Hardware Which Battery to Buy for a GBA Cartridge?

solid278 · Nov 20, 2014

I bought a copy of Megaman Battle Network 2 off Ebay, but the seller didn't realize that the battery had run dry. This is a perfect chance for me to try soldering a battery on for the first time, as the seller will offer a full refund if it fails. I just wasn't sure which battery to buy? I found this http://www.amazon.com/Energizer-CR2...ie=UTF8&qid=1416443020&sr=8-1&keywords=cr2016, but I'm not sure if that's the best solution, as these batteries don't have those little clips on the ends that I've seen in tutorials. Does that matter, or should I just get these? The price is certainly right. Are there any better (longer lasting, etc) batteries that anyone could recommend?

Thanks a lot!

pyromaniac123 · Nov 20, 2014

You might be able to use a cr2025 battery instead. Slightly higher battery capacity. What I did when I had to replace the batteries in several gbc games, was to pry the clips off the battery with a screwdriver, insert a new battery and tape it up with electrical tape.

Harsky · Nov 20, 2014

If you want to be double sure, just open the cartridge up and look around the area where the battery is installed. It should tell you what battery to use. As an example, in this Pokemon Silver cartridge below, in the top right corner, it says CR2025(under the KGDU-10 part):

solid278 · Nov 20, 2014

Thanks for the quick replies! It seems like the battery used is a CR1616, at least that's the only relevant marking I can find on the chip near the battery. Is there any problem with using a higher capacity battery though, like the CR2025 you guys mentioned? Would it fit in a GBA case, or only a GBC one? I guess I'd just want to use the battery with the highest capacity possible, to increase the lifespan of the games as much as I can. Also, regarding electrical tape, does that actually work reliably? I mean, I'm all for doing that over soldering, but I'd hate to accidentally knock the cartridge into the wall by accident and jolt the battery out.

Harsky · Nov 20, 2014

solid278 said:
Thanks for the quick replies! It seems like the battery used is a CR1616, at least that's the only relevant marking I can find on the chip near the battery. Is there any problem with using a higher capacity battery though, like the CR2025 you guys mentioned? Would it fit in a GBA case, or only a GBC one? I guess I'd just want to use the battery with the highest capacity possible, to increase the lifespan of the games as much as I can. Also, regarding electrical tape, does that actually work reliably? I mean, I'm all for doing that over soldering, but I'd hate to accidentally knock the cartridge into the wall by accident and jolt the battery out.

There shouldn't be any need to use electrical tape at all. The Gameboy batteries you buy on ebay will have metal tabs attached like this:

http://hyperkin.com/media/catalog/p...8eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/d/g/dgbr-a04.jpg

So all you have to do is just solder it into place. It's also almost fool proof because the circuit board tells you which of the two points are positive and negative.

As for, "can I use bigger batteries instead of cr2016", this FAQ should help:

http://www.videogamemuseum.com/2012/03/20/easily-repair-your-pokemon-game-boy-color-cartridge/

Basically, in theory, you CAN but it's at your own risk.

Jayro · Nov 20, 2014

a CR2025 is the largest you will be able to fit into any GBA or GBC case. My gold cart bulges a tiny bit and fits VERY snugly into my grey brick gameboy, but it will keep my save for probably more than a decade, justas the CR1616 did before it.

solid278 · Nov 20, 2014

Great, thanks! Maybe I'll get this one http://www.amazon.com/Replacement-Battery-Pokemon-Game-Boy-Color/dp/B004IXQISS/ref=pd_cp_vg_0, then. Bit more expensive, though, so it might just be better for me to head to my local game store and have them do it. I do want to learn for myself though, because I bet I'll have a lot of batteries that need replacing in the coming years... Though surprisingly, none of my games have had a dead battery yet (except for Pokemon of course...). Even my original Link's Awakening has my old save file in it (I was shocked to see I actually found all the pieces of heart! I was young when I played that).

Hardware Which Battery to Buy for a GBA Cartridge?

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