Batteries

The first thing you need to do is find out what voltage your system needs. Then you need to find a battery, or combination batteries, that is of a similar voltage to your system. Gaming machines are quite resilient to voltage and will work with too much or not enough. You might have to worry about the screen, though. They generally ARE sensitive to different currents. Gaming systems (pre- xbox and PS2) are over-powered. This makes them less sensitive to power fluxuations, creating a more reliable product. You don't need to worry about this when it's running off of batteries. So ideally, you want the voltage to be lower than recommended, because this decreases the heat created. Portable cases have few if any air/heat vents, so you want the processors to stay as cool as possible.

NOTE: It is HIGHLY recommended to use batteries of the same type and brand if you use more than one. Not doing so could cause them to leak or explode.

If you cannot find a battery that is the correct voltage, you can can run multiple batteries in a SERIES. (A and C batteries are 1.5 volts) You add the batteries' voltage together to get the total voltage generated. If you find that the battery life is too low, you run a group of batteries PARALLEL. For example, three batteries run in parallel is triple the duration of a single battery. Remember PARALLEL increases the duration of the batteries, while SERIES increases the voltage.

Posted by the Admin

Hi there, people. It's the original Ben here. Hey, I noticed some people working with Infolithium batteries. The method I always use to stick prongs in them is to get a "Molded Nylon Connector" from Radio Shack, 12 pack, cat #274-242. It's 12 prong so you get 6 batteries' worth for $1.89. Those prongs fit near perfect and you can bend them and solder them to PCB boards. Good luck!

Ben also said on his site that he fills the prongs with solder for extra strength and stability.

Well I found them in singles at radishack.com, pretty expensive online though.

Posted by SpongeBuell

Calculating playtime: Divide Ah on battery (I'll call it B) by the sum of the amps of the screen (S) and the console. (C) If you are given something in mA, divide that number by 1,000 to get amps. You can also multiply the amperage by 1000 to get mA, as long as you have the same thing for all three. The result is your playtime in hours.

In other words, Time = B / (S+C)

For example, if your battery is rated at 2700mAH, that's 2.7 amps. Then your console adapter is rated at 500mA, that's .5 amps. Finally, your screen uses 600mA, that would be .6 amps

Your equation would then be time = 2.7 / (.6 + .5) = 2.45 hours, or just under 2 and a half hours.

Keep in mind, however, that this is assuming you have the same voltage for all 3 parts.

Types of batteries: Alkaline: (usually AAs) Common batteries available almost anywhere. Because they are expensive and die quickly, I do NOT recommend these. If you are not going to use this much, especially not for long periods of time, however, you could use them.

Li-Ion: These usually are what you have when using camcorder batteries (although I have one from the 80's made out of sealed lead, but I'm not gonna go there) and are the best in my opinion. Their cost may seem high at first, but it will pay for itself after a few cycles of AAs. They are rechargable, and take a while to lose their charge. They are also not picky about being overcharged, in my experience. They also have a fairly long life before recharging.

Lithium Polymer: I do not know too much about them, but they are supposed to be lighter, smaller, and last about as long. There are a few downsides to them. For one thing, they can catch on fire if they are not charged with a proper charger. Another problem with them is that they are pretty expensive.

Nickel Cadium (AKA Ni-Cd) these are common with remote control car batteries. They are usually pretty cheap and will last a while. Some of them are pretty flexible with their shape if you want to open the soft plastic that keeps it all together. You do, however, need to drain them before recharging to prevent memory effects.

Nickel Metal Hydrate (AKA Ni-MH) These are the kind you get with newer rechargable AA's. I have used these on a few things before and I love them. I have powered a digital camera with it and we only need to use the charger every once in a while. They can be bought on ebay for about $1.50 each, which isn't too bad. Keep in mind that when you are calculating the amount you need that these are 1.2 volts, not 1.5 like normal, disposable AAs.

To have a (somewhat) integrated charger: Make a power jack (preferably with a plug other than what you would use for AC use, if any, so you don't mix them up and blow up your project) and hook them up to your battery terminals. Make your own wire and solder it to the charger, making sure you don't screw up the + and - ends. I would not recommend using this on Li-polymer batteries, as they are picky about their chargers and could catch on fire if improperly charged

Warning: Be careful when soldering wires to batteries, they can explode when too hot. I haven't used it, but some say that flux helps a lot.