Original Post

Hi everyone!
I have no experience in soldering and absolutely no soldering skills. My VB’s right display started to glitching up: it shows both normal image and ghostly mirrored image of itself, left display is ok. I don’t want to make major repairing in electronics, I’m afraid of damaging it. I have received VB yesterday, spending for about $240, and buying a new VB sounds not so good for me. So what can I do for fixing it? Even oven trick scares me. Please help 🙁
(excuse me for my grammar mistakes, I’m Russian)

  • This topic was modified 12 years, 3 months ago by JAUG.
7 Replies

The oven trick is very easy, straight forward, and safe. The only problem is it is not permanent. I have had great success with the oven trick then wrapping a piece of tape around the connection so the ribbon doesn’t pull away from the board.

Srimok wrote:
The oven trick is very easy, straight forward, and safe. The only problem is it is not permanent. I have had great success with the oven trick then wrapping a piece of tape around the connection so the ribbon doesn’t pull away from the board.

So how to make this trick right?

JAUG wrote:
So how to make this trick right?

Hi JAUG,

I’m not exactly sure of what you are asking, but if you need to know where the page is that describes the oven method in detail, it is found online at:

http://home.comcast.net/~virtual.boy/projectvb/displayfix.html

The forum thread that talks about this issue is found here:

http://www.planetvb.com/modules/newbb/viewtopic.php?topic_id=3295&forum=1

These were the only two things that I used to fix my Virtual Boy’s display problem on a weekend over 3 months ago. I would recommend taking the time to read all the information in these 2 places very slowly and carefully, so that you can mentally prepare yourself for when you attempt it. Though putting the displays in an oven sounds dangerous, it really works rather well. Just keep the oven at the recommended temperature and do it for no more than 2 or 3 minutes at a time. I did actually have to put one of the displays in the oven 3 times at about 2 minutes each at the recommended temperature, before I finally got the desired results, so just don’t put the screws back into your Virtual Boy until you have tested that both displays work great. It’s actually pretty easy to hold the system together simply with one hand and test to see if both displays are working properly with the other hand, before putting all the screws back in. Also, definitely reinforce the cables with packing tape! Not doing so just doesn’t make any sense.

here one video for repair the VB, but i use a one hair dryer

good look!

Saludos.

Benjamin Stevens wrote:

Just keep the oven at the recommended temperature

I don’t have a oven with temperature regulator. So I need to take a guess, what temperature will enough for? Or use a hair dryer, as recommended by Richard LP?

I used a hair dryer and work good, i fixed my VB with hair dryer

Anywhere from 200 degrees Fahrenheit to 300 degrees Fahrenheit for a couple minutes at a time would probably be fine. I even know of one person who fixed several Virtual Boys who recommended 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 1 minute at a time. Keeping it anywhere within this range and just doing it for 1 to 2 minutes at a time shouldn’t cause any permanent damages to the displays.

I think the average hair dryers produce a heat of 150 to 200 degrees Fahrenheit, so if you want to use a hair dryer, you may just have to blow the hot air on the necessary sections for a longer period of time.

 

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