Power related questions

Includes but not limited to: SNES, Genesis, Sega CD, PlayStation 1, Nintendo 64, Dreamcast, Game Gear and I guess the Virtual Boy.

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'kay
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Power related questions

Post by 'kay » Wed Feb 20, 2008 12:25 pm

Okay, noobish questions about power.

I know the PSone screen runs at 7.5volts and I know the N64 needs 3.3volts...
So if I use a rechargeable 7.2v battery with this
would it work (with the expansion pak inserted)?

And if does work, could I use the PSone adapter to recharge the battery/play off the mains?
Or is 7.5volts too much for a 7.2 volt battery?

Oh, and what is the best type of rechargeable battery to use?

I have little to no knowledge of electronics, so sorry if these have all been answered before.
I just want to clarify a few things before I start on power... I'm kinda out of my depth here.

Thanks in advance!
Last edited by 'kay on Wed Feb 20, 2008 2:07 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Life of Brian
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Post by Life of Brian » Wed Feb 20, 2008 12:54 pm

Looks like that'll be perfect for dropping your voltage down. I wonder how efficient it is.

By the way, try typing your links like this:

Code: Select all

[url=www.blah.com]Text here[/url]
It looks so much nicer :)

Yes, you can probably use your PSOne adapter for mains power - it provides something like 3 amps, doesn't it?

"Best rechargeable battery" depends on your price range and what's important to you. Something like an N64 sucks power so I'd suggest some beefy Ni-MH RC car batteries or some li-ions. Check out Battery Space for some good deals.
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'kay
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Post by 'kay » Wed Feb 20, 2008 2:24 pm

Thanks for the advice and the link!
And on your advice I just made the link neater (I tried using the URL tag before but I guess I did it wrong...)

But now I have more questions :oops:

I just scavenged a Ni-Cd 9.6v, 650mAh battery from an old RC car, so I'm wondering if this would be okay to use (I remember reading that batteries higher than 9volts require extra circuitry to the N64, and that certain types of battery are more likely to explode).

And I'm wondering if the previously mentioned converter would be usable with it. Or is the 2.4volt difference too much to risk it?:?

Or maybe it would be possible to use parts from a 240v-9v converter with the previously mentioned 7.2-3.3v converter to make a 9v-3.3v converter.
Would that be feasible? :?

Thanks again. :D

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Life of Brian
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Post by Life of Brian » Wed Feb 20, 2008 5:50 pm

At 9.6v 650 mAh you're simply making things more difficult for yourself than they should be. To make a portable that will last more than 20 minutes (as those batteries probably would) I suggest looking for something in the range of at least 2000 mAh and up. While you're at it, just get one that's closer to the voltage you need. Larger cell sizes such as that in an RC car will support the current draw much better than smaller sizes such as AA. Or, you can go small and powerful with li-ions which are really much easier to use than most think.

Trust me - decent batteries are worth the price. Just scout around on eBay and online battery stores and you'll find a good deal.

I don't have answers to your last two questions as they are related to using a 9.6v battery, which are issues that are easily circumvented.
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'kay
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Post by 'kay » Wed Feb 20, 2008 7:01 pm

Your advice is brill. Thank you! :D

I was just hoping to cheap out on the batteries, but 20 mins really isn't worth it. Ahh well... I'll just save it for something else.

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bacteria
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Post by bacteria » Wed Feb 20, 2008 7:41 pm

Keep away from NiMH cells, I learnt that the hard way (unless the gadget is low draw).
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Re: Power related questions

Post by timmeh87 » Thu Feb 21, 2008 12:26 am

'kay wrote:So if I use a rechargeable 7.2v battery with this
would it work (with the expansion pak inserted)?
Looks kinda small. You need something like a 2A power supply. Well 1.5 but its nice to have some safety margin. I wouldnt buy it without seeing what its rated for
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bacteria
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Post by bacteria » Thu Feb 21, 2008 7:29 am

I am sure if you PM khaag he may sell you some TI cards. I bought a few from him before. These are the step-down regulators mentioned a lot on the forum.
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Post by ShockSlayer » Thu Feb 21, 2008 4:56 pm

Keep away from NiMH cells, I learnt that the hard way (unless the gadget is low draw).
In your n64p or your gp2x?

My n64p runs fine of of nimh D cells.

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'kay
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Post by 'kay » Thu Feb 21, 2008 5:50 pm

bacteria wrote:I am sure if you PM khaag he may sell you some TI cards. I bought a few from him before. These are the step-down regulators mentioned a lot on the forum.
Ahhh cool, thanks. I've been searching for them for a while. I gave up though, which is why I started this thread :D

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bacteria
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Post by bacteria » Thu Feb 21, 2008 7:50 pm

'kay wrote:
bacteria wrote:I am sure if you PM khaag he may sell you some TI cards. I bought a few from him before. These are the step-down regulators mentioned a lot on the forum.
Ahhh cool, thanks. I've been searching for them for a while. I gave up though, which is why I started this thread :D
I had the same problem, also being in the UK; I couldn't find anywhere that sold them and TI refused to send me free samples (UK).
ShockSlayer wrote:
Keep away from NiMH cells, I learnt that the hard way (unless the gadget is low draw).
In your n64p or your gp2x?

My n64p runs fine of of nimh D cells.

SS
GP2x mostly, although I didn't like the way that a third or so of the usefulness of the NiMH cells went after just a few days after recharge. The voltage drops even without any use, as does the mAh (or so it seems). After recharge you have a system that can give reasonable playtime, if you don't play your system soon after recharge and leave it for a few days, the system might not even start; or if it does, give just minutes of playtime - not acceptable.

I am using Li-ions in my current major project; interestingly, they are each rated at 7.4v 4400mAh (camcorder cells), I charged them a week or so ago, just out of interest I tested their voltage today, they read 8.22v each. ? - a bit more than 7.4v! No problem, under the 9v ceiling for the PSone screen.
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Post by Life of Brian » Thu Feb 21, 2008 8:05 pm

bacteria wrote:I am using Li-ions in my current major project; interestingly, they are each rated at 7.4v 4400mAh (camcorder cells), I charged them a week or so ago, just out of interest I tested their voltage today, they read 8.22v each. ? - a bit more than 7.4v! No problem, under the 9v ceiling for the PSone screen.
That's exactly what my SNESp's batteries do. Li-ions are great if you can work them into your budget.
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