket X6 batteries I have seen on eBay will say that they don't fit with the UltraBase. Others will say it replaces the original IBM/Lenovo battery but make no mention of the UltraBase. You might want to ask the eBay seller if they will guarantee that it will fit.

edit: A search for the aforementioned ill-fitting 8-cell X6 battery has turned up empty. I don't recall recycling it so I imagine it's still hanging around here somewhere. I'll keep looking for it and if I find it, I'll come back and update this post.

[rkawakami]

Found the battery, whipped out the calipers and here's what I found:

(Click on photos for 800x600 images)

I didn't realize until now that the aftermarket battery is much thicker along the back section where the four cells are in a row (right photo). This is another potential thing that could keep the system from docking with the base. As it is, the lack of the 'extension' (the 0.115" vs. 0.280" dimension in the left photo) is what keeps this particular battery from being used with the X6 UltraBase. The only significant identification marking on this battery is on a barcode label: NM-40Y6999. A search on Google indicates that it's from DENAQ. So, unless DENAQ has recently changed the case dimensions, I'd avoid this battery if you need to run the system on an UltraBase. I believe I obtained this battery when it was attached to an X60 I bought off eBay.

[precip9]

I have seen two varieties of aftermarket batteries that do not fit the Ultrabase. One fails because it has rectangular areas that prevent vertical clearance. The other fails because the "roll" has too large a diameter. Lenovo used expensive "prismatic" cells to construct these batteries, while the aftermarket makers are limited to the form factor of the Sony 18650 "jelly roll" cell.

The battery that fits simply moves the entire space of the cells to the rear of the laptop by almost an inch. The area adjacent to the laptop base is notably flat and thin. When you shop eBay for batteries, it is easily recognizable.

[qeldroma]

Just have found another one, at least it sounds like that:

http://www.ebay.de/itm/6-Zellen-Li-Ion- ... 1180884268

Strange is the data:
6-cell
5.200 mAh (??)
10,8V (shouldn't be 14,8??)

Anyone got experiences?

Best regards
Florian

[rkawakami]

Another aftermarket 8-cell X6x battery arrived with an X61; it is barely usable with the X6 UltraBase. This one is labelled "Total Micro Technologies" (TMT) and has a part number of 40Y7003-TM. The space that separates the four in-line cells with the rest of the pack is virtually the same 0.280" as the factory battery. The thickness of the TMT battery case at the back end is 0.825". This is just slightly thicker than the factory 0.805". I have to push the laptop down fairly firmly when mounting it to the UltraBase. One important thing to note is that the TMT screw holes for the "spacer" (FRU 42W3050) that is normally used when attaching the battery to an "s" system is NOT the same as the factory ones. From what I can measure, the factory screws are about 0.095" in diameter. The holes in this TMT battery is closer to 0.065". This means you cannot swap the factory and TMT spacers.

[precip9]

Just have found another one, at least it sounds like that:
10,8V (shouldn't be 14,8??)

Florian

Any battery with a number of cells divisible by 3 is 10.8V, because it is made of one or more strings of 3.
Any battery with a number of cells divisible by 4 is 14.8, because it is made of one or more strings of 4.

All X61 batteries are 10.8V.