log in | register | forums
Show:
Go:
Forums
Username:

Password:

User accounts
Register new account
Forgot password
Forum stats
List of members
Search the forums

Advanced search
Recent discussions
- Networking fun with RiscPC600 and Virgin Media (Gen:1)
- Iyonix PC (128MB, 80GB) with Aemulor Pro for sale (Gen:1)
- Silicon Dreams Festival (Gen:1)
- RISC OS Open Ltd at ROUGOL (Gen:1)
- Archimedes Software Preservation Project (Gen:130)
- Totoro! Totoro! Totoro! (PP:95)
- 32bit SWI handler (Prog:5)
- Not with a bang but a whimper, RISCOS Ltd (Gen:86)
- Euclid (Gen:28)
- Best web browser with OS3.70 (Gen:2)
Latest postings RSS Feeds
RSS 2.0 | 1.0 | 0.9
Atom 0.3
Misc RDF | CDF
Site Search
 
Article archives
Acorn Arcade forums: General: Advice on RISC PC battery replacement
 
  Advice on RISC PC battery replacement
  daniel_90125 (22:14 15/6/2012)
  thecellartroll (23:07 15/6/2012)
  pwx (11:51 16/6/2012)
    trevj (19:45 16/6/2012)
      filecore (20:32 16/6/2012)
        daniel_90125 (22:11 16/6/2012)
          trevj (11:10 17/6/2012)
            daniel_90125 (22:57 17/6/2012)
              PaulV (23:53 17/6/2012)
                daniel_90125 (23:23 18/6/2012)
                  daniel_90125 (22:14 21/6/2012)
 
Daniel Salter Message #120603, posted by daniel_90125 at 22:14, 15/6/2012
Member
Posts: 10
Hi all

I have a 1994 RISC PC that is still on its original CMOS RAM battery. I'd like to replace the battery but my efforts at doing this with my A3000 were very messy; I managed to replace that battery with a couple of AAAs but not very well at all, so I'd be happy to leave the RISC PC job to experts! Do you know if there are any companies out there who still do this kind of thing? I live in Nottinghamshire.

Regards

Daniel
  ^[ Log in to reply ]
 
Steven Gregory Message #120607, posted by thecellartroll at 23:07, 15/6/2012, in reply to message #120603
Member
Posts: 134
The RPC battery is quite easy to replace with some wires that lead to an AA battery holder. There is plenty of space for the soldering iron around the battery.

Undoing damage caused by not replacing the battery; that's the hard bit!
  ^[ Log in to reply ]
 
Philip Webster Message #120614, posted by pwx at 11:51, 16/6/2012, in reply to message #120603
Member
Posts: 227
I bought a replacement battery from APDL. Easy to solder in, works a treat.
  ^[ Log in to reply ]
 
Trevor Johnson Message #120619, posted by trevj at 19:45, 16/6/2012, in reply to message #120614
Member
Posts: 623
I bought a replacement battery from APDL. Easy to solder in, works a treat.
I'll second that. The only previous soldering I'd done was as a kid at school (don't recall spending long enough on that part of the curriculum to even check whether it worked). Had never used a solder sucker before, but that worked out OK. I didn't think of snipping the legs of the old cell to remove them individually, so instead walked it out like a Lego man moving a doll's house wardrobe.
  ^[ Log in to reply ]
 
Jason Togneri Message #120621, posted by filecore at 20:32, 16/6/2012, in reply to message #120619

Posts: 3851
I once soldered a bypass to my ZX Spectrum, for some reason they had composite out by default but this got routed through an RF modulator, meaning it was hard to use modern TVs as an output device. A couple of snips and a little soldering later, and it outputs composite video directly, and I can use it with my LCD telly big smile
  ^[ Log in to reply ]
 
Daniel Salter Message #120622, posted by daniel_90125 at 22:11, 16/6/2012, in reply to message #120621
Member
Posts: 10
Well, thanks for your advice chaps. I guess I had better brave it! I have a soldering iron, solder, flux, AAA batteries and a battery holder, just a lack of confidence! I'll perhaps do a bit of practicing first, and then take the plunge!
  ^[ Log in to reply ]
 
Trevor Johnson Message #120627, posted by trevj at 11:10, 17/6/2012, in reply to message #120622
Member
Posts: 623
Go for it. You'll probably get away without needing a solder sucker.
  ^[ Log in to reply ]
 
Daniel Salter Message #120630, posted by daniel_90125 at 22:57, 17/6/2012, in reply to message #120627
Member
Posts: 10
I had a go at re-soldering a wire that had broken off the battery holder of my of A440 today, and failed abysmally! My feeble efforts at soldering make me very concerned about tacking the RISC PC battery problem! I wonder if I can cut the legs off the battery, leaving the legs still attached to the motherboard, and then find some kind of electrical connector to screw to these legs, thus avoiding the need for soldering at all? What do you think?
  ^[ Log in to reply ]
 
Paul Vernon Message #120631, posted by PaulV at 23:53, 17/6/2012, in reply to message #120630
Member
Posts: 118
Hi Daniel,

I'm just down the road from you in Leicester. If you want to have some soldering done for you let me know and we can arrange something.

You pretty much know what my soldering work is like as the retro-kit site is mine big grin

Paul
  ^[ Log in to reply ]
 
Daniel Salter Message #120637, posted by daniel_90125 at 23:23, 18/6/2012, in reply to message #120631
Member
Posts: 10
Thanks for the kind offer Paul! I might take you up on that! I could probably find some other jobs for you at the same time smile

I have an idea about I might replace the RISC PC battery without doing any soldering at all but if it proves to be a bad idea, I shall be in touch with you!

Thanks a lot!

Daniel
  ^[ Log in to reply ]
 
Daniel Salter Message #120660, posted by daniel_90125 at 22:14, 21/6/2012, in reply to message #120637
Member
Posts: 10
Hi again folks.

I have finally sorted out the battery replacement problem on my RISC PC, but you'll probably think I am crazy for the way I did it! I managed to prise the old battery off the legs, leaving them attached to the motherboard. I then bought some "macaroni type connectors" (plastic efforts containing a metal core with two screws), placed these over the legs on the motherboard, and wired them to a battery holder with a AAA battery in it. The only worrying thing is that I spotted a transister on the bottom of the computer case during this operation that seems to have fallen off the Strong ARM card! Still seems to work though, although I guess I had better get that fixed!

I have to say that non-replaceable batteries was one of Acorn's dafter ideas!! Still, who thought we'd hold onto these things for so long!

I reckon I shall be using the RISC PC a lot more now I have re-discovered Spheres of Chaos!!

Thanks again for your help and suggestions!

Regards

Daniel
  ^[ Log in to reply ]
 

Acorn Arcade forums: General: Advice on RISC PC battery replacement