Game Boy (DMG-01) battery MOD

[FAMICOM_87]

-Don't you hate when you have to look for whole 4 batteries when you wanna play your good old Game Boy?Or the game to interrupt out of nowhere from exhausted batteries?  

Let me show you a very simple and useful mod for Game Boy (DMG-01)
The idea is to be able to play it with only 2 batteries, or if you have 4, to play twice as much time than usual!!!  

My idea came to me unexpectedly, when I noticed that the next versions of the game boy (Game Boy Pocket and Game Boy Color) use only 2 batteries and besides a smaller ones and respectively with a smaller amount of milliamperes (less duration)  

And so I tested the game boy with only 2 batteries I it turned that it works without any problems, neither the games crash, neither the screen fade. The same thing refer and after the mod itself (if the four batteries are used). The only difference from before is that the LED no longer indicates when the GB is turned on.
So it turned out that despite the written 6 volts, the console works without problems with 3 volts.

Here is what the mod represents:

The four batteries (1.5 V), are connected consecutively and with that they supply the console with the required 6V. But after we found out that the console can work with 3 V, I put the batteries parallel in two groups with two consecutively connected batteries.

Here is the principal of the operation:



The consecutively connection enhance the voltage. With that, the consumers can be supplied with requirement for more voltage. In this case the electricity remains the same as the supply from the one of the batteries (if they are all with the same capacity) or the one of them with the biggest capacity. (if they are different)

The parallel connection enhance the electricity (milliamperes)
In that case the consumers required more electricity can be supplied.
In that case the voltage remains the same as one of the batteries supplies (of they are with same power) or the most powerful one (if they are different)

So since every batteries is 1.5V we will need two ways of connecting them (both parallel and consecutively).The batteries are now connected is two pairs. Each one of the pairs is independent and it is connected consecutively supplying 3 V.

This means that now it can be played only with two batteries, but they have to be placed either on first bed and second bed or on third and forth.
Or you can enjoy twice as much time on playing, as you keep using all four batteries


Recommendation:
- Always use equally batteries regardless of that if they are 2 or 4, with the same indicators
(equally milliamperes mAh and voltage V )
- I recommend the usage of  accumulator batteries.

[magicmarker]

I've just bought a DMG-01 modded classic and on the look for battery mods I've stumbled over this old battery tweak... First of all, I think its great to use the old one with 2 batteries. But I don't want to try this on my modded DMG because the LED's in the LCD-Screen probably woudn't work any more.

But I think this mod could not double the battery life. It's physically not possible. Here is why:

The original gameboy needs 0.7 watts to run probably. With 6 volts and 0.7 watts, we are at 0,12 amp. (0,7w/6v) Same example with 3 volts (0,7w/3v) and we are at 0,23 amp. I'm assuming the gameboy needs constant 0,7 watts to work. So you got double battery life from splitting the voltage in half, but this doubles the amps and makes, IMHO, no difference how long the batteries will last at the end.

So, maybe I'm wrong and the gameboy is suddenly runnin' on 0.35 watts, but if not, there is sadly no sense in doing this... Sorry...  



Greetings

-magicmarker

[FAMICOM_87]

may be you are absolutely right , but as you sead , the one thing is shure , betther with only 2 baterries then 4 

[Great Hierophant]

Anyone try this with an EverDrive GB?  That device works well in a GBC and a GBA with 2xAA, but those devices use components that are around a decade newer and less power hungry.  The EverDrive can have difficulties with a GBP, which uses 2xAAA. 

[HVC-Man]

I wouldn't advise it. Not only that, I wouldn't advise this DMG battery mod either, for the very same reasons posted by magicmarker.

I don't have an Everdrive GB, but I do have a GB Smart Card and it works fine in DMG, GBP and GBC perfectly.