Changing 8 NES Save Batteries! - Fixing Ebay Junk

I replace 8 save batteries on NES cartridge (well, 7. Forgot to hit record on one). It's a real easy job, with minimal tools required.
#RetroRepairs #FixingEbayJunk #RetroGaming
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Thanks for watching

[@grim8562]

thank you very much for doing this video now I can replace my batteries and enjoy these exact same classic games again from my childhood.

[@kibagami25]

DUDE!!!! that is an insane find for what you got. Those games are so good and fun. Had a blast when they came out as a kid.

[@mint_kyuu99]

Honestly, replacing the battery of a cart has more value than having a dead battery on it

[@mindustrial]

"But but no the game is only original when it has no battery replacement"

[@mint_kyuu99]

@@mindustrial Well, knowing some """""collectors""""" or how I call them, hoarders, they don't care if it even works, they just want it to display it in a shelf and play the game using an everdrive or an emulator So that's why he may said that it might have more value if it hasn't had the battery replaced

[@arthurcollector4002]

@@mint_kyuu99 collectors, or how i call them, clever investors, they are not alone, honestly i doubt anyone touch these 20 hours rpg games and play them

[@KisoX]

@@arthurcollector4002 I play my games. Why wouldn't I?

[@mint_kyuu99]

@@arthurcollector4002 I don't think that keeping something that doesn't work properly is a clever inversion. Also, a true collector buys the games to actually play them, not to put it in a shelf to display them

[@jakthebomb]

Woot Woot 4K repair action, the quality is amazing

[@BurningEmerald]

Take a shot everytime Adam puts the board in backwards. Thanks for all the videos this year man! Hope you and Kona are well.

[@anonheart]

Battery Replacement Speedrun Any%

[@Diego_BR]

@Rex Warden A frame perfect move.

[@KISSbestfan]

This is 100%! With all secrets

[@TechWithSean]

Wow, Dragon Warrior IV! One of the best NES games, definitely worth fixing.

[@Cookiedon15]

Even though there is someone willing to pay a high price for those games, it's no skin off your nose to replace the batteries because you paid less than $10 for everything and your keeping them 👍

[@RetroRepairs]

Exactly. If I'm a reseller, then I'll try keep everything original as much as possible. But I'm not, I'm mostly in this for my own collection

[@TheSkaldenmettrunk]

Yes and we got the batterie replacement video. Cool. It was, as always, very interesting. Thank you.

[@spidermcgavenport]

Outstanding! Thank you Sir. Best way to remove that marker and labels is IPA and an eraser! Cleaning those contact pads with an eraser IPA and some cotton swabs rocks the best for my basic needs. Gets all that verdigris off quite nicely. I also removed the batteries and added a battery holder away from the PCB to prevent any damage in the future.

[@a.p.980]

This video is motivating me to finally fix my mechanical keyboard. I need to replace a few switches.

[@Rguy8675]

The Zelda cartridges are supposed to be black on the inside

[@RetroRepairs]

Excellent

[@Warrax22]

I open a lot of NES games and I can confirm.

[@JorgeTamezPhoto]

I don'r know about the zelda games in particular, but generally, for a chrome/metallic paint you need a black base

[@onceagian]

Thank you! This maybe the most helpful thing on learning to solder and stuff like that I have seen. Can you do a repair tools or station tour one day? It maybe cool. Thanks again!

[@SparksNZeros]

you can get a desoldering gun like the ZD-915 for about $100, they work great for little jobs and soon pay for themselves in terms of being able to do more complicated jobs, quicker and with less need of consumables.

[@RetroRepairs]

I've heard hit or miss stories from cheap guns. Some swear by them, others have nothing but problems. That's the biggest issue with some of the clones from China, quality control just isn't there. Sometimes they're great, other times, not so much.

[@PreciousAlpschindler]

@@RetroRepairs well I guess I should go with Hakko I don’t care if I’m broke I just want a safe and decent soldering gun Made in Japan

[@Rguy8675]

The Adventures of Link is an underrated classic!

[@thecommentreviewer2054]

I’m definitely not a big fan of it It just doesn’t fit in the series

[@KisoX]

@@thecommentreviewer2054 Same with Breath of the Wild.

[@RyanKuebel]

Agreed.

[@Rguy8675]

Well keep in mind it was only the second game in the series soo...

[@Rguy8675]

@@KisoX you’re right but sometimes they want to try something new

[@KISSbestfan]

Happy New Year Adam! Things have been rough lately. Hope to come back soon, can already see some good stuff!

[@moderusprime]

I've never heard anyone say replacing the battery decreases value and if they did they're dumb.

[@fmdof]

There are people out there that think that. They're the idiot collectors that think price is more important than the game itself. Same idiots think resurfacing a disc game decreases the value, cause now the disc isn't original anymore, despite the fact that said disc is now playable. The stupid shit I've see in forums is mind boggling.

[@Alexander_l322]

@@fmdof yea it’s the greasy fat ones living in their moms basement who talk like that.

[@mjc0961]

@@fmdof wut The disc is still original. Not like it's a reprint or something. Just removing a little plastic to make the data readable again. Idiots.

[@clearvus]

I don’t see how replacing the battery can lower the life of a game given that you’re prolonging the life of the cartridge. Wanting the original battery and leaving it in there is a recipe for ending up with a damaged PCB and an unplayable game 😞 Weird that someone would think that.

[@thomasandrews9355]

It's like the people who want the OG xbox with the leaking cap...like "ok"...

[@captainsergeant]

Precisely. It is a MUST to replace and upgrade Arcade PCBs as well as Pinball PCBs that use batteries on the board. I'm at a loss as to why a Nintendo cartridge would be any different.

[@kam_mil]

when did he say that? i agree with you

[@chrish8904]

Some people prefer all components to be original in order for it to be sold as original. Especially hardcore collectors, but if the battery is damaging the pcb then I guess you should replace it.

[@clearvus]

@@kam_mil he wasn’t saying it he was saying that others have commented about that. Or that’s how I understood it

[@leverknight1]

I've always spread out my solder wick to make it wider and it seems to soak away the solder pretty quick and a good ways away from the joint.

[@Alexander_l322]

Yea I wondered why he’s using it like that and not spreading it

[@rebootrevival4989]

You can remove those barcode stickers on the label using Heptane, without risking damage. Commercially sold as Bestine or Un-Du. It will not damage ink, gloss, paper, or plastic. I use it to remove decayed tape from old map posters, and books. And stickers from a many different games. It works by absorbing into the adhesives and causing them to loose their tack. It does not dissolve it. Many times if you saturate properly, you can remove the sticker whole with the adhesive still attached. If its old and decayed you will need to gently lift off left overs with q-tips. If you are to forceful for to long, you are essentially wet sanding and that action can do tiny alterations. But its not the fault of heptane. Last night I used it to clean smokers tar residue from the manual of Arkham Asylum. Its invaluable for the gaming community and not many know it or use it. Also, you can remove Sharpee and permanent marker using 95% ethanol. In the US you can use Everclear from the liquor store. Sharpee ink is primarily suspended in the pen with SDA-40 which is generally 99.86% ethanol and the rest being a poisoning agent. Ethanol is fairly mild and can be used to remove sharpee on many surfaces. Including Discs and Paper. Put a small amount of ethanol on the sharpee, let sit for a few seconds and dab a paper towel on it. Do not wipe. The ethanol should suspend the ink again and pull it into the towel fibers. You may need to do this a couple times. Paper is tricky though because if the sharpee is on blank paper, it will instead embed further into the paper fibers. If its on top of an already printed surface, it will absorb into the paper towel instead. Be gentle with Discs and label art, ethanol can also lift the disc label, but it requires more time wet and some action. When I remove sharpee from discs, I only do 1 treatment a day. Usually 1 is all thats needed. Colored sharpee's tend to take 3 sometimes 4 treatements.

[@wojiaobill]

Just make sure you don't get any flux on the capacitor, especially if you're in a car going 88mph

[@gmcnewlook]

Good one!

[@gmcnewlook]

Or else you’ll see some serious shit.....

[@jamisonlm3]

That shiny golden look of the Zelda cartridge was most like made through the same process plastic flashlight reflectors go though. The actual cartridge was injection molded in black and then went through something I believe is called vapor deposition. We're lucky these day to have such good soldering irons. I used to dread using desoldering braid. Since I got one of the stations that use the cloned Hakko T12 tips, it's made things so much easier. I just dip some cheap braid in paste flux and it just sucks the solder up.

[@cambloch]

I may be wrong but it seems you inverted polarity on dragon warrior 4. Positive was on right on original battery and you put it on left for the new one.

[@RetroRepairs]

I'll double check that one.

[@FranktheTank319]

I find that those cheapo solder suckers with the plunger and button do a great job or getting the residual solder from the holes where the battery leads go.

[@Evercade_Effect]

Thanks for doing viewer requests. I enjoyed watching this video. It wasn't as straight forward but not as difficult as I thought. Did you test all the carts after replacing the batteries to ensure the game saves work?

[@RetroRepairs]

I've still yet to do that, but that's part of my process for it. It would get way too long if i did this all in the video

[@mdbelt1]

Thanks, I always enjoy your videos. I appreciate you letting us see the desoldering gun you use. What flux pen, solder, & solder gun do you recommend ? I notice you mentioned being able to set the temperature of your gun. I'm going to need to upgrade to one that can set the temperature.

[@RetroRepairs]

I use mg chemicals 60/40 solder and rosin flux. My iron is a hakko fx-888d and gun is hakko fr-301. For the price, (around $100), the iron is great. You can get better of course, and you can go cheaper but it's a great way to go if you're looking to invest in a decent setup to start

[@matt4193]

Why leave the "original" battery and risk damage by corrosion or leakage? If you really care about preserving old carts I'd say the best thing to do is to replace old dying batteries for new ones, or even a coin cell holder like a lot of modders like to install. I really dont understand how avoiding damage is detrimental to the value of hardware.

[@Alexander_l322]

I think it’s just a way for collectors to try and get a better price from themselves by making excuses as to why they shouldn’t pay as much as it’s really worth. Just because it’s had a new battery when in fact it’s better to have a new battery so the cart will last longer without any damage inside.

[@karate-ka]

Wow..Bandito video, bringing back memories ...

[@gizmo1252000]

have a great new year Adam :) love the content

[@MrTL117]

Those soldering connections for the battery on the first game didn't look very factory. Looks much improved :D Maybe write the date you replaced the battery inside the case?

[@scottmccann]

Nice video. I’m a newb and learned tons. QQ: do the batteries not slide out of the holder for replacement? Or are they hard fastened into the holder? Thx.

[@rpavlik1]

The ones in there and that he's installing have the metal tabs spot-welded to the battery, so you have to de-solder to remove. Not like the regular 2032 in eg. computer motherboards.

[@kingklump]

I was going to ask this very question. Thanks!

[@mjc0961]

Another thought about "wait until the battery dies to replace it" - If I do that, and the battery dies while I'm in the middle of playing it and I lose my save, I'm going to be PISSED. So if it's a 30 year old original battery, it's getting replaced before I play.

[@RetroRepairs]

Another good point. There are ways you can maintain 3v while swapping it, but i really see no reason not to swap them now

[@jochenwuerfel]

Happy New Year Adam & Kona 🎉

[@jacobchandler7953]

love the video, great NES content... But, why the solder braid? why not a Desoldering iron or something equivalent?

[@jeremym9011]

It is nice that you got the NES version of Might and Magic that was composed by Masaharu Iwata. I do wish that old games were NOT collectable however.

[@Rguy8675]

Why?

[@JerryTerrifying]

@@Rguy8675 probably so he could afford them. I've been "collecting" since before it was expensive. I miss buying any NES game for a buck.

[@carlosenriquecaballeroguer686]

The legend says that if you mix up the positive and negative terminals, your game will run backwards.

[@JerryTerrifying]

Nah they just play in Australia.

[@MrDbrennen]

I've no interest in NES stuff in general (though I appreciate your efforts preserving old games), I just enjoy you videos for the zen

[@anthonywatson3130]

Great video as always. The replacement batteries will probably last the rest of our natural lives, but if you have the space soldering in a battery holder is awesome.

[@RetroRepairs]

I've often debated that. I figured the rom chips will go bad before these replacements, plus the added cost, i don't see a point. If they needed replacing every year, then absolutely. But once every 30 years? Just solder them in

[@8bitbubsy]

@Rex Warden This. The ones I bought from eBay are really bad and don't last long (they look the same, with the yellow plastic around the battery).

[@mjc0961]

@Rex Warden Yeah, that's why I prefer the sockets. At least if I buy a crap battery, it's easy to swap. Not that soldering is hard, it's pretty easy, but socketing is even easier. Also, if I need a battery I can just go to the store and buy a battery, I'm not forced to order online and wait like I would be with tabbed batteries.

[@ryan20028]

That's a solid $300 worth of NES Games

[@ferndog1461]

Please remind your young viewers to have a gentle fan set up so fumes don't get inhaled. Also, wash hands/ where gloves when done. Lead dust is only dangerous if ingested or breathed in. Thank you for excellent video. Peace.

[@auto1lija]

Great video like always!

[@phrtza]

It would be interesting if you measured the old battery voltage. Also, why not put a battery holder there?

[@Thedoomslayer2029]

Wow that's a great deal!

[@Crimok]

Thank you for the video. Did you actually get the toploader NES to work?

[@justincarroll8656]

Hi love your videos. Use some solder flux on the copper de solder wick and it will pull the old solder off better.

[@MADGAMERFREAK]

I enjoy your videos! Quick question: Don't your fingers get burned when you hold the copper wire while removing the solder? For me, it does and it's something that I always try to avoid.

[@RetroRepairs]

Guess I've grown immune to it. I've got fairly thick skin on my finger tips from playing the guitar and working, so i don't really notice it. I also try and hold it at least a couple inches away. As good of a conductor that copper is, it also cools very well.

[@MADGAMERFREAK]

@@RetroRepairs Thanks for the reply!

[@claimhsolais3466]

Congratulation for your excellent work, apologies if has been already asked, but have you experimented with replacing the CR type battery with FRAM? There's a plethora of guides for Gameboy, Snes,N64, Mega Drive and Saturn to name some, but I have yet to see a viable one for the NES games!

[@KisoX]

I wouldnt replace a battery with FRAM :D

[@TheIndustrialphreak]

Flux will help a ton with wicking as well getting a good solder connection with fresh Pb solder. Dont use the lead free as it can and will grow dendrites and possibly either short out the PCB or lift a pad which is a ever living pain in the ass to repair with either self stick wire or bodge wires. peace and love bro

[@jeremysoronen8154]

How long do these types of batteries generally last? Would it have been worth it to install a battery holder where you could replace the battery without soldering involved?

[@dontsuspendionlyspokemymin5384]

when using solder wicking try spreading the braids out a little before use. it will work a lot better

[@JuicyJakeRepairs]

good to know about the label!

[@CrimsonDragoon23]

Out of curiosity, is there a reason your not just swapping the battery out for a coin battery holder instead???

[@kam_mil]

no, he would just have to buy cr2032 holders. maybe in some rare cases it wouldn't fit on the board

[@xmrlegendxx179]

Hey idk if ur gonna respond but can u tell me the tools that u fix the game boy advance games

[@rpavlik1]

Do you have a link to where you bought the batteries? I got the tools but stalled out on buying the batteries since the reviews are so hit and miss on the Amazon items I found. Do you ever put a socket in, for easier replacement, not needing to heat up the battery with the iron, and being able to use good name brand batteries?

[@mjc0961]

You can put in a socket if you want. kzbin.info/www/bejne/pHSaaol-j7dlpNU

[@StephenMooreOfficial]

putting someo extra flux on the solder wick will help it really suck up the glob of solder thats on there. i solder class 3 electronics for a living. you tend to pick up some tricks and tips along the way :P

[@RetroRepairs]

Yep. I do that all the time, really a gamechanger with braid.

[@StephenMooreOfficial]

@@RetroRepairs definitely. i couldnt imagine soldering without unless you have a desoldering gun or a solder sucker.

[@RetroRepairs]

@@StephenMooreOfficial good braid was also a big gamechanger. I had cheap crappy nexxtech brand stuff, and hated it. I assumed desoldering with braid was an elite skill. Good braid and flux makes it so much easier.

[@StephenMooreOfficial]

@@RetroRepairs www.chemtronics.com/soder-wick-rosin-2 this is the stuff we use at work and its VERY good stuff. we build military electronics so only the best.

[@brianoconnell6459]

Oof, okay. We didn't have Lithium ion batteries in these consoles, as they didn't exist yet, and therefore couldn't explode. At the least these are CR 2032s, at the best these are nickle cadmiums, which when they run flat, just won't do anything. These carts are at least 30 years old, so likely at worst they're ni-cads, and I don't doubt that since CR 2032s can last for a very long time if all they're doing is memory backup charges, even though Nintendo wasn't expecting to see people still playing NES games on the original hardware for longer than 10 years.

[@androxilogin]

I used to do the tweezer trick but found that it sometimes scratches the board.

[@jamesdavies686]

Should be closer to 700F and it helps if you dip the wick in a tiny bit of flux. sucks it right up.

[@Geno2733]

I'd maybe use a pair of tweezers to bend the metal clips... 🤔

[@jrich4766]

Adam when are you gunna start a patreon so we can help support your channel?

[@DevilishAsF]

He has a PayPal linked in the description

[@Wheels8504]

Is it possible to find batteries without the yellow or any other color around it?

[@RetroRepairs]

Probably. I haven't really looked hard, but i doubt they're as common as they once were

[@Wheels8504]

@@RetroRepairs That's what I figured too. Thank you. And also thank you for the video. I enjoy your content.

[@MrMrfreeze2468]

Where do you get you flux pens?

[@RetroRepairs]

Amazon

[@MrDeadmanwalken1]

I like using battery bays

[@jasonbass2973]

Do you use standard or rechargeable batteries?

[@jst25]

I assume the temperatures you share at the beginning of the video are in degrees celsius?

[@rpavlik1]

600+ degrees? I should hope not! I'm pretty sure I do around 350C for leaded, 400C for lead free...

[@nathanmead140]

@@rpavlik1 I usually use 450 on SMD parts with lead free solder and what the non temperature controlled soldering iron I have goes to for everything else but I use a big puddle of flux too

[@JCDentonAU]

Given that this is most likely a US-based channel, I would safely say those temperatures are in Fahrenheit.

[@Crankinthe90s]

It’s possible for the batteries to last 30 years?

[@chrish8904]

those kind can, i suppose

[@8bitbubsy]

The original ones can, but not always. I doubt the replacement ones will, as those are usually cheap generic non-branded batteries that are very bad.

[@michalaugustniak433]

Why not bend the contacts first?

[@RetroRepairs]

I talk about that later. Considering the size and shape of the component, its not necessary to hold it in place, and just makes it slightly more difficult to desolder later

[@michalaugustniak433]

@@RetroRepairs Ah. Good to know.

[@doubtingthomas1312]

💜💜💜

[@nunyabusiness69]

10$???? Holy crap you got a steal considering how much dw4 is

[@majdinj]

wrong polarity installed in the last cartilage

[@Operational117]

It sure looks like... positive pin on large copper plane doesn’t look good...

[@rpavlik1]

Those are definitely not jobs to do with a

[@RetroRepairs]

You can make it work by heating up the solder and pulling the battery out through the molten solder, but getting them completely clean will be difficult with an underpowered iron

[@marcdmv]

Thank you for the video

[@leestaton1697]

good video as all ways and no the video wasent to long

[@thetechdoc792]

The temp of your iron. You said 650. Ill assume you mean F? Im still relearning the art of soldering and im trying to get my temps locked down.

[@Alexander_l322]

No definitely 650c! 🙃

[@tonylenzi166]

Or maybe the rental store melted glye onto the screws so noone could open them, ppl used to open the games and swap the boards from rental stores all the time, so maybe the store did it snd somewere along the line someone tried to get in threw the glue, i remrmber mom and pop store i used to rent from when i was a kid used to do thaf, theyd put something oved the screws so noone could swap the boards

[@unnamedchannel1237]

Flux will help desoldering if it is stubborn

[@ElricSowrd]

Interesting.

[@dontsuspendionlyspokemymin5384]

you have about 350 there in price check value. dragon warrior 3 and 4 over 50 each

[@instahawk8422]

I’ve not heard anyone point that out identifying a nes with a gold sticker means it has a battery

[@anonamatron]

Ten bucks for that set of games is really good..

[@northwestnerd4950]

More like a steal. Seriously, not even complete in box, the Dragon Warrior games alone could fetch their original sale price of $50 each.

[@lescoe]

How did you not already have Zelda II? Blasphemy.

[@RetroRepairs]

I don't buy games at market value, so i only have what i find in cheap lots or in not-working condition

[@groovylicks6]

Bandito video is out of business, just so you know.

[@RiserInferno]

hey can i send you my old 2ds if you can fix it

[@arthurcollector4002]

replacing original batteries with generic batteries is not a great idea because they die or leak easier and sooner just like cheap capacitors, if you replace with original maxell or panasonic is much better

[@8bitbubsy]

Couldn't agree more to this! I think the best idea would be to source a CR2032 socket that somewhat line up with the pads/holes, so that you can install good quality batteries. :)

[@jrit2865]

Yes, the Zelda carts are supposed to be black.

[@mjc0961]

17:47 🤨😂

[@RevrenD23]

Where's your dog?

[@ukrpgfan4029]

Great vid to smoke a doob too.....

[@dontsuspendionlyspokemymin5384]

dont use as much solder as this guy. on that first battery he used so much on that positive side that it was bleeding through the hole and collecting in between battery and board on front side

[@ayjanu]

Yes, both Zelda games are black on the inside.

[@jasonlarnach6770]

Flux would make that easier.

[@auto1lija]

You haven't made videos in almost a year. I hope you're okay.

[@theannoyedmrfloyd3998]

My OCD will require me to remove extraneous labels and sharpie marker graffiti on pre owned games. I hope you're also cleaning the card edge contacts and checking for continuity.

[@theboys9657]

Yes the zelda game is supposed to be black inside

[@nathanmead140]

You shouldn't use really high temperature when doing these because other people have done that and had these batteries blow up right in their faces and the solder wasn't melting easily because you weren't using flux or didn't have enough flux The high temperature is also what makes the pads come off ruining the board, you shouldn't ever need more than 480 degrees Celsius to do this

[@MarcoGPUtuber]

More NES games rescued!

[@jimdavis6833]

Change battery, repeat, repeat, repeat, repeat, repeat, repeat. repeat, repeat.

[@davidschneider1074]

I’m pretty sure it’s supposed to be black

[@datboisazon1589]

Please fix my games!!!