metrotech 810 850 how open battery compartment?

**mulva** · June 7th, 2011, 11:39 AM

Sigh, is it just me or are the 9v batteries in the metrotech 850 in a really hard-to-get-at spot?

When I pulled a 9v battery off it was slightly rusted I guess, so the little piece inside the 850 battery compartment that is supposed to attach to the 9v battery broke off with the battery. I tried to replace it with a new 9v terminal by twisting the wires together and taping. But when I shoved the battery in the hole, it got stuck way inside there, smushed up tight against the mess of new wires I attached.

So how the heck do I get that out? Its so aggravating because there's a big ass handle in your way so you can't easily stick needle nose plyers in there or something. Hard to even shine light in there. The battery is stuck really tight and deep right now. I had the lame idea of super gluing a coat hanger to the battery to pull it out but didn't work. Another idea to drill a long screw into the battery so I could have something to grab onto to pull it out, but the handle in the way made it too awkward.

Is there some way to unscrew everything so I can actually open and get inside this battery compartment and pull it out with my fingers (would also be good to get in there so I can attach the new 9v terminals to a sane spot rather than merely twisting around and attaching to the existing wires).

**Mke** · June 8th, 2011, 09:40 AM

This sounds horrible, but if you are not used to tearing into an 810 or 850 its best to send it into a repair shop. It took me years to get enough courage to open up the reciever and take a peek around. And the only reason I did that was it kinda fell apart. I did a bone head move and shell kinda popped open. If you are lookin for a repair shop, I know a good one up in the Seattle area.

Mke

**mulva** · June 8th, 2011, 02:21 PM

Do you remember how it came apart? I know there is the thumb screw in the back. This slides the back 'door' off. Now you can unscrew 2 screws on the bottom. This lets you take off the big red 'U' shape piece to get access to the computer chip area. But the battery compartment is still apparently sealed off from there.
There are 2 screw on TOP but it still seems firmly attached after unscrewing those.
On the front of the unit is a gnob and a plug hole with a hex nut shape around it.. hard to tell if these need to be unscrewed off or something. Do you remember how much the seattle place might charge for something like this (plus there'd be 2-way shipping too I guess)? Maybe someone here wants to buy this and hassle with it instead? There's also a screw way up top behind the display but that seems out of the way and unnecessary to reach the battery compartment.

**Mke** · June 8th, 2011, 06:36 PM

I can't remember the details. for the past 8+ years we've been using this seattle firm to repair. You can call the guy for a price. If you don't want him to calibrate it and just have him repair the 9V connectors let him know.

I'll PM you the info.

As for buying an 850, i'll pass. now if it was an 810....maybe.

Mke

**Enjoythefall** · June 8th, 2011, 06:51 PM

How much?

**mulva** · June 10th, 2011, 04:46 AM

Well I doubt anyone reading this is a worse handyman than me, but in the off chance someone else had the same problem, unscrewing the screws on the motherboard helped pry it open enough to push the battery out with a knife (motherboard was still mostly attached to something, not sure what). Guess I'll try twisting on new 9v terminals again so not sure if I want to sell it now. This time I'll attach something to be able to pull the batteries back out easily.

**paintitnow** · June 10th, 2011, 09:31 PM

back in the day when there were boom boxes I remember my battery compartment on my boom box had a small ribbon attached to the ox where i could pull the strap and it would pop out my D cell batteries.Try slipping a ribbon between the 9V terminals and have it long enough two grab both ends to pull it out