Dreamcast doesn't keep time...

[Lendorien]

I figured I'd share this as I know a few folks out there probably still use their Dreamcast. My dreamcast no longer keeps time. Every time I turn it on, it asks for the date and time. It's really a fairly minor thing, but a nuisance just the same. I've found only two good references to the issue from a forum thread in 2003.

 

Apparently the old battery is soldered into the console and requires replacement by another rechargeable battery. I'm up for the task, but I've never soldered a battery to anything before. Anyone done this or have suggestions?

 

 

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=11641.0

 

http://dreamcast.onlineconsoles.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=12285

Edited May 17, 2010 by Lendorien

[Horst]

Probably not what you want to hear, but, just buy another Dreamcast. Easier and fairly cheap. Strange, mine still keeps time just fine.

[jferio]

I did a fix earlier this month, and it appears to be holding. I just soldered in a battery clip to hold two rechargeable AAA batteries. This is apparently a common fix.

[Lendorien]

Probably not what you want to hear, but, just buy another Dreamcast. Easier and fairly cheap. Strange, mine still keeps time just fine.

 

I could do that, but it seems like a waste of resources. GD-rom drives inevitably fail and this one is still good. Good working Dreamcasts are getting rarer and buying a new one doesn't guarantee it'll work. I could get another one, but aside from the clock issue, this one works just fine.

 

I did a fix earlier this month, and it appears to be holding. I just soldered in a battery clip to hold two rechargeable AAA batteries. This is apparently a common fix.

 

Do you have a link to instructions on what to do? I gather it's fairly simple.

Edited May 17, 2010 by Lendorien

[jaybird3rd]

Why should you have to replace the entire console? If the ML2430 (referenced in one of the links above) is the correct battery, it looks like it's still available for $5.50:

 

http://www.batterystore.com/Sanyo/ML2430VS1.htm

 

Granted, you'll have to open the Dreamcast and desolder the old battery, but this really isn't such a big deal. I'd like to do it myself, in fact, since my Dreamcast also isn't holding the time/date any longer.

 

EDIT: Link updated for the correct model for the Dreamcast (the ML2430-VS1).

[jaybird3rd]

Okay, I just popped open my Dreamcast to check the battery:

 

 

Is the battery just behind the controller ports (circled in the picture) the one that everyone is talking about? If so, it's an ordinary a rechargeable CR2032, not an ML2430. Perhaps different Dreamcast models used different batteries.

 

In any case, since mine seems to be a (very dead) CR2032, I'm just going to get a vertical battery holder for $0.95 and a new battery for $0.45 (I've already got a bunch of these, actually). Certainly a lot cheaper than a whole new console.

 

EDIT: The battery is indeed a rechargeable 2032, so a standard CR2032 will not work. See my later post below for a link to the correct battery.

[DickNixonArisen]

Wait, what about the drives? I didn't know DC's had a high failure rate... I just got mine.

[jaybird3rd]

Wait, what about the drives? I didn't know DC's had a high failure rate... I just got mine.

Some people seem to have the idea that CD-R discs destroy the Dreamcast's GD-ROM drive. They don't. I use them all the time.

[ovalbugmann]

GD-rom drives inevitably fail and this one is still good.

 

Inevitably just means eventually in this case.

 

Wait, what about the drives? I didn't know DC's had a high failure rate... I just got mine.

 

DC's don't have a high failure rate. I've had mine for 10 years and it runs fine. Everything wears out but yeah some say that the drive has to move around more and work harder with CD-Rs, but like Jay said above I don't think it hurts them and I also use CD-Rs all the time too -no probs. I guess the data organization on original GD-ROM discs are structured to fit Saga's GD-ROM drive most efficiently or something like that.(See the two parts when looking at a real DC disc?)

Edited May 17, 2010 by ovalbugmann

[Lendorien]

Okay, I just popped open my Dreamcast to check the battery:

 

 

Is the battery just behind the controller ports (circled in the picture) the one that everyone is talking about? If so, it's an ordinary CR2032, not an ML2430. Perhaps different Dreamcast models used different batteries.

 

In any case, since mine seems to be a (very dead) CR2032, I'm just going to get a vertical battery holder for $0.95 and a new battery for $0.45 (I've already got a bunch of these, actually). Certainly a lot cheaper than a whole new console.

 

Just an FYI. From my research (links above), the CMOS battery for the Dreamcast is a rechargeable one. A regular battery won't cut it as the system will be trying to charge it while it's on. You need to get one of the rechargeable ones.

 

Based on the photo, a AAA holder soldered to the thing might do it as there looks like there's room in there.

 

Also, if you choose to do the coin battery, I guess it has to be soldered on but such batteries have a coating that makes them hard to solder. Somewhere I read suggested sanding the surfaces before soldering.

 

DC's don't have a high failure rate. I've had mine for 10 years and it runs fine. Everything wears out but yeah some say that the drive has to move around more and work harder with CD-Rs, but like Jay said above I don't think it hurts them and I also use CD-Rs all the time too -no probs. I guess the data organization on original GD-ROM discs are structured to fit Saga's GD-ROM drive most efficiently or something like that.(See the two parts when looking at a real DC disc?)

 

I'm on my second one. My original one had the GD-rom drive die. It only worked on certain games and not many at that. I've read that others have had the same issue.

Edited May 17, 2010 by Lendorien

[DickNixonArisen]

hmph. I wonder what the wii or GCN (only other disc-based systems i have) will manage for lifespan? I see a lot of dead ps2's, probably well over a hundred by now. Not too many dead ps1's though

[Lendorien]

hmph. I wonder what the wii or GCN (only other disc-based systems i have) will manage for lifespan? I see a lot of dead ps2's, probably well over a hundred by now. Not too many dead ps1's though

 

Out of curiosity, what usually kills ps2s? Most ones I've seen at thrift stores are caked with dust.

[DickNixonArisen]

Never owned one. I'd say dust probably, or just some physical component in the drive fails. I doubt the actual boards go bad.

 

My friend was telling me about having ps2's in iraq.. it'd come out of the box new, and last about a month in the desert before it'd go bad, so they would open it up and soak the whole thing in alcohol, and it'd work another week or so before they had to get a new one.

[jaybird3rd]

Just an FYI. From my research (links above), the CMOS battery for the Dreamcast is a rechargeable one. A regular battery won't cut it as the system will be trying to charge it while it's on. You need to get one of the rechargeable ones.

I think you're right. Thanks for the clarification. The battery clip partially covered up the model number on my battery, so I couldn't see it right away, but apparently the battery in my Dreamcast is an LIR2032, the rechargeable version of the CR2032. This seems considerably more rare than the ML2430 referenced earlier, so that battery would probably be a better choice for a replacement. Mouser doesn't seem to carry it, so here is a link to one vendor which stocks the 3-pin vertical version of this battery (the ML2430-VS1). I've updated my earlier posts with links to the correct battery.

 

As for soldering the battery in ... batteries like the ML2430-VS1 have the solder pins built in, so the only soldering you need to do is on the pins themselves. It really isn't any different than soldering any other through-hole component. As always, just be careful not to touch the pins with the soldering iron any longer than necessary: many components can be damaged by the heat of the soldering iron, and batteries are no exception.

[jferio]

I did a fix earlier this month, and it appears to be holding. I just soldered in a battery clip to hold two rechargeable AAA batteries. This is apparently a common fix.

 

Do you have a link to instructions on what to do? I gather it's fairly simple.

 

Here you go. http://khromov.wordpress.com/2010/01/28/dreamcast-battery-replacement-mod-2xaaa/

 

He soldered the batteries in directly, while I used a battery holder... my personal philosophy is to only desolder and solder a replacement once when I have the option.

[superdevil]

I did a fix earlier this month, and it appears to be holding. I just soldered in a battery clip to hold two rechargeable AAA batteries. This is apparently a common fix.

 

Do you have a link to instructions on what to do? I gather it's fairly simple.

 

Here you go. http://khromov.wordpress.com/2010/01/28/dreamcast-battery-replacement-mod-2xaaa/

 

He soldered the batteries in directly, while I used a battery holder... my personal philosophy is to only desolder and solder a replacement once when I have the option.

 

 

The only DC I've ever had the battery die in had the CR2032 (non-rechargable, same battery that goes in the VMU) soldered into place. I replaced it with another CR2032 and it's been going strong for the last five years. (This was before I learned that there existed a rechargable version).

 

The other two DCs I own use the LIR2032 and they're still ticking, knock on wood.

[Ze_ro]

Just an FYI. From my research (links above), the CMOS battery for the Dreamcast is a rechargeable one. A regular battery won't cut it as the system will be trying to charge it while it's on. You need to get one of the rechargeable ones.

This is quite correct... however, if you're clever with electronics, you can get around this by wiring in a diode in order to block the trickle current that the system is sending to the battery. In fact, this is actually a pretty common mod in the Amiga scene (the batteries that Commodore used have a tendency to leak and ruin the motherboard), to the point where some sites even sell coin battery holders with diodes already attached (But don't attempt to use these on a Dreamcast, it's a different voltage).

 

--Zero