What battery is this

[Shaggy]

Anybody have any idea what battery this might be? It's in an old Summit Coin Ltd. machine. The machine is a 1980 and the battery is dated June 1980. The Summit guy at HMS only works on Summit Systems machines. This is previous to that. I think the systems machines were the Bally conversions. It looks smaller than a Varta but I'm stumped. It measures 7/16 x 1". Thanks

[ramegoom]

That battery might be difficult to find. You can use a cordless phone battery, either 2.4v or 3.6v (need to ID your battery) and mount it remotely, affix it with velcro. I've don this many times and the NiMh battery will work just fine. Nicad's are going away.

[Shaggy]

Sounds good. I'll get it off there and try to see what I've got. Thanks
Dave

[ramegoom]

Those cordless phone batteries are very inexpensive on Ebay or Amazon. I use them on everything that has requires nicads.

[Shaggy]

Excellent, Thank you.

[Shaggy]

OK pulled the battery out. Using my good magnifying glass my bifocals and my trusty Coleman flashlight. I can't see "jack" on that battery except the June 1980. Jack being the defining term since I don't know jack about batteries. 2.4v or 3.6v any good guesses? The only thing is, the battery is thin so maybe 2.4v?  Started cleaning the board, about as much fun as a poke in the eye with a sharp stick. Boards are more fun to buy than work on. Roz I wish you had one. So any help or ideas would be appreciated. Thanks,
Dave

[ramegoom]

Most standard memory backup requires 3.6v. If you can find a service manual online with a schematic, it would be helpful.
Otherwise, take the battery apart. Each button cell is typically 1.2v so do the math, and you will determine the voltage.

[Shaggy]

Nothing I can find online except they filed for the trademark the same year this machine was made. Time to disassemble.  But if I get a phone battery will it have enough voltage to run the machine? No good way to charge it for me. Wouldn't a battery with the wires solder up just as good with full charge? Thanks

[ramegoom]

Chances are, the battery won't matter when the machine is powered up. That battery is there as a memory backup, not to run the CPU. The memory functions as an audit trail and not critical to the function of the CPU.


It's better to have no battery at all than a shorted, leaky battery in place.

[Shaggy]

Chances are, the battery won't matter when the machine is powered up. That battery is there as a memory backup, not to run the CPU. The memory functions as an audit trail and not critical to the function of the CPU.


It's better to have no battery at all than a shorted, leaky battery in place.

Yeah I agree, but in the battery's defense it quit leaking a long time ago. Thank you again.

[Op-Bell]

From your first picture, it looks like that battery has two cells. In that case it would be 2.4V. If in doubt, cut the plastic off and look.

It needs to be replaced with one having the same number of cells, but as ramegoom says, pretty much any cordless phone battery will do as long as it's NiCd or NiMH. If you get one with three cells and need two, just slice the plastic and remove a cell. There will be a welded nickel strap joining one cell to the next. Cut that midway, and you can easily solder a wire to the free end, but don't try to solder to the body or cap of the cell itself or you will destroy the cell.

[Shaggy]

Thanks I'll take a look.