Things you have fixed/modded recently

megaotis

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I bought a second hand Nintendo Switch at a flea market. It was in bad shape. I did a complete tear down, replaced the shell, replaced most of the guts of the joy come and now it's like new.
 
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JuanMena

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I've had this broken GBC for years and just now turned it into some sort of amplifier for my headphones to listen music.

IMG_20231119_213136_863~2.jpg


Has no sound. So probably the Capacitor is blown.
A and B won't work.
I think START is grounded. Pressing it will turn off the GBC.

Wasn't rocket science, just jumped wired the GBC's Audio Jack to the Volume Potentiometer LR OUT, soldered a 3.5 Male to LR IN and it works like wonders:


Now I don't have to listen my niece screaming or crying... or screaming AND crying at the same time all fucking day.
:yay:
 

emcintosh

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Rebuilt a snapped button hinge (injury sustained when frantically whistling my pikmin so the water wraith wouldn't crush them…) using steel pins, cyanoacrylate glue and baking soda. It's not pretty, but will hopefully survive longer than the previous glue-only attempt.
CA glue cross-links with the help of water from the air (or on your skin…), but will also react with sodium hydrogencarbonate, which makes it set more quickly, forming a stronger bond and filling gaps the glue would have difficulty with alone.
I have had to file down the glue-soda composite so it doesn't press on the controller shell and make the button stick or fail to register.
Retro broken R4.jpg
Retro fixed R4.jpg
 
Last edited by emcintosh,

mrdude

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Been fixing TVs recently. Realized after fixing my own that there are probably a lot of people selling broken tvs or tossing them out. I now have 7 working (and 2 that couldnt be saved) TVs in my house. I have a problem.
LOL, I've fixed 2 in the last 2 months just by replacing the LED strips. On both LG TV's I check with an LED tester, one had 2 blown leds, the other had 3. That was enough to send the TV's into a boot loop. I got new strips from Ali express for about £8 for a full set. That'll keep them going for another 8 years or so. Next time I'm at the dump if I see a good LCD in good condition I'm going to take it home with me and then try to fix it. Just for a spare.
 

Hanafuda

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Not the best photo, dark sorry. But, I just finished my FP laminated ITA rebuild of the old murky blue GBA. Nothing pretentious, no neon colors or led lights except the one it came with (power). Original buttons too. I haven't fiddled with screen calibration yet ... that was enough for one evening. But, very very nice. Screen is fantastic. (!!!) The shell, which you have to use their specific shell for the laminated screens ... it's ok, not amazing though.

A small FYI for my fellow 'temprs .. if you build one of these and want to use the original screws, be careful putting the black screw back in the battery compartment area. Apparently the original screw is slightly long for the FP shell. It made a very small dimple on the face just below the screen. Luckily I didn't punch through - would've been a $10 tragedy. I don't mind it since it's a tiny bump and centered at least. I'll know for next time.

I also did a mod-in-a-mod here. Removed the TC233A touch sensor chip off the screen adapter PCB, which completely kills the touch function. Now the OSD, FRM, and X/Y screen position controls are only by way of Sel-L-R buttons. Very nice. Info here:
https://www.reddit.com/r/Gameboy/comments/11rmms7/i_was_able_to_completely_and_permanently_remove/


Tomorrow, screen calibration with the "Aging" ROM. But, I think it's looking pretty good already.

DSC_0733.JPG



Edit: after screen voltage pot adjustment using the "Aging" rom. Color balance and vibrance improved. Pure eye candy.
Another dark photo ... I think my phone is compensating for the screen brightness. I just wanted to show the screen off anyway, so fine.

DSC_0739.JPG
 
Last edited by Hanafuda,

HawaiianInTown

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All I gotta say is... L-E-D's my guy

Picked up an open box of Xtreme Rate RGB mod for Series S, and went thrifting for fairy lights for the 360 S consoles. All happy customers... though my guy with the GoW Slim wasn't happy when I told him he needs a matching controller... but lemme tell you about fairy lights, it's like Popeye's... it's the shiznit!
 

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hippy dave

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Not the best photo, dark sorry. But, I just finished my FP laminated ITA rebuild of the old murky blue GBA. Nothing pretentious, no neon colors or led lights except the one it came with (power). Original buttons too. I haven't fiddled with screen calibration yet ... that was enough for one evening. But, very very nice. Screen is fantastic. (!!!) The shell, which you have to use their specific shell for the laminated screens ... it's ok, not amazing though.

A small FYI for my fellow 'temprs .. if you build one of these and want to use the original screws, be careful putting the black screw back in the battery compartment area. Apparently the original screw is slightly long for the FP shell. It made a very small dimple on the face just below the screen. Luckily I didn't punch through - would've been a $10 tragedy. I don't mind it since it's a tiny bump and centered at least. I'll know for next time.

I also did a mod-in-a-mod here. Removed the TC233A touch sensor chip off the screen adapter PCB, which completely kills the touch function. Now the OSD, FRM, and X/Y screen position controls are only by way of Sel-L-R buttons. Very nice. Info here:
https://www.reddit.com/r/Gameboy/comments/11rmms7/i_was_able_to_completely_and_permanently_remove/


Tomorrow, screen calibration with the "Aging" ROM. But, I think it's looking pretty good already.

View attachment 408971
Beautiful! Yeah I found my ITA screen didn't need any adjusting when I went to calibrate it. Idk if that was because it was taken from a DSi rather than supplied separately, or if they often don't need it.
And yeah, similar to the touchscreen thing, the older cable adapter for my ITA screen (before they started offering the laminated ones) came with a little touch panel that sat inside the top edge of the case, as an optional adjustment method if you didn't solder the button controls. Unfortunately it kept activating randomly, and I had the button controls hooked up already, so I just physically cut off the little flap of flat cable that had the sensor on. Gotta mod that mod!
 

BigOnYa

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All I gotta say is... L-E-D's my guy

Picked up an open box of Xtreme Rate RGB mod for Series S, and went thrifting for fairy lights for the 360 S consoles. All happy customers... though my guy with the GoW Slim wasn't happy when I told him he needs a matching controller... but lemme tell you about fairy lights, it's like Popeye's... it's the shiznit!
Why didn't you change those tiny leds on the 4 ring power button to match the color of the inside leds? :D JK. Looks nice!
 
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Hanafuda

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Beautiful! Yeah I found my ITA screen didn't need any adjusting when I went to calibrate it. Idk if that was because it was taken from a DSi rather than supplied separately, or if they often don't need it.
And yeah, similar to the touchscreen thing, the older cable adapter for my ITA screen (before they started offering the laminated ones) came with a little touch panel that sat inside the top edge of the case, as an optional adjustment method if you didn't solder the button controls. Unfortunately it kept activating randomly, and I had the button controls hooked up already, so I just physically cut off the little flap of flat cable that had the sensor on. Gotta mod that mod!


The touch control thing hasn't changed, it's still the flap that folds in under the top edge of the shell. But I've read people have had problems with "ghost" activations of the OSD turning on even after that flap is cut off. Removing the touch sensor chip off the screen adapter PCB negates the issue absolutely, and without affecting the SEL-L-R button method of control.

I'm really, really loving my "new" GBA. Also bought an Everdrive GBA mini cart, so the EZ4 is now on Gameboy Player duty. And that's my Christmas. Maybe get a bottle of Scotch too.

My wife and daughter are going to Japan for a month in June-July next year to visit family. I already told my daughter I'm giving her a mission to scrounge me up some more GBA's.
 

RAHelllord

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Got my cap kits for a handful of consoles today and fixed up the GB Light I recently got.
IMG_20231222_161520045.jpg

The caps are new which has reduced banding across the display, and I cleaned out the power switch and volume / contrast wheel so now the contrast slider also actually has a proper range again.
Unless I find a nice shell this is most likely how it's going to stay now.
 

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