Hardware GBA Backlight! (AGB-001)

[Strainer]

Hey Wiggatron, could you give me a quote on how much a GBA case/pouch would cost me and how it would look like?

I'm kinda having trouble finding something as durable as the cases I have for my DS Lites, seems they didn't have those cases back then.

 

[wiggatron]

Hmm... you say that the potentiometer adjustment only works to the 32-pin version of adapter? In my own adapter (a 40-pin one), when I connect the pin#29 (the pin that connects to potentiometer) from the AGB-001 to the AGS-101 LCD, the picture becomes dark and the colors looks distorted. Nothing is changed even I set the potentiometer to maximum. Try look at my earlier post on this thread to see my problem in the past.
That's probably the reason why the potentiometer adjustment for 40-pin adapter is no longer needed because there's a chance that Zhang left that pin untouched just like my work.

About to the argument about AGB-001 vs. AGS-001/101 for the ergonomics, AGB-001 is my choice because that curved backside of its body and its thicker body gives comfort to my hands. The SP and later handhelds of ninty (not sure about DSi XL & 3DS XL because I've never owned one yet) gives me some trouble after hours of gameplay.

I'm not saying that it doesn't work on the 40-pin, but rather that the 40-pin models don't seem to require as much adjustment, if any at all. I know that's been the case since these kits came into existence.

Hey Wiggatron, could you give me a quote on how much a GBA case/pouch would cost me and how it would look like?

I'm kinda having trouble finding something as durable as the cases I have for my DS Lites, seems they didn't have those cases back then.

What do you want it to look like? Soft goods can be made pretty much to look like whatever. Color, pattern, shape, zipper, buttons, snaps, etc?

 

[[Truth]]

Is it possible to adjust the potentiometer while the GBA is on?

 

[wiggatron]

Yes, that's the only way I ever adjust it.

 

[pasc]

There was a mod kit to do this yourself. It was called the Afterburner.

However it is impossible to get by one today so this here is the only way to do it.

Got myself 3 (1x 40 bit and 2x 40 bit) we'll see how it turns out. But a GBA is so much better in a ergonomical level than any other Nintendo Handheld that it is a joy to use one.

=> Backlight is a must.

 

[wiggatron]

I've actually got an afterburner kit on the way. I plan on doing a comparison between it, an AGS-001 modded AGB-001, an AGS-101 modded AGB-001, and an unmodded AGB-001

 

[pasc]

Mind if I ask WHERE you got said kit from ? I couldn't find a single one.

Might be interesting if I knew a place to buy some.

 

[wiggatron]

I was lucky enough to actually have someone seek ME out on Digital Press and offer it to me because of what I'm doing. There's no place to find them new otherwise that I know of. I just got lucky.

But honestly, I'm gonna say with 99% certainty that just doing the 101 kit is a million times better.

 

[wiggatron]

I just finished two more of these gameboys. I found out that there is another solder point, it makes the screen brighter. It's now a smidgen brighter than the Sp+ on it's default setting

Did we ever get a response to this? Where is this new point? Sorry if I just missed it somewhere.

 

[bowser]

Does Zerey also do the glass lens mod?

How do I order from him? Can someone please give me his website?

Ordering from Wiggy is my first choice but shipping to India might be really expensive

 

[wiggatron]

Someone just posted about Zerey doing the glass lenses. It would seem he does. I JUST sent him an email to check about an hour ago.

Ordering from Zerey often requires a few emails back and forth. Here's his taobao site:

http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?spm=2013.1.0.199&id=14045909056

He's really quick to reply to emails and whatnot. I can PM you his email address if you'd like too. Just let me know.


Oh, and shipping to you for a kit would be roughly 15 bucks. I figure $5 into the cost of my kits for domestic shipping ($75 total), so it would be $85 to your door from me, just in case you wanted to know

 

[[Truth]]

Did we ever get a response to this? Where is this new point? Sorry if I just missed it somewhere.

Yes, here: http://gbatemp.net/threads/gba-backlight-agb-001.328487/page-4#post-4342086
I guess he discovered this point back then.

Zerey offered me standard chinapost shipping for 5$ and DHL express shipping for 20$.

 

[wiggatron]

Ah, I thought there was a newer spot than that. I definitely knew about that one

I think I did China Post when I ordered my initial kit for myself. It felt like a million years waiting for it to arrive. Wanted it so bad LOL! But I think it was seriously like 10 days or so, which isn't too bad at all.

 

[bowser]

Someone just posted about Zerey doing the glass lenses. It would seem he does. I JUST sent him an email to check about an hour ago.

Ordering from Zerey often requires a few emails back and forth. Here's his taobao site:

http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?spm=2013.1.0.199&id=14045909056

He's really quick to reply to emails and whatnot. I can PM you his email address if you'd like too. Just let me know.


Oh, and shipping to you for a kit would be roughly 15 bucks. I figure $5 into the cost of my kits for domestic shipping ($75 total), so it would be $85 to your door from me, just in case you wanted to know

I don't have a GBA so I need a pre-modded unit.

What's the procedure to order from you? I might have you ship the unit to someone in the US and they can give it to me when they come to visit.

Also, on your website in the GBA-GBA SP comparison pics the GBA SP looks a LOT brighter. Is it because the AA batteries don't have enough juice to drive the screen?

 

[wiggatron]

Basically, you tell me what you want (color, switch or not, anything else custom like paint or new custom cast buttons, etc) and I send an invoice to ya. Since these are all made one at a time by hand, it doesn't make any sense for me to just plop a webstore up, so I haven't. This system, while a bit more time consuming, ensures that folks get what they're after. I do try and keep pre-modded units on hand for folks that want something right now and don't want to wait, but I've honestly sold 4 in the last 2 days, and that's all I had on hand until my next batch of used consoles arrive from Japan (soon I hope!). If you're interested, shoot me a pm and I'll get you some pricing info

It's not quite as bright, but it sure isn't significant enough to make it any less worthwhile IMO. Like almost any mod, it's not 100% perfect, but it is DAMN close. Zerey keeps making revisions to the cables and they're getting closer and closer to OEM look with every order I receive from him. What I'm driving at is, I don't think you need to worry about the brightness too much. The highest setting is right about in between the low and high settings on the SP.

 

[Thatotherpirateg]

Wow this thread has really grown

In case anybody is wondering about the reliability of this mod, I've been carrying my AGB-101 in my bag everyday for around 7 months now, and it still works perfectly

So how do these Glass screen covers look? I'm really interested in a few of them

 

[wiggatron]

I'll have em here in a few days. I'll post pics once they arrive

 

[Nusdogg]

Definitely interesting stuff!

 

[driverdis]

I find it very interesting that people still say its impossible to replace the AGS-001 LCD with a AGS-101 LCD. I do not get why the 101 LCD will not work with a 001 but it can for the original GBA via the adapter cable.Is it impossible to solder up a 001 to 101 lcd adapter?. nobody seems interested at all in upgrading their AGS-001's to have a backlight screen. I ended up buying a AGS-101 GBA SP off of Bay since I did not want to replace my AGS-001's Frontlight LCD with another frontlight one.

the reason I mentioned this is that I have a spare AGS-001 with no screen at all and it would of been nice to use a backlight LCD with it.

 

[cYbErTiM]

I received my ribbon cables from Zerey and build it into a new GBA case (ebay) with a backlit LCD also from ebay. So the GBA looks completely new!
I also used the solder "point 2" because the screen looked more like my GBM (on low birghtness) "point 1" was a bit too dim. Still got enough parts to make another one (purple, also new case, ribbon and new lcd).
I will also upload (if anyone is interesed) a detailed picture of the cable. Looks like Zerey is using a 'pre-made' ribbon/pcb to attach the connector, the cables look really professional, unlike the previous pics i've seen (with the kapton tape and solder).