Battery powering the FB2

[lord_mike]

I remember reading somewhere's that the FB2 takes up very little juice, and it could be easily run on a 9 volt battery. would it be as simple as...

 

9v battery --> battery connector --> 2 wires --> female power jack that fits into back of FB2

 

Is that all that would be necessary? It seems too easy... like I would need to add a resistor in there or something...

 

Any electronic gurus out there with advice? It would be nice to have this thing battery powered, just to make it more convenient for casual play (and even more portable than it is already)

 

Thanks,

 

Mike

[lord_mike]

I remember reading somewhere's that the FB2 takes up very little juice, and it could be easily run on a 9 volt battery. would it be as simple as...

 

9v battery --> battery connector --> 2 wires --> female power jack that fits into back of FB2

 

Is that all that would be necessary? It seems too easy... like I would need to add a resistor in there or something...

 

Any electronic gurus out there with advice? It would be nice to have this thing battery powered, just to make it more convenient for casual play (and even more portable than it is already)

 

Thanks,

 

Mike

 

It worked!

 

Thanks,

 

Mike

[George3]

I remember reading somewhere's that the FB2 takes up very little juice, and it could be easily run on a 9 volt battery...

I tried the direct connection too and it worked. This raises an interesting question - how long does a 9V battery last when powering a FB2? If FB2's get good battery life, I wonder why Atari didn't go with an inexpensive 9V battery snap instead of a (presumably) more expensive AC/DC converter plug and jack... it would be one less wire to get tangled up but I guess they thought it would be better to be able to play it right out of the box without any batteries.

 

(OT: I wonder if an original 2600 be powered this way? I see the FB2's power brick outputs 200mA vs 500mA for my 4-switch 2600.)

[Dragnerok X]

(OT: I wonder if an original 2600 be powered this way? I see the FB2's power brick outputs 200mA vs 500mA for my 4-switch 2600.)

 

Yes, actually, they can. They might not last as long, because of the higher current requirement, but yes, it'll work.

 

[jbanes]

It's funny that everyone is talking about this. I just wired mine up as well. Other than spending time with a multimeter trying to ensure the plug polarity (I suppose I could have just read the specs, huh? ), it was a snap!

 

So, here's the real question: What are you guys using this for? Personally, I'm planning on a long car trip where I'm going to be stuck in the back with the kids. So what could be more fun than hooking the Flashback2 to the in-car entertainment system and playing the classic, 2-player games with the kids?

[Dragnerok X]

So, here's the real question: What are you guys using this for? Personally, I'm planning on a long car trip where I'm going to be stuck in the back with the kids. So what could be more fun than hooking the Flashback2 to the in-car entertainment system and playing the classic, 2-player games with the kids?

 

I'm not! I just know where to look...

 

http://www.classicgaming.com/vcsp/Question4bat.htm

 

BTW: Nice idea! I should try that sometime.

 

*clenches fingers and lifts soldering iron up He-man style*

[keilbaca]

(OT: I wonder if an original 2600 be powered this way? I see the FB2's power brick outputs 200mA vs 500mA for my 4-switch 2600.)

 

Yes, actually, they can. They might not last as long, because of the higher current requirement, but yes, it'll work.

 

 

You get about 4 hours of battery life.

[supercat]

You get about 4 hours of battery life.

 

Battery life may be extended significantly by replacing the 7805 with something better. Generally this would require making a little daughterboard since the better regulators require a few components (an inductor, some diodes, etc.) to go with them, but someone--I forget who--makes a drop-in replacement for the 7805 which includes all the necessary extra parts inside).

 

To output 5 volts, a 7805 needs about 7 volts in; this means that system failure is likely to occur before the battery is fully drained (typically defined as 5.4 volts out, which would translate into the 2600 receiving 3.4 volts). Further, if the 2600 draws 200mA, then 200mA will be drawn from the battery.

 

A good switching regulator will allow the unit to receive 5 volts even when the battery sags to 5.4. Not only that, but when the battery is in good shape the current drawn from it will be lower than the current drawn by the unit. If the unit draws 200mA, the draw on a fresh 9-volt battery would probably be about 140mA. As the battery sinks, the draw on it would increase.

[jbanes]

I'm not! I just know where to look...

 

http://www.classicgaming.com/vcsp/Question4bat.htm

Not to nitpick or anything, but you do realize those instructions are for an actual 2600, and don't really apply to the FB2, right?

 

Granted, the basic principles are the same, but there could be billions of little differences that would help you fry your hardware. Not the least of which is the fact that the FB2 consumes a lower voltage than the original 2600. Thankfully, sticking to an external 9v power supply means that you should be fine as long as you get the polairty right.

 

Edit: Ah, I see. You were on a different tangent than the main thread. Sorry.

 

BTW: Nice idea! I should try that sometime.

 

*clenches fingers and lifts soldering iron up He-man style*

If you do, you'll need a "Size M Jack" to tie the 9v battery connector to. Just in case you were wondering.

Edited January 3, 2007 by jbanes

[elliott]

I would have swapped the 7805 for a switching regulator and used 4 AA's, average 9v= under 500mah, AA's=2000mah or more.

 

I picked up a FB2, I think Rev B maybe C, at a thrift store for $8, I am working out a way to stuff it in a dead Lynx case with a small screen I salvaged from something else. The screen and FB2 already work beautifully together, I just need a sound circuit and work out the controls, then stuff it all in the case. I would expect maybe 5 hours with the backlit screen and FB2 running on 4 AA's.

[keilbaca]

You get about 4 hours of battery life.

 

Battery life may be extended significantly by replacing the 7805 with something better. Generally this would require making a little daughterboard since the better regulators require a few components (an inductor, some diodes, etc.) to go with them, but someone--I forget who--makes a drop-in replacement for the 7805 which includes all the necessary extra parts inside).

 

To output 5 volts, a 7805 needs about 7 volts in; this means that system failure is likely to occur before the battery is fully drained (typically defined as 5.4 volts out, which would translate into the 2600 receiving 3.4 volts). Further, if the 2600 draws 200mA, then 200mA will be drawn from the battery.

 

A good switching regulator will allow the unit to receive 5 volts even when the battery sags to 5.4. Not only that, but when the battery is in good shape the current drawn from it will be lower than the current drawn by the unit. If the unit draws 200mA, the draw on a fresh 9-volt battery would probably be about 140mA. As the battery sinks, the draw on it would increase.

 

Of course. I was suggesting out of the box, just do that simple mod.

 

Now, when I'm done with the Atari I'm modifying... It won't even turn on with a 9 volt...