Flipper The Blipper
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I'm having a massive overheating issue after installing the v5 screen and varia5uit mod trimpot. It gets hot enough after 5-10 minutes that I'm worried it will begin melting the case, touching corner of the case almost burns me.

I couldn't find a single tutorial or video explaining how to install the trimpot, or at least a trimpot like the one nonfinite sent me. I wish there was a tutorial, or some picture instructions or something.  >.>  The screen is working but seems kinda dim, and the trimpot doesn't do anything as I twist it while the DMG is on. I know power is running through it since the screen does turn on.... but why the pot doesn't do a thing is beyond me. 

I took the voltage wire coming from the screen and soldered it to one of the long pins on the trimpot, I attached another wire to the opposite long pin and ran that to a power spot on the board. I thought that I'd done that right, but I was pretty much guessing. 

Do I need to add a 100 ohm resistor to the voltage line from the screen right before it gets to the trimpot?


I'm a total novice at soldering and modding so I'd appreciate any help guys smile

dapperwrench
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I would definitely try adding a resistor. It will reduce the current going thru the pot which will make it less hot

jefftheworld
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Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Flipper The Blipper wrote:

I'm having a massive overheating issue after installing the v5 screen and varia5uit mod trimpot. It gets hot enough after 5-10 minutes that I'm worried it will begin melting the case, touching corner of the case almost burns me.

I couldn't find a single tutorial or video explaining how to install the trimpot, or at least a trimpot like the one nonfinite sent me. I wish there was a tutorial, or some picture instructions or something.  >.>  The screen is working but seems kinda dim, and the trimpot doesn't do anything as I twist it while the DMG is on. I know power is running through it since the screen does turn on.... but why the pot doesn't do a thing is beyond me. 

I took the voltage wire coming from the screen and soldered it to one of the long pins on the trimpot, I attached another wire to the opposite long pin and ran that to a power spot on the board. I thought that I'd done that right, but I was pretty much guessing. 

Do I need to add a 100 ohm resistor to the voltage line from the screen right before it gets to the trimpot?


I'm a total novice at soldering and modding so I'd appreciate any help guys smile

A trimpot will have 3 pins, generally. A and B will be either end of the resistance and C will be the adjustable contact. C is generally the center of 3 pins, so it sounds like you've wired it incorrectly.

katsumbhong
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Taichung, Taiwan

Def sounds like you wired something incorrectly.

Or you're grounding out hardcore yo.

Flipper The Blipper
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jefftheworld wrote:


A trimpot will have 3 pins, generally. A and B will be either end of the resistance and C will be the adjustable contact. C is generally the center of 3 pins, so it sounds like you've wired it incorrectly.

Damn, I'll take a close look at what I did in that case. Figures I wired it wrong. So I wire voltage to A or B and wire C to my board? That would make sense >.>

I will rewire it that way, but all that means is that the voltage isn't being reduced atm and is running on what the pot would push through at the highest setting, right? Should I still install a resistor in the line before it reaches the pot? I don't want my DMG to start melting if I accidentally leave the trimpot set to max screen brightness for 10 mins.

Nonfinite's store page mentions that it's a modified trimpot. I don't know what it's modified for, or how, but it doesn't look exactly like any of the pics i'm seeing online of normal trimpots. The center has two pins to itself in addition to the two long side pins, I assume I just have to choose either of the center pins and output from it to my board.

If someone could confirm or dismiss my assumptions here, I'd be grateful big_smile

Last edited by Flipper The Blipper (May 20, 2015 6:03 pm)

katsumbhong
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Taichung, Taiwan

Use a multimeter to check for resistance between two pins at a time on the potentiometer to check which pins to wire.

Flipper The Blipper
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I don't own a multimeter T_T

Thank you for the advice though.

Last edited by Flipper The Blipper (May 20, 2015 8:36 pm)

katsumbhong
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Taichung, Taiwan

http://beavishifi.com/articles/Volume_Control/

The article is using a potentiometer as a volume control knob, but it is the same principle for your varia suit mod.

The varia suit mod acts as a variable potentiometer cutting back or freeing voltage to make the screen dimmer or brighter.

Flipper The Blipper
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Thanks a bunch guys! I rewired the pot correctly and it actually dims or brightens the screen now when turned smile

Unfortunately even when I leave it on the lowest setting, the case gets quite warm within a minute or so. I hope that that's normal >.>

If I turn the pot more than 25% of the way, the GB voltage regulator at the bottom left of the case gets 'holy shit' hot within 2 minutes.

I'm going to install a resistor on the line prior to it reaching the pot, but I hope I don't have bridged connection somewhere thanks to my wicked soldering skills that will cause it to overheat like this regardless of what I do with the screen voltage line.

katsumbhong
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Taichung, Taiwan

If the voltage regulator is getting hot in the lower corner of the DMG and you wired everything correctly, it can be the voltage regulator going bad. Solder it out and solder in a replacement.

Flipper The Blipper
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Thanks for the quick reply!   

So if the screen and pot are installed correctly, would the regulator still get warm after a few minutes, or should it stay cool?

Also is it normal for a properly installed screen & pot to get warm/hot when turned to (max/near max) brightness?

I never had a properly working one, so I've got no point of reference to compare mine against.


I have another board that I may transfer all of my mods over to from this build, that would take care of the regulator. I'm not too happy with the fidgety screen lines after I softened the solder beneath the screen under the ribbon (to take care of a massive vertical lines problem). Simply putting the back screws in or pressing on the front of the gameboy while playing is enough pressure to mess with the lines nonstop....

Last edited by Flipper The Blipper (May 21, 2015 2:55 pm)