Hardware GUIDE: Change your EZFlash 3-in-1 Battery (w/ PICS)

[jacksprat1990]

I have just bought a 3 in 1 brand new and the battery didn't work. Thanks for this tutorial. Worked like a charm. Mine bulges just a bit but screwed it together and it's fine. I wouldn't reccomend doing this if you're worried you might break something but if you're not worried, then get changing that dead battery. Again thanks for the tutorial.

 

[Poryhack]

Just another person saying thanks. I had the same problem and fixed it etc etc.

Also worth a mention Rudolph's NDS Backup Tool 3in1 will not know when to copy ROM/saves out of NOR and into the microSD without power to the SRAM. (AKA a working battery.)

 

[jmjohnson85]

Does anyone know about how long your battery should last after replacing it?

 

[Skarr]

Ya i kinda messed mine up i broke the contacts off the PCB. I was able to fix it with a gentle touch, a little wire, and some solder. Here's a view of my screwed up version. Note the blue wires LOL. Oh well, it works tho, thanks for posting the guide!

I broke the top tab (as you did, I suppose) is it possible to solder it back to the rest of it?

 

[Poryhack]

Does anyone know about how long your battery should last after replacing it?

A damn good question because, as my earlier post indicates, I just replaced mine and had everything working... Four days later and it's exhibiting the exact same symptoms as before. Leads me to believe that either (a) there's a serious hardware issue that's claiming the lives of many batteries or (b) I'm just that unlucky and got a crap battery. Or I suppose something else could be up, but nothing has really changed about my setup since I had it working that short time ago.

 

[jmjohnson85]

Thanks for the reply Poryhack, hopefully some others can shed some light on their experiences with this as well. I am trying to decide if it is even worth it to bother with for two reasons - 1.) I have been playing my GBA roms on my PSP with gPSP kai which seems to work very well and of course no problems with losing saves 2.) Supercard sells a flashcart that accepts a micro SD and allows you to save directly to that, from what I can tell the only downsides would be minor incompatibility with a few games and that you have to patch each game individually. I am greatly considering the Supercard because I have the mini SD version that I use on my GC Game Boy Player and it works phenomenally and also because I am not a huge fan of emulators unless they are near perfect and gPSP kai is certainly not (yet).

Also for anyone like myself who is comfortable with a soldering iron - I looked for a replacement battery that comes with the soldering leads attached and was surprised how difficult they were to find. I often purchase 12c508a blank chips (for programming PSX modchips) from mouser.com and luckily enough it appears that they sell the exact battery for $1.78, from what I can tell by looking at their PDF catalog. Here is their item # 639-CR1220-P1 but I suspect ordering one battery by itself might not be worth it to some considering s/h would be at least $5 or $6. I think I might just get one the next time I order for them, what the heck.

 

[Megaman0]

Does anyone know if the EZ Flash IV uses the sane CR 1220 battery or a different version?

 

[blindsorrow]

Thanks for the reply Poryhack, hopefully some others can shed some light on their experiences with this as well. I am trying to decide if it is even worth it to bother with for two reasons - 1.) I have been playing my GBA roms on my PSP with gPSP kai which seems to work very well and of course no problems with losing saves 2.) Supercard sells a flashcart that accepts a micro SD and allows you to save directly to that, from what I can tell the only downsides would be minor incompatibility with a few games and that you have to patch each game individually. I am greatly considering the Supercard because I have the mini SD version that I use on my GC Game Boy Player and it works phenomenally and also because I am not a huge fan of emulators unless they are near perfect and gPSP kai is certainly not (yet).

Also for anyone like myself who is comfortable with a soldering iron - I looked for a replacement battery that comes with the soldering leads attached and was surprised how difficult they were to find. I often purchase 12c508a blank chips (for programming PSX modchips) from mouser.com and luckily enough it appears that they sell the exact battery for $1.78, from what I can tell by looking at their PDF catalog. Here is their item # 639-CR1220-P1 but I suspect ordering one battery by itself might not be worth it to some considering s/h would be at least $5 or $6. I think I might just get one the next time I order for them, what the heck.

You can buy CR1220 batteries on eBay from Hong Kong sellers for about 20 cents a piece in retail blister card type packaging, in groups of 10 batteries or so. You can get them for even less in larger quantities in bulk packaging. Takes 2-3 weeks to ship but sure is a lot cheaper than $4-6 for a single battery!

 

[blindsorrow]

Is it possible to connect a battery holder (like the manufacturer SHOULD have done for us) into the 3in1 so we can simply slide out dead battery and pop in a new one, just like ANY other electronic device. There are CR1220 battery holders available in eBay inexpensively.

Does anybody know if there is a way to get these to work in the 3in1?

 

[astrangeone]

Probably, and that requires tracing the trace and seeing what leads were. The makers of this should have done it a long time ago...seriously.

 

[jmjohnson85]

You can buy CR1220 batteries on eBay from Hong Kong sellers for about 20 cents a piece in retail blister card type packaging, in groups of 10 batteries or so. You can get them for even less in larger quantities in bulk packaging. Takes 2-3 weeks to ship but sure is a lot cheaper than $4-6 for a single battery!

You must not have read my post before quoting it, I was talking about replacement batteries that come with the soldering leads attached. If you do find these for 20 cents apiece, please post a link or the eBay item #.

 

[blindsorrow]

You can buy CR1220 batteries on eBay from Hong Kong sellers for about 20 cents a piece in retail blister card type packaging, in groups of 10 batteries or so. You can get them for even less in larger quantities in bulk packaging. Takes 2-3 weeks to ship but sure is a lot cheaper than $4-6 for a single battery!

You must not have read my post before quoting it, I was talking about replacement batteries that come with the soldering leads attached. If you do find these for 20 cents apiece, please post a link or the eBay item #.

I read your post, actually. And I read the OP's post as well. Both mention CR1220 batteries in the range of $6 to $8 a piece (including shipping and/or tax), yours with tabs, the OP's without. I thought others might like to know how inexpensively these batteries, without tabs, could be obtained. Doesn't seem to make much sense to pay almost 40 TIMES the price for the same product just for the addition of little metal tabs. The battery itself should comprise the vast bulk of the product's price anyway.

While I am hardly an expert. I have done a few soldering jobs reapiring very small electronics in the past, and I would think that you could resuse the existing battery tabs in the 3in1, and solder them to a new bare CR1220 battery. Sort of just like the OP's guide but soldering the new battery in place instead of taping it. Maybe even de-solder the existing tabs instead of prying them off with a blade eliminating the chance of breaking the tabs off accidentally. My only concern is whether soldering/de-soldering a lithium battery poses some sort of danger of explosion or something. Maybe someone with more knowledge in this area could comment, please.

 

[jmjohnson85]

Both mention CR1220 batteries in the range of $6 to $8 a piece (including shipping and/or tax), yours with tabs, the OP's without. I thought others might like to know how inexpensively these batteries, without tabs, could be obtained. Doesn't seem to make much sense to pay almost 40 TIMES the price for the same product just for the addition of little metal tabs.

I think the original post about this was meant to be a quick solution and it is probably worth it for most people to run to radioshack rather than waiting 2 weeks for 10 batteries when they only need 1.

...I would think that you could resuse the existing battery tabs in the 3in1, and solder them to a new bare CR1220 battery.

That's exactly why I mentioned the pre-tabbed batteries - because reusing the tabs from the original battery is nearly impossible. You might as well just try to solder wires onto either side of the battery (which I did once with a SuperCard, it worked but it was a mess).

...Maybe even de-solder the existing tabs instead of prying them off with a blade eliminating the chance of breaking the tabs off accidentally.

The tabs aren't actually soldered to the battery, they're "punched" into either side. Which would be hard to replicate without the proper tool - and I don't know what that is.

QUOTE(blindsorrow @ Feb 2 2010, 08:32 AM)

My only concern is whether soldering/de-soldering a lithium battery poses some sort of danger of explosion or something. Maybe someone with more knowledge in this area could comment, please.

Soldering to the battery seems safe enough, but again I wouldn't try to solder the old tabs to it. The reason is because it is nearly impossible to get the tabs to stick without using too much solder - and then the battery + solder + tabs will be too thick to easily fit back into the unit when you go to close it back up.

 

[july5]

this is the solution i've been looking for! i tried almost everything -- different homebrews, different gba roms (clean and modified), and watch video tutorials, only to find out that my newly ordered EZ 3 in 1 has a weak (or i think dried up) battery..thank for this post!! i tried this, though the inside of my 3 in 1 doesnt have metal plates attached to the battery. it has thin wires soldered on the battery..so i had to do the solding when i replaced the battery.

 

[opeth2112]

I have a GBA Expansion Pack that came with my M3DS Real - the battery that I removed was a Varta ML1220. I have located this for a possible replacement. It's rechargeable as well so no worries of explosions.

http://parts.digikey.com/1/parts/1619-batt...-1220-v1an.html

 

[opeth2112]

I ordered 5 of them, so as soon as I get them, I will report back with my findings.

 

[Skrubber]

Would it be possible to emulate the battery memory on DS (like semi-emulating GBA, but still taking use of the GBA hardware in DS)? I feel like playing GBA games is still way to risky, since you might loose all your progress without being able to hinder it.

Well, maybe I will have to wait for Pandora or a competent emulator for DSi! :I

 

[DarkMario616]

So what happens if this battery dies

 

[gundamseedes]

I did this. I even went to test the soldered points with a volt meter, rumble still doesnt work. Save games still doesnt work. What can be the problem? There are readings with the Volt Meter so i dont think its the battery and i can play the game stored in NOR so whats the problem.

 

[jHoNDoE]

I did this. I even went to test the soldered points with a volt meter, rumble still doesnt work. Save games still doesnt work. What can be the problem? There are readings with the Volt Meter so i dont think its the battery and i can play the game stored in NOR so whats the problem.

Same problem here.
Going to buy a new 3in1.
http://www.teamcyclops.com/forum/showthread.php?t=13068