ZNES-40 (ZN-40 SNES portable)/Retro Duo [PICTURES! Sexyfish]

Sharp Sapphire · Post by **Sharp Sapphire** » Mon Aug 18, 2008 4:57 pm

Ok, so I've gotten a few things hooked up like speakers, my new charger arrived (and its better than my first one).. BUT i have a problem!

I can fully charge the batteries up, but then when I hook it all up and play LoZ: LTTP with speakers and video, 4 3mm LED mod... after about 2 minutes the video starts to quivver due to lack of either voltage or amperage... im not sure which but it makes the game unplayable after 5 minutes... I have NO clue why this is happening.. help

I'm running 7.2V (6 1.2V NIMH cells) into the PSone screen, then connecting the +5 from the 7805 to the retro duo... both power up just fine

Is there something I'm doing wrong? I shouldn't have this much power drain so fast

Website · Post by **Life of Brian** » Mon Aug 18, 2008 8:01 pm

Is there any other power source you can use to test the system? If the problem goes away, then it's the batteries. If not, then something else is going on.

Sharp Sapphire · Post by **Sharp Sapphire** » Mon Aug 18, 2008 10:00 pm

I tried it off of wallpower and it is indeed the batteries.

http://www.all-battery.com/index.asp?Pa ... ProdID=566

6 of those in a series

http://www.all-battery.com/index.asp?Pa ... rodID=1566

Thats my charger...

Thats how it is wired up... quick drew in MS paint

palmertech · Post by **palmertech** » Mon Aug 18, 2008 10:48 pm

What you need to do is buy one more cell of the same size and capacity, and wire it in series with the others. I hope you have room.

This should keep the voltage at a high enough level to allow full discharge.

Sharp Sapphire · Post by **Sharp Sapphire** » Tue Aug 19, 2008 9:10 am

palmertech wrote:What you need to do is buy one more cell of the same size and capacity, and wire it in series with the others. I hope you have room. This should keep the voltage at a high enough level to allow full discharge.

I should have enough room... SOMEWHERE.

but can the PSone screen handle 8.4V?

Also, DANG, i would have to buy ANOTHER charger, as this one only goes up to 7.4

palmertech · Post by **palmertech** » Tue Aug 19, 2008 9:16 am

Sharp Sapphire · Post by **Sharp Sapphire** » Tue Aug 19, 2008 9:21 am

http://www.all-battery.com/index.asp?Pa ... ProdID=428

Is that an acceptable charger? It looks like it isn't one of those 'smart chargers' that CV charges and stops automatically..

lovablechevy · Post by **lovablechevy** » Tue Aug 19, 2008 9:21 am

they haven't already gotten a memory, have they? you haven't been charging them before fully discharged...? when you first got them, did you fully discharge them before charging them the first time...?

Sharp Sapphire · Post by **Sharp Sapphire** » Tue Aug 19, 2008 9:22 am

lovablechevy wrote:they haven't already gotten a memory, have they? you haven't been charging them before fully discharged...? when you first got them, did you fully discharge them before charging them the first time...?

...Nope. :S

lovablechevy · Post by **lovablechevy** » Tue Aug 19, 2008 9:24 am

Sharp Sapphire wrote:
lovablechevy wrote:they haven't already gotten a memory, have they? you haven't been charging them before fully discharged...? when you first got them, did you fully discharge them before charging them the first time...?
...Nope. :S

wait, which are you noping to...?

palmertech · Post by **palmertech** » Tue Aug 19, 2008 9:26 am

I don't think memory is the problem, it is hard to mess up nimh batteries that easily.

That charger would work, but you would have to make sure not to overcharge. Last I checked, a smart charger is under $20. Dr. Killgood has one he wants to sell.

lovablechevy · Post by **lovablechevy** » Tue Aug 19, 2008 9:34 am

palmertech wrote:I don't think memory is the problem, it is hard to mess up nimh batteries that easily.

that is so not accurate. depending on how long the batteries had been sitting on the shelf before they were mailed to him can cause a huge difference. they have a high self-discharge rate. i have 8 rechargeable NiMH batteries that are no longer useable because they don't hold a charge. and this is simply because i went so long without using them.

Sharp Sapphire · Post by **Sharp Sapphire** » Tue Aug 19, 2008 9:36 am

lovablechevy wrote:
palmertech wrote:I don't think memory is the problem, it is hard to mess up nimh batteries that easily.
that is so not accurate. depending on how long the batteries had been sitting on the shelf before they were mailed to him can cause a huge difference. they have a high self-discharge rate. i have 8 rechargeable NiMH batteries that are no longer useable because they don't hold a charge. and this is simply because i went so long without using them.

I didn't discharge them when I got them... but right now i just hooked it up after charging it over night and it looks like its no longer doing this... but i'm going to check on it for a while and let the batteries completely drain first before i make a conclusion. :/

Edit: Its 12:57 for me right now (I started at 10:30-ish), and the batteries are still holding up with some flickering.. I think if i drain the batteries completely and recharge at a low current I should be fine

edit: at 3:00 the batteries were no longer powering the system/screen.. so I hooked up a small motor to it to try to drain the remaining power out of it...

After I completely drain the battery, will charging at 1.8A or 0.9A help restore the battery?

(Ignore the weirdness around the top of where the screen sits.. my camera must have tilted and got a ghost or something.. that doesn't exist on the actual portable

look at that shiny smooth thing.

zzattack · Post by **zzattack** » Sat Aug 23, 2008 4:17 pm

wow that's one hell of a case you made

really awesome, looking forward to more

Sharp Sapphire · Post by **Sharp Sapphire** » Sat Aug 23, 2008 8:54 pm

I got the cart cover/back 100% done and sanded and SMOOOTTH.. but i totally MESSED up the front and i have to resand at 60,80,100,180,220,320,440,600.. AGAIN