Looking at replacing batteries...have you tried it?

[DonSilvestre]

So I'm in the process of researching soldering and desoldering irons, batteries, and battery clips to begin slowly but surely replacing the batteries of my beloved SNES (and the few NES that used them) classics.

I'm wondering how many people in here have actually tried this (not just on Nintendo related games) and how many tries it took you to get it right. I have a decent stack of Madden/NBA LIVE titles that I can practice on - but have no experience soldering or desoldering anything. I'm (obviously) nervous about potentially wrecking my copies of Earthbound, FF3, Chrono Trigger, Mario RPG, DKC 1-3 etc. How many tries should it take me to get it right, and how easy is it to trash a cartridge through this process?

[CRTGAMER]

Practice by soldering two wires together. Melt a little solder on the iron to "tin" it. Then heat up the wires and apply the solder to the wires and not the iron. You get good penetration with the solder that way. After you are comfortable at soldering, then tackle a PCB. Batteries are a little tricky, the chemicals inside do not like heat. Get a battery with clips or add a holder that does not need soldering directly to the battery.

To remove the old battery either use a desolder braid, suction tool or just heat up the clips while gently pulling at the same time. After removal open up the hole with the braid, suction tool or just heat it up and purse you lips and blow. Careful where the splatter might land though. The open holes allow the new clipped battery to be prestaged.

You can pre "tin" the clip legs of the new battery the same way you did the iron. Then solder the clip to the PCB, be sure to heat both the clip and the contact points on the PCB.

[Hobie-wan]

First, watch my and Ziggy's favorite video:

I do replacements and batteries in SNES carts aren't difficult as there's plenty of room around them and good sized solder pads to work with. Though if you haven't really soldered, you should practice on something else first. Maybe something that's broken where you're just un/re-soldering components on the board to make sure you can do it and make nice looking joints and not melt stuff around the appropriate places. Or maybe take something cheap and remove/replace components and make sure it still works afterwards.

[DonSilvestre]

Thanks for the advice and tips. Is it worth investing in a desoldering iron or suction thingamajig? Or is a desoldering braid just as effective?

[Hobie-wan]

I mostly use a cheap squeeze bulb from Radio Shack and occasionally braid.

[weaponepsilon]

Dude, it is cake. My recommendation though is to either get a cr-2032 battery holder or batteries with the leads soldered on them.

[Yancakes]

I swear when I replaced the battery in Legend of Zelda a few years back that we just popped out the old one and put the new one in...am I remembering this completely wrong?

[vlame]

I swear when I replaced the battery in Legend of Zelda a few years back that we just popped out the old one and put the new one in...am I remembering this completely wrong?

you have a bootleg son.

[BRIK]

I bought a solder sucker off Ebay for $1. Not bad considering it does what its suppose to do, but I don't expect it to last for that price.

[Hobie-wan]

I swear when I replaced the battery in Legend of Zelda a few years back that we just popped out the old one and put the new one in...am I remembering this completely wrong?

It is possible someone had already tinkered with yours and put a holder in. I've done that in a few instances as well.