dosdude1
Well-known member
I just thought I'd start a post detailing a very cheap PRAM battery modification I've done to my Macintosh SE, using a CR2032 battery. This is an original, 800K only Macintosh SE (pre-FDHD/SuperDrive), so it uses a soldered on Varta 3V 1/2 AA size Lithium battery (The FDHD/SuperDrive models use a socketed, 3.6V 1/2 AA size battery, I believe). First off, I went looking around for a CR2032 battery holder that looked like it would fit nicely on the Macintosh SE's logic board, in the place where the original battery was. The most suitable one I could find was actually from RadioShack, only costing $1.50. You can also pick one up on Amazon here: http://www.amazon.com/RadioShack-270-009-CR2032-Battery-Holder/dp/B00L2LAMCC/ref=sr_1_25?ie=UTF8&qid=1410146237&sr=8-25&keywords=CR2032+battery+holder There was one dilemma I faced with this, however… The contact leads on the holder are too close together, and also too short. I found that the best solution for this was to use 2 capacitor leads (or leads from any through-hole mount component), and simply solder the leads onto the 2 small contacts on the holder. I found it helpful to sand down the holder's contacts slightly, making the solder stick better to them. Once the capacitor leads were soldered on, all I needed to do was simply solder the holder, now with extended contact leads, into the board where the original soldered on battery was once seated. Now I have an easy to replace, fully functional, and reliable PRAM battery in my Macintosh SE. It's been in there for about a week now, and it keeps its time, date, and settings perfectly in tact and accurate. The only thing that really needs to be improved with this modification is getting more structural support for the holder (as it does not sit flush with the board), so if anyone has any suggestions, please let me know.
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