Two broken DS's and No Skill with hardware. Help!

[ProfessorK]

I have two original DS phat's before me. One of them, silver, just doesn't work. You hear a little pop but nothing else happens. We tried a new battery, still nothing. As I said in the title, I have no hardware skill. I wish I did, but I don't. The other, red, has a broken top screen, but aside from that it is 100%. Does anyone have any ideas of what I could do? My only idea was to put the Silver top half on the Red bottom half but I didn't know if that was possible or what level of hardware skill would be required... I just want to play Soul Silver!

[Anapan]

You'll need a tri-wing screwdriver to open the case, but it's fairly straight-forward otherwise. If you're just replacing the top screen you won't even need to open the bottom half.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Replace ... without-o/
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.2905

[17DaysOlderThanNES]

ugh, DSs are such a nightmare to take apart and put back together. The phat looks a little easier, but I'd sooner throw a lite in the trash than mess with that crap again. If you have no other option, have at it, but expect hell.

[vlame]

i have a friend that might can do this for you.

[puke_face]

i have a friend that might can do this for you.

That is wack.

[ProfessorK]

You'll need a tri-wing screwdriver to open the case, but it's fairly straight-forward otherwise. If you're just replacing the top screen you won't even need to open the bottom half.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Replace ... without-o/
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.2905

This does look pretty simple. It looks to be about the same as some laptop work I have done but on a much smaller scale. Thanks for the links.

I am also starting to consider getting a replacement shell for it as well. I received both of these DS's from a friend who upgraded when they broke. It's one of those "You fix them, you can have them situations". Long story short, they were free and the housing on each of them isn't in spectacular condition, so I'm willing to try hardware work with them because there is no real loss.

[ProfessorK]

i have a friend that might can do this for you.

Thanks, and If i get intimidated when trying i will certainly contact you. Honestly though, this looks like a pretty simple job. I only assumed it wasn't because the friend I got these from told me he opened them and it looked like soldering would have to be done and such.

[Hobie-wan]

Thanks, and If i get intimidated when trying i will certainly contact you. Honestly though, this looks like a pretty simple job. I only assumed it wasn't because the friend I got these from told me he opened them and it looked like soldering would have to be done and such.

Pretty sure the cable for the screen and such will be all socketed so they can be unplugged. Should be easy to find pictures by now online of the DS fat and disassembly instructions. Go look at a place with cell phone stuff for the tri-wing screwdriver if you don't want to wait for one purchased online.

[17DaysOlderThanNES]

i have a friend that might can do this for you.

Thanks, and If i get intimidated when trying i will certainly contact you. Honestly though, this looks like a pretty simple job. I only assumed it wasn't because the friend I got these from told me he opened them and it looked like soldering would have to be done and such.

Looks are deceiving. Honestly, the fat DS looks more like an SP (which isn't bad at all for a hinged system), but if it shares any of the pitfalls of the lite, watch out. Proceed with caution and make sure to keep track of every step. Taking it apart isn't too bad, but putting a lite back together is like putting together those 3D puzzles that require every piece to be held in place or it all falls apart. Hopefully the phat won't be so bad.

[ProfessorK]

i have a friend that might can do this for you.

Thanks, and If i get intimidated when trying i will certainly contact you. Honestly though, this looks like a pretty simple job. I only assumed it wasn't because the friend I got these from told me he opened them and it looked like soldering would have to be done and such.

Looks are deceiving. Honestly, the fat DS looks more like an SP (which isn't bad at all for a hinged system), but if it shares any of the pitfalls of the lite, watch out. Proceed with caution and make sure to keep track of every step. Taking it apart isn't too bad, but putting a lite back together is like putting together those 3D puzzles that require every piece to be held in place or it all falls apart. Hopefully the phat won't be so bad.

I will use more caution then ever before! Tonight is the night, by the way. He will be arriving with the DS's soon and then the work begins! Wish me luck, Racketeers! I know it's not really a mod, but this is my first, well... of any work with a console. i am very excited. I hope to get into the mod scene, just need soldering skill. The only skills I do have are basic PC and laptop repair (also, my nunchuck skill is good for killing wolverines).

While the topic is DS's, I have always had an idea that I wondered about. Would you be able to take the bottom half of a DS case and fit say... a Gameboy Advance in it? I have always thought that the bottom half of a DS phat would have made an awesome GBA stand alone system.