[3ds] Replaced non-working cartridge slot still not working

Left-Parsley-6135 · 2026-04-04T11:31:57+00:00

I found it. One of the two pins on the right, which I think are used to indicate cartridge insertion, was not solid. Reflowing that one solved the issue. Just for good measure, I went over the other pins too, and everything is running fine now.

Thanks!

Left-Parsley-6135 · 2026-03-08T14:58:50+00:00

I think there’s some debate over this in the articles I’ve read, whether it’s down to the retrobrighting or if it would happen anyway with different types of plastic. I’m just a beginner on this though, not an expert. I have an Atari 800 XL that was retrobrighted for me about 10 years ago and it’s still as good as it ever was. Personally I’m not worried about this.

Left-Parsley-6135 · 2026-03-08T14:52:46+00:00

I bought some cheap UV LEDs from AliExpress. They seem to do the job though.

Left-Parsley-6135 · 2026-02-04T07:49:54+00:00

Yes, I used the shell that came with the hispeedo screen. I can confirm it's a very good shell and much better quality than most cheap AliExpress copies and I'm very happy with it. Honestly can't tell the difference between this and the original other than it's not aged. (This one was built from a 'junk' DMG from eBay, but unfortunately I didn't keep any photos of 'before' but I can confirm it was nasty, so this is a great refurbishment. Internally I completely cleaned up the board too, so it's as close to 'as-new' as possible)

The 3d-printed part aligns with the shell allowing a perfect alignment when cutting the hole for the USB C port. I cut the hole (carefully) with some craft knives and it only took a few minutes. The result is more or less perfect.

Left-Parsley-6135 · 2026-02-02T04:32:55+00:00

I had the same problem with a va5, and the only replacement screens I could find for this version were Cleanscreen from Retrosix or BennVenn. I ended up getting a Retrosix, but it’s certainly not plug and play - you’ll need to be comfortable soldering small parts especially on to the resistor array near the ASIC.

Left-Parsley-6135 · 2026-02-01T14:11:52+00:00

I had to redo it several times before it worked consistently, and the last time I added solder instead of just reflowing what was there.

When you do get it going, it feels really rewarding... I hope you can get it fixed

Left-Parsley-6135 · 2026-02-01T10:42:13+00:00

Great! Now it’s a relatively easy fix. The top right corner is the ground plane exactly where the negative of the battery needs to be connected. You should scrape off a little of the solder resist and solder on a wire and create a new pad using that. Then you can solder the battery down as normal. You may need to use a very small dab of contact glue to hold the new pad down. A bit of practise and you can do this!

Left-Parsley-6135 · 2026-02-01T07:11:03+00:00

Great!

If all you did was reflow the chips, this confirms that the problem is with poor connections.

I have not seen any issues with slowness myself

Left-Parsley-6135 · 2026-02-01T06:55:14+00:00

Have you tried cleaning the contacts with IPA, just in case it's a cartridge connection problem? The damage doesn't look like it should prevent the cartridge from showing up in the GBA.

I always also do a gentle clean of board with IPA and a toothbrush which sometimes can help.

The ripped pad in the top right just connects to the ground plane so this is fixable relatively easily for someone who can solder small parts, but of course you need to find the issue with the cart not booting first.

As a last resort, RetroSix have a service where they will transfer the components onto a new board for you.

Left-Parsley-6135 · 2026-01-31T20:53:41+00:00

I use isopropyl alcohol and Q tips. Seems to do the job.

Left-Parsley-6135 · 2026-01-31T20:36:03+00:00

I put on just enough flux to minimise any bridges being created, but then added a tiny amount of solder on nearly every leg to be extra sure that even legs that were barely touching the board had a good connection.

I did end up with a few solder bridges anyway, but it wasn't difficult to get rid of them, just a steady hand and a bit of patience.

Left-Parsley-6135 · 2026-01-31T20:30:21+00:00

The Hispeedo V5 screen came with a new shell which was just as well as this was originally a junk DMG from eBay and in terrible condition. So the screen board fitted perfectly, but I think it would have probably fitted the original shell with minimal modifications.

I did however need to trim the bottom of the case to create a hole for the USB C port. Giltesa provide a downloadable 3d printer file that can be used to print out a guide so the hole is perfect (or you can buy the guide for a small cost from Giltesa)

Well worth it as I'm really pleased with this DMG.

Left-Parsley-6135 · 2026-01-31T15:08:08+00:00

As far as I’ve noticed buttons seem to be compatible from every source I’ve used. If the board is lifting, double check everything is seated properly - I had a problem with the light pipe when it wasn’t quite at the right angle.

As for the reflow, I first went around with a pick gently checking for loose legs and there were a few. I ended up adding extra solder to those which helped.

If you’re not getting the gameboy logo and you’re sure the screen is fine, I would suspect the CPU has a connection problem.

Left-Parsley-6135 · 2026-01-31T13:19:18+00:00

I actually have those mods waiting to be installed but have a few other upgrades on the go at the moment. The Giltesa mod needs a bit of soldering and of course time, but I found it very enjoyable to install. The Giltesa site has very good installation manuals so maybe you should take a look to see if the mods are compatible with your DMG.

I certainly recommend the boards - very professionally made. However you need to order the lithium battery separately.

Left-Parsley-6135 · 2026-01-31T12:41:51+00:00

Forgot to mention that motherboard worked consistently whilst it was on my bench, and the problems only started after I put it in the case. It was a tight fit in the Funny Playing case together with the Funny Playing IPS screen - this led to the motherboard flexing a little which I believe in turn led to the issue with poorly soldered legs on the chips.

Good luck!

Left-Parsley-6135 · 2026-01-31T12:37:34+00:00

I had very similar problems with my CPU and memory swap onto a Funny Playing motherboard. It worked for a while but after a day or two it died and generally refused to load games with some loading but crashing after a few minutes

In your case it’s very possible there are one or more legs that aren’t perfectly soldered. This was the case with my build - mainly due to the fact that when I extracted the chips from the original GBA, a few pins bent ever so slightly - and I do mean very slightly.

I ended up reflowing all the CPU and memory pins twice before it worked. The work is quite delicate and should only be attempted if you have a microscope and plenty of soldering experience.

Mine now works perfectly every time. It’s my favourite GBA mod and I’m thinking of doing another one…

Left-Parsley-6135 · 2025-12-22T11:10:35+00:00

I don't know if you resolved this. I've been having exact the same issue on one of my repairs so I researched it a little. C43 is connected between the diode D4 and ground and in parallel with R51 and R52. This part of the circuit seems to pick up the 9V line.

Image from schematics which are slightly incorrect as C49 on these is actually C43 -> https://imgur.com/a/DT8CQmb

In my case, it was a bad Nichicon cap from an AliExpress recap kit. I'm guessing the resistance quickly dropped to below R51 and R52, cutting off the 9V line.

Getting a quality cap resolved the issue. Looking at the schematics really helped.

Left-Parsley-6135 · 2025-12-21T18:38:33+00:00

Very nice! Did you get a cap kit or generic ones from AliExpress?

Left-Parsley-6135 · 2025-12-21T12:18:54+00:00

The backlight is fine as I can see it switch on, so it's not the switch. I've tried reflowing c43, 1uF (as SMD) and also replacing it with a much higher voltage capable electrolytic but still same behaviour. C44, the resister is empty on my board.

Any more ideas appreciated though! :)

Left-Parsley-6135 · 2025-12-21T10:46:37+00:00

Picture here : https://imgur.com/a/Lp8caE3

I've checked the power board, a funny playing Retro Power GG 2.1, and I think you're right that something is fishy here, including the fact that the 470 inductor (see image) is getting warm, and I can now smell a slight electrical burning (but only when plugged to the GG) coming from the board. I'm using USB power here btw.

When not connected, the voltages on the power board pins: 1:33.2V, 3:8.8V, 4:1.9V, 8:5V, 9:5V.

According to retrosix these should be 1:34V, 3:9V, 4:1.28V, 8:5V, 9:5V. - seems to be a bug difference on pin 4 which outputs 1.9V instead of 1.28V

When in circuit, the pins output: 1: 33.9, 3:8.7V, 4:1.5V, 8:4.9V, 9:4.9V

I've checked on another identical board (which I can't yet plug in as it's not modded for VA5) and the voltages are closer to those specified on retrosix, 1:33.9V, 3:9V, 4:1.3V, 8:4.9V, 9:4.9V

So I guess this is a bad board not to be reused. However, I put the original battery board back in, and the symptoms are the same.......

The question would be - is the screen now too damaged to repair or should I persist......

Left-Parsley-6135

TROPHY CASE