How often are you supposed to turn on the Dreamcast for the battery back up?

[Zap!]

I replaced the old DC battery with a coin cell battery holder and an ML2032 rechargeable battery. If I don't turn it on for a day or two or even a week+ it remembers just fine. But after around 10-14 days, I have to put in the date and time again. Is this normal? Shouldn't it be fine without being turned on for months? I have also tried CR2032's. Even less time (maybe 4 days tops).

[+neogeo1982]

On 7/30/2023 at 2:45 PM, Zap! said:

old DC battery

Good question. I thought about changing this out myself. I've gotten about about 10 years so far out of my old one. But I do turn on my Dreamcast about once a week and it's still ticking.

    I wonder if the PSU makes a difference on this. I noticed many battery modded systems also have a modern PSU mod in them too. And the noctua fan mod also. I don't know enough about electrical to say either way.

[eightbit]

On 7/30/2023 at 2:45 PM, Zap! said:

I replaced the old DC battery with a coin cell battery holder and an ML2032 rechargeable battery. If I don't turn it on for a day or two or even a week+ it remembers just fine. But after around 10-14 days, I have to put in the date and time again. Is this normal? Shouldn't it be fine without being turned on for months? I have also tried CR2032's. Even less time (maybe 4 days tops).

 

It is indeed normal. Even my brand new import Dreamcast purchased in around June of 1999 acted that way. It seemed to me even worse...like a week and it would forget. And don't get me started on the VMU's. TWO CR-2032's die in hours. Don't even bother

 

My import DC is still here and I did the same as you and replaced with a holder and a brand new ML2032. Still the same...loses charge if not powered on for a week or so.

 

I do not know how a standard 2032 would react as I never added a diode to block the charging. Could perhaps last a lot longer