How to: frontlight your GBA (no 56k)

Trying to get homebrew running on your PSP? Want to add a screen light to your Game Boy? Trying to figure out how to work your GP2X? By popular demand, discuss it in here! (This forum is for pre-built handhelds, NOT custom made portables!)

Moderator:Moderators

User avatar
Bibin
Posts:1127
Joined:Sun Mar 04, 2007 2:14 am
Location:Brooklyn, NY
Contact:
Re: How to: frontlight your GBA (no 56k)

Post by Bibin » Thu Jun 18, 2009 6:55 pm

If you credit us, go ahead. No need to mention this site AT ALL, though, link to this:

http://forums.modretro.com/viewtopic.php?f=40&t=72" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
...

User avatar
chipdouglas
Posts:33
Joined:Mon Mar 02, 2009 1:14 pm

Re: How to: frontlight your GBA (no 56k)

Post by chipdouglas » Thu Jun 18, 2009 7:07 pm

Thanks, I will make sure to credit you and link to your site.
My site: http://whengamescollide.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Terid
Posts:5
Joined:Thu Jul 02, 2009 3:08 pm

Re: How to: frontlight your GBA (no 56k)

Post by Terid » Thu Jul 02, 2009 3:13 pm

Hi, Thanks for the guide!

I recently fitted an SP light onto a Gameboy Color. I added the AR film over the LCD then have the frontlight ontop, but when the light is switched on all i see is light, no game. Sorry if this has been posted before but am I missing something?

Many Thanks
Glenn

User avatar
palmertech
Senior Member
Posts:3225
Joined:Sat Feb 02, 2008 1:40 am
Location:California, land of the homeless and hippies
Contact:

Re: How to: frontlight your GBA (no 56k)

Post by palmertech » Thu Jul 02, 2009 3:27 pm

I think you put your frontlight panel on facing the wrong way. ;)
Image

Excellent

Terid
Posts:5
Joined:Thu Jul 02, 2009 3:08 pm

Re: How to: frontlight your GBA (no 56k)

Post by Terid » Thu Jul 02, 2009 3:59 pm

Not to doubt you, I partly followed this guide and partly another japanese guide for GBC and in the picutres its facing the same way as the other guy did it. I'll try tomorrow maybe and see if it helps tho, thanks for the response :) I'll let you know how i get on.

User avatar
palmertech
Senior Member
Posts:3225
Joined:Sat Feb 02, 2008 1:40 am
Location:California, land of the homeless and hippies
Contact:

Re: How to: frontlight your GBA (no 56k)

Post by palmertech » Thu Jul 02, 2009 6:23 pm

Alright, thanks. I had the same problem you did, and this fixed it.

Two more things: Are you using the stock LED, or a new one? Is the panel RIGHT up against the LCD? Try adjusting the distance.
Image

Excellent

Terid
Posts:5
Joined:Thu Jul 02, 2009 3:08 pm

Re: How to: frontlight your GBA (no 56k)

Post by Terid » Thu Jul 02, 2009 7:17 pm

Stock LED and it's pushed right up against it. Everything is really neatly together. I can sort of see it if i tilt the screen away from me but I think i maybe got too many finger prints on my polycarbonate so its really smeary as it is. Would like to get it working before i take apart another SP tho lol.

Terid
Posts:5
Joined:Thu Jul 02, 2009 3:08 pm

Re: How to: frontlight your GBA (no 56k)

Post by Terid » Thu Jul 02, 2009 9:29 pm

Wow, turned the polycarbonate round and its working perfectly. Thanks so much man i can't believe it was that lol. :lol: I maybe put a new one in now to make it clean :roll:

EDIT: By the by, It seems really dull compared to an SP and its pretty hard to see whats going on, but you can see it. Is this something to do with the AR film or do you think its just the dirty polycarb?

Thanks

User avatar
palmertech
Senior Member
Posts:3225
Joined:Sat Feb 02, 2008 1:40 am
Location:California, land of the homeless and hippies
Contact:

Re: How to: frontlight your GBA (no 56k)

Post by palmertech » Thu Jul 02, 2009 11:26 pm

The AR film could be part of it. Making it dirty and smudgy does affect it. :( What is the voltage you are driving it at, it is possible you are not driving the LED at full power.

For best results, Bibin says to swap the polarizer from the GBA SP LCD into the GBC LCD. Never tried that myself, I can do polarizer swaps, but they are a PITA. ;)
Image

Excellent

Terid
Posts:5
Joined:Thu Jul 02, 2009 3:08 pm

Re: How to: frontlight your GBA (no 56k)

Post by Terid » Fri Jul 03, 2009 12:21 am

I've no idea what the polarizer looks like even. Think im running it at 3v, i have the positive to top pin and negative to the bottom pin (ground) and jsut running it off 2xAA batteries with a 82 Ohm resistor on the positive wire.

User avatar
palmertech
Senior Member
Posts:3225
Joined:Sat Feb 02, 2008 1:40 am
Location:California, land of the homeless and hippies
Contact:

Re: How to: frontlight your GBA (no 56k)

Post by palmertech » Fri Jul 03, 2009 8:31 pm

82ohms is quite a bit, I would try something lower, 20-30ohms.
Image

Excellent

NeverBX
Posts:2
Joined:Sat Jul 08, 2006 10:04 pm
Location:Hawaii
Contact:

Re: How to: frontlight your GBA (no 56k)

Post by NeverBX » Thu Jul 16, 2009 10:09 pm

Terid wrote:I've no idea what the polarizer looks like even. Think im running it at 3v, i have the positive to top pin and negative to the bottom pin (ground) and jsut running it off 2xAA batteries with a 82 Ohm resistor on the positive wire.
Full power would be 3.2-3.6v, so any resistor will make it less than full power. You should consider taking out a multimeter and checking a spot for something a little higher around 3.5v and add a resistor accordingly.

Gunk
Posts:55
Joined:Tue May 06, 2008 12:11 pm

Re: How to: frontlight your GBA (no 56k)

Post by Gunk » Tue Dec 01, 2009 5:29 pm

anyone willing to mod my GBA? I have parts

User avatar
Hifeno
Portablizer Extraordinaire
Posts:666
Joined:Sat Jul 19, 2008 4:12 pm
Location:Seneca SC
Contact:

Re: How to: frontlight your GBA (no 56k)

Post by Hifeno » Fri Jan 29, 2010 8:41 pm

Sorry to bump older topic but I wanted it up top so I could find it when I attempt this mod later in the week.
That's Hacking Awsome
Image
Visit my Website http://hifeno.webs.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Plesiosaurus
Posts:1
Joined:Tue Sep 14, 2010 2:23 pm

Re: How to: frontlight your GBA (no 56k)

Post by Plesiosaurus » Tue Sep 14, 2010 2:27 pm

Hello.
I'm wondering, would this: http://www.goldenshop.com.hk/AI-trad/gba/filter.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
work instead of AR Flim?
It says it prevents light reflection.
The reason i ask is because it also protects the screen from scratches. 2 in 1 :)

Post Reply