For years GBAs had basically been given away so if one kicked the bucket I would just go to any second hand electronics seller and get one. Today though it seems we once again have hardware mods (usually retrofitting a nice screen to them) and that the thing is now retro and costing lots.
It is then about the time we start to consider component level fixing and diagnostics. Indeed this last 6 months or so we have seen a few threads that might benefit from such things.
Full diagrams and diagnostics routines, possibly a stress test or three to see which things are most likely to cook themselves too, would be the best outcome/final goal. In the meantime though a little compilation of the failures we have seen and their fixes might be an idea. Common fuses to blow, joints that come unstuck and items that fail because of age, general use or common types of abuse. If it turns out the GBA was built to EU/French directives and thus limits headphone sounds we can arrange to have eardrums burst as well.
Also if someone knows a compatible battery for the SP that would be nice. I had considered sorting out a little kit (open source gerber + reasoning type thing) if I could find some lithium of a suitable size and capacity to allow it to charge using the existing circuitry.
Thoughts and ideas?
Edit. Example might be.
"My GBA screen is squashed like in GB/GBC mode"
Solution
Check the little slider in the cartridge slot is not stuck. This is what selects GB/GBC mode.
It is then about the time we start to consider component level fixing and diagnostics. Indeed this last 6 months or so we have seen a few threads that might benefit from such things.
Full diagrams and diagnostics routines, possibly a stress test or three to see which things are most likely to cook themselves too, would be the best outcome/final goal. In the meantime though a little compilation of the failures we have seen and their fixes might be an idea. Common fuses to blow, joints that come unstuck and items that fail because of age, general use or common types of abuse. If it turns out the GBA was built to EU/French directives and thus limits headphone sounds we can arrange to have eardrums burst as well.
Also if someone knows a compatible battery for the SP that would be nice. I had considered sorting out a little kit (open source gerber + reasoning type thing) if I could find some lithium of a suitable size and capacity to allow it to charge using the existing circuitry.
Thoughts and ideas?
Edit. Example might be.
"My GBA screen is squashed like in GB/GBC mode"
Solution
Check the little slider in the cartridge slot is not stuck. This is what selects GB/GBC mode.