Gamaker MPU Battery Holder

[Tacman]

Realizing I'm going to have my Gamemaker with me a long time I decided to use a remote battery holder when replacing the dead battery on the board.  Figured next time I go to change the battery I won't have to whip out the solder station and screwdriver.  Maybe it's overkill for something that will probably only be done once every 5 years, and perhaps a bit cheesy, but satisfied my urge to do some sort of useful mod!
BenF

[Tacman]

« Reply #1 on: 31-05-2010, 10:43:03 » Good idea, did you use velcro for the battery holder? The reason I ask is that those two game eproms by the tray front are sometimes hard to get in, let alone with that battery holder now possibly in the way too.  Dan (tacman) « Reply #8 on: 21-07-2010, 10:35:38 » The battery that you see pictured at the top of the thread is a AA sized 3.6V Saft battery. The barrel batteries that we use in S+ and Bally slots are 1/2AA batteries. The difference (aside from size) is the mAh rating of the batteries. What you can (and should) do is to mount the battery holder on the outside front of the MPU frame instead of inside. That way, you can change the battery with the board plugged in and with power on. If you do this when the battery is just getting low (before the Saferam is corrupted), you will be able to save all of your setup information without having to perform a clear/setup. On the other hand, Gamemakers aren't noted for having dead battery issues like the Bally Proslots, which seem to eat batteries like candy, so installing a battery holder in a GM is probably overkill. In addition, when it comes to the Gamemaker, I find myself performing clears all the time because I frequently swap out games and haven't yet found a second board and tray at a price that I want to pay. If you also tend to swap games, then there is no need to put the battery outside the box. However, it's still the method of choice for Bally Proslots. Statfreak