Looking for Tutorials for game boy LED mods/Lights

[nightrnr]

Alright, so I want to try my hand at lighting up my old game boy systems in the near future. Namely, I'll be looking to do my Game Boy Pockets, GBC, and original GBA. I'm trying to see what my options are.

Preferably, I want to know if there's any good ways to light them with just plain 3mm LEDs (one on each side of the screen).

I've already done some web searching (including a search on this forum), and so far, I've only run into this:
http://mikejmoffitt.com/tutorials.html

Those options are all well and good if you have some spare/broken GBA-SP systems lying around. I actually do have a broken front-lit GBA-SP I could steal the screen from, but I might want to save it for a NeoGeo Pocket or Wonderswan mod, or may just use it for my original GBA (because I like the old design). I kind of don't want to waste it on the GBC when cheap LEDs could possibly do the trick... that and I only have the one.

Also, in the case of the Game Boy Pocket, I REALLY want to choose my LED color (blue, green or purple would be awesome).
I think I saw a youtube video where someone even installed multiple LEDs and switches so that they could choose which color to use on the fly (which is sic); but I'd like to keep it as simple as possible: just one set of LEDs and I don't even need the option of switching it off (but may still consider the option).
I understand that it's possible that nothing is really simple, and that I'll have to do a little more that just throw the lights in there. But where there's a will there's a way and all that; I'll deal with what I have to.

Any input and links would be appreciated.

[Anapan]

There's some good ones here:
http://nonelectronics.com/tutorial.php
There's many conversations about the work Bibin, Kitsch, and others have done to make the best gameboy backlight mods on 8bitcollective's gameboy forum. Check the stickies or do a search of that forum, that's where most of the questions and answers are afaik.
A few more I bookmarked a while back:
http://forums.modretro.com/viewtopic.php?f=40&t=263
http://bibin.gg8.se/blog/

[nightrnr]

Thanks for the links Anapan! That should be a big help. I'm already looking through them and learning a lot.
Still quite new at all this, but I'll try to post any successes in this thread.
But that may be a while, as I am currently trying to fix some Game Gears (capacitors and maybe some LED replacements).

I also just found this forum:
http://forums.benheck.com/viewtopic.php?f=22&t=21886

I think some of the same people from 8bitcollective are found there too.

With the game boys, it looks like I may have to order one of those kits, which are surprisingly affordable. But I think I'm still going to try just putting basic LEDs in there and seeing what I can do with that. One guy even just replaced the power LED for a light source (crude, but effective). Of course, that wouldn't help me with my LED-less game boy pockets.

Also, that Nonelectronics site mentions this:
"GameBoy Colors cannot be backlit, only frontlit. We have heard that someone has been successful lighting a Color with parts from a DS, but we do not currently offer that service"
If anyone knows more info about lighting a GBC with a DS screen/parts, I'd like to know more about it, as I held onto my nephew's destroyed DS. It would be really neat if I could get 2 GBC's front-lit from one DS (if both/either screens could be used).

[Anapan]

Re: the GBC front-light mod - Bibin, the guy who's tutorials you linked on your first post pioneered that so I think he's got the best guide, tho he answered a lot of questions people had about how he did it on 8BC's forum (and possibly other forums in this thread). If you search his username on the forums you'll probably find more info from him.
Looking forward to seeing how your mod goes.

[nightrnr]

I found another interesting link:
http://www.instructables.com/id/GameBoy ... Backlight/

I like this one, even though it doesn't use an LED on each side, just one on top. But I suppose I could put it/them anywhere I want.
I'll be putting good links in this topic too as I find them for reference (my own and anyone whose interested).

I may have a hard time finding a proper "reflective layer" to use, but may just try it without one. I don't know.

Anyways, My LED's haven't come in the mail yet and I have that other project going on (so far I've successfully repaired a Game Gear's sound, which is really my first electronic success with a soldering iron... Yeah Me!).

My 1st batch of LED's are mostly going to be just white ones, but I also ordered a few slow changing ones (R-to-G-to-B). I thought it would be pretty wild to put it in a Game Boy Pocket. I have read that the different colors draw slightly different amounts of power, thus affecting the contrast (which would be constantly changing), so it's probably a bad idea. But I've got to try it anyways ; it would be so trippy.

Most of my first projects are going to be experiments, and not completed works. For example, I have a beat-up original GBA, which is faded green (glacier model) and d-pad is wonky (needs new rubber button thingy). I'll be roughing that one up before I touch any other GBA or GBC. But I WILL post pics if I can (and if I have anything worthwhile to show).
My biggest fear is when I get to removing the layers of the LCDs and trying not to scratch anything. So far, it seems like a given that on the 1st one, you're GOING to mess up. And things often take me a few tries to get right anyways (yikes!).
But I'll only bork systems that are already kind of screwed up in the 1st place to start with (or that is just dirt common and cheap to replace).

[BRIK]

I've got a second a GBC that I don't use. Maybe this could be a future project for me, I've got to fix the capacitators on my Game Gear first though.

[nightrnr]

^^Cool! You're kind of in the same boat as me then.
There are soooo many Game Gears that need to be fixed and re-purposed. I've got a bunch I'm going to fix and maybe offer for sale here (if not ebay).

The sound capacitor (labeled as C7) is a real pain to replace because there's not much space to work with. But if you can do that one, the rest shouldn't be too bad. At least it's a small board that separates from the rest.
Still waiting for the rest of my caps to arrive, then it's Gear cap hell for me .

Oh, and if anyone knows how to fix faulty, loose power jacks (the input for AC adapters) on Game Gears, please share. That seems to be a common problem too.

Side projects can be quite fulfilling though. I've just recently been feeling brave and adventurous on the matter (after years of opening stuff up and staring perplexed at circuit boards). Right now, I feel like I can tackle any project as long as there's a decent tutorial and my interest holds.

I'm wondering what the real difference between a front-light and a back-light is, besides the placement obviously. As nice as the DS screens look in a GB, I'd really rather have color LEDs on that and use the DS ones for others systems if possible (I've said this already though, just wanted to emphasize).
If I pull one out and try it anyways, I'll post my findings.
Otherwise, if anyone knows the difference between the GBAsp-1 and GBASP-2/DS lights, I'm listening.

Sorry if I'm a bit long winded. I'm just exited and curious about the possibilities.
I will have my own results when I can get to it--> I seem all talk right now; but really I've just been doing research and other odd projects unrelated to this (as in not a portable).

[BRIK]

Yeah apparently all the Game Gears (and most electronics from the same era) were made with shitty caps which means just about all of them will fail eventually. The fix isn't too hard though, the problem with me though is that I don't know how to solder so I'll get a life skill out of learning how to do that as well
Like you I better try with the speaker cap first, just to see if I'm really capable of fixing it correctly.

[nightrnr]

I have some advice for anyone who is trying to backlight their Game Boy Pockets:

DON'T BOTHER!!!

It just isn't worth the risk IMO. That layer you have to peel off for back-lighting makes it nigh impossible NOT to disturb the ribbon cables. Most likely, you'll end up screwing up the screen like I did.

Fortunately, I have a few other GBP's, so it wasn't too big a loss (plus they are fairly common and not in demand).

I have a broken original Game Boy that I should have practiced on 1st. And really, original GB's are the only ones worth experimenting this on, as GBP's are perfectly playable (look nicer, and better battery life).
Anyways, unless you have a ton of GB/GBP systems to waste, you have been warned.

However, I am still trying to find a way to FRONT-light the systems (GBP, GBC, GBA, etc.). I tried that just prior to the backlight attempt, but it didn't provide enough illumination. I might try putting an additional plastic screen at an angle and hopefully the casing will still close up.

As always, I'm open to suggestions and advice.

[BRIK]

Yeah I decided not to muck around with my spare GBC and I bought a GBA:SP instead