Where to buy an 18650 battery on the island?

[fmerkel]

It's not a failing battery according to the OP. It's a normal protected cell with torn shrink wrap. Fixing it is trivial. Literally normal scotch tape will suffice until a better repair can be found. I've posted sources for shrink wrap. I do this frequently. Why dispose of a perfectly good cell when it can be recovered and used safely.
Tearing apart a laptop pack often results in torn shrink wrap as the cells are often glued to one another. Recovering is a trivial process once you have shrink wrap. Before I got a supply I used ordinary clear packing tape. Works fine.

I understand appropriate caution for these things, but that's being a bit paranoid.

 

[DandyDon]

I understand appropriate caution for these things, but that's being a bit paranoid.

Not the first time I've been called that.

I'd trust electrician tape over scotch tape, and I'd bet that hotel maintenance has plenty.

 

[fmerkel]

Agree on electrical tape over scotch-tougher by far, plus it has a 'feel good' quality when used with electricity.
Shrink wrap is simply plastic, with special properties. Electrical tape is plastic. Scotch tape is probably plastic.
Tape would be easy to get compared to a new protected 18650 in Coz it would appear.

Note - if you want to be a conscientious lithium user you do not put a fully charged lithium cell in recycling. THAT could be a source of problems should it short with others. Optimally you discharge it first, then cover the ends, then do the 'right thing'. So, the OP would need to get the cell operational enough to discharge in the first place. Or give it to a shop person that can do the appropriate repair.

There you go....trade a new cell needing repair, for an older one. Fair swap.

 

[gstrek]

I thought I had seen a Staples store in Cozumel near the Mega. They may take it (they do in Michigan).

EDIT: It is an Office Max store: Av. Rafael E. Melgar 799, Centro

 

[ggunn]

Those articles are almost always unicorns. Promise > no delivery.

Doesn't much matter WHAT the chemistry is, if it floods in salt water, is capable of high amperage output (desirable/critical in high performance electronics), and housed in a watertight box (it would have to be or it would flood all the time.....duh), then problems are going to happen.

In a somewhat related story...

On the way out the door to a band rehearsal one day, I grabbed an unpackaged 9V alkaline battery and stuck it in my pocket. I climbed in my van and headed down the road, but I hadn't gotten far when it felt like a wasp had stung me on the leg. The battery had shorted out on a coin in my pocket and burned the crap out of me! I slammed on the brakes, jumped out and dropped my pants (sorry!), and I found a bright red rectangle the size and shape of the battery on my leg. Ouch!

 

[DandyDon]

In a somewhat related story...

On the way out the door to a band rehearsal one day, I grabbed an unpackaged 9V alkaline battery and stuck it in my pocket. I climbed in my van and headed down the road, but I hadn't gotten far when it felt like a wasp had stung me on the leg. The battery had shorted out on a coin in my pocket and burned the crap out of me! I slammed on the brakes, jumped out and dropped my pants (sorry!), and I found a bright red rectangle the size and shape of the battery on my leg. Ouch!

 

[fmerkel]

A conscientious homeowner decided to change all the 9v batteries in his smoke alarms yearly to be safe. He threw the lot of them loosely in a box. There's plenty of life left in 9v batteries only used for a year. They shorted, started a fire when he wasn't home to hear the alarms go off, burned his house down. Serious irony there.

Don't know if it's one of those made up stories to prove a point, or a real deal. But it does strike a chord about basic battery safety.

I recycled 2 small boxes of old batteries today, a mix of everything collected over a couple years. The hardware store [Lowes] had a big receptacle the size of a small washing machine. It was full. Most of the batteries did not have their poles taped. No safety instructions in place. I make sure my batteries are DEAD before they go in my recycle box.

 

[dflaher]

Thanks everyone for the responses. I had a piece of duct tape in my bag (don't ask why) and used that to tape the end of the battery that had the torn protective cover. I'm flying out shortly but will take the battery to 3P for disposal.

I really wish these batteries weren't so unsafe and difficult to find. Throughout this process I've realized I don't know much about them. Should I be flying with them? Why can't lights just use A or AA batteries? When purchasing a replacement battery, do I have to match the specs (mAh and volts) exactly? Ugh.

 

[ggunn]

When purchasing a replacement battery, do I have to match the specs (mAh and volts) exactly? Ugh.

In general, Volts - yes, milliamp hours - no.

 

[gopbroek]

I thought I had seen a Staples store in Cozumel near the Mega. They may take it (they do in Michigan).

EDIT: It is an Office Max store: Av. Rafael E. Melgar 799, Centro

Was in there a few years back and found no batteries. It's not like a traditional store in the USA there was a very limited selection of items