3 Cell Battery Test

[nubie]

Next test should be this:

http://www.batteryspace.com/index.asp?Page...amp;ProdID=2763

Use 2 of these in parallel. If it works I would mod my battery compartment. It actually doesn't have to be enlarged that much.

Now would you use 2 blocking diodes and resistors or just connect directly in parallel?

I like it, although I am weird, I would probably only use one , the other would be on it's own circuit for the USB so I could do wifi or a HDD .

Really though, I think it might be neat to have a circuit that switches over automatically, and a push button that will light up a green LED on the one in use and a Red LED for the one you can hot-swap

My Energizer AA here is 13.5mm x 50mm, so "Diameter 18.3 mm (Max 18.4), Height: 64.9 mm (Max 65.1)" is a bit of a stretch. It could be done though, especially if you leave the cover off (or replace it with a thin clear piece, and some blinking LEDs [ugh, I hate "modded" PC's, my 7900GS @ 650mhz flaunts NO LEDs], but pimp is what the market wants, $0.50 for blinky LEDs and I can charge $10 more for the kit )

I think using just one would last, hmm, say 4 hours? Or 5, it is li-ion, rated for a 5A discharge , we could surely tax that (if we hooked 10 GP2X's to one battery).

Two batteries, I guess it could be done, that would be an internal 5,000mAh battery? Would be worth it for sure.

Personally I would just put in a switch to switch it over and use it that way: after 4-5 hours throw the switch and use the next battery. Maybe a simple voltage -> LED controller that shows voltage in .1 increments from 2.4-3.6 or something, then you can figure what actual voltage is when it dies and start to expect it.

I think it would bulge out quite a bit, the batteries in there now are on the plastic, if you cut that away and use a taped-on shield for the mobo, then left off the back cover you would gain maybe 4mm, so it would stick out at least .5mm, and you would have to do the major surgery on the back cover to get the extra 1.5cm.

When are they going to be stocking replacement cases B) ? I suppose I should ask ED or Craig if they have a really knackered unit that I can cut into mercilessly . Or cruise eBay looking for one.

 

[sam fisher]

Does anyone here have access to the tools required to vac form a new backplate for the GP2x? If so then they could supply a customised version for this mod. heh, i'd definetly want it done

 

[javaguy]

hmm, Im a lazy person, so rather than attatching them the nice, neat way (via the back panel) couldn't a power adapter cable (the one that is plugged into the GP2X) just be bought, then some batteries could be attached to it? I did something similar for my Palm Tungsten E once, just for emergencies I guess it isn't very portable though...

but yeah, a nice, vacuum formed version would be awesome. You could sell modified back-panels for the GP2X for a tidy sum

 

[DaveC]

Does anyone here have access to the tools required to vac form a new backplate for the GP2x? If so then they could supply a customised version for this mod. heh, i'd definetly want it done

Well a CNC router could be used to make a larger battery bay section. The old section could be cut out and the new one could be solvent bonded to the battery area. It would be a mod of the old one rather than a complete replacement.

You can't really vacuum form a new back. There are screw bosses and various notches and grooves that just can not be reproduced by vacuum forming, not detailed and precise enough. It would have to be injection molded but injection molds are very expensive so that is not practical.

I just have to get some of those cylinder batteries and test them in parallel to see how much run time 5000 MAh at 3.6V will give

 

[Creature XL]

I just have to get some of those cylinder batteries and test them in parallel to see how much run time 5000 MAh at 3.6V will give

If you really test those babies, can you please test it with the gp32 aswell?

 

[sam fisher]

I just have to get some of those cylinder batteries and test them in parallel to see how much run time 5000 MAh at 3.6V will give

If you really test those babies, can you please test it with the gp32 aswell?

The calculations are simple. The GP32 has about 300mah of draw. So 5000mah of capacity would provide 5000/300 = 16.666(off the top of my head) hours. Of course the GP32 runs at a lower voltage I believe, and I cannot be bothered to work that out.

 

[nubie]

Does anyone here have access to the tools required to vac form a new backplate for the GP2x? If so then they could supply a customised version for this mod. heh, i'd definetly want it done

Well a CNC router could be used to make a larger battery bay section. The old section could be cut out and the new one could be solvent bonded to the battery area. It would be a mod of the old one rather than a complete replacement.

You can't really vacuum form a new back. There are screw bosses and various notches and grooves that just can not be reproduced by vacuum forming, not detailed and precise enough. It would have to be injection molded but injection molds are very expensive so that is not practical.

I just have to get some of those cylinder batteries and test them in parallel to see how much run time 5000 MAh at 3.6V will give

Could we route out the back in a big square and attach a vacuum formed peice on top covering the whole back plate? That would make more sense, leaving in the majority of the notches/screws/grooves and just making it bulgier with cheap vacuum forming.

 

[saboteur]

Does anyone here have access to the tools required to vac form a new backplate for the GP2x? If so then they could supply a customised version for this mod. heh, i'd definetly want it done

Well a CNC router could be used to make a larger battery bay section. The old section could be cut out and the new one could be solvent bonded to the battery area. It would be a mod of the old one rather than a complete replacement.

You can't really vacuum form a new back. There are screw bosses and various notches and grooves that just can not be reproduced by vacuum forming, not detailed and precise enough. It would have to be injection molded but injection molds are very expensive so that is not practical.

I just have to get some of those cylinder batteries and test them in parallel to see how much run time 5000 MAh at 3.6V will give

Could we route out the back in a big square and attach a vacuum formed peice on top covering the whole back plate? That would make more sense, leaving in the majority of the notches/screws/grooves and just making it bulgier with cheap vacuum forming.

If you got longer screws - u could screw through the new vac formed piece into the existing holes of the current back plate.

 

[nubie]

If you got longer screws - u could screw through the new vac formed piece into the existing holes of the current back plate.

Yes, the bonus is that the current screws are in a "funnel" shaped hole, so with dimples in the vac-formed back you could have a flush-mount screw, possibly even without resorting to a screw with a bevel.

I think this might be something to look into more. You could fit a USB mod under the new back quite easily, even with a few ports and a real S-Video jack and A/V stereo jacks too. You just need a switch and a Capacitor to switch between S-Video and Composite.

 

[toxic_d]

nubie those are exactly my thoughts as this was the direction I was headed. The divits are all we would need... I think that a 1.8 hdd an s-video and two usb ports would be ideal and a second 3.5 jack for the audio out as well as a battery mod would be in order at this level.

Toxic_d

 

[reeced]

I just have to get some of those cylinder batteries and test them in parallel to see how much run time 5000 MAh at 3.6V will give

If you really test those babies, can you please test it with the gp32 aswell?


I have a simple solution for the GP32, which unfortunately doesn't appear to work for the GP2x. I use a 2xC cell holder from Maplin (cost about £1) which has a PP3 connector from which I run a short lead and a GP32 plug.
I use 4000mA NiMH rechargeables (£1.99 a pair from LIDL).
This works great for the GP32, but when I try this setup with the GP2X, I get the coloured bars, but it won't boot. If I use 3 batteries, would this setup (i.e. thru the GP2X power socket) work ?

 

[nubie]

I just have to get some of those cylinder batteries and test them in parallel to see how much run time 5000 MAh at 3.6V will give

If you really test those babies, can you please test it with the gp32 aswell?


I have a simple solution for the GP32, which unfortunately doesn't appear to work for the GP2x. I use a 2xC cell holder from Maplin (cost about £1) which has a PP3 connector from which I run a short lead and a GP32 plug.
I use 4000mA NiMH rechargeables (£1.99 a pair from LIDL).
This works great for the GP32, but when I try this setup with the GP2X, I get the coloured bars, but it won't boot. If I use 3 batteries, would this setup (i.e. thru the GP2X power socket) work ?

I think that might work, although you could get a dummy AA pack for an original Gameboy or a GBA regular and then cut it to fit the batter bay and then plug your adapter into it.

Or just get some dummy AAs and then put a socket in one of them. Or do it with 3 C batteries.