Thinkpads Forum

Hi everyone!

I wonder what do you guys use to store those precious vintage Thinkpads, or for new ones for that matter.
From my own experience, there are 2 best options I would highly recommend if you are not already using them:

Pelican 1450 (for vintage classics, fits two TP700 and/or 701c/cs)
Pelican 1470 (for everything else, fits 15" laptops)

These are what I use for storage, with foam of course! They are hard, waterproof, dust and shock poof and floating in the water if such a scenario arises.

It rained for two straight days here - over 12 inches, and thw water never got past a mild accumulation where the lot borders on the neighbors', so I don't think waterproof cases are a must, at least not for me.

Mine are stacked in boxes with some bubble wrap or sense foam between each one.

I think a better term solution if you have the space is to plug them all in, that way the little CMOS batteries will not die as quickly. I think it also helps the main batteries as well. I had a few T30 batteries die on me while I was off in the 'stan one year. Just stack them up, and plug 5 or 6 into an APC Surgearrest. No need for a UPS.

I can not plug them all in because that would be more than 100 thinkpads and other vintage laptops... Besides, it is too risky. Most precious and rare ones I keep in Pelican and Storm cases, average ones in hard aluminium Zero Halliburton cases ( I got some used ones for cheap) and all the others in multiple Samsonite and similar HARD briefcases, 1 or 2 in each, depending on size

And yes, ALL the batteries I keep removed, separate and just those take 2 cases alone

cadillacmike68 wrote:It rained for two straight days here - over 12 inches, and thw water never got past a mild accumulation where the lot borders on the neighbors', so I don't think waterproof cases are a must, at least not for me.

Mine are stacked in boxes with some bubble wrap or sense foam between each one.

I think a better term solution if you have the space is to plug them all in, that way the little CMOS batteries will not die as quickly. I think it also helps the main batteries as well. I had a few T30 batteries die on me while I was off in the 'stan one year. Just stack them up, and plug 5 or 6 into an APC Surgearrest. No need for a UPS.

You'd end up killing batteries that way. They'd self-discharge, get recharged, and so on. Recharging a lithium ion battery from above 85% or so kills them.

Yeah, leaving them plugged in will kill the batteries faster. You'd almost do better to charge the battery about halfway, then PULL the battery and store it separately.

As I remember IBM recommends(in Battery Maximiser help) to do 1 full battery cycle per 3 mounth in storage condition.