CPS2 battery replacement with full size AA lithium 3.6V

[Dave_K.]

Its the task I've been putting off for awhile, always in the back of my mind whenever I start up a CPS2 game....will it boot. A couple months ago I came across a stash of full size AA lithium 3.6V batteries at a local electronics shop. Although these are not direct replacements for the CPS2 batteries (which are only 1/2 size AA) I knew these would last twice as long being full size, so I bought a few.

Well I finally committed to doing the procedure this weekend, and am happy to report that all 4 of my CPS2 shmups have been saved, and will live an additional 8-10 years on its fresh battery!

Because the battery is twice as long, and leads are exposed, I used an insulator to make sure it wouldn't hurt any other near by components. It doesn't look that pretty, but who can tell when its inside a case :


Although it doesn't look like it in this crappy pic, these solder joiners are clean:


There was no problem fitting the board back into the case (plenty of headroom). There was also no need for a "helper" battery as some people suggested when you first remove the old battery. The CPS2shock website had all the details. In all it took about 30 minutes per board, from opening the case, desoldering, resoldering, and verifying clean connection and voltage, and re-assembling.

[oxtsu]

Nice write up, Dave.

This reminds me of another matter... I really want to change the fan on at least one of my CP2 A boards.

I'm going to try this mag-lev fan here:
http://www.sidewindercomputers.com/sunon60x10slim.html

Even though it is 5mm off on the width, I will add some extra supports to it. The 60x15 ADDA fans sold at Mouser are too expensive anyway. Hopefully it will not shimmy and shake too much. Anything is better than the 100db fan they put in there originally (not annoying in a cab however, just the supergun use).

[Dave_K.]

This reminds me of another matter... I really want to change the fan on at least one of my CP2 A boards.

I herd people have put in a resistor or small pot on the power line to adjust the volage of the fan to make it slower/quieter. On the Neo-Geo site, I herd people just disconnect it all together.

[PC Engine Fan X!]

Yo Dave K.,

Where did you get those cool full-size AA Lithium batteries rated at 3.6v?

I need one for my USA Bios region Seibu Kaihatsu/Fabtek Raiden II PCB (as the backup battery on it went out long ago). It would be cool to have the ol' Raiden II PCB back to "saving" high scores again. ^_~

Think my local Radio Shack might carry those type of full-size AA 3.6v Lithium batteries or will I have to resort to special ordering from them?

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

[system11]

Its the task I've been putting off for awhile, always in the back of my mind whenever I start up a CPS2 game....will it boot. A couple months ago I came across a stash of full size AA lithium 3.6V batteries at a local electronics shop. Although these are not direct replacements for the CPS2 batteries (which are only 1/2 size AA) I knew these would last twice as long being full size, so I bought a few.

For those reading - the physical size has absolutely nothing to do with the longevity of the battery - always check the mAH and mA ratings to make sure they have the correct current specifications, or you might end up fitting something that runs out in 5 months.

[iatneH]

I have a question as well. Where did you get the screwdriver bit to open the CPS-2? I want one...

[Dave_K.]

Where did you get those cool full-size AA Lithium batteries rated at 3.6v?

I got mine at a local electronics junk store for about $2.50 each. Radioshack also has these, but unfortunally they are the version without the axial leads (model TL-2100) and are $12.49.

http://www.radioshack.com/product.asp?c ... Fid=23-037

[Dave_K.]

Its the task I've been putting off for awhile, always in the back of my mind whenever I start up a CPS2 game....will it boot. A couple months ago I came across a stash of full size AA lithium 3.6V batteries at a local electronics shop. Although these are not direct replacements for the CPS2 batteries (which are only 1/2 size AA) I knew these would last twice as long being full size, so I bought a few.

For those reading - the physical size has absolutely nothing to do with the longevity of the battery - always check the mAH and mA ratings to make sure they have the correct current specifications, or you might end up fitting something that runs out in 5 months.

Good point Bloodflowers, I should have checked this first, sorry. After researching the part number of this particular Tadiran battery (TL5104), its rated 2100mHA, where as the original Maxell ER3 is rated 910mHA. The only other difference being the Tadiran current rating starting a bit higher at 2mA - 2V.

http://www.tadiranbat.com/specs6/tl_5104.htm
http://www.maxell.co.jp/e/products/indu ... aSheet.pdf

[oxtsu]

This reminds me of another matter... I really want to change the fan on at least one of my CP2 A boards.

I herd people have put in a resistor or small pot on the power line to adjust the volage of the fan to make it slower/quieter. On the Neo-Geo site, I herd people just disconnect it all together. :?

LOL. Not the healthy choices there, for sure. The first one will probably be okay in a pinch. The second one is madness. I've tried it myself, and it was getting seriously hot after only one hour (case still sealed of course).

I finished the fan swap with the MagLev. The 10mm thickness is fitting tightly with the addition of some double sided tape on the corners. The decible level seems to have cut in half as well. I'm very pleased with it.

[zaphod]

deleted. test post.

[Neon]

I can understand that the cost might be prohibitive with people such as you Dave with a lot of PCB's, but I have to ask: Why not just get them phoenix modded?

For those who haven't heard:

http://cps2shock.retrogames.com/suicide.html

Never replace the batteries ever, and it comes with juicy fringe benefits (use any region, 'jukebox' to listen to the music, no time-unlock with SFA3).

[Dave_K.]

I can understand that the cost might be prohibitive with people such as you Dave with a lot of PCB's, but I have to ask: Why not just get them phoenix modded?

For those who haven't heard:

http://cps2shock.retrogames.com/suicide.html

Never replace the batteries ever, and it comes with juicy fringe benefits (use any region, 'jukebox' to listen to the music, no time-unlock with SFA3).

Yeah, its cost and time. It only cost me $1.95 per battery (they normally run $13 each but still thats nothing), and a half hour of my time. In contrast, to send my boards into get phoenixed means risking damage/loss during shippment, long waiting period, and very high cost per board (including price for shipping both ways).

Lastly, I'm sure you already remember the threads on CPS2 boots being easily spotted by the phoenix bios. So the value may actually go down on phoenix modded boards.

[zaphod]

Botlegs have the cps2shock reference edited out.

Besides, real CPS2 hardware is easily identified upon inspection.

By all means keep changing batteriesas long as yo u knowyou'll be able to keep donig it.

[Neon]

I can understand that the cost might be prohibitive with people such as you Dave with a lot of PCB's, but I have to ask: Why not just get them phoenix modded?

For those who haven't heard:

http://cps2shock.retrogames.com/suicide.html

Never replace the batteries ever, and it comes with juicy fringe benefits (use any region, 'jukebox' to listen to the music, no time-unlock with SFA3).

Yeah, its cost and time. It only cost me $1.95 per battery (they normally run $13 each but still thats nothing), and a half hour of my time. In contrast, to send my boards into get phoenixed means risking damage/loss during shippment, long waiting period, and very high cost per board (including price for shipping both ways).

Lastly, I'm sure you already remember the threads on CPS2 boots being easily spotted by the phoenix bios. So the value may actually go down on phoenix modded boards.

You'd only have to send the roms, of course. But I see your point.

[oxtsu]

Great price on some AA lithium w/axials, here (US$1.75 each).

[raiden]

This reminds me of another matter... I really want to change the fan on at least one of my CP2 A boards.

I herd people have put in a resistor or small pot on the power line to adjust the volage of the fan to make it slower/quieter. On the Neo-Geo site, I herd people just disconnect it all together.

LOL. Not the healthy choices there, for sure. The first one will probably be okay in a pinch. The second one is madness. I've tried it myself, and it was getting seriously hot after only one hour (case still sealed of course).

I´ve done it with both my Gigawing and Dimahoo CPS2 Boards. 50 Ohm resistors were weak enough to leave enough voltage through for cooling, while reducing noise considerable enough. No heat-up problems whatsoever, even after a full day. CPS2 boards are built for use in a closed cabinet, where the noise doesn´t get out, but where the air is kept in as well, heating up more. So when using them outside of a cab, weakening the cooling fan doesn´t hurt.

[oxtsu]

The best way is to retain full cooling; by replacing the fan with a quieter, more modern, and brand new one for future reliability. It's worth $5 to me. I won't have to worry whether it's in a cabinet or in a more open enviroment either.

[MKL]

Oxtsu is right: owing to a very slim and almost unvented plastic shell a CPS2 motherboard not fan-cooled does get pretty hot very quickly even outside a cab and this is certainly not a good thing in the long run. The only way to solve at once both the noise and the overheating problems is to remove the shells altogether as if it were a CPS1 board. Most shells are seriously scratched and don't look good anyway. As for the shells protecting the board, considering the vast majority of arcade boards don't come in a shell a serious arcade collector should already know what precautions need to be taken when handling bare PCBs.

[oxtsu]

Oh shit. I have some ROMs to send Razoola now. Only had the original battery out for 10 minutes too. I will use a helper battery from now on!

[Dave_K.]

Oh shit. I have some ROMs to send Razoola now. Only had the original battery out for 10 minutes too. I will use a helper battery from now on!

OMG that sucks! How would you do the helper method? Would you snip the leads off the old battery (helper battery attached via alagator clips to the old leads), and then solder to the clipped leads? Sounds a little more difficult to solder that way. Or you'd have to first solder on the helper at difference points, unsolder the old one and replace, then unsolder the helper?

When I did mine, I set it up to do the swap as fast as possible, and probably had the old one off for only a minute while I was then bending/soldering on the new one.

[MKL]

How would you do the helper method? Would you snip the leads off the old battery (helper battery attached via alagator clips to the old leads), and then solder to the clipped leads? Sounds a little more difficult to solder that way. Or you'd have to first solder on the helper at difference points, unsolder the old one and replace, then unsolder the helper?

[Dave_K.]

Ah, so temporarily solder to those points. Got it, thanks MKL.

[oxtsu]

Yup, that's the method, as MKL shows. There is an article showing those points in Arcadia #18, where they use that as a permanent install and just snip the legs off the old battery.

Oh shit. I have some ROMs to send Razoola now. Only had the original battery out for 10 minutes too. I will use a helper battery from now on!

OMG that sucks!

Indeed.

On the bright side, I have wanted to check out the Phoenix ROMs for awhile and this is the proper motivation to try them. Also, if there was any board of mine to do it too, it would best be this one (Super Street Fighter IIX) for the dual language setup. :)

When I did mine, I set it up to do the swap as fast as possible, and probably had the old one off for only a minute while I was then bending/soldering on the new one.

Cleaning up the solder pads takes me a few minutes extra I would say. I heard from a tech maniac in Japan that 3 minutes is the amount of time to be safe. I didn't think it was true, since Raz said otherwise, and I have succesfully done the procedure with the battery out for longer a few times before. I guess mine was a very rare occurence.

[SAM]

Would you snip the leads off the old battery (helper battery attached via alagator clips to the old leads), and then solder to the clipped leads? Sounds a little more difficult to solder that way.

Why do you guys have to snip the leads off the old battery and solder it back on the new one? It takes times, more works and there are always risk of the solder joints breaks when you move the B boards around. The more the number of joints the higher the risk.

If you are to replace the battery, why don't you replace the old battery wiht one with Axial Leads instead? Since 3.7V Lithium battery is not a common comidy and you have to order it at a special electronic store.

[SAM]

This reminds me of another matter... I really want to change the fan on at least one of my CP2 A boards.

I herd people have put in a resistor or small pot on the power line to adjust the volage of the fan to make it slower/quieter. On the Neo-Geo site, I herd people just disconnect it all together.

LOL. Not the healthy choices there, for sure. The first one will probably be okay in a pinch. The second one is madness. I've tried it myself, and it was getting seriously hot after only one hour (case still sealed of course).

I finished the fan swap with the MagLev. The 10mm thickness is fitting tightly with the addition of some double sided tape on the corners. The decible level seems to have cut in half as well. I'm very pleased with it.

I just replaced mine with a fan I bought at computer (PC) hardware store. There are many which got the exact size of the CPS2 fan.

Since all PC transformer output 12V DC, all these fans could be used on the CPS2 after replacing the power plug. The cheapest is being sold for US$2.56, but I bought one cost $5.13 as the seller claims it got a better ball berings and is quieter.

[rtw]

I did some investigations into fans for the CPS2 a while back.

The one I finally bought was:

EBM PABST 612FL - 60x60x15 - 12V - 16dBA - 2650 RPM

http://www.ebmpapst.us/allpdfs/600F.PDF

You can by them from mouser.com the part number is: 5912-612FL

Make sure it's the 612FL, it has only an RPM of 2650. The fan is an exact
fit. The connector fits onto the CPS2 motherboard if you turn it around
or if you want perfection, use a tiny screwdriver and rearrange the
contacts. Newer versions come with a white tachometer lead but this
may safely be ignored.

And the good part this fan is the same as the case fan for the NAOMI
motherboard and the NAOMI GD-ROM. The world has become more silent.

Make sure you get the airflow right!

rtw

[Dave_K.]

You can by them from mouser.com the part number is: 5912-612FL

Thanks for posting this. Only downside is apparently the price at $20 a pop.

[rtw]

You can by them from mouser.com the part number is: 5912-612FL

Thanks for posting this. Only downside is apparently the price at $20 a pop.

We have an expensive hobby But this is quality, proper bearings and silent...

rtw

[rtw]

And as MKL once taught me:

http://home.online.no/~tjaberg/cps2_battery/index.htm

The 3 minute, contra 1 hour is interesting. If you short the battery points during the process the capacitor holding the current is much more likely to lose it's charge.

rtw

[Dave_K.]

And as MKL once taught me:

http://home.online.no/~tjaberg/cps2_battery/index.htm

The 3 minute, contra 1 hour is interesting. If you short the battery points during the process the capacitor holding the current is much more likely to lose it's charge.

rtw

Now this makes sense. Guess I was lucky in that I never shorted the points, I also have a desoldering tool which made the swap easy, probably in under 3 minutes as well.