clock question

[dudeguy]

If everything functions 100% correctly, should I be able to set the time, turn the Dreamcast off, throw it in my closet for a year, open it back up a year later and have the time still be accurate?

[cybercylon]

I don't foresee an issue, assuming the battery on the controller board is fine.

 

Pretty any Dreamcast that hasn't had its internal battery replaced will need a new one. I am not sure how long they last, but it is important to get the right kind (ML 2032).

Edited August 21, 2022 by cybercylon
edited for grammar.

[+-^CrossBow^-]

9 hours ago, dudeguy said:

If everything functions 100% correctly, should I be able to set the time, turn the Dreamcast off, throw it in my closet for a year, open it back up a year later and have the time still be accurate?

That will depend.

 

The original battery is a rechargeable type and the way it was designed to work, was that it required you to power on and use the DC from time to time to keep the battery charged. In my case, I've found as little as a month of non use is enough to kill the clock/date setting and I have a newish (Installed like 2 years ago) rechargeable battery installed in a holder in my DC.

 

Now if you instead were to install a non rechargeable type, cut the power that would normally try to charge the battery and just put a standard 2032 in there, it might last longer, but I don't know how much longer as the RTC in these consoles tends to be the biggest power item on the batteries.