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Replacing battery in a Casio RA-500 card

Replacing battery in a Casio RA-500 card

2018-04-05 by raltoja@...

I have several Casio RA-500 RAM cards for my VZ synths and Casio PG380. I am unable to replace the CR2330 battery in one RAM card because I am unable to get the battery holder out. Is there some trick to it if the hooks holding the battery compartment in will not budge? Presently I have been pulling with all my might with pliers at the edge of the card but the compartment still will not come out. All the literature from Casio treated changing the battery as a top secret issue to be referred to a Casio Service Center. Now I am afraid the knowledge will be lost forever as the old timers retire.

Re: Replacing battery in a Casio RA-500 card

2018-04-05 by smw-mail@...

I feel your frustration having dealt with other "How do I get this _____ battery out?????" episodes in my life. I am not an expert! Rather than tell you how I did it, esp. since I don't know what kind of holder it is, I'd google "how to replace a button battery." The tutorial videos might have some tips that will be useful to the RA-500 battery.
Steve

Re: Replacing battery in a Casio RA-500 card

2018-04-05 by smw-mail@...

Oh--Is that your chronology on gearslutz. If so, it looks like you already, "solved" the problem, although it seems like there should have been an easier way. Maybe you can post some pix here (photos) so others can learn from your experience.
Steve

Re: [CZsynth] Re: Replacing battery in a Casio RA-500 card

2018-04-05 by Tom Green

There is a little hole in the side of the card. You insert something like a straightened paper clip into the hole, which pushes the little hook on the battery holder over, releasing it. Then you can pull it out. Simple.
Tom
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On Thu, Apr 5, 2018 at 7:06 AM, smw-mail@... [CZsynth] <CZsynth@yahoogroups.com> wrote:

Oh--Is that your chronology on gearslutz. If so, it looks like you already, "solved" the problem, although it seems like there should have been an easier way. Maybe you can post some pix here (photos) so others can learn from your experience.
Steve


Re: Replacing battery in a Casio RA-500 card

2018-04-05 by raltoja@...

I did a google search on several variations of "Casio RAM card battery replacement." but I got zero useful information on it. The most useful information I can give you is to turn the card face down and use small pliers to pull on the smooth section at the top of the card to the right of the notched section. This worked for 5 of my 6 RA-500 ram cards without problem. The 6th card was the one card this advice did not work for, It simply did not budge. I did file on the side of the card closest to the battery compartment and I would have continued until I had direct access to one of the hooks so I could disengage it. But I did not actually have to breach the side of the card as the battery compartment finally came loose after my 15th pull on the tab. I am saying that filing the card probably just gave me something to do between tugs on the card compartment tab. (What I did learn was that if you file away enough plastic from the side of the card, you end up with a metal strip still blocking your way to access the inside of the card. That strip can probably be pulled back or broken off bit by bit but in my case it wasn't necessary to do it),

I have never had any problems with any of my cards for Korg, Yamaha or Roland since the engineers had the profound insight that the user might eventually want to replace the battery. I haven't tried to open any of my cartridges yet except for my Casio RA-6 cartridges for the CZ1 which are held together by 3 tiny screws. So tiny that they strip easily but it is possible to remove them if you are extremely careful and use the exact jewelers screwdriver required. I guess I will eventually have to figure out how to open my Yamaha, Roland and Prophet VS cartridges. There is some info and pictures on a website on how to open Yamaha RAM4 cartridges and about lots of regular Korg, Roland and Yahama soundcards. I will see if I can find it again and give you the web address in my next post.

Re: [CZsynth] Re: Replacing battery in a Casio RA-500 card

2018-04-06 by Chas D

I know that the RA500 and RA100 cards are different in their application. However, does anyone know if changing the battery in an RA100 uses the same principal as the RA500?
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On Thu, Apr 5, 2018, 4:08 PM raltoja@... [CZsynth] <CZsynth@yahoogroups.com> wrote:

I did a google search on several variations of "Casio RAM card battery replacement." but I got zero useful information on it. The most useful information I can give you is to turn the card face down and use small pliers to pull on the smooth section at the top of the card to the right of the notched section. This worked for 5 of my 6 RA-500 ram cards without problem. The 6th card was the one card this advice did not work for, It simply did not budge. I did file on the side of the card closest to the battery compartment and I would have continued until I had direct access to one of the hooks so I could disengage it. But I did not actually have to breach the side of the card as the battery compartment finally came loose after my 15th pull on the tab. I am saying that filing the card probably just gave me something to do between tugs on the card compartment tab. (What I did learn was that if you file away enough plastic from the side of the card, you end up with a metal strip still blocking your way to access the inside of the card. That strip can probably be pulled back or broken off bit by bit but in my case it wasn't necessary to do it),


I have never had any problems with any of my cards for Korg, Yamaha or Roland since the engineers had the profound insight that the user might eventually want to replace the battery. I haven't tried to open any of my cartridges yet except for my Casio RA-6 cartridges for the CZ1 which are held together by 3 tiny screws. So tiny that they strip easily but it is possible to remove them if you are extremely careful and use the exact jewelers screwdriver required. I guess I will eventually have to figure out how to open my Yamaha, Roland and Prophet VS cartridges. There is some info and pictures on a website on how to open Yamaha RAM4 cartridges and about lots of regular Korg, Roland and Yahama soundcards. I will see if I can find it again and give you the web address in my next post.

Re: Replacing battery in a Casio RA-500 card

2018-04-10 by raltoja@...

I have a correction to make. There is a small pinhole on the right side of the Casio RAM-500. If the battery compartment doesn't come out easily, you can insert the straightened out end of a paperclip in the hole to disengage one of the hooks holding in the compartment while you gently pull on the card. I took a good, well lighted and magnified look inside the end of the card and there is no danger with the end of the paperclip touching anything it shouldn't touch.

I posted some photos in the photo section.if there is room for them. Otherwise I will post them in the photo section of the CZ-VZ files group.

Re: Replacing battery in a Casio RA-500 card

2018-04-10 by raltoja@...

The pictures I was trying to post at CZ-VZ-Files were already posted by someone else. I went ahead and posted my pictures here, However I just realized I showed the battery compartment coming out upside down. The positive - open end of the battery compartment should show when the card is turned over. The negative - closed side of the battery compartment should show when the front of the card is showing.

My problem is that this is the first time I have dealt with posting photos here and the program says it is deleting the photos but they are still there. I want to post correct photos after I get rid of my mistakes. Sometimes I feel so stupid.

Re: Replacing battery in a Casio RA-500 card

2018-04-10 by raltoja@...

I posted some incorrect photos showing the battery compartment RA-500 coming out upside down. I was able to remove the wrong photos and post new correct ones. Now the photos showing the VZ Ram card RA-500 battery change are correct both at this photo section here and in the photo section of CZ-VZ-Files.

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