A little after I posted my EPIC fail for the rehousing of the ASIC from one of my dead Game Gears, I went looking around online and found that Retrosix had some 1 ASIC RePCBs available, with the ASIC already installed. I bit the bullet and ended up investing in it.
I got it in the mail after a few weeks.
It came with the power and audio cables, EXT connector, and the ASIC installed. I just don't have it in me just yet to really work on the SYF board... but I'm not giving up on it just yet.
The one thing I needed to install was the cartridge connector. To get a more flush installation, I used some nuts and bolts that were extras from my Anet A8 build to hold the cartridge connector to the mainboard while I soldered it.
I was planning on using the FunnyPlaying LCD screen I tried to install (and failed) many years ago. I stopped myself because I didn't understand where each point on the board goes to. I was already too exhausted to try to figure it out, so I ended up ordering a CleanScreen board, again from Retrosix.
Here's part of the install. There are some 3D printed brackets that holds the screen in place that I installed, followed by the screen itself. After getting it in the brackets and secured to both the mainboard and the CleanScreen board, I just needed to install the special ribbon cables from the CleanScreen to the RePCB.
...but I didn't have them...
I emailed the seller and after some back and fourth, I got some replacements sent to me. There's more to the story here, but I'll add it at the end.
After waiting a week, I got the ribbon cables and installed them. I installed the SYF power and sound boards into the other half of the shell. I attached the cables to their respective board and closed up the shell to test a game in the new board.
Finally! I have a working Game Gear....kinda. I was testing this using USB-C for power which, as you can see, is working just fine. The beauty of the new power board, other than the USB-C connection, is that a rechargeable battery can be installed. A rechargeable battery and a new LCD screen means more time for Game Gear fun.
But...when I installed the battery, it would fine for one session. If you turn it off and try to turn it back on, all you would get is a black screen.
...
I took the battery out and tried with the USB-C cable again. It worked fine. Flicked the power switch on and off again with the cable in and no battery installed, it gave me the black screen again.
...
I didn't want to fight it anymore, so I ended up ordering a CleanJuice power kit from Retrosix. Because I didn't want to take any more chances with a failure, I also ordered a CleanAmp for it at the same time.
After another week of waiting, I got, hopefully, the last of the puzzle pieces that I need to get this blue Game Gear working again.
CleanAmp and CleanJuice installed. I installed just one of the 2 batteries in to test and make sure that the boards work. I was greeted with the Sega logo starting up Sonic 2, so as far as I was concerned, I was done. Just to test that I wouldn't have the same issue as the SYF power board, I flicked the power button off and on again...and was greeted with a black screen.
...
I. Was. Done.
I almost gave up, but then I remembered a thread on Reddit that mentioned the same issue. There was a little switch on the board that is set on from the seller. That switch should be set to off. After switching it to off, happy to say that it FINALLY works as it should. I tested by flicking the power switch on and off, with the USB-C cable in AND charging the batteries, and with the batteries on its own. Safe to say that everything works.
There were a few minor issues. First one is the power switch. With the CleanJuice board, it seems that with the stock power switch cover, it hits the edge of the case just right that it's hard at times to turn the console on. It's easily overcome by pressing down on the switch while flicking it on.
The other issue was the battery compartments. The rechargeable batteries that come with the CleanJuice kit kinda fit in the compartments fine, but very snug. It also made the battery cover bulge a little. I started by removing the ribs in the compartment. I used flush cutters to remove parts of the ribs a little at the time. I also took some of the plastic that locks the battery connectors off.
The compartment looked a little rough after cutting out the ribs and locking tabs. I used a flat head screwdriver to scrape down the leftovers of the ribs to a not so rough look. It looked smooth enough so it wouldn't puncture the batteries. Both compartments were modified like this, so now it fits a little better and the cover is flush on the back.
I'm charging it now. Nice little orange light to show it's charging. We'll see how well it works.
So, at this point, it works. Granted, it's not what I originally planned, but it's working as a modded Game Gear should. That's all that matters to me. I will possibly revisit redoing that SYF board in the future, but nothing immediate.
Now, about the issue with the CleanScreen. This was an email back and fourth. The seller mentioned that the ribbon cables should have came with the RePCB board, and asked for a pic of everything that came with the RePCB. I checked the box that the RePCB was sent in, the envelop it was in, pretty much everything from the shipment, and sent a pic of everything. The seller said that the ribbon cables were small and I could have dropped them or misplaced them. I said that I checked everywhere and I didn't see it. I also mentioned that I didn't recall seeing it while I was unpacking the RePCB. I FEEL that at this point, the seller reluctantly resent the ribbon cables to me "as a courtesy". I did thank the seller for taking care of the situation. The seller replied that it was "a courtesy", and then mentioned that the ribbon cables were put in with the power and audio cables.
...Keep in mind that I had the seller install EVERYTHING except the cartridge connector. The seller also installed the power and audio cables. At that point, I had a feeling that the cables were not put in the envelope with the RePCB, and because it's so small, I was at fault for not double checking and potentially losing the cables in the first place.
...whatever. It was replaced, I got it installed, everything works...
E N D O F S T O R Y.
Forgot to mention that I replaced the old, scratched up plastic screen lens with a glass one that I originally got when I ordered the FunnyPlaying LCD screen mod. Nothing special: push the old one out, clean up the adhesive with 99% alcohol, stick the new one on, done. But there one more thing that needed to be done after everything was installed and running...
So satisfying. #SavorThePeelies
