Make your own battery pack for Sega Nomad?

[SRGilbert]

Ok, I'm buying a Sega Nomad from a member here, but it doesn't have the AA battery pack any more. Is it possible to build one? I know there are 6AA battery holders for projects, if just wire the proper connector to it and plug it in the power port would that work?

[+Psionic]

I don't think it's even worth it...that thing goes through batteries like they're going out of style.

[Chickybaby]

If you feel you can't plug it in why not just use the game gear rechargable battery pack that clips onto your belt?

[shadow460]

Forget the battery pack. Grab six NiMH rechargeable cells rated at at least 2650 mAh. I run a Game Gear from those, and they give about 10 to 12 hours of run time. They'll fit into the existing battery compartments and should give a Nomad user at least three or four hours of play time.

If you want to use a battery pack, get the battery holders from Rat Shack and grab six of those 12 Ah D cells from Batteries Plus. Yup, twelve ampere-hours, or 12,000 mAh. Either way, you'll want a good six cell battery charger. I have yet to find one, but I have a four cell charger that takes just over three hours to work.

 

Finally, if you want to go all out, you could build a charger into a custom AC adapter. You'd need to use something like Galaxy's charging IC and have that output to the jack that plugs into the Nomad. You'd need to install temp sensors into the Nomad inside the battery compartments.

[SRGilbert]

Forget the battery pack. Grab six NiMH rechargeable cells rated at at least 2650 mAh. I run a Game Gear from those, and they give about 10 to 12 hours of run time. They'll fit into the existing battery compartments and should give a Nomad user at least three or four hours of play time.

If you want to use a battery pack, get the battery holders from Rat Shack and grab six of those 12 Ah D cells from Batteries Plus. Yup, twelve ampere-hours, or 12,000 mAh. Either way, you'll want a good six cell battery charger. I have yet to find one, but I have a four cell charger that takes just over three hours to work.

 

Finally, if you want to go all out, you could build a charger into a custom AC adapter. You'd need to use something like Galaxy's charging IC and have that output to the jack that plugs into the Nomad. You'd need to install temp sensors into the Nomad inside the battery compartments.

What I'm trying to do is to make a battery pack I can velcro on to the back of the Nomad since it doesn't have internal battery compartments like the Gamegear does. I see that the Nomad uses a 10V power supply, but only uses 6AA batteries in the OEM clip on battery pack. I also know that the OEM pack uses contact pads on the back of the Nomad. What I'd like to know is if running a pack with 6 1.2V MiMH AA cells will be able to power it though the adapters input.

 

Thanks!

[shadow460]

6 cells x 1.25 volts each = 7.5 volts. That might be enough to power the system, but I'm not sure. Eight NiMH cells at 1.2 or 1.25 volts should work well. Even the 1.2 volt cells charge to 1.25 volts sometimes, so they sill still yield enough power to run the system through the power jack.

 

With that in mind, you could probabl find an RC car battery pack that will suit your needs. I don't know if they've finally moved away from NiCD chemistry yet. You might be able to find a high end Li-Ion-manganese battery pack and charger combo. All you'd have to do then is to build an adapter that plugs into the battery pack and into the Nomad, then stick some Velcro on them both.

You could still use NiCD packs this way, too, but they'd be dead and gone in about a year.

 

Here is a 9.6 volt NiMH battery pack and charger. You'd probably want a couple or three packs since this unit takes six hours to recharge. 1800 mAh / 850 mA input = about 2 hours run time on an AA cell battery pack. By contrast, a pack of eight D cells, while quite bulky, could run the Nomad for (12,000 / 850 = 14.11) over 14 hours!

 

Another thought, though: You might be able to custom build this same kind of battery with some AA cells that have a higher mAh rating. Batteries Plus may even have the higher current cells in stock, and they could build the entire pack for you. I know they have sub C cells running up to 2400 mAh, and D cells running up to 12,000 mAh. The charger shown above could charge packs of these cells, but it would take a lot longer.

 

Forget the battery pack. Grab six NiMH rechargeable cells rated at at least 2650 mAh. I run a Game Gear from those, and they give about 10 to 12 hours of run time. They'll fit into the existing battery compartments and should give a Nomad user at least three or four hours of play time.

If you want to use a battery pack, get the battery holders from Rat Shack and grab six of those 12 Ah D cells from Batteries Plus. Yup, twelve ampere-hours, or 12,000 mAh. Either way, you'll want a good six cell battery charger. I have yet to find one, but I have a four cell charger that takes just over three hours to work.

 

Finally, if you want to go all out, you could build a charger into a custom AC adapter. You'd need to use something like Galaxy's charging IC and have that output to the jack that plugs into the Nomad. You'd need to install temp sensors into the Nomad inside the battery compartments.

What I'm trying to do is to make a battery pack I can velcro on to the back of the Nomad since it doesn't have internal battery compartments like the Gamegear does. I see that the Nomad uses a 10V power supply, but only uses 6AA batteries in the OEM clip on battery pack. I also know that the OEM pack uses contact pads on the back of the Nomad. What I'd like to know is if running a pack with 6 1.2V MiMH AA cells will be able to power it though the adapters input.

 

Thanks!

Edited February 9, 2008 by shadow460

[keilbaca]

Its just like the NES, runs off of anything past 7v.

 

Just build a battery adapter (D's as recommended by others on the page for longest lasting gaming), and stick it into the dc power adapter on the top of the Nomad.

[shadow460]

Its just like the NES, runs off of anything past 7v.

 

*wires NES to 240 VAC transformer secondary line outside*

 

It fried.

 

Edited February 9, 2008 by shadow460

[maibock]

I think I have an extra one.. let me double check

 

Mine came with the rechargeable battery which surprisingly still works, with 2 of the AA battery packs.. if i can find them in the basement they're yours..

 

I'm obviously not using them.

[SRGilbert]

I think I have an extra one.. let me double check

 

Mine came with the rechargeable battery which surprisingly still works, with 2 of the AA battery packs.. if i can find them in the basement they're yours..

 

I'm obviously not using them.

That would be awsome, let me know how much you would want. Thanks!

[maibock]

hey hey! I found the thing.. On a whim I decided to check the little plastic case that houses my Nomad, adapter and a few games up in my closet, and sure enough there's the battery pack. It doesn't look like it's even been used..

 

PM where you want it sent.. I'll try to get it out this week from work.