No Longer Boots From Batteries?

[Classic Team]

I did do a long search over the forums but I couldin't find anything that fit my situation.

Anyhow, here's the run down:

last night I removed my rechargeable batteries and put them into my charger and plugged the AC adapter in so I could watch my movie for the night.

The next morning I grab my rechargeable batteries (which where now at full charge) and put them into my GP2X so I could lesson to music as I walked to the bus stop.
But it never started up.
I got absolutely no response from the unit.
So when I get home from school that afternoon I tried all of my other rechargeable batteries... no go.
I even tried new, just-bought-out-of-the-package batteries and still nothing.
I took my GP2X apart to see if there was anything wrong with the innards. Nothing looked wrong to me.
But when I plugged it into the AC adapter it booted up and everything, as if none of it ever happened. Nothing was malfunctioning.

Can anyone help me on this one?

 

[torpor]

*Never* play your GP2X without batteries in it. By doing so, you've burned out the power regulator that gets charge from the batteries. This is a known bug. Welcome to battery-disabled hell.

 

[Tag5]

*Never* play your GP2X without batteries in it. By doing so, you've burned out the power regulator that gets charge from the batteries. This is a known bug. Welcome to battery-disabled hell.
Sadly I have to agree with torpor. Bad news I'm affraid.

If you are able to locate the part that is burnt out and get a replacement power regulator then you may be able to fix it with a steady hand. Don't quote me on it though. :unsure:

 

[BackAssward]

So, quick question then: Even if running off of a power supply, we want batteries in there (this won't cause a short or over powering)? I also assume they need to have a charge

Edit: Is the Susceptibility to burning out different between the F100 vs. F200? I've been running my F200 on a Radio Shack variable supply for months (without batteries). Just checked and it still accepted battery only power.

 

[Tag5]

I have used my GP2X-F200 with a power adaptor fine even though I had fully charged batteries inside. It seems that there is an integral switch that primary uses AC power over batteries. The reason behind my theory is that whilst my GP2X was powered on with batteries, I had connected the AC adaptor (AC adaptor was powered off) to the console and it switched off automatically. Then I switched on the adaptor then it powered on.

I have not tried a live AC adaptor whilst the GP2X was on. I'm not brave enough to test this as I love it too much to risk damaging it. :wub:

 

[notaz]

I also had similar issue with my F100. In my case the switch inside the DC connector got stuck forever in "connected to DC" state, so batteries didn't work. Nothing to do with power regulator. What I did is soldering small wire so that both batteries and DC are always connected (only need to remember removing batteries when connecting DC).

Alternatively it's possible to "unstuck" the switch using a paperclip. There is a thread about that somewhere in these forums.

 

[christo930]

*Never* play your GP2X without batteries in it. By doing so, you've burned out the power regulator that gets charge from the batteries. This is a known bug. Welcome to battery-disabled hell.

That is a pretty serious and pathetic bug. Is there any version differences? I have the value pak and I have run my gp2x without batteries in it and it still works.
I almost always use my machine while I am out, if it ever stopped working on batteries it would be useless.

Chris

 

[torpor]

It was a bug in early versions of the GP2X (F100) and was fixed in the F200 I believe. See notaz' reply above - I'd sure like to know about the paper-clip fix, because I've got THREE GP2X's with this problem, and have had the replacement power-regulator (which does the switch between DC and batteries) parts in my GP2X kit for a couple of years now, and I never get the time to 'fix' my GP2X's .. so if there is a simpler fix, I'd sure like to know about it.

 

[EvilDragon]

The bug was a first thought, but it never was that case.
You can use the DC Adaptor whenever you want.

Your problem can consist of two cases:

1. Like notaz, the switch in the DC Plug can hang. Put in your AC adaptor again, wiggle around a bit, this might loose the switch a bit. It works afterwards? Fine
2. If the AC Adaptor you did use is a cheap one (non-stabilized), it can as well have killed your LTSK (the power converter inside the gp2x). This is fixable, but this thing is a bitch to resolder.

If you want to find out if your LTSK is killed or if it's the switch, you can build a small external battery to test. Simply connect the two batteries you want to use in row and connect them to the DC port (check for right polarity!)
If it does still boot with the battery power, the LTSK is fine and it's most probably the switch inside the DC plug.

 

[notaz]

Here is the relevant thread:
http://www.gp32x.de/board/index.php?showtopic=35602

 

[Classic Team]

Thanks guys.
I wish I had known about this bug. I thought I knew what to do and not to do when I bought the thing. XD

Anyhow,
EvilDragon's post has been quite a help, so I'll reply based on that.

1. I tried jiggling the AC adapter a bit, no go. (Do I need to remove the batteries while I do this?)
2. The AC adapter I use is the same "official" one offered at the GP2X Store.

If it is the second option, where can I find the power converter? I know someone who could resolder it on, but I need the part to fix it with.

I still need to try the external battery test. I assume that means I need to route the power from two batteries into the AC adapter plug.

I'm going to check out Notaz's link and get back to you on it.

EDIT: YESSSS!!! Fixed! Thank you EvilDragon.
I did some more jiggling and it did in fact work.

If this happens again, should I use the same method?
And better yet, what should I do to prevent it from happening again?

 

[EvilDragon]

I did some more jiggling and it did in fact work.

If this happens again, should I use the same method?
And better yet, what should I do to prevent it from happening again?

You can't prevent it, sometimes the switch just sticks... and yep, the same method should work.
Be careful not to overdue it, as you could break out the DC Plug.