can the batteries be replaced on carts with battery back up

[TEXASGAMEPLAYER]

If so are they common type betteries and how do you do it?
I'm thinking about zelda 1 and 2
metroid
phantasy star 2 and 3 (purchased new and sealed this month but almost 20 years old)

[Dreamscape]

It can be done, but I don't know how. I think you can send your NES and SNES carts to Nintendo and they will do it for you, but I am not sure.

[sisko]

Yes.

Typically CR2032.

You will need specific bits. Sylentwulf sells them.

[Jibbajaba]

Usually they are CR2032 batteries which you can get at the shack. You have to carefully pry out the old battery and solder in a new one. It isnt hard.

Chris

[bargora]

I believe that this topic has been discussed in the "Technical and Restoration" forum, but I am afraid that I am too lazy to search out the thread at this hour of the morning.

[Cauterize]

yeah i think its cr2032.... i need one for my saturn too!

[Sylentwulf]

I carry the batteries for the saturn, genesis, NES, and SNES.
I also carry the tool bits to open all of the above carts, and I can help with any questions on the actual installation if you need it.
http://www.electricquarter.com/parts.htm

Edit - Oh, and if you need more than one battery, let me know, I can do multiples for MUCH cheaper than what's listed. ($2.00 including shipping/packing/fee's for each battery if you buy more than 2.) You can e-mail me at Sylentwulf@ElectricQuarter.com for direct purchases, just say that you're from DP.

[The Manimal]

I carry the batteries for the saturn, genesis, NES, and SNES.
I also carry the tool bits to open all of the above carts, and I can help with any questions on the actual installation if you need it.
http://www.electricquarter.com/parts.htm

Edit - Oh, and if you need more than one battery, let me know, I can do multiples for MUCH cheaper than what's listed. ($2.00 including shipping/packing/fee's for each battery if you buy more than 2.) You can e-mail me at Sylentwulf@ElectricQuarter.com for direct purchases, just say that you're from DP.

I just bookmarked your website! ...for future reference for purchases.

[-hellvin-]

Right on, thanks for the site sylentwulf. I'm sure one day I'm going to need to do a replacement =\.

[Lemmy Kilmister]

Usually they are CR2032 batteries which you can get at the shack. You have to carefully pry out the old battery and solder in a new one. It isnt hard.

Chris

If your don't want to solder it you could also just use electrically tape.

[omnedon]

I submitted a 'how to' (solder and no solder- with pics) for this that will likely be in an upcoming issue of Video Game Collector.

[Sylentwulf]

Usually they are CR2032 batteries which you can get at the shack. You have to carefully pry out the old battery and solder in a new one. It isnt hard.

Chris

If your don't want to solder it you could also just use electrically tape.

This is what I do, and what I suggest. Solderings fine if you have everything handy, but you're going to be re-casing the cart and noone is EVER going to see it, so whats the point?

[Azazel]

I use electric tape too and it works great for me.

[leonk]

You should be very careful with a battery and the carts..

The cells have lithium and they do not react very well to heat. And you need A LOT of heat in order for the prongs to stick.

If you pay close attention to the NES/SNES batteries, you'll notice that they are soldered to the PCB board but stamped at the battery. This was a common way to sell batteries for this purpose in the day. (Nintendo baught them like that!)

Just as with any battery, appling heat to it (i.e. solder) might: cause the battery to explode, or at the least lower its life.

As far as taping goes. You are undoing the stamped prongs. It will hold, But not as good as it originally was. The one thing I did notice about any electrical tape is that it dries with heat. Next time you're done playing SMB3 for 2 hours, pull it out of the system and touch the cart. That tape will only be good for so long.

There is only 2 really good solutions to the problem:

a) Find a supplier that sells the CR2032 with prongs and replace it. (Good luck!)

b) Buy a coin holder, solder it in place, and then buy a regular CR2032 and put it in. A coin holder is the term used to describe a lithium cell holder that looks like it can hold a coin. All of you have a similar thing in your PC's right now.. it's used to hold the battery that saves your BIOS settings. Just look at your motherboard to see how it looks like. It sells for about 2$ a piece at good electronic part suppliers.

b is what I do for all my NES/SNES carts.. and is the only thing that will last as long as you live. (plus.. imagine how much easier it would be to replace the battery down the road!)

[Parodius]

Will old batteries left untouched eventually start leaking inside the cart and ruin it?

[omnedon]

leonk - they can be taped.. AND compressed in place. In this way they do not, and will not move, unless the cart is taken apart again, regardless of how dry the tape may get. I outline it in the article, but it's nothing fancier than properly securing it in place, and then using some cardboard and tape on the appropriate part of the clamshell, to pressure it in place.

You have more experience with cart guts than I do by far, and you must be aware that even the crimped in, soldered in battery posts do pop free on their own, due to age or shock, or a combination of the two. Compressing the battery in place, makes it nearly shock proof, and possibly as sturdy as original, IMO. Carts get dropped. Think of a taped in battery as having a seat belt, and a deployed air bag.

It's great that you mentioned the danger of heating up the batteries (i didn't know that). I rarely get the iron out for batteries. The batteries with solderable posts are harder to get and more expensive too. I find the tape and compression method very reliable, so far.

I like the idea of a coin holder, for the soldering-abled. However, I'm not sure many of the games warrant that effort, as the battery replacement is so infrequent. However, that does seem like the ultimate best solution to be sure. Are those coin holders strong enough to hold a batt in in a physical shock situation?

I shudder just thinking about dropping a Gold Zelda onto hard concrete.

[SkiDragon]

A little off topic, but it would also PROBABLY be possible to connect the new battery in parallel with the old one and then take the old one out, and thus retain any saved games that happened to be left.

[leonk]

Let me try and answer a few questions:

- you theoretically can connect the new battery while you replace the old one, but there are 2 problems with this.

1) You don't know about the bad battery until it's too late.
2) It's very difficult to work in such an environment. i.e. not worth it.

- I am aware of the prongs popping on their own. I've seen this on an SNES cart. But those prongs are still better than electrical tape for me. I've noticed with most carts I tried, it's close to impossible to separate the battery from the prongs! A lot of time the prongs are compressed into the battery.

As far as the coin holders. They are indestructable. It's difficult to pop the battery into it, and more difficult to pop it out. You'd crack the PCB of the cart before the battery will fall out!

As far as taking the cart apart. For my personal collection, it's more likely a cart will be taken a part more often than the battery replaced. I'm a nut about keeping carts clean. If a game stops responding, I open it and clean it with a vynal eraser. If I had to retape the battery each time I do it..

I guess the tape solution is good for most people.. but soldering a coin holder is the ultimate solution. there's a reason why PC motherboards have them, and not tape.

[omnedon]

If I had to retape the battery each time I do it..

No need for that with my method. I'd guess you'd have to see it.

I agreaa, that a coin holder is likely the ultimate solution. Perhaps I should get some, and offer it as a higher cost option.

[leonk]

If I had to retape the battery each time I do it..

No need for that with my method. I'd guess you'd have to see it.

I agreaa, that a coin holder is likely the ultimate solution. Perhaps I should get some, and offer it as a higher cost option.

Once you go coin.. you can never go back!