Frontlight Your Game Boy Advance!
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- Опубликовано: 7 дек 2015
- Love your original Game Boy Advance but hate its reflective screen? Installing a Hand Held Legend frontlight kit is easier than you think.
UPDATE: To provide a more diffuse illumination from the LEDs at the bottom of the frontlight panel, you can install it a bit lower on the screen. Just be sure to keep the top edge far enough towards the top of the LCD so it's not visible through the screen lens in the front of the shell. Here's a blog post on Hand Held Legend's site with the details: handheldlegend.com/blogs/news...
Frontlight kit: handheldlegend.com/collections...
Osaka LOCA: handheldlegend.com/collections...
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This Does Not Compute
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This video came up to me in 2022!! Actually expecting a shipment from handheld legend of ips v2 touch sensor... is amazing how much this modding community has evolved!
I have my own method of frontlighting. I wear a headlamp with some electrical tape over it to dim it. works like a charm
sounds great ^>^
GBA kids be like
Worn light
Worm
Forefrontlight
Dude your videos are like meth to old school handheld owners, keep em comin. good luck.
we have come a long, long way with GBA modding. Alas we have an IPS V2 Screens that can be ordered from around $50 they are amazing!
These newer screens are just perfect at ruining the retro feel
@@user-yk1cw8im4h true.. ID rather just use a GBA sp..
This is a pretty neat mod that I've done myself recently. And your video helped me quite a bit, haha.
There are two things that sorta bug me about it though.
1] The frontlight has all the LEDs concentrated at the bottom, so the bottom of the screen tends to be more washed out than the top.
2] The frontlight LEDS shine through the GBA's plastic shell even if you have an opaque GBA. (This can be fixed with some black electrical tape where the gasket used to be though.)
In the end, for like, 15 bucks or so, you can't complain too much about it; the price more than makes up for those two 'faults'.
Thanks again for the instructional video.
Thanks for making a video about this! I'm going to order a front light soon and try this mod myself. Also it's cool to se a youtube channel like yours based in Minnesota! I just picked up my GBA in Minneapolis
You have incredible videos for such a small channel. keep up the good work!
Thanks for the help I've been wanting to mod my Gameboy advanced for a long time and now i can see the screen 100% better
You shouldve used a heat gun or a blow dryer to heat up the glue so easier peel :P
ordered the parts, put it together, success! it was fun for my first mod, thank you so much for making a video on this!
did yours come with the reflective strip replacementÉ
mine didn't so i was just wondering if it was just mine.
nah mine didnt
did you put the old one back on or just left it off?
you could use plumbers silver tape.
What size solder works for this?
Waiting on LOCA curing right now myself, thanks for the how-to!
This guy does great work, and I am very appreciative!
Great video! The loca is curing now! My kit from handheld legends didn't include extra reflective strips at all. I left the strips on so hopefully nothing goes wrong.
What size solder?
I suggest a video explaining the refresh rates on led tvs nowadays. What frequency is desirable for us, gamers, and the fake refresh rates stated by some manufacturers.
Thanks for the vid! Great Channel! Love the vid and audio quality as much as the content!
used this video to do my first soldering job on a 40 pin gba! good stuff, thanks so much
THANK YOU! Been having power issues for years soldering to the DA1 connection point(on the advice of the tutorial I used for my build). The Q6 connection works perfectly :)
just made my purchase and made sure they knew my business came from you.
Great video. Helped me finish this mod myself.
Oh man the screen has been curing on the windowsill for nearly two hours in direct sunlight but it still isn't done. I suppose it's one of the (many) disadvantages of living in northern Europe during the winter haha. I just hope it cures before the sun goes down...on the flip side, no bubbles yet at least!
Anyway, thanks for the very clear and cohesive video.
out of curiosity, wouldn't the front light sooner or later destroy the lcd? Ive heard stories about peoples Gba Sp Ags001 screens turing out bad with black bars and what not.
Someone Gave me an old gba saying it was not working anymore recently,
I was confused of what i found while trying to fix it
so with a little bit of research i found this old video!
thx a lot! Now its working really well and my screen is light up^^
Your video made me get the kit and im extremely happy with the result, tho i didnt get all the bubbles out and im planning to eventually replace the screen with a new sreen and a better loca job on it.
Thanks for making such a useful video!
+Infectious Fallout Awesome, glad it worked out well!
This Does Not Compute the only problem i had was with the loca and a few bubbles and i cant wait to see your next video!
Thank you for the video. I am starting a collection and think frontlit is a good option for me
Very tempted to try this...
Amazing modification, I need to do this to my GBA but I never use soldering.
Out of curiosity, I wonder if it'd be possible to do a kickstarter or something that pools together our money in exchange for a large stock of backlit GBA screens to be produced?
PandaXclone2 I think all the old companies that are still in business should rebuild a bunch of old games, it's an untapped market. Imagine that, going up to the Nintendo Webpage, and buying a Official Gameboy "Repro" which would be so epic,
Just another RUclips channel Official companies like Nintendo, you mean? The NES Mini's in the right step. Otherwise there are stores out on the web which make repro carts of both released and unreleased games.
**Cue Gameboy Classic Mini (redundant?) with link cable functionality**
PandaXclone2 stock is back
:D
PixCub they aren't genuine though they are Chinese
TheAutisticGamer it's still better than a front light ;)
Question. I have a regular purple GBA (40 pin) and a AGS-101 screen (32 pin). What do I need to backlight the purple GBA?
love your channel man!
Love your videos! Thanks for sharing!
thank u for making this video
Following this. mine is a 40pin unit. installing the red wire to Q6 and when I put it back together, the power LED turns on for a flash then off. THe frontlight part of the screen comes on, but the regular LCD stays black. Can you help?
The front light kit I bought doesn’t come with a replacement strip. Do you have any tips for installation/curing with that being the case?
Thanks!
I have a question. I have soldered the wires to the right spots but when I turn the game boy on the screen turns on and off really quick. What do you think the issue is?
Awesome tutorial
I had preformed such a mod on my GBA a few years back, but I used an AGS-001 display out of my old busted GBA SP.
I did mine and whenever I switch it on, it last 1 sec then turns off, if I remove either wires it's fine tho, help?
I need help would like to add on of these to my clear blue 2ds. Just too light up the case. But not sure how to hook to motherboard.
So i've Installed an AGS-001 screen in my AGB, works fine n all, but i messed up the front light glass, fingerprints and some glue all over the rough side of the frontlight. I tried q tips and tissues with lighter petrol but it doesn't work at all, the glass is so rough it rubs off the tissues and makes it even dirtier.
What's the best way to clean it up?
I know this is an old vid but i did the front light mod and everything came out great but for some reason when i put bran new batteries . Within 5 minutes the light start to flicker Did i do something wrong or was it not tight enough the shell when i put it back together.
Do you or anyone have any ideas what it could be or was it just that the mod drains the battery very quick. And only happen couple days after i installed the front light
These videos are awesome!
Whenever I do this and turn on the GBA the light comes on and the system never boots up title screen. Anyone know why?
I need a workshop. I've always wanted to try this stuff
+This Does Not Compute i installed it, but the fronlight is drawing up too much power, do i need to install a Resistor for this?
As an alternative, could I retrofit the screen from an AGS-001?
Hi everyone! I have a GBA AGB 001, a GBA SP AGS 001 and the 40 PIN CONNECTOR. I saw a few videos, this one says i have to solder in the Q6 next to C56. And other ones says to solder it into R12 next to C35. What should i do? Thanks!
First of all, thank you for the tutorial. Everything has gone fine except one little issue. My lighting panel went dirt with loca on the botton right corner on outer side of it(rugose surface) after gluing it, because loca was not completely cured, I thought it was... Despite cleaning it, i see some kind of translucid mark. Is there any method to clean cured loca rests from the rugose outer surface, and fit it? thank you in advance!!!
Great video! Once again
I installed frontlight but there is a vertical line in the middle of my screen any idea what i did wrong??
Hey question to anyone. If you soldered the black wire so a different switch could you have an on off switch for the frontlight if you were outside.
I like this as a simple mod without having to hunt down an ags001 or 101 that you'd be willing to break down to do this. I have a GBA original with a Trinitron Labs front light kit that came out back in 2003. It still rocks today! However when doing some cleaning to the system I scratched the textured layers of the light lens and created an L shaped mark which is visible when system is on but not so much when game loads. I am going to buy on of these kits to replace it. Thank you for the tutorial!!
+Andrew Moreno Yeah, that's really what I like about it too -- it's easy and inexpensive to buy, and more can always be made if stock runs out. Thanks for watching!
+This Does Not Compute
Okay another question. My mod now has a front lot screen with a red and black wire running from board to screen. Do you think I can remove the current screen and just attach this new one at the wiring instead of removing the current wire setup? The point that are used on the board are different and there is a resistor being used.
Awesome stuff. Maybe slow down your pan shots though? Looking forward to your next video.
So I put this together and I literally can’t see the screen behind the backlit.. everything is so blurry I literally can’t tell what’s going on.. is this because I didn’t use loca or is it something else?
Could you put a switch on the frontlight? If it were a sunny day, I would just have it off.
Thanks for the great video Colin! Just a quick question, what are the tools that I need to purchase to complete this guide?
You seem to like this mod over the backlight mod. I am hoping to do this myself. First in working on reshelling a GBC and fixing my pokemon silve re and gold battery. Then move up to this
What is the reflective strip for? And why do you remove the reflective strip after you do the first cure? Wouldn’t it be easier to remove it first then cure all of the LOCA at once?
Yeah I was wondering if any one can help me out I’m trying to modify my original Gameboy advance 40 pin model with a adapter that is 40 pin connector for the sp ags 001 screen if it is possible
With you update, do you mean to move the entire front light panel down, without going beyond the top of the lens of the GBA? Couldn't get OSAKA7, generic should be fine. Thanks
I have an old gba sp frontlit screen laying around, could I make this mod using that?
my kit didnt come with a replacement strip. im super confused what to do
In person, does the screen look any blue to anyone who has put on a front light?
Do you have any advice on disconnecting/reconnecting the screen to the logic board? It's hard to get out and easy to damage.
How's the screen compared to say, a AGS - 001, in the day time? I like the layout of the original GBA much more, but playing Fire Emblem in daylight without a lamp is kinda difficult. I have one of those little worm lights, but I don't like it. Looking to do this mod if it's comparable.
PS: Maybe make that a video? AGS-001 vs GBA frontlit mod? That'd be a great comparison video!
Thanks again :D
Colin, i have a question. I saw that you ised a craft knife when you made room for the screen. Is it om if i use a box cutter instead? Or should i use a craft knife?
Hey Collin, would you be willing to repair my gba if I sent it to you? I did the front light mod, but when I try turning the console on, it turns on for a split second and then it all shuts off. I'll pay you for your time and trouble.
Nice guide!
Is there any other frontlit or backlit Kit for Gameboy Advance that is cheaper and can be shipped to europe in the Netherlands? At sites like aliexpress? You Have a backlit Screen that are €40 on aliexpress but thats too much for me.
I did this to my gba today. It sucks. The texture makes it hard to get rid of dust, and it looks like I'm playing with a screen door in front of the gba. Can't see small text like I could with a regular SP.
So i put the screenwrong on mine or i put it upside down so the light on top. But it doesn’t look washed out tho looks nice
Can you put the front light on the back of the lcd to get a backlight result?
How about trying the LOCA treatment on an original AGS-001 front light GBA SP?
Which would you say is best a back light, front light or back lit ags101 conversion?
is it possible to front light and back light a gba screen?
Thanks for the guide! I installed mine as part of a kit off of eBay (sorry Handheld Legends, I will buy products from you in the future, though) and for some reason, it was super duper bright. I'm not exaggerating when I say that it's about 2 times as bright as the example in 6:26, so I'm going to use that as an excuse (...kind of) to install a brightness control in the form of varistor. I'm guessing I would install that into the red wire, right?
Edit: Okay, I've discovered why it was so bright. I didn't use LOCA, so my guess is the air gap was allowing the light to go everywhere, causing some to bounce off the reflector of the screen and go everywhere... ...Yeah, just a guess, I don't really know.
Nice tutorial dude. I still got a question, I'm soldering right now, don't have a power supply to test the voltage on the Q6 (GBA 40 version over here), by the right leg of Q6? I don't get your perspective, haha, is it my right? Maybe it's the right leg if u see the amplifier from behind, thanks folk.
Did anyone not use loca? If so is it that big of a deal and is there anything else that is more common I could use so I don't have to spend $25 on it
Anyone else have problems with the loca curing properly? I just modded 3 gameboys in a row and all 3 of them have very messed up loca (I’m guessing it didn’t cure properly). I’m pretty confused because I let each one cure for 30+ minutes and they were DIRECTLY under a uv lamp (no sun just lamp). Even when I would try to move the screen around, the glue was absolutely sturdy, no movement at all. So I put the screens back in the shells and about 10 minutes later the screen is completely ruined (glue is spidering over the entire screen)
my gameboy color screen spidered a bit. im so sad. there's no fix to this right?
I tried this and it didn’t end up working. I soldered the wires as shown in the video and now the front light works, but the game boy won’t power on. I was worried I had bricked my console somehow, so I unsoldered it and the game boy worked fine.
I feel like I’ve done something wrong and it’s diverting ALL of the power to the front light and none of it to the game boy. I feel like there’s a detail I’ve missed somewhere along the way. Any advice? Thanks!
i have a 40 pin model ! i saw where you said '' Q6 " but which one is q6 exactly ?
+kirk kovach Go to 5:34 and Q6 is near the middle of the screen.
Do you find that HHL's front light, with it's Dot Matrix. Does this method look better that the usual front light?
Anyone know if this would work on a GBA SP AGS 001? My front light is busted :(
this is amazing! thx
Anyone know of alternatives? Other sellers? Shipping is over 30 bucks for me... (Europe) Would really appreciate if anyone knows another method
Pay up
Okay, so I got one installed after learning how to properly solder the wires. Can you give me a couple of tips on cleaning the screen better than before applying LOCA? I sprayed compressed air just like in the video and idk if I did it well enough or what. Also, having a tad bit of trouble with the start/select buttons at times. Could this be that I should have shaved a bit more of the unneeded plastic guides. Mainly start is giving me issues, it's not really sticking out as much as it should be I think, so I have to press really hard in game to actually pause. Also stripped the dang screw by the battery cover... any tips? If I ever get it off I'm going to replace it with a ti-wing screw. One last question: Is it really that blurry? Mines pretty dang blurry! :o Overall I'm really happy considering it was my first ever mod and first time ever soldering, though I need to figure out how to keep the screen cleaner before adding LOCA. Can you help me out with tips? Please and thanks!
Definitely will be trying this a on a couple of more GBA's. I want to make my niece one. :D
I bought a sp screen with cut off ribbon .Can it be used for gba ?
I don't have Osaka 7 LOCA, just a generic brand. But, meant for these types of LCD screens. You think I should go ahead with that? Or, do you find osaka 7 unbeatable? Thanks
Why isn't there a front light for the DMG original game boy?
Hey. I had a question for you. I like this take with the dot matrix. What would you say is the best method to frontlight a GBA agb001. I know what you said about this one, what about using a ags001 frontlit screen in whole. Similar too doing a ags101 mod. Of course, there are ribbon adapters made for this kind of mod. Have you ever looked into these differences getting the best frontlit look. Are you a firm believer in a frontlit panel such as your video, especially because the use of LOCA. Hope too hear from you! Thanks
Hey Collin, I have been struggling modding my gameboy.I have done everything but when I turn it on nothing happens. If I put a bit of pressure on the shell it turns on but it does not show display or sound. What can cause this?
+Aaron Castro That you need to apply pressure to turn it on sounds like an issue with a solder joint or loose connection somewhere. You might want to take another look at the screen ribbon cable connector, and any solder points you used. From there, you could try working backwards to undo the mod, testing after each step (for example, try unsoldering power wires to the frontlight). Good luck!
the leds look kinda blue is there an updated version of this mod with better leds?
How dose the modded screen compare to a GBA SP 001 screen
Hello. Do you need to change the polarizer like in the GB Pocket backlight mod? thanks!
Could you put the frontlight from the SP model into the original one?
I am seriously looking into an SP to Advance screen cable mod. I get junk systems from time to time. Already got both systems apart. It's only $10 from Ebay to do it and ships from California. Saw it on RUclips and it looks so much better.
Hey collin I just picked up a gba, I have a few questions is there a way I can message you? I've bought a new shell and buttons and want to do a lit screen
bro i have 2 game boy advance & pocket the screen lcd it's problem can you fix that my game boy i don't have money bro I'm from Philippines 🇵🇭😓😓
I finally did it. I bought the same kit but mine didn't came with the extra reflector stripe :/ I had to reuse one the I had previously remove. And to be honest even when I did it I'm not satisfied with it. It doesn't look good :( personally I don't recommend it. Even do, thanks for the well explain video :D
Edward Reyna I agree, video was very awesome but the screen looks very washed out now
I bet an ags-001 screen would look better.
Same its ugly I did mine too
Slightly off topic but why is the refresh rate on the GBA SP 101 significantly worse than the original 001 model? I was very disappointed with how much blurriness there was particularly on platformers on the 101.