Hardware 3DS missing charge port, what would be the cheapest option to fix?

[MrOldboy]

Someone online is offering to sell me a slightly broken 3DS that they say is under 4.5, they are aware that I am looking for a gateway compatible 3DS.

The pics they sent seem to look ok, its missing the charge port entirely and also what looks like the LED indicator, the whole section of the casing has been removed, not sure what was oging on there. I asked them to send me a pic of it actually playing a game, they say it works fine if you put a charged battery in it, but we'll see.

I originally planned to just repair the port as the cost of the port and 3DS would still be significantly cheaper than buying a new one, plus I'm guaranteed to get a <4.5 3DS this way.

It doesn't have any part of the charging port, so the contacts on the sides of the port are gone too, so no charging dock.

But I also found this. http://www.gamestop.com/nintendo-3ds/accessories/3ds-charge-kit/90431

And found a few people online that suggested these to others who had broken charge ports.

Would this solution work fine, I'd have to find one of these, unless anyone can suggest a more available product. The Nyko powerpak isn't that easy to find anywhere for cheap.

 

[Schizoanalysis]

OMG I wouldn't touch it.
Just buy a new 4.5 one while you can.

 

[FAST6191]

Is it not worth coming at it another way and putting a USB port on there so you can charge over common mini or micro USB ports? If you are already soldering......

That said (I could not get to the gamestop site but I assume it is the nyko thing) that looks like a battery with its own charging port so yeah it should work if the 3ds powers up when you put a charged battery into it.

 

[MrOldboy]

OMG I wouldn't touch it.
Just buy a new 4.5 one while you can.

The price of it is pretty cheap compared to a new 3DS and I cannot afford to spend that much on one. If I got some great deal on a new one, sure, but this one would cost me about $70+ the cost of the Nyko Battery thing. That is about as much as I'm willing to spend on a 3DS, maybe if I had gotten in on the $100 Kohls sale a bit ago.

I feel like this is the best option in my case just because of the cost. If I had $150 to spend, I'd go out and hunt for a new <4.5 right now.

Its in pretty good condition, other than the missing charge port and LED. I am a bit worried someone tinkered with it a bit too much inside as it looks like it was obviously a mod either gone bad, or they quit doing it.

Is it not worth coming at it another way and putting a USB port on there so you can charge over common mini or micro USB ports? If you are already soldering......

That said (I could not get to the gamestop site but I assume it is the nyko thing) that looks like a battery with its own charging port so yeah it should work if the 3ds powers up when you put a charged battery into it.

I wasn't aware of that option. I tmight be worth it to just try soldering the USB port like you said since if I get the Nyko thing I can still charge it via that, even if I mess up the soldering.

 

[FAST6191]

Replacing custom pointless ports with nice common USB ports is a common enough activity in these circles.

As for a mod I am not sure what one it would be. The port is pretty sturdy though and I can see it being ripped out like all the laptops, iwhatevers and the like I get to fix all the time. An opening after that would probably be more to stop the remains of the port shorting out whatever it now touches.

 

[MrOldboy]

Hmm, I'll have to investigate more on that. Thanks for the info.

But for now if I do end up buying it the Nyko thing should work although I could never charge it and play at the same time.

First thing is finding that Nyko charger for cheap. If I can't and have to buy it for $16-20 off amazon I'm not saving as much money going this route.

 

[FAST6191]

If you especially wanted to you could probably figure out a way to attach a charging cable to that battery. However the effort to do that is probably more than fixing the broken port or substituting it for another type.

 

[Schizoanalysis]

Its in pretty good condition, other than the missing charge port and LED. I am a bit worried someone tinkered with it a bit too much inside as it looks like it was obviously a mod either gone bad, or they quit doing it.

That is what I would worry for; if it breaks in one months time, you've got yourself a $70 dollar paperweight.

But if you like tinkering around, like a fun mod project, then why not.

 

[MrOldboy]

If you especially wanted to you could probably figure out a way to attach a charging cable to that battery. However the effort to do that is probably more than fixing the broken port or substituting it for another type.

Yeah that was the first thing I thought of since he said that a charged battery in it works fine, but I was wondering how he charged it. In his picks he has a gateway inside of it so he must have another 3DS or upgraded to a 3DS XL.

He's send me enough pictures to convince me that 1) it works, at least as far as booting a game 2) is on 4.3. Its a risk I know, but given my current financial situation this is about the only way (outside of a great deal on a 3DS) I can afford a 3DS.

Luckily I did find one of the Nyko battery packs for $6 http://www.bestbuy.com/site/nyko-po...87.p?id=1218320893340&skuid=2299387&sellerId=

It looks like it will solve the issue of the charge port pefectly, the only issue of course is if the 3DS is broken in some way I cannot tell from his pictures.

 

[FAST6191]

I was thinking the charge cable to the nyko battery. Charging a modern device by tapping into the battery pins alone is not always the easiest.

 

[Abcdfv]

Every pawn shop I've been to sells them for $100, and sometimes they even still have games on them. My buddy got one for $100 and it was an ambassador with the games installed.