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Clock Cap Replacement, Best Alternative In 2020?


Zpidelius
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Time passes by, so does the life of our OG Xbox Clock caps (if they are not removed already) but also technology in cap replacement options.

So I wonder what the most

Reasonable/

Convenient/

Easieast/

Safest/

Cost efficient/

Clock cap replacement of today could be?

I know some people are not bothered without it and some people (lile myself) that would like to have it working :)

Through the years I read that it can be everything inbetween replacing it with a

1F 2.5v original spec AeroGel cap,

10F 2.5v AeroGel for longer working time,

a CR2032 battery socket with 1N4148 diod in series to prevent REcharge, which would not be good,

2.4v NiMh rechargable battery.

 

My idea, not yet installed and tested, is to solder an AAA batteries socket with two 1.2v 800mA replaceable batteries to the old Clock Cap points and try to fit it in somewhere. The batteries gives 2.7v fully charged and would (theoretically, if the Xbox can give them enough charging) give more than enough unplugged power time and it would all in all cost around 5$.

 

So now in 2020, what is your clock cap replacement (ideas, pictures, pros/cons, results)?

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Yes, that's true, did that sometimes through XBMC, but since I move my console from room to room sometimes and don't want to drag an 20m network cable back and forth.

I am just a sucker for original/stock , so I would like to just have it working as it was originally intended, but with upgraded capacity with more modern components, since I just move it sometimes without plugging in the power cord and it stays there a couple of days or a week.

I don't know if there would be sufficient power for recharge to use NiMh AAA batteries, otherwise I seen that there is 100F-500F 2.7v caps, so I may give those a try.

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I don't think the circuit that's for the clock cap would charge NiMh batteries unless the Xbox was powered on for days possibly weeks even.

The clock Cap was only ever for short term time and date retention any way

Your best bet try a 2.5F 2.5 volt cap I don't think the circuitry around the clock cap would correctly charge any thing bigger or like me fit a network port in every room.

 

Cheers

SS Dave

 

Those that can Hard-Mod. Those that can't Soft-Mod.

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2 hours ago, junkman77 said:

I have a 1.6 XBOX (I call it SpideyBox) with a bulging clock capacitor... 😞 and looking for a decent replacement from digikey our mouser.  Located in the US. 
Looking at Digikey part 
604-1034-ND looks like it might be viable?

That one will do the job fine.

Cheers

SS Dave

 

Those that can Hard-Mod. Those that can't Soft-Mod.

 

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It seems like

283-2776-ND

604-1034-ND

604-1149-ND

should work.

I wish we had those prices in north of Europe :/ you can take those prices x5-6 for one of those caps here.

 

Well, sorry to say, but I am not going to re-wire the house to be able to move my consoles around, and I don't goint to drag a miles long ethernet cable if I take it with me to some friends.

The 1.6 consoles won't even start unless the clock caps are in place, so I just wan't to stick to the topic, what the best / most effective clock cap replacement could be now in 2020.

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2 hours ago, fox said:

well, why not give it a bigger capacitor?

In theory you could put a 10farad cap in place of the 1farad but would take 2 to 3 days to fully charge if it didn't damage the charging circuity with the inrush current.

 

Cheers

SS Dave

 

Those that can Hard-Mod. Those that can't Soft-Mod.

 

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I remember reading in some forum, I don't know if it is on one of those that are lost in time, that 10F seemed to be popular value fore those who replaced it back then, could keep the time for a week or two, if it is chargeing when the powercord is connected, 2-3 days would pass on by quickly.

This is just a big theory,, but I wonder if there exists a small 5v driven 2.4v chargeing PCB that could work like a controller with positive output switch/relay? Instead of that the Cap circuit would have to try to recharge the batterypack.

Then there maybe wold be the posibility to solder it to a 5v line in the console that recharge a small 2.4v NiMh battery pack or equivalent while powercord is connected, with the positive from batterypack switched off to the Cap connector positive point as long as the chargeing controller PCB has power, and when the 5v is turned off it switches to let the positive from battery pack to the Cap connector positive point?

I don't know if the curcuit on the MB would handle to have a 2.4v battery pack connected to it via the Cap connector while a batterypack is being recharged.

I just overthink simple things, but that would be an overkill cap replacement that would last for weeks and weeks, and keep thoughts of leaking cap and trace corrosion miles away for some years.

The only cons I can think of is that NiMh don't seems to like to be stored uncharged for a period of time.

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  • 1 month later...

There is a youtuber who replaced the capacitor as part of his xbox restoration video here:

<https://www.youtube.com/embed/LSS3U1pxTlc>

He didn't provide a link to the cap in his video but it appears to be this one:

Part # - EECS5R5V105

https://americas.rsdelivers.com/product/panasonic/eecs5r5v105/panasonic-1f-supercapacitor-edlc-20-80-tolerance/3396837?cm_mmc=US-PLA-DS3A-_-google-_-DA+|+Smart+Shopping-_-All+Products-_-PRODUCT_GROUP&matchtype=&pla-673461199350&gclid=EAIaIQobChMItK7Rkq_o5wIVwsDACh3jRA6CEAQYAyABEgIIPfD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

I haven't removed my xbox's cap yet, so I can't validate this one, but it is working in his video when he tests the system.

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I think i seen some parts of that video before, but must have missed that bit when he changes the clock cap.

Looks like it's one of those NiMh 2.4v batteries.

I've lookes around but never found any reviews how long they keep charged enough to keep the time etc, but can be worth a try and measure the results.

Especially since some few 1.6 consoles seems to have begun to get leaking caps to, and they won't work without one.

 

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While it would be possible to replace the SuperCap(Clock Cap) with a rechargeable battery the charge rates are different a Capacitor can charge all most instantly where a Battery takes a lot longer to fully charge.

 

This sort of battery is used in place of a SuperCap but the circurty is designed to charge and maintain it and if not done correctly it could fail quicker than a new Super Cap.

 

battery.jpg.f8430cec3c906ff0828e5d6676b99562.jpg  

With the version 1.6 just fit a new Clock cap and then change it while your replacing the other caps every 15 years.

 

Cheers

SS Dave


Soft modding is like masturbating, It get's the job done but it's nothing like the real thing.

 

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Yepp, I have looked over that some, and such a NiMh would not be the best idea for a "plug and play".

I have not measured the mA consumption of the xbox for keeping the date, but read that some say that to put a 2032 holder socket in it's place with a diod works, and some say it is not like the PC bios where it can last years and years but drains very quickly.

I wonder where the Graphene scene are now, if it is comming small Graphene supercaps in the suiting size and 2.5v region in the nearby future. That would be a new addition for a clock cap replacement.

Edited by Zpidelius
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I did some calculations some time a go and a CR2032 battery would give around 85 days and a CR2025 around 60 days.

There is plenty of super caps that would drop in place of the Aerogel one but it will also fail over time as well.

Even the super cap in one of my nixie tube clock failed after 5 years and like  a version 1.6 Xbox it stopped working until I replaced it.

And in that 5 years the clock and not been disconnected for the power.

IMG_20200226_221731.thumb.jpg.91e02b09e5e15d3a9f4a7420d6fee5f3.jpg

 

Cheers

SS Dave


Soft modding is like masturbating, It get's the job done but it's nothing like the real thing.
 

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I'm not clear on what is the best replacement clock capacitor being recommended here.

Literally, in the middle of replacing a v1.4 fitted with an PowerStor Aerogel clock cap which simply doesn't hold its charge any more - not even during the same session. No bulging or indications of failure and when I took it off I was expecting nasty things underneath but it is actually all clean.

I'm replacing it with a Nichicon from a v1.6 MB I bought for spares in 2013. Never used because the MB had no video output so likely under 5 years old with limited use so there should be plenty of life left in it. Certainly looks OK.

Assuming this all goes well and the clock cap starts working OK I'm considering replacing them in some of my other Xboxes.

Point is are any of the alternatives to the 1F 2.5v worth it? I see 1F v5.5v and even 1F 10v have been suggested; are they any cheaper or offer any significant adavantges? The 10v one was said to be slow to charge and may cause damage. So if I exclude that is the 1F v5.5 worth the £3.99/$5+ each when you can get 1F 2.5v (unfortunately usually PowerStor ones) for half that and when bought in 10 packs even less?

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I would not recommend using a clock cap pulled from a version 1.6 board as it's get to the end of it's life as well, It's not the usage it's the age and build quality of the cap that's the problem. 

There is also now cases of the version 1.6 caps now starting to leak so if you really want to replace it for the short term (hours) clock  retention then fit a new 1f 2.5v or 1.5f 2.5 volt capacitor

 

Cheers

SS Dave


Soft modding is like masturbating, It get's the job done but it's nothing like the real thing.
 

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  • 4 weeks later...
17 minutes ago, Pipo said:

But with xbox 1.6 you don't need it or you do ?

Yes you need the Clock Cap or the Xbox will not boot.

All other versions will run without the clock cap.

 

Cheers

SS Dave


Soft modding is like masturbating, It get's the job done but it's nothing like the real thing.

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  • 9 months later...
3 hours ago, aries said:

Hi,i have a xbox 1.6 with clock caps a little swollen for safety remove it, at home have 1uF 50v are they okay?

That will work but it will not hold the time/date for as long as the Gold super cap that was there.

 

Cheers

SS Dave


Soft modding is like masturbating, It gets the job done but it's nothing like the real thing.

 

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I was going to check the charge current and voltage while console is on then see if I can rig a rechargeable battery set up. A couple AAA or AA in series batteries might be perfect in terms of voltage, they'd last long as they'd never be kept at full charge but I'd need to see how many amps the capacitor receives. 

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13 hours ago, Frozti said:

I was going to check the charge current and voltage while console is on then see if I can rig a rechargeable battery set up. A couple AAA or AA in series batteries might be perfect in terms of voltage, they'd last long as they'd never be kept at full charge but I'd need to see how many amps the capacitor receives. 

It would take around 5 days to partly charge nicad batteries and there standby time would be short they would never be fully charged.

If you really need the clock set connect the Xbox to your home network.

You could fit a CR2035 coin cell with a diode to prevent the Xbox from trying to charge it and that should give around 60 days without power.

 

Cheers

SS Dave


Soft modding is like masturbating, It gets the job done but it's nothing like the real thing.

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If you are gonna go the battery route why not just grab a couple of these 1.2v batteries and hook them up in series with a diode. You could probably run your clock for a year on them.

https://www.batteryjunction.com/nidsi50mahre.html

Or, if keeping the time with an unplugged xbox is your thing, just throw a few more in there, 2 at a time in parallel, and you could probably get 10 years of battery clock power.

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