I think someone posted in here about fixing their Virtual Boy’s optics by “baking” the connectors to bring the glue that holds them together back to life.

I’m wondering if the problem(s) I’m experiencing with this VB that I got online can be fixed by that kind of method, or if it’s something else…

There are two types of problems depending on the game (all games have problems, they just fall into the two categories)…

Random pixels lit where they should not be [Red Alert, Waterworld, 3D Tetris, Vertical Force, Nester’s Funky Bowling fall under this glitch]:

Red Alert

Waterworld 1

Waterworld 2

Scanlines where they should not be [Galactic Pinball, Wario Land, Jack Bros. fall under this glitch]:

Galactic Pinball 1

Galactic Pinball 2

I had a VB before that was dying in one eye with a glitch that sort of looked like the digital rain from The Matrix, and I *thought* that was the sort of glitch that was usually fixed via baking the optics. Is this glitch (it’s in both eyes) also a product of the aging glue on the optics, or is it something else? The fact that it presents in different ways depending on the game has me concerned that it’s something else entirely.

That’s definitely the normal cable problem.

DogP

Thanks, I’m glad it’s not anything more serious…

Does anyone here have experience performing the permanent (i.e. solder-based) fix described here: http://www.projectvb.com/displayfix.html

Would it be possible to pay a person (along with paying for shipping, obviously) on here to fix my unit so that I don’t have to worry about this happening any more?

I know a member here did just that – don’t remember who it was right now, he had a homepage about it as well.

I soldered my second unit yesterday, but I can understand being hesitant even if you have the required tools yourself.

There’s actually no need to use Sodium hydroxide to clear the strips of metal, using plain flux core solder clears them just fine. It’s demonstrated in this youtube-clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQC4c9Lylg4

I was never able to get that blob of solder to move around, worked anyway.

Found it:

http://www.johnnyphantom.me/Johnny_Phantom/Virtual_Boy_Repair.html

$30, doesn’t seem like there has been much happening there lately but I would write and ask at least.