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External battery 4-pins

For decades, I've used a 4 AA cell battery holder to plug into the 4 pin header on old boards, from 286 to P1. They're cheap and 4 alkaline cells will last a decade. These holders used to be packaged with generic cases, together with a strip of double-sided foam tape so you could stick 'em where you wanted. So they're historically accurate.

N.B. those 4 pin headers will not work with rechargeable batteries, even if the motherboard original is a NiCd. Just about anything from 3-6V should work fine.
 
paul195614 said:
The battery of my old 486 has died, it's a 3.6v barrel type battery. I noticed the mainboard also has an 4 pins external connector, which is a lot easier than soldering a new barrel type.
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There may be a an 'internal/external battery' jumper that you will need to change in order to use the 4-pin connector.

paul195614 said:
On ebay I found the following battery: http://www.ebay.com/itm/PLC-Compute...t=BI_Control_Systems_PLCs&hash=item3cbf1d46f1. My question is: will it work? Does it matter it's a 3 volt one instead of 3.6 v?
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The auction author has it wrong. The TL-5242/W is a 3.6V battery.

On eBay are quite a few TL-5242/W items, all at varying prices. For longevity, see if you can get a recently made one. For example, the photo of eBay item shows a date of Nov 2006 (of course, what is supplied could be different).
 
Chuck(G) said:
For decades, I've used a 4 AA cell battery holder to plug into the 4 pin header on old boards, from 286 to P1. They're cheap and 4 alkaline cells will last a decade. These holders used to be packaged with generic cases, together with a strip of double-sided foam tape so you could stick 'em where you wanted. So they're historically accurate.
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How long do these AA batteries last if I don't use the computer at all? At least it's much cheaper than buying the external from Ebay.

modem7 said:
On eBay are quite a few TL-5242/W items, all at varying prices. For longevity, see if you can get a recently made one. For example, the photo of eBay item shows a date of Nov 2006 (of course, what is supplied could be different).
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Where do you see the date? I can't find it on the picture.
 
Stone said:
They'll last for five years if you get alkaline, whether you use the computer or not.
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I seem to get 8-10 years out of a set. That could be because the RTC will keep running down to about 2V and you start with about 6V on the battery. The discharge curve is very long. I also keep the batteries outside of the box--most batteries, alkaline included, don't like elevated temperatures and tend to self-discharge faster.
 
I was being conservative. I didn't wanna check my email in 7 years and see a request from Paul for a prorated refund. :)

That's a nice tip about the temps.
 
paul195614 said:
The battery of my old 486 has died, it's a 3.6v barrel type battery. I noticed the mainboard also has an 4 pins external connector, which is a lot easier than soldering a new barrel type. On ebay I found the following battery: http://www.ebay.com/itm/PLC-Compute...t=BI_Control_Systems_PLCs&hash=item3cbf1d46f1. My question is: will it work? Does it matter it's a 3 volt one instead of 3.6 v?
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Is there a Radio Shack near you? Odd that the eBay item says it's 3v and Tadiran Tl-5242 compatible.

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2715445
 
Stone said:
I was being conservative. I didn't wanna check my email in 7 years and see a request from Paul for a prorated refund. :)
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Good one :D But five years is good enough already, and if it even lasts longer all the better. I have just bought a batteryholder, now I'll only have to find a way to mount it in the case (I don't want to keep it outside)

Chuckster_in_Jax said:
Is there a Radio Shack near you? Odd that the eBay item says it's 3v and Tadiran Tl-5242 compatible.

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2715445
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I don't understand it either. Too bad I don't have a Radio Shack nearby... But I'll try it with the AA Batteryholder, cheap and easy to replace. Thanks everyone for all your responses!
 
Velcro is good, if it's the adhesive sort. If you check an auto supply store, double-sided foam tape made for reattching moldings, etc. will result in a very strong bond to a battery holder. The stuff is very, very strong--the duct tape of the auto repair business.
 
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