PRAM Battery for Powerbook G4 17" 1.33 problem

I have an Aluminum Powerbook G4 17" 1.33 GHz computer and need to replace the PRAM battery. This poses a problem. Typically they sell the PRAM battery/USB board as one replacement because the two rechargeable 3.7 v coin CGL 2430 batteries are spot welded & soldered to the USB board in parallel. The replacement part is 922-6064. When I look for a replacement, all I can find are used parts which mean that the batteries have a diminished life. Panasonic stopped making those batteries in 2005 and I can't find anything comparable. Even the places that advertise new parts say they only have used in the end. Next model up, the 1.5 GHz Apple made a battery pack that can be replaced. NewerTech makes that replacement. I would like to replace the batteries on my present USB board - new ones can be soldered or a plug can be added, but I have run into these problems. Those coin batteries are not available and I know the voltage, but not the amperage of those coin batteries that were used. NewerTech can't tell me the voltage/amperage of their battery pack for the newer version Powerbooks, so I don't know if jury-rigging one of those packs would work with my version of the Powerbook. I can't find Apple's specs anywhere for the voltage/amps that should go into the PRAM/USB boards in the 1.33 model and the 1.5GHz model so that I can figure how to do this repair modification. The USB boards for both models look the same, but I don't think that they are, but what is the difference? Anyone have an idea how I can do this modification to add PRAM power to my USB board?

Actually, this is a very minor problem, if the negligible incidence of posts here about replacement PRAM batteries dying is any indication. Apparently there are very, very few users of Powerbooks (going all the way back to the G3s of 1998-2001) whose use of these machines has outlasted a second PRAM battery. I still have a working 2003 Titanium Powerbook with its original PRAM battery in place, a working 1998 Powerbook G3 with its original PRAM battery in place, and a working 1997 Powerbook 1400C with its original PRAM battery in place. I doubt that new replacements are available for any of those batteries, but I wouldn't hesitate to buy used ones if I intended to use any of those computers for several more years. I suggest you go ahead and do the same, and install the used battery yourself to keep the cost down.
Message was edited by: eww

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