Gaming GBA SP Battery?

[Dwedit]

Anyone know where to get a good GBA SP battery? I tried one off Amazon, but it was a lemon.

edit: Whoops, meant to post it in this forum: http://gbatemp.net/forums/gba-console-and-game-discussions-help-and-tips.4/

 

[FAST6191]

Moved it for you.

It is no longer listed on their site (naturally none of the presently available ones are directly compatible) and
https://web.archive.org/web/2005120...dostore/prodlink.html?part=16951&parent=57903
Is not helping me figure out when it might have been delisted.
Suffice it to say though that it is probably far enough in the past that any official stock is probably well into deep discharge territory. Now it is not impossible someone keeps legacy batteries topped up and conditioned but I am not expecting it here. That said there is the option to go to yard sales, thrift stores and such and get lucky.

The label on the back of mine (got mine about this time in 2004) says li-ion and 3.8V @600mAh. I don't know if 3.8V is marketing nonsense like 20V tool batteries (drops to 18 like everything else under load) or actual high end, especially for the time, li-ion which does/did go there.

I would be tempted to consider getting a phone/camera flat pack cell of suitable dimensions, while third party replacements are a dirty word in games world they do OK there, and adapting it (possibly sticking a diode and an external charge port if it turns out that the SP does not have suitable charge control or has too low a cutoff) as I don't think it is like the PSP1000 (the other main case for wanting legacy batteries) with the eeprom written and interrogated every charge/boot (recall the whole pandora battery bit) and such. Whether you would want to cannibalise either your old one or your new junk connector block to make your life a bit easier is up to you, do it outside and away from flammable things though.

 

[Lozz84]

I got one from Aliexpress , it's was cheap like 4 euros and it works fine lasts about 7-8 hours

 

[Ferris1000]

i would use a Nintendo DS Battery, i also do it because it has a higher capacity

 

[Todderbert]

i would use a Nintendo DS Battery, i also do it because it has a higher capacity

I like this idea. I have quite a few OG DSs lying about. Guessing you just cut those two side tabs off for fit into the SP?

 

[Ryccardo]

I like this idea. I have quite a few OG DSs lying about. Guessing you just cut those two side tabs off for fit into the SP?

Correct, DS batteries are even a little higher capacity (well, they were in 2004)

 

[Todderbert]

Correct, DS batteries are even a little higher capacity (well, they were in 2004)

My SP battery says 600mah, and the DS one is 850mah

 

[Ryccardo]

My SP battery says 600mah, and the DS one is 850mah

And now they're likely less than half of that ideal figure

 

[Todderbert]

And now they're likely less than half of that ideal figure

Too true, one of my SP's battery has that dreaded bulge..now it holds a charge for only an hour or so. Time to swap it out again.