View Full Version : oh no, my Vitrual Boy....my poor Virtual Boy
Deadman
12-31-2010, 02:09 PM
I haven't used my VB in probably a year or so, but was having a need to play last night but when I turned it on, the right eye screen has some horizontal red lines across the display. Still plays the game, but the horizontal lines are a pain in the ass, and possibly the harbinger of death??
Anyone seen this problem and is it terminal?
Thanks
mikey167
12-31-2010, 04:37 PM
I would also like to know. Can this be fixed?
ChronoTriggaFoo
12-31-2010, 06:11 PM
Don't worry. This is a common problem and can be remedied.
http://www.planetvb.com/modules/newbb/viewtopic.php?topic_id=3295&forum=1
Mine has the same problem but I haven't sat down to try to fix it yet. Good luck!
Deadman
12-31-2010, 07:12 PM
Might as well be terminal based on that fix. I think I'll look for another "donor" VB to try to get a functioning right eye out of.
drmay
01-01-2011, 03:11 AM
I have two virtual boys with the bad right screen and neither of them have trouble with the ribbon cables. I would be appreciative for a solution.
Might as well be terminal based on that fix. I think I'll look for another "donor" VB to try to get a functioning right eye out of.
Unfortunately, the problem is so common that finding a working donor may be hard, and likely only temporary :( .
I have two virtual boys with the bad right screen and neither of them have trouble with the ribbon cables. I would be appreciative for a solution.
Huh? The right screens are bad, but you know the cables aren't the problem? How have you verified that? Are they completely dead, have lines, etc? Are you sure you're just not blind in your right eye? ;)
DogP
jb143
01-03-2011, 11:31 AM
If the oven idea sounds crazy to some people then it should be mentioned that's more than likely how these things were soldered in the first place...more or less.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reflow_soldering
Many electronics hobbiest guys keep a seperate toaster oven just for reflow soldering.
If the oven idea sounds crazy to some people then it should be mentioned that's more than likely how these things were soldered in the first place...more or less.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reflow_soldering
Many electronics hobbiest guys keep a seperate toaster oven just for reflow soldering.
That's not how these were done (unfortunately), or we wouldn't have these problems (I do have a toaster oven for reflow soldering though). These use only an adhesive, which comes loose, causing the glitchy display problems. You can stick it in an oven to reheat the adhesive making it stick again, but if it didn't hold the first time, it probably won't hold permanently the second time either. It should give you more time though.
The "permanent" solution is to solder it, but of course that's more difficult.
DogP
jb143
01-04-2011, 12:27 PM
Hmmm...I'd always heard about the oven fix and just assumed it was for reflow. But I guess it's just for...re-stick? Are they just using those flimsy plastic ribbon cables or something similar? In that case soldering a real one in it's place would be the best fix.
I just don't really like when people say things along the lines of "too hard to fix, might as well throw it away"*. What's hard for some is easier for others. There are very few electonics issues that can't be easily fixed if you have the tools and know how.
*[I'm not saying the OP said that, I've just heard it a lot over the years]
But I guess it's just for...re-stick? Are they just using those flimsy plastic ribbon cables or something similar? In that case soldering a real one in it's place would be the best fix.
Yep, yep, and not really. The oven causes the glue to get tacky, and can be re-pressed to make it stick better... for as long as it decides to keep sticking. And yeah... it's flat flex cable, but the problem is that on the other end it has the typical FFC connector, which is an odd size, and can't really be replaced with anything but FFC. And on the display (sticky) side, it's an even odder size.
The best fix so far seems to be to solder the existing cable to the display, rather than using the adhesive... but there's no bare copper on the cable, so you either need to chemically melt the polyimide cable with hot NaOH (leaving bare copper), or you can melt it with hot solder. I personally find the chemical method to be easier and produce nicer results, but at least one other person has done the only solder method and had it work out.
DogP
nensondubois
01-17-2011, 02:17 AM
http://www.johnnyphantom.me/Johnny_Phantom/About_Me.html - The guy repaired my Virtual Boy after it was having suffering loss of screen function in the left eye from the immediate receiving from The Goat Shop (never buy from those c***s ever again!)
I would absolutely recommend having Jognny Phantom perform a repair on your Virtual Boy.
jetblue
01-30-2011, 01:59 AM
Just fixed one for a customer and using my alchemic/sorcery powers and chop5 black magic i find the glue has nothing to do with it. The draino and stuff is not needed and will expose more of the delicate traces.
Its the exposed traces where the ribbon meets the board is the culprit. they have corroded and flaked off when i look at it with a magnifying glass. Tarnished and stuff. A small area of 2 mm or so where green glued ribbon meets the small board. The glob of glue on top of the board that looks like elmers glue is just a tiny strip i think it was used for cushion. The other glue holding it a quarter of an inch to the board is intact.
spreading some flux and running it with a soldering iron with a drop of solder on it restored it. like in this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQC4c9Lylg4
I almost want to put some nail polish over the exposed area but i should leave it bare. i can just go over it again if over the years it happens again.
But that flex cable is super thin.