Flojomojo Posted November 27, 2016 Share Posted November 27, 2016 The box says the battery is not replaceable. While I doubt that's totally true, it does suggest they didn't make it easy to swap it out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doctorclu Posted November 27, 2016 Share Posted November 27, 2016 Is the battery the same as the Sega Genesis Ultimate Portable Game Player battery? Could we buy replacement batteries for the Atari Flashback from AtGames by getting the Ultimate Portable Lithium batteries? I was looking at the battery and I would have to compare numbers. All that we do know without looking at the numbers is that the AFP's battery is a lithium battery that connects at a two wire connector really easily. Probably could find a replacement at Batteries Plus or some type place. Hardest part is getting the case open: Four screws, a slotted screwdriver to carefully pop some latches loose. Not bad if you are careful. So point is, when the battery goes out it can be replaced, or at least nowhere near impossible. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andromeda Stardust Posted November 27, 2016 Share Posted November 27, 2016 I don't get why manufacturers have a lust for non-replaceable batteries. My fiance's Galaxy 4 has a replaceable battery in it. The Galaxy 7's battery didn't even have a rigid shell but a flexible foil membrane glued into the phone's interior. And the 7s caught fire, and so did the replacement. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+MrBlackCat Posted November 27, 2016 Share Posted November 27, 2016 I don't get why manufacturers have a lust for non-replaceable batteries. My fiance's Galaxy 4 has a replaceable battery in it. The Galaxy 7's battery didn't even have a rigid shell but a flexible foil membrane glued into the phone's interior. And the 7s caught fire, and so did the replacement. Were you being sarcastic maybe? If so, I missed it. If not, it encourages the average person to replace the item more often. The more disposable something is, the more a manufacturer makes. In the disposable world, governments are able to collect money for something sold X times vs 1 time, and manufacturers are able to sell you some product more often. There is no benefit for manufactures to make things that last in our current society is my point. For a microcosm view of this, look at AtGames products... low end for sure, but it does't matter to the vast majority of persons who will buy them. The percentage of people it DOES matter to is so small, it is almost undetectable in the scope of sales. I am glad (amazed?) to see Bill L. is able to have some influence to add features or increase overall product experience like the interface. MrBlackCat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flojomojo Posted November 27, 2016 Share Posted November 27, 2016 I was looking at the battery and I would have to compare numbers. All that we do know without looking at the numbers is that the AFP's battery is a lithium battery that connects at a two wire connector really easily. Probably could find a replacement at Batteries Plus or some type place. Hardest part is getting the case open: Four screws, a slotted screwdriver to carefully pop some latches loose. Not bad if you are careful. So point is, when the battery goes out it can be replaced, or at least nowhere near impossible. That's nice to know. There's probably a rule about (exploding) lithium ion batteries that helped them make that choice. Agreed there's usually a source for even the most oddball batteries, and that it's probably replaceable. I'm glad it's not soldered in, even though I'm not thinking about this as a keep-forever heirloom toy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flojomojo Posted November 27, 2016 Share Posted November 27, 2016 Were you being sarcastic maybe? If so, I missed it. If not, it encourages the average person to replace the item more often. The more disposable something is, the more a manufacturer makes. In the disposable world, governments are able to collect money for something sold X times vs 1 time, and manufacturers are able to sell you some product more often. There is no benefit for manufactures to make things that last in our current society is my point. That's probably true for things like smartphones. This person would agree with you. In the case of this particular AtGames toy, my guess is that it was just an engineering shortcut to get it to market on time. They re-used the "Ultimate Arcade Portable" enclosure but made a different internal board, and didn't want to spend the time/money to work in a removable battery. That's just a guess of course. :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andromeda Stardust Posted November 27, 2016 Share Posted November 27, 2016 Were you being sarcastic maybe? If so, I missed it. If not, it encourages the average person to replace the item more often. The more disposable something is, the more a manufacturer makes. In the disposable world, governments are able to collect money for something sold X times vs 1 time, and manufacturers are able to sell you some product more often. There is no benefit for manufactures to make things that last in our current society is my point. For a microcosm view of this, look at AtGames products... low end for sure, but it does't matter to the vast majority of persons who will buy them. The percentage of people it DOES matter to is so small, it is almost undetectable in the scope of sales. I am glad (amazed?) to see Bill L. is able to have some influence to add features or increase overall product experience like the interface. MrBlackCat Not being sarcastic at all. My mom kept a 2G Nokia phone for nearly ten years before replacing it. The battery lasted about seven years and I got a replacement from Batteries Plus. Heck even my GBA charging grip and Wiimote NMHI charging packs are starting to fail. Rechargeable Nickle Metal Hydride batteries leak after ten years? Who knew. At least they don't make a mess like Alkalines do, but even those 500 charges have an expiry date. LiIon may suffer a similar fate, even if not worn from daily use. Fact is, despite our disposable culture, when you buy a product, it is yours to keep, sell, destroy, whatever, for as long as you still own it. We make up a diverse forum full of people who chose to maintain 30 plus year old consumer electronics in working condition, bucking the trend of discard and replace. The battery is truly the weakest link in most smart/tech devices, so a desire to continue use of said device after battery has failed, is not unreasoable, no? Nintendo is aware of this and in fact still sells GBA-SP batteries on their website (nearly ten years after commercial support has ended) for this very reason. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flojomojo Posted November 27, 2016 Share Posted November 27, 2016 Nintendo is aware of this and in fact still sells GBA-SP batteries on their website (nearly ten years after commercial support has ended) for this very reason. That is REALLY nice to know, even though last time I pulled out my GBA SP it was still holding a charge, after a year of sitting in a box. THAT should be a forever toy. Here's the link to the battery page ... lest anyone think they no longer sell this because the link on their battery FAQ is broken. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+MrBlackCat Posted November 27, 2016 Share Posted November 27, 2016 (edited) Not being sarcastic at all. My mom kept a 2G Nokia phone for nearly ten years before replacing it. The battery lasted about seven years and I got a replacement from Batteries Plus. That is great... I save everything and try to shelve as many batteries as I can for as many gaming related devices as possible. Heck even my GBA charging grip and Wiimote NMHI charging packs are starting to fail. Yep... I had the same issue. I maintain about 125 "AA" Rechargable batteries in a spreadsheet, some NiCad, some NiMH for all my Handheld games and Plug N Play stuff. Rechargeable Nickle Metal Hydride batteries leak after ten years? Who knew. At least they don't make a mess like Alkalines do, but even those 500 charges have an expiry date. I have not had any fail, but I don't leave them in any constant draw device. I have some old G.E. NiCads that are 20 years old that still hold a charge, but performance is degraded. LiIon may suffer a similar fate, even if not worn from daily use. Yes... the shelf life on these seems poor also. I really don't know if this is caused by battery chemistry or manufacturing issues though. Fact is, despite our disposable culture, when you buy a product, it is yours to keep, sell, destroy, whatever, for as long as you still own it. I agree with this concept, but this mentality is of no concern for the majority of modern businesses. We make up a diverse forum full of people who chose to maintain 30 plus year old consumer electronics in working condition, bucking the trend of discard and replace. I am in this club, but this is a very small club, was kind of my point. The battery is truly the weakest link in most smart/tech devices, so a desire to continue use of said device after battery has failed, is not unreasoable, no? Not unreasonable, but of no interest to most product makers. Nintendo is not most... their backwards compatibility etc is clear evidence of this... more held to than Sony and Microsoft, in my opinion. Nintendo is aware of this and in fact still sells GBA-SP batteries on their website (nearly ten years after commercial support has ended) for this very reason. This is why I would pay $100 for the NES Classic Mini and own every Nintendo console/handheld I can, new, at full price. Cell phone games are another modern dead end... I have my old game/capable cell phones and no way to access the games anymore due to sim card dependency, though I can still get batteries for the phones. I miss my Duke Nukem Mobile. D: I think we agree on all of this, but it doesn't change the reality of the "disposable world" trend. Once we get a battery identified for the Atari Flashback Portable, (hopefully the same as the Sega Portable) I will try to get a couple of those for the shelf also. MrBlackCat Edited November 27, 2016 by MrBlackCat 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keatah Posted November 27, 2016 Share Posted November 27, 2016 (edited) To maximize battery longevity over the years, keep the charge state between 30% - 70%. Operate in that range. If you're going to exceed that, then exceed it on the high end, 30% - 100%. Never run them down completely. And slow/trickle charge them.That means charge them at a rate that generates minimum heat. Fractional C charging is always better than say 2C or 4C. Besides planned obsolescence, it is cheaper to make a non-replaceable battery. The support frame can be lighter or done away with. There is no need to manufacture a door, latch, contact board assembly, contacts, or anything else that is required to make a battery removable. The back of the phone can be made cheaper, no cutting or molding of the plastic. Easier assembly. Less parts to stock and keep track of. All of these things translate into $$profit$$. 2 more reasons why non-replaceable is more popular. People want a thinner device. Always have, always will. Non-replaceables can be made into custom shapes and fit into oddly shaped compartments while achieving maximum power density - no "container" to get in the way, the phone becomes the container. Furthermore, most people break their phone before the battery goes dead. Or they want the latest and greatest - witnessed by those flunkies standing in overnight lines when a new product hits the shelves. Edited November 27, 2016 by Keatah 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andromeda Stardust Posted November 27, 2016 Share Posted November 27, 2016 ^^I don't think it matters. If you leave a device sit on the shelf for long enough, it will deep discharge itself. It's not practical to leave every device on the charger, and a real issue with wireless game controllers. I put my PS3 and Wii-U Pro and 8bitdo controllers on the shelf and then my friend comes over to play and I pull them out and they're all dead and I have to plug the extra long MiniUSB cable to tether it to the console or a wall charger. I've had my 3DS deep discharge a number of times after I left it sit for 3+ months without pluggin in the charger. The system clock got reset and I had to rearrange my DSi software icons. Other than that it was fine. While repeated deep discharge may be bad, once it's deep discharged, leaving it sit for X amount of time won't change the chemistry much. Multiple cell batteries may have an issue however if one of the cells has a larger capacity than the other, it could potentially reverse charge the depleted cell. Overcharging and especially reverse charging can destroy many battery types. Lead Acid seems totally immune to overcharging, but a Li-Ion battery will eventually explode if the charging circuit doesn't cut off when it reaches capacity. Heck, I've trickle charged non-chargeable Alkaline lantern batteries before. I hooked the dead Alkaline lantern battery in parallel to a rechargeable lead acid lantern battery and left it overnight. The next day, I put the previously dead Alkaline lantern battery in a flashlight and it lit up. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Asaki Posted November 29, 2016 Share Posted November 29, 2016 Thinking about looking for one of these today, hopefully folks will confirm whether or not it's been released by the time I wake up. Maybe I should fill up my SD card in preparation. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atarifan88 Posted November 29, 2016 Share Posted November 29, 2016 (edited) Found it at Bath & Body Works today! Normally $40, but thanks to a 20% off coupon I got it for only $32! With a deal like that, who needs Black Friday?! Here's a link to the product page by the way... Edited November 29, 2016 by atarifan88 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bradhig1 Posted November 29, 2016 Share Posted November 29, 2016 local gamestop didn't have any. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Gemintronic Posted November 29, 2016 Share Posted November 29, 2016 Someone who has one of these needs to try different ROM formats (.nes .gba .smd, etc..) This looks a LOT like the six button firecore clones on Alibaba that sometimes have additional emulators on them - sometimes not documented. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keatah Posted November 29, 2016 Share Posted November 29, 2016 http://atariage.com/forums/topic/254611-atari-flashback-portable/?p=3638535 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillLoguidice Posted November 29, 2016 Share Posted November 29, 2016 It's not Firecore and there are no other emulators onboard, but feel free to try different things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flojomojo Posted November 29, 2016 Share Posted November 29, 2016 Someone who has one of these needs to try different ROM formats (.nes .gba .smd, etc..) This looks a LOT like the six button firecore clones on Alibaba that sometimes have additional emulators on them - sometimes not documented. I think only the shell is the same. There's no easy way to flash the firmware, and the onboard emulator is looking for VCS ROMs in a very specific format on the SD card. If you're thinking of getting this as anything except as a portable Atari 2600, get something else. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillLoguidice Posted November 29, 2016 Share Posted November 29, 2016 I think only the shell is the same. There's no easy way to flash the firmware, and the onboard emulator is looking for VCS ROMs in a very specific format on the SD card. If you're thinking of getting this as anything except as a portable Atari 2600, get something else. Yes, we re-used the same plastic tooling as found on our Sega portable (which I saw as a good opportunity to replicate the switches), which of course helps control costs, but otherwise there are no other similarities to anything else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garyd97 Posted November 30, 2016 Share Posted November 30, 2016 Do you know if they are looking at using a different shell that resembles an Atari product for the next one? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flojomojo Posted November 30, 2016 Share Posted November 30, 2016 Do you know if they are looking at using a different shell that resembles an Atari product for the next one? Better cover it with this. https://www.amazon.com/Ultra-Honey-Adhesive-Contact-Paper/dp/B000KKIR0A/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&linkCode=ll1&tag=atariage&linkId=6c9c80445a21f8d7ab6f827d25a338ed 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+GoldLeader Posted November 30, 2016 Share Posted November 30, 2016 Better cover it with this. https://www.amazon.com/Ultra-Honey-Adhesive-Contact-Paper/dp/B000KKIR0A/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&linkCode=ll1&tag=atariage&linkId=6c9c80445a21f8d7ab6f827d25a338ed And get the wood grain goin'? That would be Brilliant! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+MrBlackCat Posted November 30, 2016 Share Posted November 30, 2016 I ordered a roll of wood grain adhesive tape to put on mine. MrBlackCat 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flojomojo Posted November 30, 2016 Share Posted November 30, 2016 I live in what you would call the twenty-first century, and don't care so much about what it looks like, just how it works and feels. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jdubya Posted November 30, 2016 Share Posted November 30, 2016 Bed bath and beyond had about 12 in stock this morning in my area...I have just started to play with it...pre loaded games seem buggy though...quite a few have caused the unit to reboot...no chance to load roms until this evening 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Like us on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter
AtariAge on Instagram
Watch us on YouTube
Chat on Discord
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.