GBA backlight, i need a tut bad

[Disheveled DrFreeze]

after seeing my friends DS in action today i really feel a bit left behind alone in the dark with my old school GBA, now i dont feel like buying a DS myself, but i just thought building a backlight into my own machine might give it some more play time

the first thought off course was "an afterburner" but ever since the SP model GBA was introduced those things have been scarcer then kind isreali people (i sure as hell never met one)

so unless i can manage to track down an afterburner, i will have to do a real DIY job on the light, and even though i might not be able to do a backlight, maybe a frontlight or whatever kind of light might be possible

i just want an internal light, preferably led based to iluminate the screen of my gba, but up to now i havent seen even one decent tut (yes i googled)

so does anyone here know of a way to make a DIY internal light for a GBA? maybe kungpow?

i do have a bit of cash to spend, but i dont want to waste 100 bucks on a SP, or even 150 on a DS, 40 on an afterburner would be the top for this project i think, and please dont tell me to simply buy a new sys, i would have already done that if i thought it worth the cash

[Alexvrb]

You can probably still find an Afterburner kit or two on ebay - although most of them say "afterburner" but are really selling Halo lights. The alternative, is course, the Halo light. It is inferior and adds bulk, but it probably beats all the other frontlight solutions. You can probably still find the Halo outside of auction sites.

[Disheveled DrFreeze]

thanks for the tip on the halo light, if i can find one im sure it could mod it into place securely and also pass the wires directly into the case without using the link port

and so the search begins

(i almost just killed my gba's screen just now, i didnt insert the flat cable firmly enough into the socket, just glad it works again)

[Raijin Z]

I've got it a little worse. I replaced my GBA's faceplate with an Afterburner faceplate, complete with potentiometer for adjusting the light, and when I can finally afford to get an afterburner for it? None to be found. And my GBA has a darker and dimmer screen than any other GBA I've compared it to. Mario Kart, linked, right at the starting line. Side by side comparison under strong and dim light. =_=

[Alexvrb]

They are still available on occasion. If you've got the money, you could pick up a used SP or a premodded afterburner GBA. If you don't, it comes down to hunting down afterburners or halos.

Since you already have the faceplate, raijin, you might as well start bidding on a kit.

[Disheveled DrFreeze]

i see

well i opened my gba up, and it looks like with a bit of dremeling i might be able to fit a few small leds in there on the bottom of the screen to light things up a bit, but im not sure if this would works, since i dont know if the screen has a transparent side on the bottom for the light to come in

i noticed the afterburner uses an extra layer in the screen to transmit the light trough, but im not able to make that myself i think, and i dont feel like removing the screen and such just to find out if i can do a led mod, if i get dust in there im screwed

[Smiley]

Hey, sorry my lead didn't turn anything up, freeze. He used to sell the kits, but I guess he doesn't deal with them anymore....

My bad.....

[Smurph]

I've got it a little worse. I replaced my GBA's faceplate with an Afterburner faceplate, complete with potentiometer for adjusting the light, and when I can finally afford to get an afterburner for it? None to be found. And my GBA has a darker and dimmer screen than any other GBA I've compared it to. Mario Kart, linked, right at the starting line. Side by side comparison under strong and dim light. =_=

Link

[Disheveled DrFreeze]

Hey, sorry my lead didn't turn anything up, freeze. He used to sell the kits, but I guess he doesn't deal with them anymore....

My bad.....

no problem smiles, just happy you guys try to help out

if i somehow get my hands on some bright white leds (only have colored ones right now) ill try and see if i can fix a light myself, but dont expect anything soon

[arrowhead]

Freeze, using white LEDs is useless on the GBA without the anti-reflective film that came with the afterburner kit. Sorry, but if you want a good lighting solution, scour for an afterburner. If you stick in just the LEDs I think it will be like staring into the sun, it will totally wash out the screen. I put an afterburner in mine and it rules. Like others have said, the halo light is #2 but far inferior to an afterburner.

[dcmodder]

actually i had a couple of after burners and the second gba i put it into i forgot to put in the ar film and i didnt see any diffrence. other than the one with the ar film was just a bit darker (contrast wise) (off topic) i think i still have an afterburner installation book if you want it.

[arrowhead]

Freeze : http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 55589&rd=1

You have 1 hour, I hope you check it out.

[Disheveled DrFreeze]

damn, saw it too late, and i dont live in the us either, so shipping would be a bitch too


thanks for the tips anyway

as for the DIY led mod, if i do go through with it, i plan on mounting the leds so that they are parallel to the screen surface, and the leds will actually be under the screen, so i wont see the leds themselve, im hoping to get a decent amount of light in there, but you make a good point about the extra screen

[Raijin Z]

Link

It's not the faceplate, the LCD itself is inferior. Believe me, I've checked and double-checked. 9_9 Leave it to me to possess the worst OG GBA ever manufactured, and to have gotten it only a couple months before the SP came out.

Oh, yeah...
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... eName=WDVW

But I'd sooner buy an SP before I bought an afterburner this late in the game.

[Smurph]

K. Sorry I couldn't help.

[Disheveled DrFreeze]

well, you guys dont have to keep posting ebay links, i like that you want to help me, but i dont do ebay, especially if i have to have it shipped from the US

thanks for all the effort, but i think ill just let it slide, ill wait either till i have the cash and motivation for a DS, or maybe the next gameboy then

[Alexvrb]

But I'd sooner buy an SP before I bought an afterburner this late in the game.

I personally prefer the original GBA's form. Also I prefer having more control over the battery options, as well as a pot to adjust brightness. But that's just me, and I could always get a stupid DS for that kind of shape, if I really cared.

Freeze: I primarily posted ebay links as an example of what you can find, and the availability of such items. You could still pick up a Halo, I think you'd find that is better than nothing by a long shot. Then again, if you can live with imperfect results, why not try installing some LEDs? Just make sure you've got some means to turn it off from the outside, if semi-successful.

[antony0619]

I've got some pcs of Front Lights for my game boys. It's a 4-LED panel.white color.
I cut the panels to fit into the game boy sp, gba But it is fine. worked very well.

Here is the store link http://www.aliexpress.com/store/406029

You can see my DIY Game boys below.

[|darc|]

Very nice work!