FYI: Ultrabay Slim batteries

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davidspalding · #1 Post by **davidspalding** » Mon Jun 05, 2006 6:19 am

FWIW, there's a vendor called evisionoasis who's got something like 80 Ultrabay Slim batteries for auction/sale. A lot of 25, a Dutch auction of 48, and some individuals. No telling what the final sale prices will be, though his "Buy it now" price on the Dutch auction is US$49.00 ea.

It's unclear whether these are NIB (the dutch auction claims to be "genuine, unopened IBM"), new barely used, or.... Read his details for more. Caveat emptor. Good night and good luck.

Jmmmmm · #2 Post by **Jmmmmm** » Tue Jun 06, 2006 10:38 pm

I saw this in one of the auctions:

Q: How many cycles does this battery have on it? (This can be checked with ThinkVantage Power Monitor.) TIA.
A: We don't have testing equipment....they have been as low as 3 and most around 20-40 Get two or three?

I'll give him the benefit of the doubt and assume he meant 'at most 20-40', not that most of them have 20-40, because that's quite a bit.

From his auction of the lot of 25:

Batteries are tested & guaranteed to hold a charge-as good as new. LOW CYCLE COUNTS-SOME ARE UNDER 6 CYCLES!! Recharged by the distributer to keep them fresh in storage-these are wholesale stock!!!

I think it could be worth it if you get a good deal, but I wouldn't expect too much.

tiatian · #3 Post by **tiatian** » Thu Jun 08, 2006 1:18 pm

Hello, i'm currently dealing with the seller from eBay (evisionoasis) on one of these Ultraslim Batteries. I ordered the battery on May 26 and received an empty "unsealed" envelope. I sent them proof of this by way of 3 large color pics but they wanted me to pay for shipping again or send the envelope back to them. Long story short, I currently have an open claim with Paypal to which they have yet to respond to. Buyer Beware!!!

davidspalding · #4 Post by **davidspalding** » Thu Jun 08, 2006 1:59 pm

May I ask which you bought ... won an auction for a used one, bought one of the "new, unopened" ones?

[edit] Your experience with this vendor could be the exception, and hopefully resolved soon. I see he/they have 1362 feedback points, 99.2% positive. Not to discount your report, mind you. Accidents can happen.

tiatian · #5 Post by **tiatian** » Thu Jun 08, 2006 2:15 pm

As you can see in the link below, the item description says it is a used battery, but then they add more information and a picture that says original unopened IBM product. It shows a large numbers of sealed boxes, but I dont even get a box!

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

davidspalding · #6 Post by **davidspalding** » Thu Jun 08, 2006 4:03 pm

FWIW. I just got a private answer from the vendor that the lot of "Original Unopened IBM Packaged Product~!!!" (item 6876134697) are actually "Refurbished Batteries from IBM in their original box."

Though I'm not going to step into any particular vendor-buyer dispute, such a description discrepancy makes me wary. Has anyone actually used an "IBM refurbished" battery? Does that mean they're new cells in an old case? Isn't that rather expensive? Maybe not ... my UltrayBay Slim battery says it's LiPoly on the case.

Tony Chan · #7 Post by **Tony Chan** » Tue Jun 20, 2006 12:43 pm

Just got the battery. Have 19 cycles on it and the first use date was 09-2003. Battery was completely drained when arrived. After fully charged ( cycle jumped to 20 ) I managed to get close to 2hrs time on my T40p with light web surfing using wireless. When it gets to the last 7% or so it drops to 0% in less than 2 minutes. The Full charged capability drops to 20.77.

I was under the impression that IBM refrub means old housing but new battery. I guess I was wrong.

davidspalding · #8 Post by **davidspalding** » Tue Jun 20, 2006 3:28 pm

kstuart · #9 Post by **kstuart** » Tue Jun 20, 2006 4:33 pm

Factory Refurbished almost always means a product that has been returned from a dealer to the manufacturer, or directly from a customer to the manufacturer.

Sometimes they are simply "changed my mind" open box returns that are tested, checked for completeness and then sold as refurbished.

Other times they are products that were returned for defects that could be economically fixed and then sold as refurbished.

Most people shy away from refurbished items, but I've never once had a refurbished item fail.

On the subject of Ultrabay batteries... I decided not to buy one at all, due to the flaw that they are always drained before the main battery. It's not really necessary to get one just to change main batteries (which, btw, are a better buy, I bought a sealed IBM 9-cell manufactured in 2006 for US$45 delivered on ebay). Just hibernate, change the main battery and startup.

Then you can leave your CD/DVD drive in the Ultrabay.

christopher_wolf · #10 Post by **christopher_wolf** » Tue Jun 20, 2006 4:38 pm

kstuart wrote:Factory Refurbished almost always means a product that has been returned from a dealer to the manufacturer, or directly from a customer to the manufacturer.

Sometimes they are simply "changed my mind" open box returns that are tested, checked for completeness and then sold as refurbished.

Other times they are products that were returned for defects that could be economically fixed and then sold as refurbished.

Most people shy away from refurbished items, but I've never once had a refurbished item fail.

On the subject of Ultrabay batteries... I decided not to buy one at all, due to the flaw that they are always drained before the main battery. It's not really necessary to get one just to change main batteries (which, btw, are a better buy, I bought a sealed IBM 9-cell manufactured in 2006 for US$45 delivered on ebay). Just hibernate, change the main battery and startup.

Then you can leave your CD/DVD drive in the Ultrabay.

I agree, there is, a mostly unwarranted, stigma around refurbished items that tends to make customers either shy away from them or actively avoid them; the upside of that, however, is that they make great deals.

cmarti · #11 Post by **cmarti** » Tue Jun 20, 2006 9:08 pm

The T40 I currently own was refurbish when I brought it and it never has given any problem to me other that the ones I have caused.

davidspalding · #12 Post by **davidspalding** » Wed Jun 21, 2006 2:23 pm

There's a difference here that discouraged me. Frankly, new/used refurbished that is "new in IBM box" still indicated to me that it was a recently refurb'ed product. Something that's been in storage for 2+ years is not "new," even if it was refurbished back in 2003 and then used minimally.

That someone got one that seems to have been first used in 2003 clinched it for me. LiIon batteries don't store indefinitely; not sure about LiPoly. Still. I wouldn't put a lot of faith in such a battery. Maybe worth $25; not $50. IMHO, of course, YMMV.

Tony Chan · #13 Post by **Tony Chan** » Wed Jun 21, 2006 3:57 pm

I actually paid $25 ( I offered and he accepted ) plus $10 shipping ( to Canada ). What I'm not sure is the definition of "refrub by IBM". I guess I'm a bit dispointed because I ask the seller before I bid and he confirmed that they are refrub from IBM dated 2005. Anyone has experience with refrub battery from IBM? What date does it display?

OTOH, it still gives me well over an hr of time ( closer to 2 hrs with light surfing with LCD brightless set to 3 ) and is about the same weight as the optical drive that I've swapped out, so it doesn't change the overall weight of the laptop.

Be interested to see how durable they are ( be happy if it can last for about a year or so with occasional use ).

davidspalding · #14 Post by **davidspalding** » Wed Jun 21, 2006 10:54 pm

That's about the runtime I get with a new one that I bought last November (currently at 112 cycles), so your results aren't the least disappointing. Hrm ... maybe I'll make him an offer, too. ,:)

Tony Chan · #15 Post by **Tony Chan** » Thu Jun 22, 2006 12:57 am

At 112 cycles, what is you full charge capacity? Mine show 20.75 ( vs 23.xx designed ).

Again my worry is more to do with how durable they are. It's a 3 year battery assuming IBM just clean them up ad repackage as refrub. I see scratches on the housing. Nothing major, but you know it is not brand new for sure.

If you do make him an offer, make sure you look for the one that he claim is "new ibm refrub.". Apprently he also sell some "used" one.

davidspalding · #16 Post by **davidspalding** » Thu Jun 22, 2006 6:48 am

17.71.

I think he only has one Dutch auction with "make offer" available. But the only one I'm tracking is the "used ... new ibm refurb" item. #6876134697

dsigma6 · #17 Post by **dsigma6** » Thu Jun 22, 2006 7:11 am

i bought one for $20 from a different seller in "good condition." well sure it was in physically good condition, but it had over 250 cycles on it and was about 3 years old. it lasted nearly an hour but i sent it back anyway for another one. my luck the next one will have 300 cycles.

does anyones TP run if only the ultrabay battery is installed?

Tony Chan · #18 Post by **Tony Chan** » Thu Jun 22, 2006 10:33 am

item #6876134697 is the one. I ask my friend to bid for me because I don't have enough money in my paypal.

Nitehawk · #19 Post by **Nitehawk** » Fri Jun 23, 2006 4:31 am

How do you determine the cycles of the battery? what utility are you guys using?

cmarti · #20 Post by **cmarti** » Fri Jun 23, 2006 5:40 am

Nitehawk wrote:How do you determine the cycles of the battery? what utility are you guys using?

You can see how many cycles it has if you click in power maximizer/then status detail and there at the bottom read at the cycle count.

davidspalding · #21 Post by **davidspalding** » Fri Jun 23, 2006 9:24 pm

It's on the third tab of Power Manager. For Battery Maximizer, it's somewhere behind a "battery information" button, if I recall.

chaistt · #22 Post by **chaistt** » Mon Jun 26, 2006 8:58 am

To follow up on this topic, is there anyway to get my T40 to run off main battery first then Ultrabay battery? As i'll rather conserve the life of the ultrabay battery as they are harder to find and more expensive than the main battery. Mines currently at 99 charge cycles with about 15Wh of full charge capacity left. I can just about get 1hr and 30mins out of it under max power saving mode.

Jmmmmm · #23 Post by **Jmmmmm** » Mon Jun 26, 2006 11:25 am

chaistt wrote:To follow up on this topic, is there anyway to get my T40 to run off main battery first then Ultrabay battery? As i'll rather conserve the life of the ultrabay battery as they are harder to find and more expensive than the main battery. Mines currently at 99 charge cycles with about 15Wh of full charge capacity left. I can just about get 1hr and 30mins out of it under max power saving mode.

Nope, sorry, no one has figured out a way to make that happen. Sucks, eh.

davidspalding · #24 Post by **davidspalding** » Mon Jun 26, 2006 10:39 pm

chaistt wrote:... as they are harder to find and more expensive than the main battery....

They are? Cheaper than main batteries and as easy to find, from where I'm sitting.

chaistt · #25 Post by **chaistt** » Tue Jun 27, 2006 11:31 am

Not all of us live in the US were things are generally cheaper than the UK. I have been quoted over £100 (182USD) for a new ultraslim battery from an IBM reseller over here. And a 9 cell battery is not far off that price. So let me see, a new 9 cell or a ultra slim battery??? I think i'll go for the 9 cell.

davidspalding · #26 Post by **davidspalding** » Tue Jun 27, 2006 7:05 pm

If you're paying a lot, I agree, get a 9-cell.

davidspalding · #27 Post by **davidspalding** » Fri Jun 30, 2006 7:39 pm

... I bought a couple from the vendor. Both made late in 2003, one first used in early 2005. Only 1 cycle each. Seem to be full capacity. But they arrived in Jiffy pak, not in official IBM boxes. So caveat emptor..

[edit] P.S. the vendor accepted $25 each for 2 batteries. After charging up, then fully discharging, and charging up, they appear to provde the full hour's runtime I get from my "new" one (9/2005).

Having 2-3 ultrabay batteries at that kind of price sure makes it easy to keep a main battery lasting a looooong time.

#28 Post by **JaneL** » Fri Jun 30, 2006 8:15 pm

cmarti wrote:The T40 I currently own was refurbish when I brought it and it never has given any problem to me other that the ones I have caused.

Mine has been fine and came with about 30 months of its warranty on it.

dsigma6 · #29 Post by **dsigma6** » Fri Jun 30, 2006 9:04 pm

thought it was funny that in my above post i joked how with my luck the replacement battery i was expecting would have 300 cycles on it- it had 298. doh!

snip · #30 Post by **snip** » Sat Jul 08, 2006 3:48 pm

chaistt wrote:Not all of us live in the US were things are generally cheaper than the UK. I have been quoted over £100 (182USD) for a new ultraslim battery from an IBM reseller over here. And a 9 cell battery is not far off that price. So let me see, a new 9 cell or a ultra slim battery??? I think i'll go for the 9 cell.

Blimey, thats a bit of a wad for a battery, I just bought one of these ultrabay jobbies for £30 delivered to the UK, looking forward to getting it, I am getting around 2 hours 20 minutes on my main battery, not sure how many cells, it came with my refurbed T40 and has about 27 Wh capacity left in it.

//J

FYI: Ultrabay Slim batteries

FYI: Ultrabay Slim batteries

Re: FYI: Ultrabay Slim batteries

Re: FYI: Ultrabay Slim Batteries

ouch.

Re: FYI: Ultrabay Slim Batteries

regarding "refurbished" versus "used"

No worries, that's a good runtime

Ultrabay battery

Re: Ultrabay battery

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