Hardware GBA Backlight! (AGB-001)

[Ozito]

Ok I soldered the wire correctly now and there is new problem. When I power on the system the screen flashes bright for a second or so and then goes dark. You can still see the Game Boy logo but it's barely visible. Why is that? I read about a potentiometer but where is it?

Edit: Found it and brightend the screen. But now there are weird vertical patterns on the screen. Like as if the screen was damaged. Or did I mess the potentiometer up?

Edit2; Yeah, it seems I played a little bit too much with the potentiometer. My LCD seems to be damaged now

When I adjusted my pot, I could feel how it came to a stop when rotating to much at either direction.
Could you feel anything like it?

I assume you have tried to adjust it back to how it was?
What I believe is that the lcd shouldn't be broken, if anything is broken then it should be the GBA.

So you didn't have any light at all until you adjusted the pot?

 

[WiiUBricker]

I read somewhere that messing too much with the potentiometer could break the screen. First the screen was ok but a bit too dark. So I adjusted the potentiometer a bit and the screen went bright. I thought it' was a bit too bright for my taste as the colors seems to be washed out so I played a bit more with the potentiometer. The screen went dark again and when it went bright again it appeared to be damaged. Also there is horrible motion blurring with Golden Sun.

 

[Ozito]

I read somewhere that messing too much with the potentiometer could break the screen. First the screen was ok but a bit too dark. So I adjusted the potentiometer a bit and the screen went bright. I thought it' was a bit too bright for my taste as the colors seems to be washed out so I played a bit more with the potentiometer. The screen went dark again and when it went bright again it appeared to be damaged. Also there is horrible motion blurring with Golden Sun.

Do you care to post a picture, if you got time for it?
What's your next plan?

 

[WiiUBricker]

Do you care to post a picture, if you got time for it?
What's your next plan?

Not worth it to post a picture since I don't have a good camera device. My next plan is to wait for a pre-made GBA from rose colored gaming.

 

[bubble_joe]

I bought a pre-modded model from eBay (no idea which backlight kit was used).
The screen viewing angle is quite bad, it's too dark unless I tilt the screen away.
Is this something that's supposed to be fixable by adjusting the pot? Turning the pot doesn't seem to have any effect at all on mine, and it doesn't even come to a stop at either direction.

 

[Nismax]

I read somewhere that messing too much with the potentiometer could break the screen. First the screen was ok but a bit too dark. So I adjusted the potentiometer a bit and the screen went bright. I thought it' was a bit too bright for my taste as the colors seems to be washed out so I played a bit more with the potentiometer. The screen went dark again and when it went bright again it appeared to be damaged. Also there is horrible motion blurring with Golden Sun.

The problem is unrelated to the flicker adjustment. What you did was damage your motherboard by forcing the shell together. I know because I did the same thing. Anyone else with unstable brightness at random, or when pressure is applied to the shell also has the same problem. It seems to be relatively common, I've read a quite a few people describing the same issue.

The 101 screen is thicker than the original, and needs to be installed with very thin double sided tape, in place of the stock adhesive dust seal, do not use the stock seal. The back of the battery compartment also needs to be shaved down a bit so that it doesn't butt up against the back of the LCD, so the shell can close completely, with minimal or no additional force.

After I forced it closed the first time around, and put the screws in, the LCD would go dim at random, as well as when I pushed lightly around a certain spot on the shell. Needless to say, I attempted to resolder some suspected components including the little transformer, tiny copper wire broke free, basically disappeared, and the board wouldn't turn on anymore.

Luckily I found a working glacier unit at the thrift store for $5, and gave it another shot using the precautions above. I took my time, and didn't screw the thing together until I had enough clearance for the shell to come together without any additional force. Very glad I did not sell the kit as I planned, because this is how GBA should be played. OG screen was a pain, SP is a baby's toy, DS doesn't feel right, and the Micro is just too small.

Before you buy from that highly annoying Rose Colored Gaming site, be aware that they are not immune to screwing up either. I have read at least one post from a customer, saying their unit arrived with the unstable brightness problem (I think somewhere in this thread). Find another donor and give it another shot, using the tips I laid out. There's more satisfaction in doing something yourself, plus you save money. As long as you avoid stress or bowing of the motherboard, you should avoid the same problems.

Adjusting the flicker is just a matter of knowing what to look for and how to detect it. Find a gray screen, glance at it and move your head around while making the adjustment, until you can't detect it anymore. Then stop, because it will only get worse from that point on.

 

[WiiUBricker]

The problem is unrelated to the flicker adjustment. What you did was damage your motherboard by forcing the shell together. I know because I did the same thing. Anyone else with unstable brightness at random, or when pressure is applied to the shell also has the same problem. It seems to be relatively common, I've read a quite a few people describing the same issue.

The 101 screen is thicker than the original, and needs to be installed with very thin double sided tape, in place of the stock adhesive dust seal, do not use the stock seal. The back of the battery compartment also needs to be shaved down a bit so that it doesn't butt up against the back of the LCD, so the shell can close completely, with minimal or no additional force.

After I forced it closed the first time around, and put the screws in, the LCD would go dim at random, as well as when I pushed lightly around a certain spot on the shell. Needless to say, I attempted to resolder some suspected components including the little transformer, tiny copper wire broke free, basically disappeared, and the board wouldn't turn on anymore.

Luckily I found a working glacier unit at the thrift store for $5, and gave it another shot using the precautions above. I took my time, and didn't screw the thing together until I had enough clearance for the shell to come together without any additional force. Very glad I did not sell the kit as I planned, because this is how GBA should be played. OG screen was a pain, SP is a baby's toy, DS doesn't feel right, and the Micro is just too small.

Before you buy from that highly annoying Rose Colored Gaming site, be aware that they are not immune to screwing up either. I have read at least one post from a customer, saying their unit arrived with the unstable brightness problem (I think somewhere in this thread). Find another donor and give it another shot, using the tips I laid out. There's more satisfaction in doing something yourself, plus you save money. As long as you avoid stress or bowing of the motherboard, you should avoid the same problems.

Adjusting the flicker is just a matter of knowing what to look for and how to detect it. Find a gray screen, glance at it and move your head around while making the adjustment, until you can't detect it anymore. Then stop, because it will only get worse from that point on.

Now that you mentioned it, yes I had to use force to put the shell together. I thought it was normal because I used a third-party replacement shell. Thanks for the heads up. Since it takes forever for rose colored gaming to re-stock, I will think about getting a new GBA to mod. I need to make sure I get a 32pin version.

 

[Nismax]

Now that you mentioned it, yes I had to use force to put the shell together. I thought it was normal because I used a third-party replacement shell. Thanks for the heads up. Since it takes forever for rose colored gaming to re-stock, I will think about getting a new GBA to mod. I need to make sure I get a 32pin version.

I used a knock off shell as well, but it's basically identical, and IMO superior in one way. I was in your spot for about 3 months, so I know the feeling of having a kit ready to go, with no motherboard. At least yours still works to an extent. I was stuck with a dead board after attempting to touch up the solder points on that transformer. What you could do is take it apart again, shave down that battery compartment and remove the stock dust seal if you used it. Reassemble and the problem might go away due to less or no strain on the mainboard.

 

[KB89]

Hey guys, I'm new. I was wondering is buying a kit cheaper from zehrey from china or should I just wait until I find an AGS-101 and use it? I'm not 100% on if I will need an adapter or not yet, because I don't have a GBA to do this with. Also can someone hook me up with zereys email so I can email him for rates and shipping? Also does anybody know about that aurora cable and is zerey linked to that cable? heres the site http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?spm=a1z10.1.w4004-2643624522.24.VD9agD&id=24351728191

 

[Schizoanalysis]

+1
I'm keen to get one too.

 

[KB89]

+1
I'm keen to get one too.

I like your picture and signature. Dancing Rabbit Bunny sounds so... natural and familiar.

 

[Schizoanalysis]

I like your picture and signature. Dancing Rabbit Bunny sounds so... natural and familiar.

That's me. Natural and familiar

 

[pelago]

Okay, here is the Aurora Deluxe cable with 2 way brightness switch. I took pictures of a GBA and GBC game with High/Low brightness.
The backlight still turns on even though I did NOT solder the wire to the motherboard yet. I'm guessing that if it's soldered, it will be more stable and possibly brighter screen.
I will solder the wire later tonight after I buy a new solder pencil from the store and see if the brightness changes. I notice the instruction pictures show a new soldering point, which im hoping is the most stable.

The cable adapter itself
http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/MTIwMFgxNjAw/z/em4AAOSwcWdTbCdG/$_57.JPG
Testing
http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/MTIwMFgxNjAw/z/QAoAAOxyBotTbCdP/$_57.JPG
GBA low brightness
http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/MTYwMFgxMjAw/z/QOkAAOxyBotTbCdc/$_57.JPG
GBA high brightness
http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/MTYwMFgxMjAw/z/-W4AAOxyuR5TbCdn/$_57.JPG
GBC low brightness
http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/MTYwMFgxMjAw/z/oNoAAOxyc2pTbCdx/$_57.JPG
GBC high brightness
http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/MTYwMFgxMjAw/z/L5oAAOxyYANTbCd7/$_57.JPG

I'm intrigued by this Aurora Deluxe cable. Is this a new one from Zerey or from someone else? The only page I've found about it is the one you originally linked to, i.e. http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?spm=a1z10.1.w4004-2643624522.24.VD9agD&id=24351728191 although someone said they had seen it on ebay. Can anyone email be the ebay link?

Where does the switch go in this cable - it looks like it will be in the battery compartment? Is it a two-way switch, or a four-way, as the taobao pictures imply.

I'm also interested in the Select+L mod to change the brightness, as shown in the youku video http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XNTgzODUxNjY0.html?from=y1.2-1-102.3.6-1.1-1-1-5

 

[KB89]

I'm intrigued by this Aurora Deluxe cable. Is this a new one from Zerey or from someone else? The only page I've found about it is the one you originally linked to, i.e. http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?spm=a1z10.1.w4004-2643624522.24.VD9agD&id=24351728191 although someone said they had seen it on ebay. Can anyone email be the ebay link?

Where does the switch go in this cable - it looks like it will be in the battery compartment? Is it a two-way switch, or a four-way, as the taobao pictures imply.

I'm also interested in the Select+L mod to change the brightness, as shown in the youku video http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XNTgzODUxNjY0.html?from=y1.2-1-102.3.6-1.1-1-1-5

I don't think that aurora cable is on ebay. Someone mentioned getting a converter cable earlier in the thread that they found on ebay. They still sell them on ebay. I am wondering if the aurora cable is by zerey as well. And the aurora cables switch looks like its a little thing in the battery compartment, yes. I have no idea about the select+l mod though.

 

[pelago]

I've just looked further on the http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?spm=a1z10.1.w4004-2643624522.24.VD9agD&id=24351728191 page and I see there is an embedded video which contains some useful info. It looks like the switch is definitely two-way. It is somewhat accessible via the battery compartment, but you have to stick a screwdriver or similar in there to flick it. So not particularly user-accessible, but at least it doesn't require making holes in the shell.

According to the video, it looks like the screen will work (at two different brightnesses via the switch) even without the extra wire soldered in place. I'm guessing with the extra cable, there are two different brightness levels available via the switch, which probably explains the four brightness levels shown in pictures on http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?spm=a1z10.1.w4004-2643624522.24.VD9agD&id=24351728191

More interesting, though, is that in the video there is a reference to a website http://gbaguan.taobao.com/ which I've guessing is the seller's page. Looking at that page, I can see several cables. It looks like there are 32-pin and 40-pin variants, variants with and without the switch, but also some other variants. For example, http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?spm=a1z10.1.w4004-2643624522.27.9U0T5l&id=39228683802 looks like to be a version that uses Select+L to change brightness, according to the images and video on that page, although requires more soldering.

 

[Harsky]

Is there any other sites apart from Taobao that lets you buy the kit? I got super lucky and found a GBA SP 101 in a job lot on eBay and I really don't want to rip it apart. I also realise that the front light on normal GBA SP is really terrible by today's standards so I don't want to use that in a GBA 001.

 

[DataDrain]

Is there any other sites apart from Taobao that lets you buy the kit? I got super lucky and found a GBA SP 101 in a job lot on eBay and I really don't want to rip it apart. I also realise that the front light on normal GBA SP is really terrible by today's standards so I don't want to use that in a GBA 001.

I'm pretty sure the kit is available on Ebay for 'ya.

Here's my question; if I wanted to go about just buying a screen and a ribbon from Taobao, can I do that? For example, does this look legitimate? http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?id=19793800695&spm=2014.12317209.0.0

I have no problem with ordering from Taobao if I can override waiting for a response from Zerey or for RCG to get their kits back in stock while saving a little money and not using Ebay, but I legit have been researching this for a day and a half and I just cannot find where to buy just a screen.

 

[Cartmanuk]

Is there any other sites apart from Taobao that lets you buy the kit? I got super lucky and found a GBA SP 101 in a job lot on eBay and I really don't want to rip it apart. I also realise that the front light on normal GBA SP is really terrible by today's standards so I don't want to use that in a GBA 001.

I'm pretty sure the kit is available on Ebay for 'ya.

Here's my question; if I wanted to go about just buying a screen and a ribbon from Taobao, can I do that? For example, does this look legitimate? http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?id=19793800695&spm=2014.12317209.0.0

I have no problem with ordering from Taobao if I can override waiting for a response from Zerey or for RCG to get their kits back in stock while saving a little money and not using Ebay, but I legit have been researching this for a day and a half and I just cannot find where to buy just a screen.

I can supply a screen i have about 6 AGS 101 Screens.

 

[KB89]

Cartman how much would you charge for them? Because currently I have 2 GBA's on hand that I want to mod. 2 on the way, and another 2 on a pending trade. I'm in the US. So who knows how much shipping would be. I have not contacted Zerey about getting a bulk order.

And I have a question, you need a converter right? Regardless of having a 38-40 pin Model GBA, right?

 

[pelago]

I've got a AGB-001 with a 40-pin connector (going by the serial number check as found at http://rosecoloredgaming.files.wordpress.com/2012/12/32-vs-40-pin-rev-1.jpg), and a donor AGS-101 screen. How do I tell if the AGS-101 screen is an AB type or a B type, whatever that is?