13 replies to this topic

[martyn]

Hi All,

Have just removed MPU4 Board from a Barcrest Calamari Club, (unplugged machine not holding memory) to change the battery, which is a Kinetic NiMAH 2.4V 140mAh. I have tried Maplins (all they have is a 3v 160mAh) and also tried Steve at Advance Leisure at Brentwood who is local to me, unfortunately no luck.
While on the subject of Advance Leisure, I must say how impressed I was with their customer service, Steve was busy working on a machine when I turned up, he immediately left that to try to find me a working battery on a knackered board which i could have for free (as he did not have any stock of new batteries). Thanks for trying Steve!
Anyway......does anyone know where I could get a replacement battery???

Thanks,
Martyn

[stanmarsh14]

Probs the easist way to do this, is to get a 2 x AA batt holder from Maplins etc, and use 2 NiMH batts (Fully charging them first in a seprate charger as they take f*****g ages to charge inside the machine), then "Fly Wire" this from the mpu4 board. The good thing about this methord is that the batts can be installed off the mpu board so as to avoid any poss batt leakage, and also offer easy future replacement.

There are other ways to do this, but this would be the easist way in respect to getting parts that will do the job.

System80 over at The Mecca has a guide set up for using CR2032 lithium cell batts (Same as used to support the BIOS on a home computer) on MPU boards, but it does require some soldering skill to peform: replacing nicad bastards with a lithium cell. - The MPU Mecca

[ady]

I can second stan there, i'm no electrician...I followed that thread with a 'bum' board of mine...very easy job, just need a steady hand.

[martyn]

Probs the easist way to do this, is to get a 2 x AA batt holder from Maplins etc, and use 2 NiMH batts (Fully charging them first in a seprate charger as they take f*****g ages to charge inside the machine), then "Fly Wire" this from the mpu4 board. The good thing about this methord is that the batts can be installed off the mpu board so as to avoid any poss batt leakage, and also offer easy future replacement.

There are other ways to do this, but this would be the easist way in respect to getting parts that will do the job.

System80 over at The Mecca has a guide set up for using CR2032 lithium cell batts (Same as used to support the BIOS on a home computer) on MPU boards, but it does require some soldering skill to peform: replacing nicad bastards with a lithium cell. - The MPU Mecca

thanks for this Stan,

i notice the battery has 3 x pins 2pos and 1 neg how do i connect re the 2 x pos, do i just connect the pos lead from the battery holder to any 1 of the pos or to both??

Thanks
martyn

[serviceenginner]

i got about 10 of them Kinetic NiMAH 2.4V 140mAh batterys looking at me now

[Guitar]

Anyway......does anyone know where I could get a replacement battery???

Thanks,
Martyn

Rapid electronics sell them. Google them and you will find them easily enough. If you live in Colchester you can pick them up from the trade counter. If not then its mail via internet.

[martyn]

Thanks everyone, have gone with Stans idea re the 2 x nicad batteries mounted outside the mpu board. All done (hopefully)! will let you know 2morrow when I fit it.

Thank again,
Martyn

[stanmarsh14]

Doubt you can source nicad's these days as they are generaly not RHoS compliant, hence why I suggested NiMH's. That, and Nicad's have a nasty habbit of leaking, as system80 will tell you. Good thing is though, is that you are mounting them externaly in the batt holder... just make sure you mount this holder away from any boards, etc.

[superbank]

Personally I just replace the batteries with a similar NiMh type, but the coin cell is a good idea and easier to change in the future.

Very informative post - typical Mecca stuff. Love the comment by Alth tho

[martyn]

Doubt you can source nicad's these days as they are generaly not RHoS compliant, hence why I suggested NiMH's. That, and Nicad's have a nasty habbit of leaking, as system80 will tell you. Good thing is though, is that you are mounting them externaly in the batt holder... just make sure you mount this holder away from any boards, etc.

hi Stan,

have put everything back, machine works fine except that I am not getting a trickle feed to the batteries! When i first turned machine off and the AA batteries were fully charged (prior to inserting) machine held its memory, but batteries have now lost most of their power and I am not picking up any charging voltage to the batteries when the machine is working normally.
When I connected the 2 x fly leads to the MPU, 1 went to the Neg and 1 to the pos connections, i noticed that the original battery was soldered at 2 spots on the pos side, should I have linked out the 2 x positives?? If not could it be that there is something else wrong on the board, which governs the trickle charge to the batts when the machine is running normally?

Cheers,
Martyn

[martyn]

hi Stan/everyone,

have put everything back, machine works fine except that I am not getting a trickle feed to the batteries! When i first turned machine off and the AA batteries were fully charged (prior to inserting) machine held its memory, but batteries have now lost most of their power and I am not picking up any charging voltage to the batteries when the machine is working normally.
When I connected the 2 x fly leads to the MPU, 1 went to the Neg and 1 to the pos connections, i noticed that the original battery was soldered at 2 spots on the pos side, should I have linked out the 2 x positives?? If not could it be that there is something else wrong on the board, which governs the trickle charge to the batts when the machine is running normally?

Cheers,
Martyn

[stu55554]

hi you need to connect the two poss as 1 charges

[stanmarsh14]

hi you need to connect the two poss as 1 charges

Sounds about right this... Think one peg is for charging, and the other for the system memory.

[martyn]

Thanks everyone.... out it all comes again!!!

But not for a while, I need the time and the missus has a few other jobs for me!

Regards,

Martyn