Alpine
Offline
UK, Leicester

So I read and watched some tutorials on how to frintlight a GBC, but a few people on here are suggesting having the lighty part horizontal rather than vertical. The problem that I've come across is that all the tuts that I've seen have the screen vertical, the one by that female youtuber, the one by choochoobot and that one by whatshisname on instructables.com. I've also come across another problem, I got a few fingerprints on the lighty bit and I can't get them off. I followed kitsch's advice;

kitsch wrote:

a good trick for removing dirt/debris/dust/some fingerprints from the panels is scotch tape.  it doesn't leave residue and picks up a lot of stuff really great.

in case that helps anyone...

After googling scotch tape, it turned out to just be what us brits call sellotape. Or so I thought, I tried using it and ended up with residue from it on the lighty bit as well as fingerprints, I'm probably using the wrong kinda tape but whatever.

Basically, does anyone know what type of tape I should be using, or any other methods for removing fingerprints and does anyone have a tut that shows how to install the lighty bit horizontally?

Oh and sorry if this is the wrong section.

Saskrotch
Offline
Chicago IL
Alpine wrote:

that female youtuber

oh i know her

8bitDAD
Offline

Honestly removing those fingerprints is.. almost impossible. I say almost because I can't say that its completely impossible, just that nothing I tried worked. In fact, the more I tried the worse it got. The lesson I learned was to wear latex gloves, don't let the light screen touch *anything*, and to do as much of the mod as possible before even getting that screen out of the AGS-001. I've ruined one screen, and put a smudge on the next by using the old to screen to trace a resizing cut on the new one. Apparently whatever shmeck the screen accumulates ruins the film that acts as a light guide. Fingerprint oil will do this. And its nasty enough that it will come off one ruined screen onto your new one.

If you want this mod to come out clean you virtually need to do it in a sterile environment. If you've gone too far and the screen is yucky, I suggest getting a new one for the mod. Search eBay for "broken" "As-is" or "for parts" SPs.

As for installing it horizontally:
The vertical (and highly documented) mod shows the modder removing some plastic from inside the case to let the screen fit uncut. If you cut the light guide screen down a bit it will fit in horizontally and give a much better look to the mod, the light will shine on the LCD the way it does in its native handheld. Of course, cutting it is ample opportunity to get it impossibly dirty, with no going back. Wear gloves. Don't ever touch the screen, if you must (say, to determine which side is grooved) then use a gloved fingernail and only touch the screen facings nearest to the edges. The slightest touch can leave permanent scratches. Cutting the screen is dangerous (for you, and for the screen) so go slowly and carefully. Determine the amount you'd like to remove and use a razorblade for fine exacty knife and score it over and over. Eventually you can snap off the part you'd like to trash. The metal part of the light can also be cut to size, but might not be necessary depending on how much of the gameboy's plastic you remove inside. If at all, remove metal on the opposite end from the ribbon cable end, otherwise.. its busted.

tl;dr:

Wear gloves. Don't bother removing fingerprints, replace the screen. Remove plastic from case to make room for horizontal fitting. Cut down the screen.

Alpine
Offline
UK, Leicester
8bitDAD wrote:

""

Thanks man, that was ridiculously helpful. I think I'll get another sp later on this year when the car boots start opening up again, I got the one I tried to use for this mod from one where the LCD had leaked, and although I have at least 2 sp's lying around, I don't really want to trash a working console.

And the guidance for cutting the screen is much appreciated, I found a tut that said that I should cut it down, and I was at a loss of how to do it without shattering the screen. I think what I'll do it cut it down and just use this screen as a test of the mod, If it looks too horrible, I can always replace it at a later date. The only reason that I didn't do anything about it last night was that I don't have a 47ohm resistor (I think that's the one I need) and I don't really have an easy way of getting one. I know you can get 'em from sites like radioshack but I'd rather find a place where I can buy them from a shop, rather than online.

DogTag
Offline
Murcia, Spain

I think that after reading the post of 8bitDAD I can give an end to my mod too... Damn, I had that Color opened for several months now and didn't know what to do with the screen, as I had no dremel to cut it with. Thanks man!

@Alpine, You were lucky 8bitDAD gave you such an awesome response. The frontlight GBC topic is apparently quite popular and no one cares to answer anymore when someone asks (which is really bothering to people who are trying to do this mod and don't know how). I got terribly confused with choochoobot and that youtube's girl doing the mods vertical as well...

kineticturtle
Offline
Matthew Joseph Payne

I've been cleaning fingerprints off gameboy screens and backlights with cleaning cloths for glasses and camera lenses for years with no problem.

Alpine
Offline
UK, Leicester
DogTag wrote:

I think that after reading the post of 8bitDAD I can give an end to my mod too... Damn, I had that Color opened for several months now and didn't know what to do with the screen, as I had no dremel to cut it with. Thanks man!

@Alpine, You were lucky 8bitDAD gave you such an awesome response. The frontlight GBC topic is apparently quite popular and no one cares to answer anymore when someone asks (which is really bothering to people who are trying to do this mod and don't know how). I got terribly confused with choochoobot and that youtube's girl doing the mods vertical as well...

I happen to have a dremel right next to me that I may use for this, and yeah I was lucky to get a good response. It's kinda strange, there don't seem to be that many threads on it, I even searched and read through a few before I made this one. If anything like this pops up again, I'll be sure to give them a decent reply like the one 8bitDAD did/

kineticturtle wrote:

I've been cleaning fingerprints off gameboy screens and backlights with cleaning cloths for glasses and camera lenses for years with no problem.

They may work on screens, or backlights, I don't know much about them, but I assume they work differently to front lights. Funnily enough they where the first thing I tried, didn't do a thing.

Also thought I'd share this, It's a decent tut for installing the screen horizontally, it starts around halfway down the page though.
http://www.mylkstuff.com/page40.htm

kineticturtle
Offline
Matthew Joseph Payne
Alpine wrote:
kineticturtle wrote:

I've been cleaning fingerprints off gameboy screens and backlights with cleaning cloths for glasses and camera lenses for years with no problem.

They may work on screens, or backlights, I don't know much about them, but I assume they work differently to front lights. Funnily enough they where the first thing I tried, didn't do a thing.

Sorry, I was unclear. I've used them to clean these particular front light in this particular situation with great success, a number of times. Maybe your cloth sucks? Don't be afraid to apply a little pressure! smile