Problematic Sega GameGear

I have a couple of problems with my sega game gear (i have the 2asic version)

I have been having this game gear for 10 years or so and want to refurbish it.

I have converted it to LED backlight and changed the caps of the power board and the console itself but it's in a non working state.

I have the following problems with it:

The console itself is not working, I have a white screen all the time, tried cleaning the cartridge and the connector still no improovement
And the power board is a bit problematic, it works on batteries (meaning the console turns on) but if i put it on an AC power adaptor it doesn't wanna work. I have tried to check for voltages but it seems like the power is coming into the device but nothing else except that.

Thanks in advance.

 

Did you do the two mods in one go or you tested the GG in between the two mods?
Anyway,
The little gray cables that connect the 3 PCBs together are very fail prone. They are just crimped there and can come lose or break.
It is possible that while manipulating the BCB, one of the connection got bad.
You might want to check every connection with a ohmmeter and check if they have bad conductivity.

 

Checked that out it's all in good working order. The console had problems from a few years ago it started on and off and after reading a bit on the internet found the cap problem with the console and figured it was just that... It had a bit of a personality so to speak. And after doing the cap job it doesn't wanna start. PS freaky avatar) I'll try and post some pictures for you to see

https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0B2qLvxAuLXicNEVXMllNekFDSGs&usp=sharing

Hope this helps... .all the capacitors have been replaced.

PS: I also get a buzzing sound in the audio.

 

Did you also recap the small satellite boards?
I am curious about the fact that the console tursn on with batteries but not with ac adapter.

That is what I would focus on.
1. Did you try a different ac adapter or validate this one another device?
2. Does the GG flashes On for a split second then shuts itself down? Or it simply does not do anything?

 

I did recap them also. I will try this ac adaptor on a gameboy I have it should work it's a multi voltage adaptor. I have tested it with a voltmeter and it turns out 13 volts off load. I have also connected it to the device and when i turn the switch on nothing happens (the voltage should drop from my knowledge) Nothing flashes on the gamegear. It's pretty much dead on AC. I have tested the board for conductivity and it does make a connection so the power in theory at least gets to the board.
I'm pretty much stuck at this point.

I don't see any blown parts it doesn't smell like magic smoke So i don't believe something is trully dead on the board, tho it could be.

 

Just to make sure, you checked polarity on the AC adapter?

Also, The GG power board has a switching regulator with soft fuse built in. It is possible that something trips the switch so fast you do not even see a flash of the LED.
In my experience you will usually see a flash when that security trips but I guess it is possible that you do not see anything.

 

ok just to be clear... i'm an idiot ... the ac is working fine i seem to be the one with the defect ... the polarity of the AC was wrong. I admit it i'm a stupid ass.

But the problem with it not working is still there.

PS: i always had the feeling that the polarity was with the positive on the center... apparently it isn't

 

well, did you try several games? Can you hear the sound?
I once had a dead game gear that the screen did not work and initially had no sound because of dead caps. So it looked likle it was utterly dead but it was actually playing the games. You just could not hear or see it lol.
At one point I could get a tiny bit of weak and distorted sound come trough while messing with sound volume and could hear the game music for a split second.

At that point I knew it worked so I recapped it, fixed the sound and consolized it.

 

The caps are changed on mine. But i will try to make it work a bit. I have a single game ... that's my problem.... and i think the game is faulty... i will need to get a few more and try those in order to see if they are working. That's the only thing that could be faulty on this console ... the game cartridge.

PS: i hear some static.

Just ordered some games. Hope they are in good working order... And I actually hope my game cartridge is defective

 

I removed the connector for the catridge, got out every single pin... bent them a bit (because almost all of the pins were not touching) and put it back together... still doesn't work... i am still waiting for the cartridges.

 

Got the cartridges and it's still not working... the cartridge fits very snug after bending the pins. I still get a white screen any ideas?

Do you have a two asic game gear on hand? I would like you to try 2 connections for continuity please.

 

I just acquired a new game gear at the flea market this weekend.
Will check if it is a 2 asic, it needs recap anyway.

 

IT'S ALIVEEEEEEEEEEE.... aparently because some of the capacitors leaked I didn't get a good connection on a 0.47uF capacitor so that was one of the problems and on another 10uF capacitor aparrently the connection has been eaten by whatever "crawled" out of the capacitor. I will post a picture showing everything.

Aparently not so alive. It's dead again. worked while it got heated up.

2nd edit: I just bought a couple of games: sonic, lion kind and psychic world.... doesn't really matter i believe... none of them work... but the game I had with this console which is Batman Returns starts on every power on.... seems that once i get it to start it works great.... after that... i can't get it to not work so i can test out the problem)

 

Just a trick when you do recaps, especially on a GG where many are bound to have leaked. Clean thoroughly.
1. Remove all the old solder off the pads with Wick and flux.
2. Brush the board with alcohol and an old toothbrush to remove flux and capacitor leaks.
3. Adsorb all the dirt with dry cloths and Q-tips. ( don`t be afraid to use plenty of alcohol )
4. Repeat until every thing is clean and pads are mirror finish.
5. Inspect everything for visual damage before you recap.

 

After step 3, I usually apply fresh solder, then remove it again and clean up

 

Ohh i did that... but aparently not good enough and it was the one that was under the other 0.47uF cap... so it was difficult to spot... i checked all of them with the multimeter on ohms and they all read out corectly it seems now it's working except for the new cartridges I bought... could they be dead? or just a poor connection.... I was thinking of lightly tinning the pads on the cartridge to make a better connectivity... and if they had to much to absorbe the excess with whick. What do you think?

 

dont tin edge connectors, you will only damage the game and the console.

 

What do you sugest I do... cleand the connectors on the console and on the game but still no luck. It's like the games are dead. My batman game works great.

 

It is hard to say at that point. There probably is a bad connection somewhere, either on the circuit board or the cart-slot connection.
Probably a cart slot problem imho. I doubt your games are dead, they are pretty hard to kill and you would not normally get a bunch of dead games together like that.

 

Found it.... One of the pins on the connector was bent... and when i tried to straighten it broke... i will try a fix tomorrow it's a bit late where i am. It's 2am I'll give it a try tomorrow thank you very much guys.

PS: i found out one of the pins was not touching by coating the cartridge with a permanent marker and pluging it in and out a couple of times. and one of the pads on the cartridge did not scratch

Problem solved ... soldered a wire from the bad pin to a pin on the cip ... and it works so that was my problem combined with le 0.47 bad connection and the sound which is still crappy... but i will try to fix it ... aswell as the pin

My sound is very buzzy... dunno what's wrong with it... i hear very much static and little sound from the game

Update: Done it the console is working great... i'm ecstatic about it. But unfortunatly i have no sound due to an unknown cause making the sound board not work... i've powered it off the console and feed it sound trough a headphone cable... i get a lot of static and the sound is lower than provided by the source. I've tried removing the potentiometer, the filter, the caps everything... replaced the resistors and the 0.1uf caps, got a new TDA2822M chip and replaced the one that was on the board ... practically i replaced every except for the board itself. and it's still dead. I've ordered off ebay a PAM8403 amplifier... I will try to power that up removing the TDA2822M and thus bypassing the signal trough the PAM8403 board.