Took a little to get the stuff, my first mod, a GBA 101

[Tanooki]

It was the parts that took awhile due to various collecting of things and failures to get stuff shipped right too. I finally was able to mod the immaculate white original GBA I got back in Spring. A couple months back I got a 101 and due to a mishap shortly after the hinge got wrecked so I farmed it for the screen. I got from a US seller on ebay the 40pin adapter with the wire off it to get that to work in an original GBA with the 101 screen.

It took me a few hours as I've never done this before and I'm grossly lacking in tools (buy me a dremel!) I ended up using the soldering iron and some tweezers to melt the interior of the unit to move the plastic away so I could get the screen in there nice and right. The easy part was situating it in there and soldering the one wire lead off it to the board at a specific point. Sadly in the process my hand slipped, melted 2 spots into the outer GBA plastic screen cover so I just got the replacement today but I've had it done since late last week.

I'm in it $3 for the GBA, $10 (5/ea for screen covers OEM), $40 on the SP, and $10 on the wire. 1/2 the price of buying one from some dude off the internet so I can't say I'm displeased even if it's not 100% perfect which really can't be seen without close inspection.



Glad I got it done, not sure I'd want to do it again unless necessary. It's worth the comfort and off the shelf AA batteries(rechargeable or not) makes it all the sweeter. I've never modded anything before, this is a first.

[chupon]

Nice work dude! Every time you do it it'll come faster and better. Love the white!

[Tanooki]

I do too, never was my color of choice as I went with the glacier one back in the day as I imported it from Japan about 3mo before the US launch. GBA really is my favorite handheld as it does it all, and this mod here makes it all the more excellent as you get comfort and a bright clean screen.

Thanks.

[jay_red]

I did this mod back when you had to email the creator of the cable directly and have him send them from China (very nice guy btw) and have loved it ever since. I have everything to do a second unit except the proper cable, I had ordered the incorrect one and couldnt figure out why it wouldnt work.

[ejamer]

That's awesome.

I never cared much for the GBA SP - mainly due to the lack of built-in headphone jack. GBA Micro has been my go-to for years now... but even though I love it the small size is sometimes less than ideal.

This mod really offers the best of everything, it seems. Very impressed!

[Tanooki]

I remember that about the cable, thankfully now bought through locals instead. And yes it's the best of all worlds of the GBA which just never was, and before that despite the size and no GB/GBC usage my gray/black micro has been my fall back too for the last few years. I did have a SP-brighter charcoal one but it just bugs my hands (tendons, back of hands due to L/R use.) I also did hate having to get an annoying adapter to use a head set.

The work on this is very easy as long as you don't have a problem with using whatever you have on hand to restructure the inside of the shell (front half) so it will fit the new panel. That's the hardest part, not the soldering of the wire or being careful with the super thin ribbon cable.