It's really not so bad. I would definitely recommend it for a first timer's project. Just be careful, take meticulous notes, double check everything before turning on power, and you should be just fine. It's a relatively cheap project, too.

This worklog has a ridiculous amount of pictures so far. Let's add more!

Very important part of building portables:


Added some standoffs for the controller board:


Attached the screen's circuit board to the LCD. It's starting to get messy in here... Unavoidable, I'm afraid:


Installed the buttons for start and select. I just used regular clicky tact switches for these.


I broke a personal rule of mine - I used hot glue for something structural. Since it's just for start and select it shouldn't be a problem (I hope):


I'm currently uploading another YouTube video, so I'll post that next.

I really don't care to work on this any more today, so that will be all until the middle of next week. I need to go finish up some homework for my "Practical Aspects of Chromatography" class so I don't have to bother with it this weekend.

Is is a high heat glue gun with ABS plastic? That stuff BONDS to ABS. It's crazy!

Oh no - it's definitely a low temp glue gun. I'd probably scar myself with a high temp.

YouTube video, as promised.

Thanks, that's very helpful! And if it's cheap, all the better! Maybe I'll tackle something like this during summer. It'd make a great project.

Any idea, if those rubber tact switchs are sold anywhere else than Digi-Key? Their postages to Finland are more than 25 dollars... I checked eBay without results. They look pretty neat and I would like a bunch of them myself.

To be honest, Liuhuparta, I have never checked out what the postage is to Finland. The only places I can think of are businesses in the US. Ebay probably is your best bet - just keep searching and you might find some.

This thing is turning out pretty sweet. Congratulations on the wedding! Any woman who holds the camera while you make a movie about your portable, is a keeper in my books. I wish you two the best of luck.

Here's a place on Ebay: LINK

Thanks! It seems I used wrong search words. Just ordered 50 pieces for 20 dollars!

ARGH! Another one bites the dust.... This makes the fourth NOAC that I've somehow fried in my modding career. The screen is still okay, the controller is just fine, the voltage booster is putting out a steady 8.16v (the screen needs 7.5v or more), so no problems there - but I managed to get a little puff of smoke from the NOAC and an awful buzzing so I'm giving up hope on it. Just goes to show, even if you have a lot of experience with this stuff, double check everything, and take extra care with every step, sometimes you might just miss something.

The good news is that all I need is a new Super Joy III board. All I will need to do is put it in place, connect the AV, power, and controller connections, and I have a finished portable. Until then, this project is shelved. I WAS SO CLOSE TO FINISHING THIS! ARGH!

I might as well share my progress pictures. The NOAC fried when I did my final step - powering the system up to make sure it all works. I don't know what I missed, nor do I care to troubleshoot right now.

I originally thought I needed to wire the pots before gluing them in place, but I quickly learned that the ribbon cable was too thick for where I needed the wires to go:




After I had glued them in place, I replaced the ribbon cable with Kynar wire. This stuff is so thin, it's fantastic. I never have to worry about wires bulking up my projects with this stuff. Just don't use it for power or anything... The scratchy messiness in between the two pots are where I filed a lot of plastic away so the power button would sit just right.


Things started getting messy as I continued to add more and more connections:


Ugh - the controller glop top of DOOM!


My voltage booster in place, doing that thing it does.




There really aren't too many connections that go to the NOAC itself, so it won't take very much to get this portable in working condition once I get a new Super Joy III (whenever that may be):


The power button, while a cool idea, was a pain to get in just the right spot. A lot of trial and error and removing and reapplying hot glue went into getting it right:


And that was it! I was finished! But after a quick test and a puff of smoke, I learned that it was not meant to be.


The power button is depressed in this picture. And so am I.


I even had little rubber things to go over the screw post holes!


*Sigh* Oh well, I guess I can just stare at its blank screen and imagine all the fun I would be having right now if it hadn't died on me


Interesting side note - these pictures make the portable appear larger than it actually is (at least, according to my screen's resolution).

that is one nice lookin hand-held
too bad it died so young

It looks so good, why did it have to be still-born, why?!?!

Any idea as to what might have killed it?

I have killed two sj3s, also by trying to power them.

Where do you get that super-thin Kynar stuff?

Aww, sorry to hear that it died, man. It was looking beautiful.