Duracell "Ultra Digital" AA install, your thoughts on this battery for a pinball?

Steelhorse

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Duracell "Ultra Digital" AA install, your thoughts on this battery for a pinball?

I put the Duracell "ultra digital" AA's in. Suppose to be better then even the regular coppertops. I had energizers in my High-Speed pin and read about there not trust worthy in a pinball as they are prone to leak. These batteries Duracell's "ultra digital"were recommended for pinballs. It was 10 months since the energizers were in there so figure it was time for Duracell's. Yes my battery holder is up on the boards. Thanks. I will never use any other type but Duracell for my pinball.
 
who let the duracell rep join the boards :D

thats good to know if they are less prine to leaks though. I like the no battery required solutions myself.
 
http://pin-logic.com/

6116 -> Simtek adapter.


I did a simtek for my D&D pin (6803 MPU), very easy to do if you can get ahold of a simtek!

On the MPU board right next to the battery there's a srm2016c (6116 eq?), pull this out and replace it with a simtek stk25c (from pin-logic.com)

Clipped the battery out, reset settings and its good to go! Saves settings/scores with no problems so far!
 
I am quite sure any good name brand battery will last many years in a regularly used home machine.
Its only machines left in a cold warehouse or boards left in a junk pile for a few years that the batteries start to leak.
I say if your battery holder is good and soldering skills questionable, stick in any alkaline batteries.
 
"Quattrohead"

I own a High Speed as well, how yours holding up? I'am new and when I got this HS it had some no-name alkaline and the guy dropped of machine said he just through some AA in, But I bought Energizer's and that was last December. I was reading Marvin3 or somewhere and they stressed on not having any type of AA unless it's duracell otherwise your asking for issues with them leaking on the boards. So since mine is on the boards I figure the six dollar once a year replacement is not bad as replacing the boards, ETC. from a leaking battery. I'am not familar with electronis so I am not gonna attempt a procedure like replacing a battery holder off the boards or soldering in a chip on the boards and taking a risk like that. I'am learning from these forums and so far I have soldered in some EOS switches and got real familar with flipper assemblies as I just had to rebuilding them. I'am learning ever so slowly but I'am learning. What is a good class to take to learn about fixing boards and circuits? I'am looking into taking an electronics class and need to know what type of class that will also help me repair my pinball machine as well as a career? Thanks. Jeff
 
Nice to know

Brand of AA shouldn't matter. As long as you replace them every year or two, they won't leak or go dead.

Exactly the answer I was looking for since I'am new to owning vids/pins. I was told batteries were something to watch close at, important like changing the pinballs 3-4 times a year.
 
Buy the dirt cheap "AA" batteries.....just make sure you replace them once a year.

Now, if you're going to forget about them for several years (or more).....yes, buy high end batteries (but even then, they can still crap theirself).

Edward
 
You don't need 'digital' batteries for a pinball. The 'digital' batteries are designed by the manufacturer to perform well in intermittent high-load situations (like a camera that charges the flash every time you take a shot, but uses little current in between shots). A pinball's battery-backup is a constant-drain application.

As I remember, a few years back (when the digital batteries first popped up on the market) Consumer Reports did their standard battery tests they figured out that in constant drain situations, the 'digital' batteries didn't do any better (and sometimes did worse) than regular batteries. When they simulated that intermittent high-current operation, the digital batteries did much better than standard ones.

Using 'digital' batteries in your pinballs is a waste of money twice over - they are more expensive than the standard batteries by the same company, AND many of them won't last as long as the regular batteries in this application.

So, the lesson is to know what you are doing with your batteries before you read the marketing BS. 'Digital' batteries are for cameras, not pinballs.
 
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