Game Gear Capacitors

[HyruleHero]

I recently put a post of Game Gear Screen issues. Most of you suggested I replace the compacitors. Somebody even posted a link about the repair and what kind of compacitors that I needed. When I showed this list to guy at Radio Shack...he looked clueless and couldn't offer any help. I think he was just an idiot, but who knows...lol. Anyway I know there is a Game Gear compacitor kit available somewhere Online but I could not find any.. Can anyone offer any more help regarding this issue, maybe a better list of compacitors? I wanna perfom this repair, I just need a little more help to go on. Thanks in advance!!!

[Shellshock!]

So you know how to solder?

I don't know where to get the capacitors, but you can ask UK Ebay member "gearforgames". He offers Game Gear refurbishing and does the whole thing for you for quite cheap. I bet he'll tell you where to get them.

Also, you might want to track down a Majesco Game Gear on Ebay and replace those capacitors. It's the best Game Gear screen available. That's what I did.

[IcBlUsCrN]

they are called capacitors. The list of caps are on the site http://members.optusnet.com.au/eviltim/ggrgb/ggrepair.html
Radio shack , frys will have the caps. also if you have a hobby shop that deal with ham radios they might have it as well . worst case you can order them of sites like digi-key.
The soldering itself is not difficult at all on the game gear.

[Leo_A]

The average Radio Shack employee these days doesn't have a clue about things like capacitors and potentiometers.

[HyruleHero]

So you know how to solder?

I don't know where to get the capacitors, but you can ask UK Ebay member "gearforgames". He offers Game Gear refurbishing and does the whole thing for you for quite cheap. I bet he'll tell you where to get them.

Also, you might want to track down a Majesco Game Gear on Ebay and replace those capacitors. It's the best Game Gear screen available. That's what I did.

To be honest, its be a long time since I have picked up a sodering iron.....but I watched a tutorial on the subject and it doesn't seem that hard.

[HyruleHero]

they are called capacitors. The list of caps are on the site http://members.optusnet.com.au/eviltim/ggrgb/ggrepair.html
Radio shack , frys will have the caps. also if you have a hobby shop that deal with ham radios they might have it as well . worst case you can order them of sites like digi-key.
The soldering itself is not difficult at all on the game gear.

Yeah I checked Radio Shack and the clerk there apparenttly had no idea what I was talking about. He had capacitors but he was unable to decipher the list that I brought with me, which was the list you linked me above. If at all possible could you explain the list of capacitors on that list to me? You don't have to go into too much detail.. I think I understand the voltage, I am just not sure on how to ask for it when I go into the store..

[NayusDante]

Here's the problem with Radio Shack - you're looking for something that they don't really sell. Sure, they have those pull-out drawers, and yes, there are some capacitors, resistors, and $10.99 S-Video plugs inside, but Radio Shack in 2011 sells phones and toy robots. Back in the 90s, and maybe even 2004, there were staff at Radio Shack that actually knew their electronic components, but not today. Last time I tried to buy some resistors, the lady looked amazed that I knew what they were and exclaimed "I've gotta have you come fix my computer!"

Order your parts online from someone like Digikey. You'll get exactly what you need. At Radio Shack, they only have the most common parts, and often in unsuitable styles. If it's a Game Gear, you might need to replace a bunch of caps, and Radio Shack does NOT have them all.

[staxx]

I get my caps from parts express. All you have to do is type in the farads and viola:

http://www.parts-express.com/capacitor-lookup.cfm

[HyruleHero]

Here's the problem with Radio Shack - you're looking for something that they don't really sell. Sure, they have those pull-out drawers, and yes, there are some capacitors, resistors, and $10.99 S-Video plugs inside, but Radio Shack in 2011 sells phones and toy robots. Back in the 90s, and maybe even 2004, there were staff at Radio Shack that actually knew their electronic components, but not today. Last time I tried to buy some resistors, the lady looked amazed that I knew what they were and exclaimed "I've gotta have you come fix my computer!"

Order your parts online from someone like Digikey. You'll get exactly what you need. At Radio Shack, they only have the most common parts, and often in unsuitable styles. If it's a Game Gear, you might need to replace a bunch of caps, and Radio Shack does NOT have them all.

Thank You!

[Rickstilwell1]

So you know how to solder?

I don't know where to get the capacitors, but you can ask UK Ebay member "gearforgames". He offers Game Gear refurbishing and does the whole thing for you for quite cheap. I bet he'll tell you where to get them.

Also, you might want to track down a Majesco Game Gear on Ebay and replace those capacitors. It's the best Game Gear screen available. That's what I did.

That's easier said than done. Most people won't know the difference between a Majesco Game Gear and a Sega Game Gear so they will list it as Sega Game Gear and you can't search for the term Majesco on ebay and bring up many items. It should be easy to pinpoint a purple instead of blue start button, but not if the picture is blurry.

[APE992]

To be honest, its be a long time since I have picked up a sodering iron.....but I watched a tutorial on the subject and it doesn't seem that hard.

An attitude like that will get you into trouble when you put the iron inside. I've got four Gamegears here I've replaced the caps on, typically they have leaked basically gluing themselves to the board. I break the bond with a small pair of needle nose pliers and heat the solder pads while pulling on the capacitor gently.

Not impossible, but be very gentle and go slowly. I lifted a pad on one capacitor today but thankfully it was an extremely easy fix as the trace buckled over onto itself.

SMS-Power also has a listing for two GameGear models in their wiki that I added myself. One of the links above has a partial listing for a VA1 board and a VA4 board presuming there is only one variation of the VA4. Hate to break it to them, there are at least two.

Also be aware of how you're laying the capacitors inside, the GameGear was designed with SMD components in mind with relatively few sticking straight up off the board. Lay something the wrong way and you'll find a pylon coming right down onto the capacitor.

[Mr_Tricorder]

I've been trying to fix my old Game Gear too by replacing capacitors, but I still can't get video to work and have shelved the project for now, mainly since I seem to have made things worse and the system now overheats in an area just below the screen. The bottom edge of the screen starts to glow white after switching it on and I managed to accidentally deform a small part of the plastic shell by leaving it on too long.

I have a VA4 Game Gear, by the way.

[omp!]

You can also grab the capcitors you need from ebay quite cheaply as well, that is what I have done recently. I used to repair quite a few of these, but hadn't for a while. I was going through my cupboard of consoles and found one that just needs caps to repair. Forgot I had it!

[DogP]

All 3 of my Game Gears need cap replacements... I've been trying to find time to dig them all up on Digikey and order, but I haven't gotten to it yet this week. Maybe tomorrow...

DogP

[APE992]

All 3 of my Game Gears need cap replacements... I've been trying to find time to dig them all up on Digikey and order, but I haven't gotten to it yet this week. Maybe tomorrow...

DogP

I broke down and bought 100 packs of everything I needed off eBay. Convenient when someone hands me yet another and asks for help.

[Gamereviewgod]

Going to bump this as I have a question. I have almost all of the capacitors replaced on my GG, but as I'm ordering the last few that I need, I have two labeled R5, 40.

What the hell does that mean? The rest just have the numbers which I could actually understand.

Thanks!

- Edit: or are these resistors? All of the layouts I've seen online make no mention of them, nor do they look like this.

[Gamereviewgod]

https://twitter.com/#!/GameReviewGod/status/105670520095248384

There's a pic of the capacitors in question. How are those rated? And yeah, I'm new to this.

[Sunnyvale]

Here's the problem with Radio Shack - you're looking for something that they don't really sell. Sure, they have those pull-out drawers, and yes, there are some capacitors, resistors, and $10.99 S-Video plugs inside, but Radio Shack in 2011 sells phones and toy robots. Back in the 90s, and maybe even 2004, there were staff at Radio Shack that actually knew their electronic components, but not today. Last time I tried to buy some resistors, the lady looked amazed that I knew what they were and exclaimed "I've gotta have you come fix my computer!"

Order your parts online from someone like Digikey. You'll get exactly what you need. At Radio Shack, they only have the most common parts, and often in unsuitable styles. If it's a Game Gear, you might need to replace a bunch of caps, and Radio Shack does NOT have them all.

In the late 90's or early 2000's, when the Radio Shacks were all revamping their stores, one of the local stores had a huge blowout. I bought everything from caps to fuses to LEDs to flashlight bulbs for pennies. Sold a lot, used a lot, still have a lot. Went there for a fuse for my CDX a while back, and they offered me thermal fuses O_o

[alec006]

I actually went to a Radioshack where the lady knew exactly what a 1/4 to 1/8 adapter was and she was in her low to mid twentys so it was kind of nice.

I actually would love to replace a few capacitors in my Game Gear since the screen seems to be getting darker and darker everyday and the backlight is fine, not to mention I just cleaned up a hell of alot of battery acid off the motherboard.

[APE992]

https://twitter.com/#!/GameReviewGod/status/105670520095248384

There's a pic of the capacitors in question. How are those rated? And yeah, I'm new to this.

I've been trying to figure that out myself for some time and I've yet to find anything to indicate what it means, even in electrical engineering textbooks. In the GameBoy Color there are some labeled similarly that I replaced but thankfully the capacitance rating was clear, just not the voltage. Having them replaced with a higher voltage is fine just don't go to a lower voltage or a higher/lower farad rating.


I actually went to a Radioshack where the lady knew exactly what a 1/4 to 1/8 adapter was and she was in her low to mid twentys so it was kind of nice.

I actually would love to replace a few capacitors in my Game Gear since the screen seems to be getting darker and darker everyday and the backlight is fine, not to mention I just cleaned up a hell of alot of battery acid off the motherboard.

Replacing the capacitors should clear that up.

[Gamereviewgod]

I've been trying to figure that out myself for some time and I've yet to find anything to indicate what it means, even in electrical engineering textbooks. In the GameBoy Color there are some labeled similarly that I replaced but thankfully the capacitance rating was clear, just not the voltage. Having them replaced with a higher voltage is fine just don't go to a lower voltage or a higher/lower farad rating.


Right, but what is the farad rating on the Game Gear ones? That's where I'm confused. The way I understood when I reading up on this stuff is that R means a ., so it would be .5 uf? Or is it 40uf?

[FABombjoy]

If you replace those two with .47uf @ 50v then you'll be all set.

[Gamereviewgod]

If you replace those two with .47uf @ 50v then you'll be all set.

Will do. Thanks. How do you know for future Game Gears? This is the second one I've seen with them. The first one I totally botched because the damn soldering iron got too close to the plastic connector and melted the hell out of it. Lesson learned to be aware at all times.

This one I legitimately want to fix. ;)

[FABombjoy]

The VA1 revisions are the only Game Gears with electrolytics smaller than 1uf, so you shouldn't have to worry about any future oddball markings. I think I used to know of a site that explained the 2-digit codes but I can't seem to locate it. Maybe the cap itself is marked if you remove it from the square plastic holder.

[APE992]

I'll have to independently confirm this information and add it to SMS-Power's wiki page for capacitors. All of the info they have now I put up but for some reason I didn't write down all of VA1's values, just 99% of VA4.

Gotta track down VA2 and VA3, if they exist.

[FABombjoy]

FWIW, out of a dozen or so Game Gears, I haven't seen anything marked VA2 or 3 yet.

[APE992]

Same thing here. I've yet to open up a PAL GameGear (which apparently exist as labeled PAL on the motherboard) and a Majesco GameGear. I'm thinking both of those are labeled differently but I've yet to come across one.

[FABombjoy]

The Majesco units are completely different from the others, and aren't marked VA anything. I have a parts list that I'll be publishing soon.

[thegamezmaster]

I got mine from Digikey. They were very helpful with getting me the right size to fit and everything. Just google search and get their phone number and call them up. Good prices too. Good luck.

[APE992]

The Majesco units are completely different from the others, and aren't marked VA anything. I have a parts list that I'll be publishing soon.

I've already beat you to it (mostly):
http://www.smspower.org/Development/GameGearCapacitorValues

VA1 is mostly incomplete admittedly. VA4 is about 98% complete but I get the feeling I missed a few.