Problem with original DMG GameBoy Classic - screen glitching

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Pap
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Problem with original DMG GameBoy Classic - screen glitching

Post by Pap » Wed Aug 23, 2017 7:14 am

Hey guys. not really sure where to look for help and since this forum stores a bunch of very smart ppl i might ask here for any help (no other forums or google so far helped)
i bought a new shell for one of my old DMG gameboy and started transfering the internals to the new shell. when i turn on the console this is what i get on screen:


The system was taken apart and laying in parts for a long time (like 3-5 years in a closed box. but at the time i took it apart it was working for sure (just the shell was super damaged, scratched and painted a milion times0 and i never had ny problems with the this unit in the past.

If i go full contrast the screen goes all black like normal but on normal settings i see some weird glitching (you can't really see it well on the video cause of the shell (i might make 2nd video if anybody wants). Those are not the vertical lines that represent bad connection (cause the screen can go all black) but weird glitches all around the screen. What it looks like on the screen is that wen the NINTNEDO logo shows the glitch goes on, and after the game loads and some things in game happen the screen glitches around it's definietly getting some data just not showing it correctly.
I have the speaker cut off at the moment and nothing bridged there (if that might be the case? will try with speaker soldered on later).

Any ideas guys? I wanna fix as much as possible without buying new internals, i can provide any photos if needed.

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rodocop
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Re: Problem with original DMG GameBoy Classic - screen glitching

Post by rodocop » Wed Aug 23, 2017 4:06 pm

That's odd, is that with a game in there? So you have tried the re flow trick on the ribbon connector on the bottom of the screen? I guess also make sure the screen PCB ribbon cable is fully inserted onto the connector on the back PCB. Other than that i'm not sure where to go. Could try re flowing or replacing the contrast wheel, i've heard that can affect the screen, but I doubt it's your issue since you can move it and it changes the screen. Also look into replacing the capacitors?

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Re: Problem with original DMG GameBoy Classic - screen glitching

Post by Pap » Thu Aug 24, 2017 7:11 am

will try with the reflow on ribbon today.
the ribbon connecting 2 pcbs was reffited and jammed in many times and di not help:)

was thinking about capacitors but they shouldn't be faulty it's NOT that old. im into old hifi and have many things from 70s 80s and even in there the capacitors are sometimes fine:)
I also saw some oxidation today in daylight on the ribbon where it connects to the pcb and on one of the retention. will try to clean this up:
DSC_0316.JPG
DSC_0316.JPG (2.85 MiB) Viewed 6463 times

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Re: Problem with original DMG GameBoy Classic - screen glitching

Post by rodocop » Thu Aug 24, 2017 11:29 am

I've had one DMG that looked similar, showing the same oxidation where the ribbons connects to the PCB (it was actually much worse). I was never able to get that one to work, but it never powered on like yours did, since yours actually powers up hopefully you have more luck!

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Re: Problem with original DMG GameBoy Classic - screen glitching

Post by Pap » Thu Aug 24, 2017 4:52 pm

im giving it a nice cleanup treatment now it's drying. gonna resolder the lcd completely when it dries off tomorrrow

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Re: Problem with original DMG GameBoy Classic - screen glitching

Post by Pap » Fri Sep 08, 2017 11:32 am

a little update: the solder points on ribbon lcd to board were super corroded after the cleanup it was much more visible. tried to desolder the ribbon it was undoable. the corroded pins were stuck to the board. RIP DMG

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