Thanks, I got a unit at a great price tonight. Watching videos about the repairs boosted my confidence, especially since the issue seems common. Appreciate your insights on fixing it!
I gave my friend my gpa and he started mashing the right shoulder button for no reason while playing Minish Cap. great video and I will never let him use anything again
I know!!! Don't worry, I purchased a new shell since I wouldn't resell them that way. That's what I get for trying to hurry and not looking carefully at my screws 😢
Why do you recommend someone to buy for this repair that has nothing except for screwdrivers and tweezers? I have no idea about soldering but really want to fix this !
The best affordable solution with just tweezers and a screwdriver would be to apply some 99% IPA, WD-40 Contact Cleaner or BW-100 while the system is off. This way you dont have to worry about desoldering or any fancy techniques and it may get your system working again. Hope this helps!
dude i'm in the process of desoldering the triggers, and boy are some of them stubborn, makes me really consider purchasing that hakko desolder kit haha
Haha, yeah I completely understand where you’re coming from. For that exact reason is why I picked up a desoldering gun. Hope you can get your issue resolved!
Hey just went through this, couldn't get the trigger out to save my life. In frustration I just ended up using some flush cutters to completely cut off the entire trigger at the base, then I used wick and a solder sucker to remove what was leftover. New trigger works flawlessly!
A trick I've recently found works on both the AGB and AGS is to just put huge blobs of leaded solder across all the pins you can and then run the iron back and forth while pulling on the other side with tweezers. You should be able to keep 2 pins or half of the switch solder molten/loose at a time this way and slowly wiggle it out, then just clean up the holes a bit and slot in the new button. Comes out in seconds this way. I even have hot air and a desoldering gun but they just don't work as well for removing the part. The desoldering gun make the clean-up afterward way easier than using solder wick, though.
I really enjoy the Hakko Soldering station I use, there are 2 downsides that I can think of right away. The UX for changing temps is weird and the price is a bit high at about $100. You can prob find a decent iron on Amazon, but I definitely enjoy the Hakko station.
Hey, the buttons you linked to aren't correct for the GBA SP. I bought them, as well as the ifixit tool set. I have extensive experience soldering, unsoldering, working with electronics, etc. I can tell you right now the buttons were not what you showed in your video. The pins for the circuit and the ones that just hold the body to the circuit board were reverse. Since I had already spent a while unsoldering the old (bad) buttons I did whatever I needed to make the new ones work. But I give them a year, maybe less, before they work their way free.
At the time I was using a chipquick flux which was not that great. It creates a lot of sticky residue. I've moved to AmTech Flux and it has been great so far. I would highly recommend!
For the SP it doesn’t feel as noticeable as the GBA, GBC and DMG. However, you can still notice the difference. You can always keep the old membranes and buttons to maintain the same feel.
I actually grabbed one of the wrong screws during reassembly before the recording. I did put the correct one back, but the damage to the plastic was already done 😭
this is the fifth video I'm watching about how to get the L and R buttons and the spring back in place because I have no idea how to do it. But literally every video on this skips this exact part
Here’s an idea. Make handheld game consoles like this easy to replace and clean the buttons. I shouldn’t have to melt it off the circuit board. But what do I know. I’m just a fat gamer News flash Nintendo: Portable gaming devices are bound to get crud in them from the outside world. A world you clearly don’t comprehend
IVE BEEN WATING FOR A GOOD TUTORIAL LIKE THIS FOR YEARS, THANK YOU!
You're very welcome!
Thanks, I got a unit at a great price tonight. Watching videos about the repairs boosted my confidence, especially since the issue seems common. Appreciate your insights on fixing it!
Happy to see some GBA SP videos!! Great work
I gave my friend my gpa and he started mashing the right shoulder button for no reason while playing Minish Cap. great video and I will never let him use anything again
Hahaha....to be fair, the button is so delicate. Hopefully you got it working again!
Great video as always . Keep the good work
Thank you! I appreciate the kind words!
When this happens to me I just learn to live with it
😂
Screw poke thru the shell by the select button.
I know!!! Don't worry, I purchased a new shell since I wouldn't resell them that way. That's what I get for trying to hurry and not looking carefully at my screws 😢
Great video ! 😊
Thank you!
What kind of tip was that you first used go remove the solder?
I was using a desoldering gun. It's like a mini solder vacuum! 😅
Why do you recommend someone to buy for this repair that has nothing except for screwdrivers and tweezers? I have no idea about soldering but really want to fix this !
The best affordable solution with just tweezers and a screwdriver would be to apply some 99% IPA, WD-40 Contact Cleaner or BW-100 while the system is off. This way you dont have to worry about desoldering or any fancy techniques and it may get your system working again. Hope this helps!
What's the liquid you use to clean after sucking the soldering dots, at min 4:05? Thank you!
dude i'm in the process of desoldering the triggers, and boy are some of them stubborn, makes me really consider purchasing that hakko desolder kit haha
Haha, yeah I completely understand where you’re coming from. For that exact reason is why I picked up a desoldering gun. Hope you can get your issue resolved!
Hey just went through this, couldn't get the trigger out to save my life. In frustration I just ended up using some flush cutters to completely cut off the entire trigger at the base, then I used wick and a solder sucker to remove what was leftover. New trigger works flawlessly!
@@Mark-lf8ze That’s awesome! I’m glad you were able to get it working again. The SP is def one of my favorite systems.
@@Mark-lf8ze that’s pretty much what I did too haha
A trick I've recently found works on both the AGB and AGS is to just put huge blobs of leaded solder across all the pins you can and then run the iron back and forth while pulling on the other side with tweezers. You should be able to keep 2 pins or half of the switch solder molten/loose at a time this way and slowly wiggle it out, then just clean up the holes a bit and slot in the new button. Comes out in seconds this way. I even have hot air and a desoldering gun but they just don't work as well for removing the part. The desoldering gun make the clean-up afterward way easier than using solder wick, though.
Did you use flux?
Great video! This helped me so much! keep it up!
I need to do this to my gameboy, what kind of solder do you recommend using ?
I really enjoy the Hakko Soldering station I use, there are 2 downsides that I can think of right away. The UX for changing temps is weird and the price is a bit high at about $100. You can prob find a decent iron on Amazon, but I definitely enjoy the Hakko station.
@@totalfix877 okay gotcha thanks for the recommendation!
@@totalfix877 I just got it done rn actually. My triggers are working fine now, but I did have to buy solder sucker to be able to desolder it.
@@JesusG-cm2jx That’s awesome! Yeah def an awesome tool to have for other projects, trust me! 😃
Hey, the buttons you linked to aren't correct for the GBA SP. I bought them, as well as the ifixit tool set. I have extensive experience soldering, unsoldering, working with electronics, etc. I can tell you right now the buttons were not what you showed in your video. The pins for the circuit and the ones that just hold the body to the circuit board were reverse. Since I had already spent a while unsoldering the old (bad) buttons I did whatever I needed to make the new ones work. But I give them a year, maybe less, before they work their way free.
What brand of Flux was that?
At the time I was using a chipquick flux which was not that great. It creates a lot of sticky residue. I've moved to AmTech Flux and it has been great so far. I would highly recommend!
Would I broke something if I put too much soldering and all links together?
Are the buttons a noticeable different in feel?
For the SP it doesn’t feel as noticeable as the GBA, GBC and DMG. However, you can still notice the difference. You can always keep the old membranes and buttons to maintain the same feel.
The ones linked in here don't fit in the GBA AGS 101, they're upside down.
Mine is doing exactly this. The r button works but only if you press it very hard otherwise it only works half the time.
This GBA is more trouble than its worth
😅
I enjoy modding gba SPs
Someone forgot that the gameboy screws are self tapping. You can see the screw bulge on the inside of the sp.
I actually grabbed one of the wrong screws during reassembly before the recording. I did put the correct one back, but the damage to the plastic was already done 😭
You could probably fix that if you carefully apply heat but you should remove the electrical components, then your sodder gun can weld the crack
this is the fifth video I'm watching about how to get the L and R buttons and the spring back in place because I have no idea how to do it. But literally every video on this skips this exact part
Can you teach me how to Google, Google?
letmegooglethat.com/ 🙃
@@totalfix877 TYSM I couldn't search up Google on Google and now I can!! You're a life saver
Here’s an idea. Make handheld game consoles like this easy to replace and clean the buttons. I shouldn’t have to melt it off the circuit board. But what do I know. I’m just a fat gamer
News flash Nintendo: Portable gaming devices are bound to get crud in them from the outside world. A world you clearly don’t comprehend
Um. This is not a quick fix. To learn to solder is not a quick thing.