The "best" PRAM battery is one mounted outside of the case. A two AA holder mounted outside of the case and connected to the machine's PRAM battery terminals is the safest solution long term. The added bonus is the batteries are cheap to replace and can even be rechargable.
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Best PRAM Battery?
- Thread starter Theretrogamingroom
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dosdude1
Well-known member
The photo of the Varta battery posted above is from my Macintosh SE. Although the battery was still working fine, I removed it, just to avoid any chance of leakage. The best solution I've found is to solder a CR2032 battery holder in it's place, allowing for easy future battery replacement, and pretty much eliminate any chance of leakage. So far (it's been about 3 or 4 months), the CR2032 3V battery has proven to work fine in my Macintosh SE. Not sure if it's a suitable replacement for later Macs that use removable 3.6V batteries, but I'd say it would be worth a try.
I raise you one leaked Varta battery!
Granted that example has barely leaked, and was in a mac that was stored in what was essentially a shed for probably more than 10 years. But there where a few more mac II's and IIx's with much worse battery damage which I suspect had Varta's
But as you said, no 20+ year old battery should be trusted - but I just couldn't help it when I saw that statement
TheWhiteFalcon
Well-known member
Just like I had a MaxellBomb in my SE/30 that hadn't leaked or exploded.
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Yeah, and the Varta's seemed to have a less spectacular failed mode, they don't spray acid over the board like the maxell's. the IIx that battery came from was resurrected
But I do agree with you that they are some of the best battery's, one of the ones from one of the IIx's I picked up a while ago still has a near full charge. And it should also be noted that at the sale I picked them up from I saw examples of every battery apple have used leaking, so I guess it's more a that poor storage was the problem rather than the build quality of the battery.
But I do agree with you that they are some of the best battery's, one of the ones from one of the IIx's I picked up a while ago still has a near full charge. And it should also be noted that at the sale I picked them up from I saw examples of every battery apple have used leaking, so I guess it's more a that poor storage was the problem rather than the build quality of the battery.
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