Detailed information about changing a battery needed

[Aussie2B]

I have a dead battery in a SNES cart (Lagoon, so at least I'm not experimenting on an expensive game, but I really don't want things to go bad), and I've never had to do this before. I know there are many topics here about this, but after browsing them all, I'm just left feeling more confused than when I started. Seems like everyone has a different method, and the details seem to be brushed over quickly.

I need some detailed, step-by-step instructions, starting from the removal of the old battery all the way through to the end. I can open the cartridge, so that's not an issue, but I'm left just staring at the battery now wondering how the heck to remove it. I can't see how I can get it off the top clip, and even if I could, I don't see how I could get the new battery attached to it. I suppose I could solder out the top and bottom clips altogether, but then what? I just have plain batteries, not ones that come with these other pieces.

[MonoTekETeA]

Never done it myself, but I found a FAQ on gameFAQs, or as some of my customer's say: Game Fags?

http://www.gamefaqs.com/console/snes/file/916396/24592

[Bratwurst]

That battery in your cartridge is permanently attached to those tabs, so desolder it out by the tabs and replace it with a coin cell holder. You'll have to find one sized to the CR2032 but it's a pretty common style. Be sure to note polarity of the battery before you remove it in relation to the circuit board.

By the way this makes future replacement of the battery waaaay easier.

[Starwander]

If you want a step-by-step installation guide I would be glad to make one up for you, just PM me.

[MonoTekETeA]

Heck Starwander, make one real nice and submit it to the Digitpress data bank. I would love to see that thing grow.

[Aussie2B]

Yeah, I read the piece in the Knowledge Base, but it seemed a little too vague for me. I checked out the GameFAQs guide earlier too, but it also left me with some questions.

Well, anyway, I guess the first thing I'll need to do is desolder the old battery out of there, and then pick me up some coin cell holders. Do any of you have any suggestions of where I should buy some? I think I already read somewhere that Radioshack doesn't carry stuff like that? I don't know of any other brick and mortar stores around me that might have something like that, and I haven't a clue what sites would be good (and I'd be worried about buying the wrong kind or sized holders).

Even though it sounds like the best course of action, I was wondering what other options are available if I were to forgo the battery holders? I've read a lot about electrical tape, but that doesn't sound very appealing and I can't picture how exactly that is supposed to work either (what gets taped to what?).

[Bratwurst]

A storefront Radio Shack should have them, you want a 20mm diameter coin cell holder, just call and ask. Probably the best price online with shipping is going to be All Electronics if you buy in bulk, if you are in the continental US:

http://www.allelectronics.com/cgi-bi...DIA_CELL_.html

[Aussie2B]

I'm bumping this topic up to say I've finally fixed my Lagoon cart with the help of my boyfriend as the solderer, and so far at least it seems like everything went fine and it's holding saves.

I did run into a few unforeseen problems, though. The old battery actually snapped off the top clip pretty easy, but the clips themselves were difficult to wiggle out (granted, the tools we had sucked, so it was tough to actually get the solder to heat up). The bigger problem came from the coin cell holders, though. I bought the ones from All Electronics, and I found their size to be ever-so-slightly off. The metal prongs are placed just a bit too far apart for the circuit board, so first we tried bending them inward a little. We couldn't feed them through the board like that, though, so then we decided to nearly cut off one pronged altogether. The other prong went through the board and we soldered it in place. The cut prong got a little extra bit of solder to make sure there is contact. Then the next big problem was that even with the holder placed into the board as far as it can go, it still sticks up more than the old battery, and with no space in the cart to spare, the board doesn't lay in the cart quite the same. It wasn't so bad that I couldn't close it up, though, but now there's a little bit of pressure in there. I don't foresee it being a problem, but I think in the future I won't try to put the coin cell holder directly onto the board. Since there's extra space on top, I think I'll try having it up there loose with wires carrying the signal from the prongs to the board. Then again, I have no idea if circuit boards vary at all from game to game, so maybe I wouldn't have all the same difficulties with a different cart.

All in all, though, it was a good experience, and I'm glad I increased my know-how a little bit. Anybody have some good tips or better ways to go about battery replacement?