Somewhere i read that you can't extend the controlers buttons too far or you'll delay the button clicking reaction(gosh ...it sounds horrible but i can't describe it.)
Is this true, if so how far is about maximum
Edit: Also, do i have to put anything in there to prevent the battery from exploding or something? I'm reading this everyonce and awhile and i'm worried. I had it all figured out until now...
Last edited by SpearMan74 on Thu Mar 30, 2006 5:25 pm, edited 1 time in total.
I don't think you'll have any problems unless you use REALLY crappy wire and extend them ~3 feet.
On the issue of batteries exploding, there are few that will do it without doing something REALLY bad (like putting 120v across the terminals), but be careful around lithium-ion and lithium-polymer batteries, since the danger is real there. Charge them carefully, or use a pre-assembled pack, like a camcorder battery, and charge it on the camcorder.
Instructions if you DON'T want to charge it in your portable:
Best way to prevent them from damage is to get batteries that have protection circuits built in. When it comes to NiCD and NiMH, this isn't really an issue. If you want to be REALLY safe, put a fuse holder and a fuse in your portable. Get one of those little in-line holders from Radio Shack, and if you bridge the wires coming out of that, you'll blow the fuse instead of shorting out your battery.
Instructions if you want to charge it in your portable:
This is a little more complex. I've made a few diagrams on how to safely integrate a charging circuit into a portable, so you should search around for those. If they're too complex, the simplest way is to wire a DPDT switch as your power switch. Connect all 3 positives on one side, and all 3 negatives on the other. The battery should go to the middle, the portable (screen, system, etc) to the top (or whatever side is connected when the switch is on), and the charging jack to the last 2. This method (described in Ben's book) prevents you from frying something if you plug in the charger when the portable is on. It will work for any type of battery (even li-ion and li-poly), and is completely safe, given your switch is rated for enough amperage (which it probably is).
If you want to be able to plug in an AC adapter and a charger at the same time (to run your portable AND charge the battery at the same time), this is more complex. It involves the charging jack having a DPDT switch built-in, and other voodoo. It is the middle ground between the above and what is to come, so if you have basic electronics knowledge, go for this.
Finally, the king of my charging circuits is the one I made for the N64. It requires you to portable-ize the charger (use a car charger). This one is complex enough not to explain. Instead, look at the diagram.
...it sounds horrible but i can't describe it.)