omnedon
04-25-2004, 01:22 PM
I have a dupe SEGA Nomad now. Nice shape, works, battery thingy and everything.
It has one horizontal dead line on screen, going from edge to edge, left to right, about 2/3 from the bottom.
I dremeled my security bit, and managed to get into the Nomad cleanly. 8-) I took it apart,. I noticed a removable ribbon cable from the back of the Nomad to the board that the screen attaches to. I removed it, and cleaned it, and blew air into it's slot. However, from it's placement, I'm pretty damn sure that ribbon cable has nothing to do with screen function.
The screen itself, attaches to the (front side) PCB with a ribbon connector that is soldered directly to the board. *sigh* Tiny little solders to boot.
I know nothing about these old screens, and how they get signal. The ribbon connector that goes from the screen to the soldered ribbon connectors has a LOT of contacts. I didn't count, but I'd guess at least 30, and maybe 40. My question is, is it possible that this one black horizontal line is attributable to one of those 40 or so contacts losing connection?
OR, is it more likely that the fault is at screen level, and the only thing that could ever bring it back would be a replacement screen?
The reason I want to know the likelihood before I try anything, is that the Nomad does work as is. The line is fine enough, that this Nomad could do as a 'user' unit, then I could retire my other minty one for the future. I'd prefer not risking damaging this unit with the line, in the attempt repairing it.
The ribbon solders are tiny, but in a pinch, I'm sure I could touch one up. I just don't want to get the iron out, if I'm barking up the wrong tree on this line thing.
Any tips?
It has one horizontal dead line on screen, going from edge to edge, left to right, about 2/3 from the bottom.
I dremeled my security bit, and managed to get into the Nomad cleanly. 8-) I took it apart,. I noticed a removable ribbon cable from the back of the Nomad to the board that the screen attaches to. I removed it, and cleaned it, and blew air into it's slot. However, from it's placement, I'm pretty damn sure that ribbon cable has nothing to do with screen function.
The screen itself, attaches to the (front side) PCB with a ribbon connector that is soldered directly to the board. *sigh* Tiny little solders to boot.
I know nothing about these old screens, and how they get signal. The ribbon connector that goes from the screen to the soldered ribbon connectors has a LOT of contacts. I didn't count, but I'd guess at least 30, and maybe 40. My question is, is it possible that this one black horizontal line is attributable to one of those 40 or so contacts losing connection?
OR, is it more likely that the fault is at screen level, and the only thing that could ever bring it back would be a replacement screen?
The reason I want to know the likelihood before I try anything, is that the Nomad does work as is. The line is fine enough, that this Nomad could do as a 'user' unit, then I could retire my other minty one for the future. I'd prefer not risking damaging this unit with the line, in the attempt repairing it.
The ribbon solders are tiny, but in a pinch, I'm sure I could touch one up. I just don't want to get the iron out, if I'm barking up the wrong tree on this line thing.
Any tips?