how do i replace a battery that is soldered in? i looked it up on yahoo, but only found guides for batteries that were not soldered.
Digikey has some batteries with legs, they're about $1.70 though compared to $0.30 for the regular ones though. Look up BR2032 on there.
I'm not sure exactly how people have done it. Maybe taping the old legs to the new battery? I'm pretty sure it's not safe to solder to it, heheh.
There two good ways to replace the battery. First you have to remove the old battery, as it will eventually start to leak. You can use pliers and a soldering iron to do the job. Be careful to not let the old battery heat up too much.
For a new battery, the two best options are:
1. a new battery with solder legs attached
2. a coin battery holder, with a normal CR2032 battery installed
I've done #2 because that way I can store my games without the battery installed, and when I need to play the game, I can pop the shell, install a battery with my bare hands, close everything up and start playing.
That's pricey and time consuming though... you're preparing for 15 years from now when the battery starts to fail? :)
#1 on my list is for the lazy people that don't mind resoldering new batteries to hundreds of carts, ever 10 years or so.
thanks for the tips. could i just get a new battery and use some industrial epoxy to adhere the battery to the original connectors? i mean, the batteries last 15-20 years, so its not like i have to take it out anytime soon.