Compaq LTE 286 Battery Replacement

thingiverse

I recently snagged a vintage Compaq LTE 286 laptop from a thrift store for a steal - just $15 - with one major caveat: the battery and AC adapter were nowhere to be found. Given that these machines are relics of the past, sourcing replacements would be a daunting task, so I decided to see what I could cobble together myself. The result is surprisingly satisfying, although it's a bit rough around the edges - once assembled, however, it feels rock-solid, like a brick. Building this thing wasn't rocket science: after printing both the battery case and compartment cover, you'll also need some double-sided copper-clad board and contact material (think thin, springy metal) for the negative and internal contacts. Once the copper board is cut to size, it slides into its designated slot with ease - I opted to tin both sides of the copper at this point, but for the negative contact point, I soldered a small piece of thin metal onto the board to create an internal contact point. The four C-cell batteries required are a tight squeeze in the enclosure, but they fit snugly once you push them down. It may look like a hack job, but if it works, I'm happy with it.