(Topic ID: 147261)

How to change a Stern battery?

By Nokoro

8 years ago


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  • 57 posts
  • 34 Pinsiders participating
  • Latest reply 10 days ago by rai
  • Topic is favorited by 10 Pinsiders

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    There are 57 posts in this topic. You are on page 1 of 2.
    #1 8 years ago

    Simple question. In modern Sterns (pre-Spike), specifically my Star Trek Pro, how do you change the CR2430 battery? I thought I read somewhere that you can do it with the power off, and your settings will be saved for a short time while you switch out the battery. Is that right, or do you need to change it with the power on?

    Thanks!

    #2 8 years ago

    Change with the power on.

    #3 8 years ago

    Never work on circuit boards with the power on. Something as simple as dropping the battery while you're working can short out the board. High score retention simply isn't worth doing hundreds of dollars of damage.

    #4 8 years ago

    How long do these type of batteries last?

    #5 8 years ago

    Change them every 2 full years. You change them with power on to retain the settings. If you do it with power on, prepare your machine and yourself to change it easily, don't rush it. Get your translite off the machine, use a step to reach it easily and be careful when you do it.

    I done it last year on my 3 machines and nothing happened. Only thing is that I could had changed them on power off, because I messed a lot with pinball browser and when you update, you lose your high scores...unless you write those manually on the PB software itself before updating.

    #6 8 years ago
    Quoted from matt_assassin:

    Only thing is that I could had changed them on power off, because I messed a lot with pinball browser and when you update

    huh?

    #7 8 years ago
    Quoted from DCfoodfreak:

    How long do these type of batteries last?

    I've never changed my battery on PotC 8+ years.

    #8 8 years ago

    Tell it a joke, and try to soften it up with some humour first.

    #9 8 years ago

    I really thought I read somewhere that the machine would hold your settings if you changed the battery within 30 minutes of powering off. But, I can't find that now, which is the reason for my post. I don't want to screw anything up, so I guess I'll swap it out with the power off. Maybe I'll get lucky and my settings will be preserved. . . . .

    #10 8 years ago

    Please update once you've changed the batteries, I'd like to know too

    #11 8 years ago
    Quoted from Nokoro:

    Maybe I'll get lucky and my settings will be preserved.

    If you are that lucky, you should be buying lottery tickets.

    LTG : )™
    Disclaimer : I read somewhere your settings won't be preserved.

    #12 8 years ago

    Gottlieb System 3s used a similar battery in the 90s and I never had to change one once.

    #13 8 years ago
    Quoted from o-din:

    Gottlieb System 3s used a similar battery in the 90s and I never had to change one once.

    Well, here's a better question then. Should I change the battery every two years? Will the lithium CR2430 coin batteries eventually leak?

    #14 8 years ago
    Quoted from Nokoro:

    Well, here's a better question then. Should I change the battery every two years? Will the lithium CR2430 coin batteries eventually leak?

    Hard to say. I bought a spare System3 battery and never had to use it in the three that I owned. Machines are gone, but I still have that battery.

    I got the feeling they must have been recharging as these are soldered in and looked like they had never been replaced.

    #15 8 years ago

    These lithium coin type batteries are used in the Canon copiers I work on in my day job. They say the life is 10 years but I've never replaced one and never seen one leak.

    #16 8 years ago

    I personally just try to make it a habit of replacing the batteries in all my games every year around this time. That way I know they're always fresh.

    #17 8 years ago

    I put an NVRAM in every game I get that will take one. Then, I don't have to worry about it. Only downside is if your game has a midnight madness mode, the clock will never be right.

    #18 8 years ago

    Well, it has only been a year and a half. Maybe I'll wait. There's supposed to be one more code update for Star Trek, and I'll lose everything then anyway. Seems like a good time to replace the battery.

    #19 8 years ago
    Quoted from Nokoro:

    Well, it has only been a year and a half. Maybe I'll wait. There's supposed to be one more code update for Star Trek, and I'll lose everything then anyway. Seems like a good time to replace the battery.

    Do it then. The whole point of using these batteries is they don't leak so don't worry aboot it.

    #20 8 years ago

    Note to Self: ST is a Stern SAM system game.

    I learn something new every day. Thanks to posts like this, I learn context to everything. I had assumed that ST was a SPIKE system, even though I own one and I am sure the owner's manual says nothing of the sort. Go figure!

    #21 8 years ago

    The CR2430 will last at least 5 years in a game. The storage life is about 10 years. I'd probably start thinking of replacing after the 5th year. They won't leak like alkaline batteries so no worries there.

    If you want to retain settings change with the power on. Changing with the power off will lose settings. I wouldn't use any tools when changing the batteries and you'll be fine with the power on.

    #22 8 years ago

    I would imagine the CR2430 is going to last a long long time. I wouldnt worry about replacing them.

    Some NES games from 30 years ago used a coin battery to hold memory that is typically still good.

    #23 8 years ago

    Basically, what I was saying is that you lose your settings when you update with Pinball browser. Its like changing batterie with power off...

    -4
    #24 8 years ago

    It was always my assumption that with the power off as long as the machine is still plugged into a power source you're not using the battery at all.

    #25 8 years ago
    Quoted from thundergod76:

    It was always my assumption that with the power off as long as the machine is still plugged into a power source you're not using the battery at all.

    Nope. When the power switch is flipped, the power stops there. The boards are not getting any wall power.

    #26 8 years ago

    So, I just noticed that when I turned the power off with the translite removed that some of the LED indicators on the boards stay lit for a little while. I didn't stay around to see how long. Perhaps that gives you enough time to swap the battery without losing your settings/score? Or perhaps not.

    I'll try swapping the battery out with the power off before doing the next software update just for kicks to see if it works.

    #27 8 years ago
    Quoted from herg:

    Nope. When the power switch is flipped, the power stops there. The boards are not getting any wall power.

    Thanks for the info!

    #28 8 years ago
    Quoted from Nokoro:

    So, I just noticed that when I turned the power off with the translite removed that some of the LED indicators on the boards stay lit for a little while.

    Caps draining.

    #29 8 years ago
    Quoted from matt_assassin:

    Change them every 2 full years. You change them with power on to retain the settings. If you do it with power on, prepare your machine and yourself to change it easily, don't rush it. Get your translite off the machine, use a step to reach it easily and be careful when you do it.
    I done it last year on my 3 machines and nothing happened. Only thing is that I could had changed them on power off, because I messed a lot with pinball browser and when you update, you lose your high scores...unless you write those manually on the PB software itself before updating.

    You must either be a tech or an investor in button battery technology.

    #30 8 years ago
    Quoted from usandthem:

    You must either be a tech or an investor in button battery technology.

    I wish for either of your quotes but I'm not. Just a regular pinballer.

    #31 8 years ago
    Quoted from Nokoro:

    So, I just noticed that when I turned the power off with the translite removed that some of the LED indicators on the boards stay lit for a little while. I didn't stay around to see how long. Perhaps that gives you enough time to swap the battery without losing your settings/score? Or perhaps not.
    I'll try swapping the battery out with the power off before doing the next software update just for kicks to see if it works.

    If you open the update file in Pinball Browser you can enter your current high scores and make your settings changes right in the app. Save the edited file and update the pin as usual, and when it boots you'll be running new code with your scores and settings retained.

    #32 8 years ago
    Quoted from msarac:

    If you open the update file in Pinball Browser you can enter your current high scores and make your settings changes right in the app. Save the edited file and update the pin as usual, and when it boots you'll be running new code with your scores and settings retained.

    I've heard that. Thanks. I don't have pinball browser. One of these days, I should play around with it.

    1 year later
    #33 6 years ago
    Quoted from Nokoro:

    I really thought I read somewhere that the machine would hold your settings if you changed the battery within 30 minutes of powering off. But, I can't find that now, which is the reason for my post. I don't want to screw anything up, so I guess I'll swap it out with the power off. Maybe I'll get lucky and my settings will be preserved. . . . .

    today i swaped my battery from my stern indiana jones , power off with new coincell in reach, placed in the new powered up and my settings were still there!
    so i guess if you swap fast it holds memory at least about 30 secs?

    #34 6 years ago
    Quoted from jorro:

    so i guess if you swap fast it holds memory at least about 30 secs?

    Was the machine plugged in?

    #35 6 years ago

    Yes pluged in but power switch off

    2 weeks later
    #36 6 years ago

    I've swapped with power on and it works fine.

    #37 6 years ago

    How about spike system? Where is the battery? Recently picked up a GB and did not notice a battery.
    Did not see it mentioned in the manual.

    #38 6 years ago
    Quoted from Jenk540i:

    How about spike system? Where is the battery?

    Let's hope a battery is not used on the spike board.

    #39 6 years ago
    Quoted from PinballManiac40:

    Let's hope a battery is not used on the spike board.

    Small round one mounted perpendicular to the board.

    LTG : )

    #40 6 years ago
    Quoted from Jenk540i:

    How about spike system? Where is the battery? Recently picked up a GB and did not notice a battery.

    It's on the board in the head, mounted upright. A small round one.

    LTG : )

    #41 6 years ago
    Quoted from Jenk540i:

    Where is the battery?

    Circled in red with a red arrow pointing to it.

    LTG : )

    SternSpike (resized).jpgSternSpike (resized).jpg

    #42 6 years ago
    Quoted from LTG:

    Small round one mounted perpendicular to the board.
    LTG : )

    Any idea if the Spike 2 board has one as well?

    #43 6 years ago
    Quoted from LTG:

    It's on the board in the head, mounted upright. A small round one.
    LTG : )

    See it now, thanks

    #44 6 years ago
    Quoted from PinballManiac40:

    Any idea if the Spike 2 board has one as well?

    Yes.

    LTG : )

    #45 6 years ago

    It's my understanding that SPIKE saves the settings on the SD card. So a battery change won't affect anything.

    #46 6 years ago
    Quoted from CafeOne:

    It's my understanding that SPIKE saves the settings on the SD card. So a battery change won't affect anything.

    Then what is the purpose for the battery?

    #47 6 years ago
    Quoted from TomGWI:

    Then what is the purpose for the battery?

    I would assume time and date, but I'm just guessing.

    #48 6 years ago
    Quoted from Spyderturbo007:

    I would assume time and date, but I'm just guessing.

    Good point.

    1 year later
    #49 5 years ago

    My GB stopped keeping time but all the settings and scores were not impacted. Pulled the battery and measured with my meter - dead as a door nail. New battery and clock is keeping time again.

    This confirms (for me at least) that all the battery does is keep the clock running on Spike systems.

    Also, Spike uses a 2032 battery (very common) while SAM uses a 2430 (slightly larger).

    6 months later
    #50 5 years ago
    Quoted from Schwaggs:

    This confirms (for me at least) that all the battery does is keep the clock running on Spike systems.

    Also, Spike uses a 2032 battery (very common) while SAM uses a 2430 (slightly larger).

    Wish I had read to your post toward the end of this thread before buying a 2430 battery for my GOTLE based on the OP's question. Yes, the Spike system uses a CR2032 battery. Also correct that the battery is strictly for the date/time function. Stern, however, incorrectly lists the battery in their Operation and Parts Manual as a CR232, which just added to my confusion, while researching the correct battery replacement.

    There are 57 posts in this topic. You are on page 1 of 2.

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