Gp2x Switch Broken, Replacement?

[jimmyslam]

I had a GP2X for a year and a bit. It works perfect except the energy switch, is loose. It does the function properly but when i am playing and I touch it with my hand.. (normal, I need to grab it to press the direction controls! )..the enrgy descreases, is like is not doing a proper contact...

A few weeks ago, I went to the battery tester that shows the % of battery all the time, and I began moving the switch slightly and you can see going from 100% to 0% and freezing if overclocked, or going from 100% to ~40% when 200MHz... If i am in ~130MHz it goes from 100% to 80%... well you get the idea. I just need a replacement I live in Brighton UK, anybody help????

I just need to replace the energy switch but i dont know the name of the element and i dont know if is going to be too hard. I want my handheld to be using batteries like it used to... not like this, lasting <1 min sometimes.
Is awful! Can you imagine charing the new ansmann 2600 / uniross 2700 and lasting a few minutes?!?!?

I would appreciate anyhelp from you guys, Cheers!


Thanks for you help!

 

[Squidge]

If your batteries are only lasting a few minutes, it's not the switch thats wrong - but you can always fine out by creating a solder bridge across the contacts so that its always on, and see if the batteries last longer.

 

[jimmyslam]

If your batteries are only lasting a few minutes, it's not the switch thats wrong - but you can always fine out by creating a solder bridge across the contacts so that its always on, and see if the batteries last longer.

I have done enought tests to reach to this conclusion. And i can tell you Is the switch. cause when i move it i can see the battery level going up and down on the battery tester.

If i dont touch the hand held nd leave it on a proper position it last its 3 hours and a half. @ 200MHz.

If I move the siwtch it doesnt. It has like two positions withing the ON position. And those positions means full power and half power. :S

 

[Squidge]

Err, it's an on/off switch. It doesn't and can't give you "full power" and "half power". It could restrict the voltage, but to do that would require at the very least two resistors which would get very hot. If it restricted current, then the gp2x would simply crash (and would still require a resistor).

Maybe the switch is broken and it's arcing across the contacts, which you can verify by creating a solder bridge.

 

[jimmyslam]

Err, it's an on/off switch. It doesn't and can't give you "full power" and "half power". It could restrict the voltage, but to do that would require at the very least two resistors which would get very hot. If it restricted current, then the gp2x would simply crash (and would still require a resistor).

Maybe the switch is broken and it's arcing across the contacts, which you can verify by creating a solder bridge.

I really appreciate ur interesed but i dont wanna destroy my hand held with that solution. Can u imagine taking off and on the batteries to restart? The batteries slot will suffer a lot and then it will generate more problems.

I know it sounds weird that if i move the switch a bit, the voltage changes, maybe is not changing the V and is changing the resistance cause the contact decreases. Is like having a thiner wire, right? I could record a video for this, butit would be pointless cause i have described exactly what happens :S. Or do you need mo to create it to believe me

 

[Squidge]

well, you can get a replacement switch easily from somewhere like farnell.com, but if you are not comfortable creating a solder bridge to prove the fault first, then I don't know how you are going to replace the switch.

I know you don't want to keep taking the batteries in and out, but the above was only a temperary solution to prove the switch is at fault. After you can either inside a new switch of same or similar design.

I can understand the voltage changing for some weird reason (contact resistance, etc) but not the fact that the switch causes your batteries to only last a few minutes.

Have you been using your 2x for heavy current applications such as watching movies on a tv? Extended use of that could tarnish the switch contacts.

 

[peelie]

Have you been using your 2x for heavy current applications such as watching movies on a tv? Extended use of that could tarnish the switch contacts.

eeek i plan to use the gp2x for this. bummer so in the long run i could end up with the same problem?

 

[jimmyslam]

whick one coulbe be the best?

http://www.maplin.co.uk/Search.aspx?menuno...-2&doy=17m6

 

[Squidge]

None, check out farnell.com instead - they offer a much wider range than Maplin, and some of them are much better suited (try and use one that is at least rated for 1 amp).

 

[jimmyslam]

I couldnf find what i wanted in farrel... can u help me? please?

 

[Lobo]

My GP2X also has this problem lately, so I can confirm that it's not a figment of his imagination.

It's exactly as he describes it: if I lightly touch the power switch, the current doesn't cut off, it seems to fade.

Most times it's enough to hang the emu I'm playing, and I've also tried it with the battery test app as he described and saw the same thing: the battery % waxes and wanes.

However, I don't get the short battery life that he describes.

 

[Fishbong]

...if I lightly touch the power switch, the current doesn't cut off, it seems to fade.

Yeah, but that doesn´t mean that the battery is being drained, it can only be due to a contact resistance due to a faulty switch.

 

[jimmyslam]

yeah maybe u explain myself wrong, i didnt mean to say the battery drains , it is just doesnt send enough power to the gp2x.
If i could get exactly the same switch it will be perfect.

 

[jimmyslam]

Err, it's an on/off switch. It doesn't and can't give you "full power" and "half power". It could restrict the voltage, but to do that would require at the very least two resistors which would get very hot. If it restricted current, then the gp2x would simply crash (and would still require a resistor).

Maybe the switch is broken and it's arcing across the contacts, which you can verify by creating a solder bridge.

I was desperated and I couldnt replace the switch so I did a solder bridge. I will call it the Squidge Bridge cause it works perfect, the batteries slot will suffer but at least i have my gp2x back, and with more energy than ever!!!

Thanks for the idea Squidge. I appreciate it