Last updated - June 27, 2002

REX 6000 Battery Vendors

The REX 6000 uses CR2016 batteries - smaller than the CR2025s that the earlier REX versions use. These batteries are widely available, and you can find some good prices if you look around a bit. Luckily for us, many REX 6000 users have looked around and provided information on vendors to save the rest of us time and money! If you have information on a vendor that isn't listed (particulary for outside the US) let me know!

Some battery background.

Remember to check the brand being sold and the mAh capacity - all batteries are not created equal! The highest capacity available is 90 mAh.

From LuckyLuciano: "Ok, Rexers, after extensive research, here is the scoop on batteries. Listed with best capacity first:

Brand Model mAh
Maxel CR2016 90
Panasonic CR2016 90
Varta CR2016 90
Sony CR2016 85
Energizer CR2016 80
Renata CR2016 80
Duracell DL2016 75
Rayovac BR2016 70

That's a 20-28% improvement in capacity from worst to best. That should translate into a similar percentage increase in battery life in your R6K. Caveat: remember, these are manufacturer specs, and your mileage may vary. BTW, my R6K came with Maxell CR2016 batteries installed."

There are specs for a additional battery brands on Greg's excellent REX site.

Also, if you are a brave REX user, you might consider using CR-2020, or CR2025 batteries, even though they are larger than the CR2016 batteries the REX is designed for. More power, but in a thicker package that not everyone is brave enough to insert into their REX...some report success using these thicker batteries, but be careful if you decide to give them a try.

You may also be able to order batteries directly from a distributor? (From Tony)

"I found out that one can get batteries quite cheaply by contacting the distributor directly. The distributor for Maxell in Singapore sold them to me for around US$0.80. Of course I ordered 20 pieces which I think is reasonable enough. Should I buy from watch shop, it will cost me around US$2.70.

For asia users (more detail): http://www.maxell.com.sg/contact/ Others: http://www.maxell.com/home/index_contact.html."

CR2016 Rechargeable batteries

Standard CR2016 Batteries (by country)

United States - The UK - Canada - Germany - Switzerland

The Netherlands - Belgium - Australia - Sweden - Norway - Italy

<back to top>

Rechargeable CR2016 batteries.

From Jorgen:

""Maxell has rechargeable 2016 batteries. The capacity is limited to 25mAH but the batteries can be used 1500 times !!! I found them at Farnell. The batteries are with mounted clips, but the clips can be gently pulled off without damaging the battery. The part no. is 303-1986 (danish catalogue) but the battery is Maxell ML2016."

Farnell is www.farnell.com.

More on the Maxell rechargeable CR2016 batteries (From Jorgen)

"The batteries must be charged at 2.5mA for 10 hours or until the voltage across the battery do not exeed 3.25V. I have not seen any charger available with specs like this. Anybody with a basic knowledge in electronics can charge the batteries. I have used a lab powersupply for charging but I'm considering designing a charger. However since my spare time seem to be limited for the moment, I have no time planned for this charger - maybe some evening I will design one instead of getting a nap in front of the TV. The Farnell website in english : www.farnell.com/uk and in US : www.newark.com.

From Greg:

"I just shot off a message to Sundance Solar, and quickly received a reply:

Hi,

I noticed that error today and changed the pages for those batteries. You need a higher voltage to charge 3V batteries. I'll talk to my battery supplier about recharcheable button cells. Also, i'll see about a solution to charging higher voltage button cells.

Thanks,
Ed

-----Original Message-----
From: Greg Searle
To: [email protected]
Subject: Solar button cell charger, and other questions

Hi! I have a few questions about button cells. I represent a growing group of REX 6000 PDA users. This PDA eats CR2016 button cells like candy. We are looking for a rechargable solution.

The solar button cell charger that you sell is made for 1.5V cells. I've seen it around on other sites, and they all say this. Your listing for CR2016 3V lithium cells states that the solar charger can be used to "trickle charge" this cell to boost its lifetime. Does this really work? How does a 1.5V charger charge a 3V cell?

Also, have you heard anything about Lithium Manganese or Vanadium Pentoxide Lithium rechargable button cells? Do you have these for sale in 2016, 2020, or 2025 sizes (preferable without tabs)? What about chargers for these cells, solar or not? Thank you for your time,"

The United States <back to countries>

From Phillipe:

"Glad to see that the REX is still going strong. I just wanted to let you guys know about a cheap source of CR2016. sunnbattery.com has them for 0.50$/each, that 's right half a buck! (10 minimum order, reasonable ship too)."

According to the web site this is a "sale price" and the batteries are Sony or Panasonic brand (whichever are in stock). Panasonic are 90 mAh (the highest available), and Sony are 85 mAh, so either would be a good choice.

From Shreefal:

"http://store.yahoo.com/shoppingmatrix3/saycr2016.html

I just placed an order for the CR2016. Batteries are Sanyo (I guess the 80 mAH capacity according to charts on REX websites). But they are substantially cheaper than other places...."

From SciFiGuy:

"Digi-Key Corp sells Panasonic CR2016 90mAh lithium cells for $0.55 each in < 10 quantities, and $0.495 each in 10-200 quantities. If you order 51 of them for $25.25, you satisfy their $25 minimum to avoid a $5 handling fee. If 51 is too much to buy at one time, I suggest finding some other electronic goody to boost your order total over $25. They collect sales tax only in Minnesota. The Digi-Key part number for these is P138-ND."

From Alec - "The price for Panasonic CR2016 batteries on Digi-Key went down. It's now only $0.405 if you buy more than one. Dirt cheap in my opinion (12 for less than 5 bucks!) Part number is still P138-ND." (10-15-01)

From Asrar:

"RE: http://www.aspencer1.com The batteries they carry are not no-name brands, they are actually some of the highest quality batteries you can buy. They have AAs which have 1600mah... one of the post powerful NIMH AA rechargeable batteries on the market. They are pretty reliable, you can check their feedback on eBay (username onlybatteries.com). Just thought I'd say that."

From Bill (comments on www.aspencer1.com):

"Just thought I'd pass along my own experience with battery usage. I bought a 25-pack of 2016's from aspencer1.com for $17 plus shipping, so I can't complain about the price. Label says "New Sun", I think it's a Chinese brand.

The useful life of these things seems to be completely random. Some have lasted as little as 1 week, some as long as 3 months. There seems to be no consistency. I use my Rex sparingly, just for scheduling, phone numbers and addresses; no book reading, web downloading, etc. I rarely enter any info directly, I use Outlook for that, then sync.

So take it for what it's worth, these batteries grade out as an "Incomplete."

From Tarka (thanks!):

"I found a website where the CR2016 batteries that the REX uses are being sold wholesale. $0.75 for 1-49 count and $0.55 for 50-100 count! I haven't purchased any batteries from them yet so I don't know what their service is like. It's www.batterystore.com."

Look under "Lithium Coin Cells" on the bottom-lef of the Battery Store home page. The company (TNR Technical) lists locations in Florida and California. The Lithium Coin Cells page has a statement at the top that reads:

"LITHIUM COIN CELLS ARE AVAILABLE FROM ALL OF THESE MANUFACTURERS: DURACELL, EVEREADY, MAXELL, PANASONIC, RAY-O-VAC, RENATA, SANYO, SONY, AND DAITRON."

I went to this page and the CR2016 batteries seem to me to sell for $2.50 for 1-50 units. Thought I'd let you know. (Dimitris)

Radio Shack:

You can order the REX 6000's CR2016 batteries in 25 packs for $25 (+$7 shipping) on the Radio Shack web site. (Thanks, Preston.) This offer is not available in their retail stores - only online. Go here to order them online.

In case that URL above dies (it's about 1000 characters long!) you should be able to find them on the Radio Shack site by browsing their web site following the path below:

  • Batteries & Adapters | Calculator/Watch/Hearing Aid | Calculator

You can also order the 25 pack via 1-800-THE-SHACK.

Update on 12/3/01:

"I just ordered 50 batteries from Radio Shack for $33.50. The unit price per 25 order is now 16.75 with free shipping (67cents a battery).

I guess the advantage with Radio Shack is that you can call 1-800-THE-SHACK, engage in secure transaction, and know that they are reputable and reliable."

Update on 4/28/02: (From Dennis)

"Batterys. Just went to Radio shack to buy new batterys for Rex after only 3 months this time. I was surprised to find out they have just started a new program that garantees replacement of your batterys for "3 YEARS" if you pay an extra .99cents each when you buy them . Hope this helps everybody !"

 
The UK <back to countries>

From W. Holmes:

"UK based battery supplier for CR2016 3V Panasonic Lithium Battery:

http://www.pcs-chromex-batteries.com/batts.htm

I have just purchased 20, details below, postage is for UK delivery but they will ship overseas.

20 x 0.99 = 19.80
post 3.50
vat 4.07
total 27.37 (twenty seven pounds sterling)
Credit cards accepted

Contact:

PCS-Chromex
3 Sunny Gardens Parade, London NW4 1JA, UK
Tel: (020) 8203 9066 (UK)
Tel: +44 20 8203 9066 (Int)
Fax: (020) 8202 4305 (UK)
Fax: +44 20 8202 4305 (Int)

email:[email protected]

From Di:

Here's another source - seems to be an European site. (Thanks, Di):

http://www.koodinternational.com/pages/battry1.html

"I thought I would share this source of cheap batteries for the REX6000 in the UK and typically it is next day delivery too (free P&P too). Only £1.75 for each battery! http://www.watchbattery.co.uk/."

"Just to let you know that I have found a place in the UK that sells very cheap batteries:

http://www.watchbattery.com/

You have to buy a minimum of 10, and pay postage of £3 - but they only cost £0.42 (Renata) or £0.48 (Rayovac) each +VAT at 17.5%. I ordered ten Renatas which worked out at an average price of around £0.80 each. They were delivered quickly too.

Here's a direct link to the [Renata and Rayovac] CR2016s"

Canada <back to countries>

From Paul:

"I wanted to share an excellent source of batteries with you and your site's users. The company is Cana Imports, and is located in Canada, but they will also ship to the United States. The site is www.canaimports.com. They sold
me Maxell CR-2016's and CR-2025's for 95 canadian cents each... that's about 60 american cents each! Shipping cost me $10 canadian, so the more you order, the more value you get. Unfortunately, the ordering process was awkward; I had to fax my order and fax back a signature for my credit card payment. Oh, and they also didn't charge me any tax or VAT; I'm not sure if that's a mistake or not."

From Mike:

"In regard to Canadian battery sources, Digikey delivers to Canada. Their main site, www.digikey.com, has a Canadian flag icon which if clicked will take you to a mirror site all in Canadian dollars. Like the American site, there is a waiver on the $6.50 shipping charges once the order exceeds a certain amount -- $32.50 CDN. They're shipping includes a reasonable flat $8.00 brokerage charge; I've had nasty surprises on orders from other US companies, where brokerage wasn't provided (my Rex cost me $50 extra just for the UPS brokerage charges, despite the fact there was no duty to pay on it, etc).

That's the good news. The bad news is that the bulk order I placed for 56 batteries at the beginning of November was originally back ordered with a shipping date of Dec 10. It is now being projected as Dec 31, 2001. Two months is a long time to wait. If someone comes up with a faster supplier, I'd be willing to pay quite a bit more to get them.

The price on the bulk order is $.67 CDN each. After all TAX, shipping and handling costs, the total for 56 batteries is $48.52. So less than $1 a battery."

Germany <back to countries>

"Hi, just wanted to let you know that at www.reichelt.de they sell Varta CR2016, 90mAh batteries for -.88 DM, thats about $ -.40. Peter from Heidelberg."

Switzerland <back to countries>

None identified.

The Netherlands (also known as Holland) <back to countries>

From JT:

"For all the Dutch people, this is just about cheap batteries:

Voor iedereen die opzoek is naar CR2016 voor de Rex kan ze naar mijn idee goedkoop krijgen bij Tapes, ik heb voor jullie even de prijs opgevraagd en kreeg de volgende reatie van Hans Touw van Tapes:


Maxell CR2016 batterij
Prijs bij afname van minimaal 10 stuks (minder dan 10 is niet mogelijk) is euro 0,90 netto per stuk exclusief BTW, inclusief verwijderingsbijdrage. Levering uitsluitend op bestelling in ca. 6 werkdagen. Levering af magazijn, betaling contant. Bij afname van 100 stuks ontvangt u 10% korting.

Hans Touw
TAPES Rotterdam BV
Schiedamsedijk 77
3011 EM Rotterdam
Tel: 010-214 1220
Fax: 010-411 5404
[email protected]
www.tapes.nl

Laatste keer dat ik daar besteld heb, hebben ze onder rembours geleverd, daarvoor kwamen er natuurlijk wel extra kosten bij. Tapes zit buiten Rotterdam o.a. ook in Hilversum.Ik hoop dat iemand wat heeft aan deze informatie."

From Bertus:

"For cr2016 batteries in Holland try searching dutch auction sites like ricardo.nl and ibazar.nl. There are some people who bought cr2016's in large quantities at the US shops from the Rex6000 FAQ, and are selling what they don't need. I found some for less than fl 2,50 a piece."

From Martijn:

I live in the Netherlands and found some additional battery brands that I haven't seen on your site (nor on Greg's) yet. The brands are: Philips, Kinetic and König. Can you or anyone in the REX community find out what mAh's these brands do?

Here's some information that might be interesting for REX-users living in Holland: I've been doing some investigations on cr2016 battery brands and prices (only in my little village) and have come up with the following prices (in dutch guilders - divide by 2.20371 to get the price in Euro; starting Jan 1, 2002 ;-)):

Brand Shop Price (fl)
VARTA n/a 8,95
DURACELL V&D 9,98
PHILIPS Expert 8,95
KINETIC EP (Electronic Partner) 7,50
KöNIG Elektro World 7,95

I also found out that the TUDelft sells them at fl. 4,50 (only to students and university employees), brand unknown.

I hope this info will be usefull to anyone and that someone can find out those specs on the "new" brands."

From Richard:

"I wanted you to know I found another battery vendor in the Netherlands.

It is HEUTS Car Equipments (www.heuts.nl)

Heuts is only located in:

Hoensbroek
Kerkrade
Maastricht 1
Maastricht 2
Roermond
Sittard
Echt
Panningen
Venray
Venlo
Helmond

R2016
KNOOPBATTERIJ CR2016
Euro 1.36
NLG 3.00"

Belgium <back to countries>

None Identified.

Australia <back to countries>

From Christopher:

"As far as I can tell, this is the CR2016 status in Australia:

From Ben:

"Batteries here cost as much as A$7 (US$12) each, but I've found them for A$1.87 each plus p&p, with no minimum order, at http://batteryallsorts.com.au. The online form is not secure - best to ring. They have outlets in most states."

The CR2016 aren't actually listed on their web site - Ben got the information via an email quote. Power on, mate.

From John:

"On the issue of batteries for the REX 6000. I'm form Melbourne Australia and had been paying around AU$4.50 each. I have since discovered a source (details below) of Panasonic CR2016's at AU$1.00:

Battery Master
993 North Rd (factory 32)
Murrumbeena
Vic

Email address:- [email protected]
website:- www.batterymaster.com.au
Ph 03 9563 8460
Fax 03 9579 4844"

Sweden <back to countries>

From Lars:

2016 -cells for REX 6000 are sold at a reasonable price in Sweden. Clas Ohlson stores:

http://www.clasohlson.se/

Varta, 10 pcs price (partno 32-2119)
NOK 159,- (US$ 17.65) / SEK 135,- (US$ 12.85)

Newsun, strips of 5 pcs (partno 32-2243)
NOK 59,- (US$ 6.55) / SEK 45,- (US$ 4.30)
"Newsun" are cheap, but capacity is low.

Unfortunately, Clas Ohlson do not ship orders outside the Nordic countries.

Norway <back to countries>

From Lars:

2016 -cells for REX 6000 are sold at a reasonable price in Norway. Clas Ohlson stores:

http://www.clasohlson.no/

Varta, 10 pcs price (partno 32-2119). NOK 159,- (US$ 17.65) / SEK 135,- (US$ 12.85)

Newsun, strips of 5 pcs (partno 32-2243). NOK 59,- (US$ 6.55) / SEK 45,- (US$ 4.30)
"Newsun" are cheap, but capacity is low.

Unfortunately, Clas Ohlson do not ship orders outside the Nordic countries.

2016 -cells are also available at Biltema:

http://www.biltema.no

partno 38-312 NOK 16,90 (US$ 1.90) each. Make is unknown. Low capacity (60 mAh).

Italy <back to countries>

None identified.

<back to top>