Below is a list of the all the computers in the Retro-Kit collection that have batteries fitted describing the type of battery and the dates when they should be changed. It's intended as a centralised memo for the collection to track the battery changes.
Early Acorn computers used a battery backed CMOS to store default configuration settings and power a real time clock to maintain the time. In the early machines, the batteries were typically non-rechargeable 'AA' types although the Acorn Master could support rechargeable batteries too. With the advent of the BBC A3000, Acorn began fitting rechargeable batteries to the motherboards of their computers which if left unchecked for long periods of time could have devastating effects on the machines.
Machine | Battery Type | Rechargeable | Next change due | Change every |
Acorn Master 128 | 1x 3.6v Lithium | No | April 2014 | 3 years |
Acorn Archimedes A310 | 2x 1.5v AA alkaline Duracell | No | October 2014 | 1 year |
Acorn Archimedes A410/1 | 2x 1.5v AA alkaline Duracell | No | October 2014 | 1 year |
Acorn Archimedes A410/1 (8MB) | 2x 1.5v AA alkaline Duracell | No | Apr 2019 | 1 year |
Acorn Archimedes A440/1 | 2x 1.5v AA alkaline Duracell | No | May 2015 |
1 year |
Acorn A3000 | 1x 3.6v 150mAh Varta NiMH | Yes | May 2014 |
3 years |
Acorn A3010 | 1x 3.6v 150mAh Varta NiMH | Yes | May 2016 |
3 years |
Acorn A5000 | 1x 3.6v 150mAh Varta NiMH | Yes | March 2015 | 3 years |
Acorn RISC PC 600 | 1X 3v CR2032 | No | Mar 2019 | 3 years |
Many of the Commodore Amiga computers shipped without a real time clock circuit and don't have batteries fitted on board. All of the "big box" Amiga's do have batteries on the motherboards and they must be changed regularly to prevent significant damage to them.
The Amiga A1200 in the Retro-Kit collection does not have a real time clock circuit as standard. Instead it is provided on the Blizzard 1230 Mk IV 68030 accelerator board.
Machine | Battery Type | Rechargeable | Next change due | Change every |
Amiga 1200 (Blizzard 1230 Mk IV) | 1x Panasonic VL2020 | Yes | May 2014 | 3 years |