Weekly Project: Go Green GBA--A Solar-Powered Game Boy Advance

How many AA batteries does your Game Boy Advance eat during an average week of game play? Two, four, eight; well, then you're going to appreciate this environmentally-friendly way of squeezing "free" game play out of the sun.

While it's no secret that surplus solar-powered, rechargeable, portable Solar PAK (#GEGBASP) power packs are readily available from discount electronics parts stores, it is an unfortunate fact that the bulk of them are DOA. Sure the solar panel functions as advertised, but more cases than not, the rechargeable battery pack is toast.

Revitalize that dead Solar PAK with a set of fresh, new NiMH batteries. In just a couple of months of average game play, your "green" GBA will have paid for itself.

Go Green GBA.

Step 1 Salvage the Solar PAK GBA

Time: 1 hour
Cost: $19.67
Difficulty: Easy

Parts List

• Solar PAK #GEGBASP ($6.95; All Electronics Corp. #SPL-08)
• (3) 1.2V 700-900mAh Rechargeable NiMH flat-top "prismatic" (e.g., $4.24; Budget Batteries #5M60)

Miscellaneous

• solder
• electrical tape
• double-sided foam tape

NOTE: Make sure that your batteries' dimensions do not exceed 2.25- tall x 1.875- wide x .375-inches thick. For example, GP Batteries GP5M60.

Comments

[Irene7999]

Solar powered charger is not the first time be utiliaed.Many electronic products such as cell phone,laptop,camera ect can be charged by a small portable solar charger

[ladiesman247]

who actually plays with these nowadyas! there is such a tyhing as a ps 2/3 xbox WII everything gameboys are liek so old!

[Ds HaKa]

Ya I have a Wii that i haven't played in months but i play my gameboy color and gameboy pocket every day... Modern gaming has nothing on the 90's

[toogers]

i still play with my beige gameboy. im 12 and prefer the NES mario to the new one.

[cooldudeintown]

Don't Bash the classics . you can play Metroid Fusion, Packman, Doom, and Tetris ect. and the closest reference would be PSP or DS.

[inventordude14]

  dude! I still play on gameboy color and gameboy Advance there classics!

[AzraelUK]

You're a bad person.

[watermelonhead]

classics, man.. you can't play pokemon silver on and xbox, can you?

[stephenniall]

Uhh yes . but its not as fun ! 

its been along while since ive player pokemon

[watermelonhead]

In Pokemon Silver, you go to johto AND... kanto, i think? anyways, you go to 2  places. So DOUBLE game. for SINGLE PRICE! so call this toll free number...

[welder guy]

dude game boys rock! I love tetris and super marioand all that! heck I even sold my GTA trilogy for games for it

[IW5 Industries]

maybe some people cant afford an xbox and can only afford a gb ever thought o' that?

[spasysheep]

And your point is? there are still some great games for them - OK so you could buy a DS for £80-100 but a GBA for £5-15 is much better for those on a small budget who don't feel the need for touch screens, microphones etc.

[astrozombies138]

yeah i agree. Also I think that most older games are better than newer games, I still play my SNES and I find it much more fun than GTA 4.

[cormac3050]

me too! i still play my sega megadrive!! Much more fun than alot of new games i've gotten lately. u want pic of it?

[watermelonhead]

my brother has a ds and a ps2... but all be plays is his GBA and his N64!!! go retro!

[Kention3]

and also, all of those systems are non-portable

[mman1506]

i have a classic gb and i just purchased the game boy camera and later th gb printr

[dombeef]

 How good are they?
Are they worth buying? 

[inventordude14]

  good idea! does this also work for gameboy color?

[Maurice]

Not sure why this would be neccesary? you could always get a Free Loader!
Powers pretty much any hand held device. I use mine for the ipod and my mobile as well as my PSP.

Got mine from wavemaker.co.ukwavemaker.co.uk

[cheating-master]

you can get the same thing here

[Aeshir]

Lol. All the nubs that use non-recharable cells...I seriously don't get the point of them. Why would you ever buy non-rechargables?

[smeeves]

i kno! i was so happy when i got a bit battery charger (does every type of batttery) and a buncha recharagable cells. it was great

[Aeshir]

i <3 rechargeable

[Derin]

says what aeshir says

[Aeshir]

Uh....what?

[Derin]

I am thinking exactly like you on the rechargeable thing

[Aeshir]

Oh lol.

[liamdoydoy]

go to www.popsci.com! i still play my old games!

[denass]

I like it! It help's me with any other idea's. Thank's

[MysticX]

Very nice, it is good to know that a few more alkaline batteries won't end up leaking in the dump. I can't wait until they get those 3 layer solar panels to a reasonable cost.