WTB: working ThinkPad 701C *PICS*

[ThinkDan]

Hi - as the title says, I'm looking for a working 701C... anyone got a spare?!

(I know there's a Marketplace section, but guessed this is much more relevant to Legacy Hardware watchers...)

[billp117]

Good luck...I would not sell my 701c and I am sure other owners will not part with theirs unless they have an extra two or three laying around.

There is one selling on eBay:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Vintage-IBM-ThinkPa ... 5642190f64

However it looks like the seller is shipping to the USA. Perhaps you could start a dialog with the seller and see if he would be willing to ship to you...or even sell it and close the auction. It does not hurt to ask.

[ThinkDan]

Thanks, billp. I was watching that one whilst I decided whether to bid - it looks interesting...

[hwattys]

Got one. 701C 486/75 40 megs 6 gig hdd. The battery works but gets so hot it can fry the motherboard so I do not use it. Otherwise has all accessories; dock, printer cable, floppy, AC adapter, pcmcia NIC. Running Windows 95. Posting this on it, believe it or not. It is a bit rough cosmetically but the butterfly keyboard works smoothly and the keyboard looks good. I would hate to part with it but would consider a fair offer. Also open to a trade. I rebuilt it from the ground up out of 3 junker units and a new motherboard. The CMOS battery is even good. Holds its time. But once you have it built the fun is pretty well over and I hardly use it.

[hwattys]

Well I finally got the parts for my 701C...a new motherboard and display inverter and reassembled and it is working again. However, I am looking at this thing and thinking I want to keep it. But, I did just win an auction on eBay for another one. I paid $30 with shipping. It has a cracked screen, no hard drive, no memory cover and the mobo needs a new CMOS battery as they all do at this point. I have a couple good screens for it I believe (IBM used a couple different screens for the 701C) and I am able to put a new CMOS battery on the motherboard. I do not have another hard drive caddy, however, but have seen them around cheap. I have AC adapters. In other words, I have a second one I can get going and I could let go of cheaper than the one I have. It will be here in about a week, I think.

[hjanzen]

@hwattys
Would you please mention type, make and particulars of the CMOS battery you are going to buy?
I may need one and I am not completely sure of its particulars.
Some time ago I used type V30H'SLFC,(google) i.e. 1.2 V 30mAh, but I am afraid it gave up service since the 161 163 warning is there again.
Thanks, Hans

[hwattys]

It is a Panasonic BR 1225. 3v They are very small and soldered to the motherboard.

[hjanzen]

Thanks!

[RealBlackStuff]

There's a main battery (obvious).

Then what the manual calls a "standby battery", and which plugs in next the the main battery connector.
Expensive little bugger, hard to find, 1.2V 30-40mA, such as http://batteryfinder.fedcoelectronics.c ... &_fid=2791
Looks like this: http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/3 ... AA300_.jpg

And there is what the manual calls an "RTC battery", soldered onto the mobo.
This is of the 3V variety, such as CR2012/2016/2025/2032
An RTC battery is also known as CMOS battery.

Edit: corrected entries.

[hjanzen]

@RealBlackStuff
The confusion is complete. At least here.
701c MM page 191 shows item 27 , standby battery: 04H8345.
In google various suppliers f.i Pacific Geek advertise this as CMOS battery.
Product Features
Round shrink-wrapped cell with two wires and two pin connector.
NiMH Volts: 1.2 , not a 3 volt coin type as you mention.

Please reconsider

[hwattys]

I guess I have the advantage of having an actual 701C and various parts. Here is an image of the battery taken from the underside of the motherboard. This is the CMOS/RTC battery and if it is dead the computer loses time, if it works the computer keeps time. It is held in place on the motherboard by a soldered bracket that connects the bottom and top to the board. The actual battery is about 60% the size of a U.S. dime.

http://www.huffconst.com/steveh/701CMOS.jpg

Admin edit: Removed 290KB inline image

[hjanzen]

This is a picture of my two mainboards, a DX4 ,leftside, and a DX2 before I removed the ( dead) batteries.
These batteries come complete with factory tack-welded clips which are then soldered to the mobo.
There is not any description on either of these.



Uploaded with ImageShack.us

and



Uploaded with ImageShack.us

[hwattys]

Yes that looks just like mine and the picture above is of the backside of the battery laying against the motherboard. I bought the motherboards I have from cuiinc in BC Canada and these are likely the batteries they use when they refurbish these boards. I have likely bought 7 or 8 boards from them over the years, including one of the ones they upgraded to a 133 mhz AMD processor, many years back. I don't think those are available any more.

[hjanzen]

That or another Canadian supplier is on Ebay again with 'new' mainboards, type DX4.
He told me that he used to make 133MHz as well, but has no stock at present.

http://cgi.ebay.nl/Thinkpad-701-701C-70 ... 45f8c486d8

[Unknown_K]

Thanks for the picture, I ordered some batteries to redo my 701C today. Soldering should be simple (same batteries as pictured with the legs soldered on) but taking the machine apart will be the pain. The other battery with the plug isn't realy needed then is it?

[RealBlackStuff]

I only had that 701c in temporarily for repair, and do not remember exact details.
Your mobo is different from the one I worked on, with different batteries, obviously.
I remember now, the backup battery looked something like this: http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/3 ... AA300_.jpg
and connects next to the main-battery connector.
It's indeed the 1.2V version.
Apologies about the confusion. I'll correct the entries in earlier post.

[hwattys]

The 701C is actually not very hard to disassemble and reassemble. But you cannot do it without a T1 Torx screwdriver. It looks more like a little icepick. The 4 or 5 tiny screws along the front edge of the case below the keyboard have the tiniest little x etched in the heads for the screwdriver to get a grip. I think it is a special order item at a Sears hardware and you can find them online. I git mine from a parts house in Germany if I recall.

[Unknown_K]

Yea, I got a T1 the last time I took it apart (battery had leaked and I had modem issues that went away after I cleaned the modem board).

[hjanzen]

@RealBlackStuff
As a test I have soldered 2 wires to the mainboard at the spot of the battery and connected a 2032 coincell with tape.
Bios is keeping Date and Time now
161 163 warning is gone.
Sun is shining again..



Uploaded with ImageShack.us

[RealBlackStuff]

Goed gedaan!
I last saw "my" 701c in March 2009, no wonder I forgot some of the details.

[hjanzen]

Bedankt!
Groet, Hans

[hwattys]

OK I now have a spare 701C..DX4/75 with a good CMOS battery, 720 gig drive, 24 megs RAM loaded with Win 95 and Office 97. I can post pictures if anyone is interested. I have an AC adapter but no other peripherals for this one.

[hwattys]

I have several of these now...see my other post in the Marketplace. One is up on ebay:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... :MESELX:IT

[ozzymud]

YAY! i finally won one of these at a reasonable price...

$60 US Shipped with extras(floppy, parallel dock, IBM bag

definately has a bad cmos battery... and apparently the main battery is "swelled"... hopefully i can rebuild it

[hwattys]

Here is your chance to get a 701C like ozzymud:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... :MESELX:IT


The auction speaks for itself and I started it at .99.

[ilakast]

There's one on ebay UK http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/RARE-IBM-Thin ... 1389571836

NOT affiliated

[Temetka]

Necro alert!

I did find this nice Amiga 400 being listed though:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Commodore-Ami ... 1389571836