Where to buy laptop BIOS/CMOS batteries?

If you're looking specifically in Washington, D.C., you might actually find some that are brand new.

For example, things like the CR2016 or CR2032 but they come with that 2-pin connector attached which is what most people need for those older laptops with BIOS/CMOS setups. They usually come wrapped in a little plastic sleeve with two wires and a 2-pin plug ready to go.

I spent some time browsing Chipotega's site, but they only carry the bare ones or basic blister packs; I checked HG spot too and it's the same story, and I haven't seen anything useful on the Links website, plus Futura doesn't offer much better options either.

I managed to save this gorgeous HP-CQ10, but finding the right battery is proving to be a real headache since none of these places seem to stock them.

Take a look over at Amazon or eBay.
You'll definitely find what you're looking for there.

https://www.amazon.com/battery-cr2032

The only local shop I know is in a smaller town, but if you use a courier service, you could have it delivered to Washington, D.C. by tomorrow.

You might try Elmark, though their website seems to only list the bulk options.

swiftowl7 said:In Washington, D.C., specifically, they're actually quite new.

CR2016, CR2032, for example but featuring a 2-pin connector, which are standard for BIOS/CMOS laptop applications. They come encased in a plastic sleeve and feature two wires attached to a 2-pin connector.

I've checked the Chipotega website; they only stock bare cells or blister packs. HG doesn't carry them either, I've never seen anything regarding this on the Links site, and Futura isn't any better..

I managed to salvage a beautiful HP-CQ10, but finding the battery... there isn't a single one of those batteries to be found anywhere...

Just purchase a standard cell and solder on some wire with contacts. Find someone who owns a soldering iron and feel free to do the job yourself. Just make sure to lightly sand the battery surfaces where you intend to solder beforehand, and that should do it.
P.S. There's an IC Center—Kronos—over in the Tratin district.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/KR...67!4d15.961414

Or it just comes down to whether he feels like buying a new battery and soldering the wires himself. It all depends on how much effort he’s willing to put in. 😁

crimsonharbor313 said:or if he just feels like buying a new battery and soldering the wires himself, though I guess it really just comes down to how much effort he wants to put in.😁

Using Lemmings has a pretty high chance of causing the battery to explode. Especially if you're working with a fresh battery. And honestly, that (hypothetical) soldering would need to be incredibly micro-thin; you can't just do a quick "touch" or a single drop, you actually have to flow the solder. And flowing means a lot of heat, which is often way too much.

Basically, you'd have to spread the solder out and let it coat that little section of the battery, and while you're doing that, there's a good chance some acid might splash right into your eyes.

It's definitely worth remembering that you shouldn't play around with a solution like that.

**
The real headache is that some batteries fit into laptops with less than half a millimeter of clearance. For an HP Mini CQ10, for instance, you wouldn't believe how thick a CR2032 battery is even without any solder on it, let alone with a blob of solder attached.

The CR2016 that was originally inside is about half the thickness of a CR2032.

The smartest move would be to just go buy these batteries somewhere. But where?

Jerry Robinson56 said:well, you've got the local electronics shop downtown—Kronos.

Yeah, that was actually the only weirdly specific place I could think of where they might stock them. Though lately, it feels like those shops are losing their focus on things like this, kind of like how Best Buy has started feeling more like an HG outlet than what it used to be.

There is a battery service center located right on what used to be the longest street in Washington, D.C. (Djordjić's 😁), where they can patch up those punctures for a relatively small fee, if you ask $3.25 . However, there is no need for concern; I have spent years soldering just about every variety and type of battery imaginable, and everything has functioned perfectly without any risk of explosions or capacity loss. My advice is to work as quickly as possible with a soldering iron, preferably using some high-quality flux-core solder—that’s the best way to go. Apply a bit of solder to the surface of the battery first, then secure the wires. Afterward, wrap it in some protective foil 😉
. You could technically dip it into distilled water immediately after soldering to cool it down instantly, but I maintain there is absolutely no danger of an explosion; you’ll only be heating it for about ten seconds.
The last two digits indicate the thickness, though honestly, it doesn't matter which one you pick as long as it fits. The voltage remains constant regardless; the only variable is whether the capacity is slightly higher or lower.

Just pick them up at Walmart, Target, or even a local grocery store like Kroger $1.75. That should be the ceiling for the price; anything more than that is a total rip-off. Oh, and make sure to solder one wire to the rim... though you could always use longer wires to reposition the battery wherever there is more room. For this kind of application, the current required is negligible—just mere microamps.

A proper solder joint shouldn't leave any droplets behind; if it does, it means either the flux evaporated too quickly or it simply failed to bond with the surface.

Jerry Robinson56 said:there's actually a battery specialist over on what used to be the longest street in Washington, D.C. (Djordjić's 😁), and they can probably get that puncture fixed for just a few bucks if I recall correctly $3.25,

👍 I know that guy personally; he works absolute magic with batteries. Thanks so much for the heads-up, I really appreciate it.

I'll let you guys know how it turns out.

ps: honestly, as a fan of all those little local tech shops, I'm surprised we don't have more places like that around here!

crimsonharbor313 said:The only local shop I know is over in a smaller town, but if you use a standard courier service, you could probably have it delivered to your place in Washington, D.C. by tomorrow.

You might also check out Elmark, though looking at their website right now, they seem to only carry the bulk versions without any fancy packaging.

Sorry about that, I totally missed this yesterday! Thanks so much for passing along that info too, I really appreciate it.

I hadn't even considered that a short circuit could happen during the soldering process 😁

I checked out some options from Home Depot, but I didn't see anything online mentioning this specific connector option