How to Repair a Sega Game Gear Powerback UPDATED

How to Repair a Sega Game Gear Powerback

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• Joined: 23 Feb 2008
• Posts: 9

Sega Powerback

Posted: Sun Jul 27, 2008 3:42 am Went thrifting yesterday and found a good bargain on a Game Gear, near a dozen games, nearly with manuals, and this thing I've never seen called a 'powerback'. No instructions for the powerback, though.

After taking it off to remove the batteries (starting to corrode - skilful thing I rescued it!) I plugged information technology in to accuse, bold it needs to. the lite blinks amber. went abroad for a few hours (4?), and came back to information technology still blinking. I decided to examination it.

I get it to run Sonic Triple Problem equally far as the 'press commencement' screen before the power dies.

So: Is this normal beliefs for this device? information technology was plugged into the wall at the same time - fifty-fifty if it was discharged, shouldn't it 'pass through' power? or is doing that at the same fourth dimension bad? If the device has gone bad, is there any way to replace the batteries? how long should information technology concluding if working properly?

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• Location: London

Posted: Monday Jul 28, 2008 8:07 am Game Gear Powerback on Amazon - really!

It looks like a adequately common rechargeable bombardment unit. Considering of its age, it'southward probably built from Ni-Cd batteries which will have degraded over the years until they take nigh no chapters left. You say you removed the batteries but I'm not sure what that ways; if you did, how did you accuse it? You'll demand to put Ni-Cds in it, more modern Ni-MH cells aren't compatible. You'll probably get more capacity by just using modernistic high-capacity rechargeable AA batteries instead of the Powerback, plus it'll be smaller and lighter.

Passing through ability isn't necessarily possible, it depends how the matter's designed.

• Joined: 23 Feb 2008
• Posts: 9

Posted: Mon Jul 28, 2008 x:28 am

Maxim wrote

Information technology looks like a adequately common rechargeable bombardment unit. Because of its age, it's probably congenital from Ni-Cd batteries which volition accept degraded over the years until they have almost no chapters left.

uh oh.

Quote

You say you removed the batteries but I'm non sure what that ways; if y'all did, how did you accuse it?

I meant the batteries a game gear usually has in it.

Quote

You'll need to put Ni-Cds in it, more modern Ni-MH cells aren't uniform. You'll probably become more than chapters by merely using modern high-capacity rechargeable AA batteries instead of the Powerback, plus information technology'll be smaller and lighter.

I idea it was a big no-no to utilize rechargeables with the Game Gear?

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• Joined: 19 Oct 1999
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• Location: London

Posted: Monday Jul 28, 2008 xi:00 am Non at all. They output a bit less voltage just and then so do alkalines once they're one-half-used. Every old handheld had a dire alert near not using rechargeables and then shipped a rechargeable battery pack ($$$) that contained a bunch of i.2V cells with total voltage below the "official" spec. The practical truth of the affair is, if it runs, it'due south fine.

if yous really desire to resurrect the Powerback, yous can open it up and run into if the cells look like they're replaceable. If information technology's a sealed unit that may be tricky.

• Joined: 23 February 2008
• Posts: 9

Posted: Wed Jul 30, 2008 4:33 am After letting it charge most of the weekend, i got basically the aforementioned consequence; a few minutes of play, then kaput.

So I took the thing apart. information technology pretty much consists of a circuit board and a pair of wires leading to a wrapped up 6 pack of AAs. a sticker on them says:

"Ni-Cd Y C
MODEL 6KR-1300 AUL
1.2 v 1300mAh
South-E-T INC
Fabricated IN JAPAN"

(standard stuff, I'one thousand certain, but in example anyone's curious. besides, the dashes are actually mid-dots.)

Now, do I have to get out and detect some Ni-Cd rechargeables, or can I safely replace them with the NiMHs I do take?

Edit: Wikipedia sez "A Ni-Cad charger should not be used equally an automatic substitute for a NiMH charger".

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• Joined: 19 Oct 1999
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• Location: London

Posted: Wed Jul 30, 2008 viii:27 am Y'all're lucky information technology didn't explode or leak horribly if you charged it all that fourth dimension. Maybe the charging circuit has some prophylactic features.

Like I said, you can't replace them with NiMH cells. NiCds should be readily available wherever you are. If information technology comes to it, you might be able to wrap up individual AAs. Are y'all sure they're AAs? 1200mAh seems quite loftier capacity.

• Joined: thirteen May 2008
• Posts: 11
• Location: Alaska

Posted: Friday Aug 08, 2008 8:thirty pm This makes me wonder if there's any hacks to make the bombardment last more than than 5 hours. That's my but complaint nearly Game Gear, is you don't want to be so close to breaking someone's Columns high-score only to have the battery dice before you finish it. But and then there'southward wall ability, which defeats the purpose of "portable". But then again, the design defeated the purpose of "portable".

• Joined: 17 May 2009
• Posts: 26

Posted: Tue Jun 09, 2009 7:06 pm

joe_musashi wrote

That's my just complaint about Game Gear, is you don't desire to exist and so shut to breaking someone's Columns high-score but to have the battery dice before you terminate it. Simply and then there's wall power, which defeats the purpose of "portable". Only then once more, the design defeated the purpose of "portable".

If y'all stick in 6 AA Ni-MH batteries of 2700mAh or more than (I have found some 3000mAh batteries), you reportedly get betwixt x-15 hours of play.

How long do y'all want to play Columns for?

• Joined: 01 Apr 2008
• Posts: 43
• Location: Northern Republic of ireland

Posted: Tue Jun 23, 2009 9:54 pm I take a Powerback, complete in information technology'southward box with instructions : )

However works fine and i get nearly 4 hours play out of it.

http://night-matter.110mb.com/images/powerback&box.jpg

Thunder

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Actual voltage

Posted: Mon May 17, 2010 1:54 am

guyjin wrote

After letting it charge most of the weekend, i got basically the same result; a few minutes of play, so kaput.

So I took the thing apart. it pretty much consists of a circuit board and a pair of wires leading to a wrapped upwardly 6 pack of AAs. a sticker on them says:

"Ni-Cd Y C
MODEL 6KR-1300 AUL
ane.ii five 1300mAh
S-E-T INC
MADE IN JAPAN"

(standard stuff, I'm sure, but in case anyone's curious. also, the dashes are actually mid-dots.)

Now, do I have to get out and notice some Ni-Cd rechargeables, or tin can I safely replace them with the NiMHs I do have?

Edit: Wikipedia sez "A Ni-Cad charger should not exist used as an automatic substitute for a NiMH charger".

The actual voltage isn't ane.2 volts actual vii.two v 1.2v wouldn't run a game gear. Now the battery'due south themselves might exist one.2 but total is 7.two and nimh battery's will work fine. I myself am trying to observe a whole replacement for the bombardment pack itself since I am a collector its worth more to me to accept the unit in working status.

• Joined: 08 Dec 2014
• Posts: 37
• Location: Monterey, CA The states

Posted: Tue Dec 09, 2014 8:47 pm Have you guys seen this before?

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• Joined: 19 Oct 1999
• Posts: 13948
• Location: London

Posted: Tue December 09, 2014 11:07 pm 15 infinitesimal video of a guy replacing the guys of a Power Dorsum with some Li-ion batteries and a charger circuit. Li is super unsafe if you get it wrong, and cheap off make parts seem like a good way to risk a burn down.

• Joined: 08 Dec 2014
• Posts: 37
• Location: Monterey, CA Us

Posted: Tue Dec 09, 2014 11:52 pm Has someone done a better version of it or practise yous guys just not mind running through AAA batteries? I'chiliad new to this. I but establish out about Everdrives, so I'k practically a newborn at this. Sorry=P

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• Location: London

Posted: Wed Dec 10, 2014 8:ten am Modern AA rechargeables are very skillful and some have approaching double the capacity of the power dorsum. You get less weight and bulk.

Replacing the backlight with LEDs will also accept a big effect on battery life.

A save, efficiently packed Li-ion modern would be even amend, but y'all really demand to be sure you take the protection circuitry in there or you'll destroy the cells or first a fire.

• Joined: 08 Dec 2014
• Posts: 37
• Location: Monterey, CA USA

Posted: Wed Dec 10, 2014 8:21 am Oh cool. Skillful idea. I don't accept to skills to mod anything myself, merely I want to get a recapped and LED GG sometime soon. Been watching videos of people that use the Ni****do DS backlight and that looks super rad. I really demand to convince my Dad to help me go my sometime GG stuff out of his storage unit of measurement. It'll be a challenge though since there is like a dozen vintage pinball machines riiiiigght in the front=/

• Joined: 27 Apr 2014
• Posts: 281
• Location: Texas

Posted: Wed Feb 25, 2015 1:23 am Heh... Same battery pack as the Rechargeable Battery Pack...

http://world wide web.smspower.org/Hardware/RechargeableBatteryPack

• Joined: 19 Feb 2009
• Posts: 95

Posted: Sabbatum Feb 28, 2015 11:twoscore pm

Capt. 2110 wrote

Heh... Same battery pack as the Rechargeable Battery Pack...

http://www.smspower.org/Hardware/RechargeableBatteryPack

I take three of them, My AC adapter is in Storage, So I tin can't charge information technology..The concluding fourth dimension I charged it, It took a charge, One on my Bombardment Pack has a loose Jack so I tin can't accuse it

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How to Repair a Sega Game Gear Powerback UPDATED

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