Jornada 820 Battery

Well, at least one of them isn't! I heard back from Gordon in sales at gpcell.com (see the e-mail address at the bottom of the above-linked page). 1.90 USD per cell. He says he'll knock that down a nickel for large quantities, but doesn't specify how many "large" is. How do you want to handle this, folks - everyone order his/her own, or one of us order for everyone?

Let me know if you've heard from GPCell as well, ledthrax.

EDIT: BTW, I got the third 820 today, and it looks so far like the seller was right - the battery does seem to be holding a charge. (Using it in the first 820.) Since this third 820 has a small problem with the screen hinge, I swapped the motherboard with the second (nonworking) one (which is cosmetically flawless) and got it working. If these cells work, it'll soon be a better-than-new 820.

Edited by CE Geek 2007-08-18 3:41 AM

Glad to hear that you heard something back from GP. I have heard nothing back from sales from them.

I'm cool either way with getting the cells. I only need four for my one pack.

How many people need these cells?

I need four also. I don't think we'll get up to "large quantities."

What I'm thinking at this point is that first I'll order just the four I need for one battery, so I can test them on my spare 820. If they work, then I'll report back, and after that it'll probably be quicker for people to order their own rather than go through one person and have to wait for two deliveries. (Unless of course a ton of requests come in here in the meantime and people want to get lots of them and save the nickel for each one.)

CE Geek: That sounds like a plan to me so that we know that the cells work. If they work for you, then I'll place my order and do the swap.

Did you get the batteries yet?

Not yet. The guy needed to know if any other hardware (like a PCB for the battery, etc) would be needed. I don't know for sure. The little PCB inside the battery pack looks intact. He asked what device the batteries are for; I told him the Hewlett-Packard Jornada 820 Handheld PC.

i doubt they'd have the PCB. just order the batteries (and tabs maybe).

That's what I was thinking.

Does anyone know of a way to determine if the PCB is operational? When I have my 820 on AC power the little light on the battery does not come on. I'm not sure if it is because the cell are completely dead or if there may also be something wrong with the PCB.

Two of my three 820 packs eventually started doing that. Both are dead. (The other one is still holding a charge fine.)

CE Geek - any news on those batteries?

They told me they sent me samples, and while I was out of town I got an e-mail asking if I got them. But they haven't arrived yet. I'll be checking back with the vendor later today when I have some time. Once I get them, I will definitely be posting as I will probably need guidance in how to install them properly.

Okay, that was fun. The batteries were sent to the wrong address by UPS three weeks ago, and I just found out about it. (I can picture wallythacker shaking his head the next time he comes around here and sees this thread. ) I went where they were delivered today and picked them up. They do appear identical to the Sony ones that HP used in the 820 battery pack. They are untabbed. It appears that disconnecting the old cells and installing the new ones will require soldering, and I don't want to take a chance on that. Anyone else here willing to give it a shot?

Edited by CE Geek 2007-10-02 11:21 PM

I have done quite a bit of small electronics soldering (have built multimeters and replaced resistors, capacitors, etc on PCBs) and have done hardwiring of cells in laboratory equipment. I'd have no problem giving it a try. If you want me to give it a shot, I can either buy the cells off of you and rebuild my 820 pack or send me the cells and a pack and I'll rebuild your pack and send it back to you when it's done. I would, of course, take pictures and make up a procedure on doing the rebuild to help the community.

By the way, what was the model number that you ordered from GP Cell?

Edited by ledthrax 2007-10-03 7:36 AM