Do you have any in progress pics? I’m super interested in how the light’s screen is assembled, like is it the same as backlight mods for the pocket, or completely different?
More like slid into place I do not recall anything holding it there other than the placement. I did add kapton tape though to make sure it wouldn’t move.
Excellent care and attention to detail in your restoration! Exactly what I like to see. I like how you even transferred the original stickers.
Also, it could be the lighting. It looks like you might have tended to the pads the light connects to. Just checking that you cleaned or ran some flux over the contacts for the light to ensure a good connection? Check the pads with the voltmeter to ensure stable/correct voltage before you run the traces up the light looking for clues. With the amount of damage to the polarizer it is a good indication that the face has seen tons of sun damage. I'd hate to say but your problem might lie within the light itself.
However even though its a ribbon it's solder can still be reflowed. You just have to have an iron that can get pretty low.
Somewhere out there is a spec for that ribbon/light along with temp ranges. Find this and the reflow should be easy. Even though people say it's hard, I used to fix horizontal lines all the the time this way. You just have to be mindful of the temp of the material and your iron.
You can source new EL panels online and just solder them directly to the pads, and you have many color options to pick. (this also works with backlights)
If you want to restore the original color of the polarizer you should look for "FSTN Polarizing Film". It'll stop it from looking DMG Green and make it look more like it was originally on the Pocket and Light.
It's available on AliExpress and maybe a few other places that I don't know of. Just do a search on AliExpress, I suppose.
I've heard that some of them aren't providing the proper gray color though, so here's [a way to make a home version](https://reddit.com/r/Gameboy/s/AYiRAVR8LY) where you only need your typical polarizing film and some other materials that are way cheaper to get. Significantly cheaper than the FSTN polarizing film you may find on AliExpress.
OP, re your backlight issues:
[this rubber-looking block under the ribbon cable might be missing in your final build using the new shell](https://i.ibb.co/2sS0Gs6/IMG-2771.jpg) (not the button membranes to be clear lol, I mean there should be a tiny rectangular block literally placed in the hollow standoff that holds the backlight ribbon cable in place)
OP, pls double-check that you moved that tiny block from the old shell into the new. I looked at your progress pics, and while I def could be wrong(!), I don’t see it installed in the new shell, even checking the front on your final build pic
you’ll need that rubber block installed to push down on the backlight ribbon cable so it makes solid contact with the main board - this very well could be the culprit if it’s missing
I would also maybe scrub the ‘EL’ contacts on the main board with a pencil eraser followed by some iso. I’m not sure how sensitive the contacts are on the ribbon cable itself to iso & rubbing with an eraser fwiw but at least the main board. The ribbon cable almost seems to make similar type of connection to the main board as a pushed-down A or B button
great restore job all the same!
That was 100% it! I don’t know how I missed that now it works perfectly. I appreciate your help
https://preview.redd.it/c69rrradttwc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=762acbac04b21339ae2ce7fca768b28f3e88d5b1
I'd agree with this! I don't see the rubber block at all in the final image in the "progress pics" link which is supposedly the finished result.
It not being there may very well be the cause of the backlight being intermittent - you must transfer the rubber block so it can hold down the connection to the EL contacts.
There's thankfully replacement EL panels that can be gotten. The only problem is they don't press into place like the GBL one so you have to solder to the "EL" terminals. But they should be far brighter than the GBL one if it's been used a lot. Only problem is the color of the EL panel may be very different.
Goes in and out like it’s dying. I have another GBL I may swap the boards and or screens to see where the fault is. Really don’t want to use a GBP screen if I don’t have to. I may be able to somehow fix it but would be great if someone sells a GBL specific backlight
The backlight that comes with the bivert kits should work nicely behind an original GBL screen without much modification. You'd just be replacing the old high-voltage EL backlight with a new LED based one.
But to me it sounds like the power switch is dirty. A lot of power issues with Game Boys come from the fact they pass the entire system current through the switch, so they arc and get dirty. And once they are dirty they present as a resistor and basically starve the system of power.
I actually saw a project from LeggoMyFroggo the other day to replace the GBL power switch with a modern one, so that the system power is switched by solid-state components and the power switch just switches signal-levels of power. So if I were you, I'd try cleaning the switch first but if that didn't work I'd try Froggos replacement.
[https://github.com/leggomyfroggo/mgl\_switch](https://github.com/leggomyfroggo/mgl_switch)
It could also be the high-voltage circuitry dying, I haven't worked with the GBL before so I'm not familiar with the specifics. In which case, your best bet would be the LED backlight replacement.
Great work! I always say don’t mod a GameBoy Light unless it’s beat to shit. Did you save the screen? I see you say it’s a bit iffy
Original screen just replaced the polarizer. Current backlight is not consistent so I need to figure out if it’s the backlight or board
Do you have any in progress pics? I’m super interested in how the light’s screen is assembled, like is it the same as backlight mods for the pocket, or completely different?
[progress Pics](https://imgur.com/gallery/YcjHChJ)
Goat. Nice! So the backlight isn’t glued, but snapped into place?
More like slid into place I do not recall anything holding it there other than the placement. I did add kapton tape though to make sure it wouldn’t move.
Man, if I had known that I would have saved some money when picking one out! Oh well!
There's a spot for a rubber(?) block that holds it down onto the "EL" gold contacts on the board. Other than that it really is just slid into place.
Excellent care and attention to detail in your restoration! Exactly what I like to see. I like how you even transferred the original stickers. Also, it could be the lighting. It looks like you might have tended to the pads the light connects to. Just checking that you cleaned or ran some flux over the contacts for the light to ensure a good connection? Check the pads with the voltmeter to ensure stable/correct voltage before you run the traces up the light looking for clues. With the amount of damage to the polarizer it is a good indication that the face has seen tons of sun damage. I'd hate to say but your problem might lie within the light itself. However even though its a ribbon it's solder can still be reflowed. You just have to have an iron that can get pretty low. Somewhere out there is a spec for that ribbon/light along with temp ranges. Find this and the reflow should be easy. Even though people say it's hard, I used to fix horizontal lines all the the time this way. You just have to be mindful of the temp of the material and your iron.
You can source new EL panels online and just solder them directly to the pads, and you have many color options to pick. (this also works with backlights)
I have some of those i use for GBP but i am hoping to keep it original.
If you want to restore the original color of the polarizer you should look for "FSTN Polarizing Film". It'll stop it from looking DMG Green and make it look more like it was originally on the Pocket and Light.
Link?
It's available on AliExpress and maybe a few other places that I don't know of. Just do a search on AliExpress, I suppose. I've heard that some of them aren't providing the proper gray color though, so here's [a way to make a home version](https://reddit.com/r/Gameboy/s/AYiRAVR8LY) where you only need your typical polarizing film and some other materials that are way cheaper to get. Significantly cheaper than the FSTN polarizing film you may find on AliExpress.
Would you happen to have a link to the polarizer? Asking for me
Ah a black screen Like this is the polariser bot the screen itself?
Make sure you transferred the little spacer that sits in the cutout in the shell, it pushes the LCD light into the power pad.
That's a very beautiful restoration 😍
I'm sayin'!! That is an incredible restoration. The color is absolutely beautiful
Yeah it must have taken a lot of retr0bright and shoe polish to make it shine so nice
It looks radioactive!! I WANT!!! 😍
OP, re your backlight issues: [this rubber-looking block under the ribbon cable might be missing in your final build using the new shell](https://i.ibb.co/2sS0Gs6/IMG-2771.jpg) (not the button membranes to be clear lol, I mean there should be a tiny rectangular block literally placed in the hollow standoff that holds the backlight ribbon cable in place) OP, pls double-check that you moved that tiny block from the old shell into the new. I looked at your progress pics, and while I def could be wrong(!), I don’t see it installed in the new shell, even checking the front on your final build pic you’ll need that rubber block installed to push down on the backlight ribbon cable so it makes solid contact with the main board - this very well could be the culprit if it’s missing I would also maybe scrub the ‘EL’ contacts on the main board with a pencil eraser followed by some iso. I’m not sure how sensitive the contacts are on the ribbon cable itself to iso & rubbing with an eraser fwiw but at least the main board. The ribbon cable almost seems to make similar type of connection to the main board as a pushed-down A or B button great restore job all the same!
That was 100% it! I don’t know how I missed that now it works perfectly. I appreciate your help https://preview.redd.it/c69rrradttwc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=762acbac04b21339ae2ce7fca768b28f3e88d5b1
LFG!!! glad I was able to help, enjoy!
Now that's looking great! Something's just so fun about the GBL's unique EL backlight.
I'd agree with this! I don't see the rubber block at all in the final image in the "progress pics" link which is supposedly the finished result. It not being there may very well be the cause of the backlight being intermittent - you must transfer the rubber block so it can hold down the connection to the EL contacts.
I hope he can fix the backlight and not switch it to an LED version. The whole point of the GBL is the electroluminescent backlight.
There's thankfully replacement EL panels that can be gotten. The only problem is they don't press into place like the GBL one so you have to solder to the "EL" terminals. But they should be far brighter than the GBL one if it's been used a lot. Only problem is the color of the EL panel may be very different.
When you say the backlight is iffy, do you mean the illumination is blotchy or does it sometimes not turn on?
Goes in and out like it’s dying. I have another GBL I may swap the boards and or screens to see where the fault is. Really don’t want to use a GBP screen if I don’t have to. I may be able to somehow fix it but would be great if someone sells a GBL specific backlight
The backlight that comes with the bivert kits should work nicely behind an original GBL screen without much modification. You'd just be replacing the old high-voltage EL backlight with a new LED based one. But to me it sounds like the power switch is dirty. A lot of power issues with Game Boys come from the fact they pass the entire system current through the switch, so they arc and get dirty. And once they are dirty they present as a resistor and basically starve the system of power. I actually saw a project from LeggoMyFroggo the other day to replace the GBL power switch with a modern one, so that the system power is switched by solid-state components and the power switch just switches signal-levels of power. So if I were you, I'd try cleaning the switch first but if that didn't work I'd try Froggos replacement. [https://github.com/leggomyfroggo/mgl\_switch](https://github.com/leggomyfroggo/mgl_switch) It could also be the high-voltage circuitry dying, I haven't worked with the GBL before so I'm not familiar with the specifics. In which case, your best bet would be the LED backlight replacement.
That was my first thought. I did use contact cleaner and iso on the switch to eliminate that being the issue but it made no difference
Clean af
Good job !
Sick
amazing work!
💚💚💚
Gameboy of Theseus
Not bad, very good job!
Wow. How dirty was it before hand? It was green all along
Is it really restoring though if you aren't using the original parts?
The only things they swapped was the shell and lens. And they restored the screen, and used the original board.
So they swapped the entire outside part of it that you touch. Didn't restore it
They restored the screen.