Thread: A VCII+ Batter-Ectemy - SUCCESS!!!

Hey, this is beginning to be fun!
I followed the instructions in the link I posted in the faq, and drew from my prior experience changing out the battery in the 4DTV 920.
My "spare" VCII board, complete with prieview chip, arrived today.
After getting it authorized (it also had a new battery from the person I bought it from),,,I wasted little time in getting into my 1991 vintage Blue VCII unit. Took Pictures but the ones on the faq site are much better!
Using a dremel tool as the instructions said...I cut away the epoxy seal on the sides, took out the screw under the top silver seal and removed the VCII board...not one tab even broke!! That was a 14 yr old board!! The old battery , a 3.0 Volt Panasonic, actually still read 3.4 volts but who knows for how long. I must admit that the snapping noise as you begin to pop those tabs is a little unerving...You get the same noises when you re-assemble the VCII+ and could swear you broke the tabs...NOT!
I added a wrinkle to make it just like the original. I used the Radio Shack battery holder and Tadrian 3.6 V Battery in parallel on the extra pads 1st...then CAREFULLY REMOVED THE OLD BATTERY...first clipping the positive (2) leads and then the negative, after putting in the tadrian into the holder. You have to be fast to keep the new battery from discharging into the old one. Luckily it took under 30 seconds like the article said
Finished up cleaning out the old solder holes, and then soldered another Panasonic 3V oem battery, quickly removing the temporary Tadrian and unsoldering the spare battery Holder. Now it was just as before I hoped!
No question it would have been easier just to keep the Tadrian/battery holder in place...but I can't stop tinkering!
Took a deep breath and tried it out...SUCCESS AGAIN...UNIT ID SURVIVED!!!! i HAVE ANOTHER ONE COMING IN AND WILL HAVE AT THAT ONE AGAIN.
ONLY PROBLEM IS THAT THE WAY THINGS ARE GOING...IT WON'T BE LONG UNTIL VCII ANALOG IS GONE! It is fun though saving these critters from certain death.
Time for a beer!

8pm...Ok...I will post 2 pics as requested...Info is painted over on the id to protect it from prying eyes the date and time is PST!! The one on the left is AFTER the handiwork!...Not too bad for an amatuer....
Jeff