I think you should have removed the shield to inspect for corrosion, or battery leak. I hope you dont give up though

@Nobe_Oddy

Жыл бұрын

and for broken soldier joints and (MORE LIKELY) bridged pins.... He did see a WHOLE BUNCH of soldier blobs and bits all over the board... so maybe there is one between the tiny pins on the main chips....

You might have known about this already, but you can quickly test if only the power circuit is where you need to focus. But if you supply +5v directly to the C41 which, was the cap you noted as being of a different brand. Doing that with a game inserted will make the lynx power on immediately since you are bypassing the power regulation and that way you are able to verify that the main logics are good and that the Lynx should be able to be resurrected. It is a different capacitor on the Lynx 1 to do the same trick.

@brandonkick

Жыл бұрын

C39 on Lynx 1 :) I would try that as well. Short pins 31 and 33 on cart slot to get it to boot to INSERT GAME regardless of if a cart is in or not, then feed this Lynx 2 5V 1A directly to the legs of the C41 cap. If that lynx is in operational state, she will boot then!

@BorderlineOCD

Жыл бұрын

I didn't try supplying 5V directly to C41 during testing but I was getting ~4.7V across the zener diode with the system turned on after replacing the power components. Not sure if that rules out further issues with the 5V rail but I'll add your suggestion to my list and definitely try this when I take the system apart again.

@pugthugdabaccino1462

Жыл бұрын

@@BorderlineOCD Don't give up! You have me eager to see the next move you have planned. It seems like a very frustrating project but I'm cheering you on. Lets go Atari Lynx! come back from the grave!!!! 😭😭

@joseone69

Жыл бұрын

@@pugthugdabaccino1462 i know i want part two of this repair don’t give up yet i will be waiting for PT2

@rossc7237

Жыл бұрын

Me three!!! I want to see part II!! Of that LYNX II!! I want to see it resurrected into it’s second (II) life and get back in the game!! 🙂

The Lynx has an interesting quirk in that it does not turn on unless you have a game inserted so always remember to put one in when testing.

@aegonthedragon7303

Жыл бұрын

The Jaguar has a similar quirk so you really have to check the cart port on these systems.

@BorderlineOCD

Жыл бұрын

Indeed. I should have captioned this in case others are not aware but it needs a cart inserted to turn on. You can also short pins 31 and 33 on the cart connector which bypasses the cart check.

Loved the capacitor pop-in sequence :D An exhaustingly thorough job, was great to see it in detail. I learned a lot even without seeing it work as of yet. Rooting for you.

@AmigaWolf

Жыл бұрын

I always like replacing true hole caps, never had problem replacing them, have done it many times now.

Every now and again when I get the free time I love binge-watching your channel and getting caught up with the latest content. It's like pure entertainment and tutorials all wrapped up in one succinct package.

I enjoyed the capacitor pop pop pop pop 🎉

Glad to see new videos getting uploaded. Sad to see that the handheld did not work but i am sure a Part 2 is soon to follow with your fix. Keep up the great work

@wallyf7020

Жыл бұрын

Is there backlight bulb???? Ck that

@leew8812

Жыл бұрын

@@wallyf7020 yes. And it was working

Great to see you are back with a somewhat regular upload schedule!

these kinds of videos always inspire me to try this myself. would probably feel great to build a game collection of stuff i personally repaired.

I watched this video while I fixed and restored a n64, thanks for your videos.

Enjoyed watching the video despite the outcome! It was still helpful to see your troubleshooting process! I hope it can be repaired in a future video/project.

Great video as always, really nice production values. Fine to have something to go back and have a look at with a fresh set of eyes at a later stage.

I love the problem solving. And the truth. Excellent job.

These machines are notorious for bad power circuitry and can be easily bypassed by hooking up +5V directly to each side of C41. (Find an old +5V Power supply) You should also be shopping around for a new LCD as that one is suffering from LCD rot. Found a video that explains the power bypass mod for you kzread.info/dash/bejne/f3Whsqt7m7vTgLA.html

@BorderlineOCD

Жыл бұрын

The output on the zener was 4.7V with the system turned on so I believe the 5V rail is good. A few folks have suggested this bypass though so I'll give it a shot when I revisit this repair.

@Nobe_Oddy

Жыл бұрын

@@BorderlineOCD seems to me it's not the power circuitry .... I could be wrong of course.... OH make sure to TRY THE BATTERIES AGAIN now that the screen comes on... if it doesn't then you KNOW there is still an issue with the power circuits.....

@brandonkick

Жыл бұрын

@@Nobe_Oddy I'd love to be wrong, but it appears it's got a damaged mikey chip from the behavior. No sounds when trying crystal mines, so it's not "playing blind" (meaning not just an issue with the screen). Those chips often get damaged when the fet / zenner fail and allow 9V to slam parts that should only get 5V

Thanks for not blasting bad music at me during this. Subbed.

@BorderlineOCD

Жыл бұрын

Kinda over the whole music with amateur videos thing.

Really nice to see it happens to the best of us 👍🏻

Lol one of the best parts of your videos that always gets me is when you place the caps and at the end you use the birthday horn versus a oven timer bell lol I always wait for it and then crack up

I’ve fixed many of these systems before. If the zener diode died, it passed 9V into Mikey or Suzy (cpu/gpu) resulting in them dying. If you’re comfortable with replacing ICs with over 100 pins, you can purchase brand new replacements from Best electronics in California. In rare cases I also had to replace the RAM chips.

I praise you for you skill and perseverance! Hope you get to the root of the issue.

Subscribed because of your effort and Devotion to old tech

I follow a few different repair/restoration KZreadrs and it’s interesting to see the subtle differences in the way you guys solder! For instance, this guy is very frugal with his flux and solder wick compared to others! Anyway, great video. Subscribed :)

@exidy-yt

Жыл бұрын

LOL and I thought he was using too much flux! I agree, great video despite the outcome. I have no suggestions for him unfortunately.

Your videos give me inner peace and a feeling of security. Keep up the good work!

@BorderlineOCD

Жыл бұрын

Ha, glad to hear it. I think it's the nostalgia talking 🙃

@portnawak

8 ай бұрын

@@BorderlineOCD i was thinking the same taking courage from watching you, not nostalgia but rather a warranty of professionnalism you are sharing, thank you for that

I have one of these, i just did the switching regulator mod. There was so much wrong with the diodes, those 3 big diodes are abused in how they handle power. So i swapped out most of the power circuitry and plopped in a LDO switching regulator. The only catch... The way they originally designed the lynx, the way it abuses the diodes, allows the batteries to drain really low, so you get to really take full advantage out of the batteries. But even with an LDO regulator, you'll be leaving a bit of juice on the table. You can either use a joule thief setup to milk every last drop of power, or use rechargeable batteries. My lynx has been collecting dust in my basement, so i'm actually thinking of getting an LCD mod for it, and a lipo mod and then selling it on. I even have the California Games for it.

anyway, nice job, well done, stay on it and "wait" for new ideas :-). thanks for having us!

When the screen lit up I was rooting for you that you had this one sorted out, but alas, hopes dashed. Maybe in a future video you can take another crack at it, great job on what you did replace though, if you get this thing working you'll have an almost entirely electronically refurbished unit!

It was very exciting to see how you tackle this repair :) Fixed a few Lynx II myself but never seen this issue before. There are two pins on the cartridge connector, which when connected can be used to turn on the Lynx without putting a game in it. (You still have to press the power button though to power it on) In this case, a message should be displayed on the screen. Worth a check. Even though you said you have showered the cartridge connector pins with contact cleaner, I would still inspects those with a lamp to check whether there is any corrosion. You could also take off the shielding and inspect those two main chips under it. (Maybe reflow the solder on their legs)

@BorderlineOCD

Жыл бұрын

Thanks buddy. I did short pins 31 and 33 on the cart connector. The Lynx powers on with the same symptoms. I plan to remove the shield the next time I'm in there and take a look at the RAM, crystal, CPU etc.

May be a long shot, but I repaired a Lynx 2 recently. The games would partially load but would be frozen at a splash screen. I replaced the button ribbon membrane and it fixed it. It was almost as if a button was registering as held down, which caused it to remain stuck. It wasn’t obvious at first, until I tried several games and one would finally load - but one of the buttons did not work. That lead me to the solution. Good luck

Ran into the same issue before with one and found pins in the cart slot that were bent and touching straightened em out and it worked

I used to wake up early before school & play California games under the duvet.. Fond memories of it.

I would recommend picking up the first Lynx Model. They seem to be better made.

Your the Bob Ross of electronics.

Great attempt. At least you tried everything you could. Gotta say I LOVE YOU SHIRT 😎 👍.

Good to know I had the exact same issue with the Lynx I couldn't repair.

@BorderlineOCD

Жыл бұрын

Hopefully Part 2 will shed some light if I can figure out what's causing it.

I had one of these. I loved it. It is kind of like the Atari 800 (extra cartridge slot), in that its full potential was never explored. Too bad.

Infortunatly I have same issue with an lynx 2. After some research, I found on internet that this behavior is cause by an dead cpu (lynx have two cpu which I forget names). Only way to fix it is to replace them. Thanks for your videos, I like to watch them. Best regards, Nicolas Lacoste

My cousin had an Atari Lynx. Lot of great memories playing with it.

@BorderlineOCD

Жыл бұрын

Sounds like one lucky kid. My first handheld was a Gameboy DMG, about a decade after it was released.

Thanks for keeping it honest. It's not realistic if every pony is a winner - I have been disappointed often enough, despite time and much expense on a project. Cheers from 🇨🇦!

Just find you,re Channel. Awsome stuff!

Man have you checked how the unit behaves wwithout the cartridge? This can help you differenxiate between a bad reading/damaged cartridge or even a damaged track on the board. Ive just recently started watching your videos and i think they're great. Stay cool man.

under the shield you will find the cpu , which might have corrosion , i almost guarantee you this is it, also you can test the voltages on the cpu pins ,

I loved this machine when I had it as a kit. It would draw crowds of people standing around watching at school break mainly because it was the first handheld gaming device to have a colour screen. Californian games was my fav game on this device. Someone probably tried to jam a cartridge into the slot the wrong way around. I would take a look at the female cartridge connector contacts and get a greater number of cartridges to try.

Loved my lynx , I had 25 or so boxed games for it and the official case

Nice video .Are you sure that your game cartridge is working ? Looking forward for your next video .

Never give up hope, lad. It will work this way. You must learn to Believe in Yourself!

Hey my friend, really enjoy your content, just an fyi, i know you use Mouser Electronics for Capacitors and such, in fact I also ordered from them, but i found another company, I paid 30 dollars for 10 of the capacitors i got from them, the other day i got on to get more, but they were out and said it would be like 2 months before they got more so i searched online and found Arrow electronics and i got 100 of the capacitors for 38.00 including tax and shipping, exact same capacitors from panasonic, just an fyi, again really enjoy your content.

Great video, I always watch your stuff - thanks! One suggestion: If you make the sound mono it will probably be a little better for watching with headphones. In stereo your voices moves from left to right and vice versa a lot which can be a little bit confusing.

@BorderlineOCD

Жыл бұрын

I noticed the unbalanced levels on the audio meters in Final Cut and it was a bit over my head to correct. I'll look into balancing them out rather than duplicating the L or R channel. I'm enjoying getting more seasoned with editing but the more I uncover the more I realize how little I know 🤣

I'm very inexperienced in soldering, but like to try every once in a while. Somehow i was able to recap AND Mcwill screen mod my atari lynx model one. Super proud moment. makes up for a failed recapping of a game gear (pads came up) and failed composite mod on a 2600. definitely still learning.

@BorderlineOCD

Жыл бұрын

Good for you man. You get better with each soldering project so don't be deterred to keep at it and fix/mod your own stuff.

I have one of these that works. Just missing the battery cover. I know that doesn't help but I like the little (bulky) thing.

I can’t speak per se for the model 2 Lynx, as own two model one Atari Lynx systems, but the model one was notorious for having a bad voltage regulator. I replaced the voltage regulator on both of mine with a more modern voltage regulator. Supposedly if that voltage regulator fails, it can kill other components on the board.

dude, great video!

The Lynx commonly got fried when somebody would connect to a power supply in a different country. Could that be the problem?

@claimhsolais3466

Жыл бұрын

True, also quite a few people used to confuse audio jack with PSU and fried their Lynxes that way as well....

@BorderlineOCD

Жыл бұрын

Apparently when the zener diode goes bad, the system sends 9V to the board instead of the "regulated" 5V. Very odd design but this could have damaged the other power components or done some irreversible damage to the main chips which are expecting 5V.

@c0p0n

Жыл бұрын

It is also possible to connect the power cable by accident in the mini-jack. It actually does power the Lynx, but weirdly (screen is super bright).

I had a very similar problem. The Screen turns on but there is no change in brightness when the knob is turned. I changed both main chips, no change. It turned out that U11 (HC74A) was fried (probably when the Power circuit was not working and put 9v through) and was not putting out a clock signal. I replaced the chip (10 chips €10 on Ebay) and hey presto! It worked. Hope this helps. Keep up the great content!

@BorderlineOCD

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for this information. It looks like this chip controls the backlight on/off only though, but I'm not certain. Did you replace anything else which may have been faulty? Was your crystal fine? I'd love to revisit this console again soon.

@eddy42109

Жыл бұрын

@@BorderlineOCD I checked the crystal, and it was running fine on pin 58 of the HJayato Chip Measuring RP7 Ihad solid 5v on each connector (can be measured on the Screen connector pins as well)- until I replaced U11. Before changing it, I had solid 5v and 0v readings on all U11 pins. After changing it I had a clock on pin11 - I think. Just check if you have a clock at all on the chip, if you do, then that is not the problem sorry, but it looked exactly the same as mine.

I’ve had the honor of playing one of these. My uncle had one along side an original gameboy. It was fun my favorite was the Batman game I could never get past the second Level lol. Good times

Cant wait for the next part !

Fully re cap and voltage kit change usually works, if it's been repaired before, anything could be wrong with it now.

A few years ago I one of these that was not working at all. It had a protective carrying bag, it also had a few games stashed inside the front cover of the bag in proper little pockets. It was absolutely mint! I just did not have the time to find out why it was dead. I often wonder what happened to it after I sold it.

@jamesb9578

Жыл бұрын

I bought it...its still broken :P

If you don't recapp and replace the power jack you create a electrical short in the lynx

What a unique and interesting design

Thanks for very interesting videos! I really need to dig out my old multimeter and soldering iron! A question (maybe this info is available somewhere but I couldn't find it): What camera and mic do you use? Also, what's that camera holder you are using? Thanks!

@Nobe_Oddy

Жыл бұрын

I can see his mic (on the right edge of the room shot) and it's a Blue Yeti - I have one and they are a GREAT all around mic! And for only about $100 you can't go wrong... it can be used as a table top mic for doing podcasts with multiple people sitting at a table across from one another or switched for a solo setup. And the small stand can be removed and the mic can be screwed onto an adjustable arm for easy gamer streaming without the mic being in the way of your keyboard and mouse..... it a VERY versatile mic with excellent sound range and easy to use knob for switching between different pick-up patterns. And for a hundred buck it really is a GREAT first semi-professional microphone.... I did a LOT of comparisons when looking for a good mic and the Blue Yeti came out on top in pretty much every aspect :) But now the camera I can't help you with... I need one myself too. But before I fulfill me NEED for a new camera I NEED to fulfill my NEED for MONEY. :D

the screan has two marks . top left and mid bottom left. although its just te display, its full of defective lines, there is definity a pre load pause happening, have you gotten anywhere to date?

Ive had a Lynx 1, and still have my Lynx 2..havent played it in like 4 years..but Im about to try..try this too:..make sure internal game CARD connection points are nice and clean, as well as the cards themselves..alcohol clean those contacts. BTW, that power button is recessed OEM, its supposed to be that way, so you dont accidentally press it MID game, Good design MO. I would re-insert several carts in and out a good dozen times, slowly, might still be a CART contact issue. MAke sure none of the GOLD has chipped away from any of the internal CART acceptor contacts.

Not sure how you stored the sticky grips after you removed them, but I always keep badges and stick-on feet for things I'm working on stuck to wax paper so they don't get dust or other contaminants on the adhesive. The wax paper peels off just like a decal backing when ready to reapply.

@BorderlineOCD

Жыл бұрын

Great suggestion, love it! You can also gently rinse them with water if they fall and collect dust/debris. Once dry, a little hot air before reapplying and they are tacky again.

Ok lynx need to have all caps replaced and the power jack for the ac adapter replaced as well

When powered on, check the temps of the chips. The wrong power cord may have been used and fried something. If they all feel ok, then you could replace the screen with an updated one (BenVenn sells them among others). Have you reached out to the AtariAge forums yet?

@BorderlineOCD

Жыл бұрын

I might transplant a donor screen from a working unit first to confirm if the board is working. I love the BenVenn screens but they are expensive.

@hector189

Жыл бұрын

@@BorderlineOCD I get it. I installed a McWill on mine, it's def night and day!

this was interesting, hope you go back to it

@BorderlineOCD

Жыл бұрын

I intend to.

I use to have one as a kid, kinda want one again

Did you use contact cleaner in the game port? Are the games verified working?

Amazing channell love it

Nice work, the screen looks bad, may need a replacement, or a working system for taking right values.

Gauntlet and Klax are both great vertical orientation games for the Lynx

A thermal cam or cold spray to check for shorts would be interesting.

And also put a multimeter in series to measure the current it’s drawing , and use a better and more accurate multimeter ( because the low voltages ) and buy a cheap component tester to measure the caps , mosfets etc . But you do a fine job and good filming !

In case nobody else has told you, the power on button on the Lynx II is supposed to be recessed like that.

Great video buddy. I almost ended up getting one of those, glad I didn't lol

I think the Wonder Swan also tried the whole dual-orientation thing for a few games. Sliiightly less unwieldy to play vertical than the Lynx, but still a bit awkward. Neat idea, anyway.

Are you sure the barrel Jack center positive? Seems like the voltage at the mosfet should be positive, not negative.

Right next to that last thing you replaced I saw the little resistor was not connected did you see that closest to the metal

I remember the PSP had a pinball game you could flip it vertically to play as well

I loved my lynx, it was awesome! Until my brother inserted the power adaptor into the headphone jack an from that point on, no sound 😢

You can get a decent bench power supply for $50. Not only can it provide more voltage and current than that module you have you can limit the current and detect shorts before causing more damage. It would probably pay for itself the first time it prevents you from frying a console.

Oh also..is it not possible both those games are shot? I know not likely but still could be worth a shot to try another game if you have access

Even though this wasn’t saved, it was a fun watch.

@BorderlineOCD

Жыл бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it. Cheers.

Finally back 😊

@BorderlineOCD

Жыл бұрын

Oi, I've been back for a couple of weeks. How many videos have you skipped? 🙃

@mr.flex3017

Жыл бұрын

@@BorderlineOCD I see I missed only one video 😅

Could try cutting just a bit of the end of the ribbon cable off if the contacts are not making the best connection. Had to do that on my own that was restored.

@BorderlineOCD

Жыл бұрын

I think doing this carefully would be a good idea. Those pins are worn down to the plastic, probably from being removed a hundred times.

Did you try adjusting the brightness as if it is right down you cant see anything.

Thanks!

@BorderlineOCD

Жыл бұрын

Jeremy, thank you for the donation buddy. It's very much appreciated. Cheers!

Could it be a bad cartridge connector? I mean it turns on now, but just doesn't load a game, at least that's how it appears. I could be wrong, perhaps the Lynx has some sort of loading screen prior to the game booting.

@allen5976

Жыл бұрын

I agree, although I have not repaired a lynx (broken ones are going for crazy money in the UK and I'm in Ireland, additional tax) I have done about 20 game gears and the cartridge pins cause huge issues and display a similar blank screen result. I wouldn't give up, I think you are very close to fixing it. Thanks for the very informative video as always

@aegonthedragon7303

Жыл бұрын

The Lynx, like with the Jaguar, won’t boot unless a game is inserted. The cart slot could need a reflow or be replaced.

I had a lynx back in the day that my uncle gave me, it chewed through batteries in about half an hour.

I fixed mine recently, double check you have the game cartridge in the correct way, not back to front

There’s a person selling two of these on FB marketplace near me in NorCal.

At least you have a nice condition shell -- so if you ever find a working one that's beat up you can use this one for spare parts

The recessed power button is normal and is so you don't accidently press it while playing. I wonder if the CPU chip went bad. That can sometimes cause a black screen of death because it's braindead. You're right, not everything can be fixed and you have to know when to throw in the towel.

@BorderlineOCD

Жыл бұрын

So it's designed like that lol. Well I wouldn't be surprised because there was nothing wrong with it from the inside and the reason it wasn't working was the worn out material on the end of the ribbon cable.

I'm digging that shirt. Hell, I'm digging most of your shirts. Gotta go to your shop and see what's in there. Leclerc may be one hit wonder in Zandvoort or the Silver Arrows will strike back again? RBR seems like nowhere at this point. May be interesting. 😉

@BorderlineOCD

Жыл бұрын

Hmm, has your opinion shifted after watching qualifying? :)

@Lenskee

Жыл бұрын

@@BorderlineOCD No, sir. I'm still digging your shirts. 😁 But back to F1... The game is on, it was only 0.21 sec, so anything can happen, but still... It's Ferrari. They can screw up easy win. I'm trying to get the best out of this season, but I guess we won't see anything like 2021 anytime soon.

Viking child is a brilliant game

Back in the day I seen this and thought holy Moly it's like a portable Sega 🤦‍♂️I was young didn't know better I still remember the price $400 I wish I had money back then.

@BorderlineOCD

Жыл бұрын

It was interesting to find some old ads for this console in the Sears catalog. Definitely ahead of its time - first console with a color backlit display.

@shadowarez1337

Жыл бұрын

@@BorderlineOCD honestly wish I'd kept my older console's I managed to get like the portable Turbo Graphics 16 I still remember Keith Courage 🤣 I do miss the original Atari at the time having built in games blew me away plus the light gun on the Atari was the coolest thing I'd seen until the SNES bazooka 😱

Poor little guy. I just want to see him pull through

I wanna see you return to this console when you’ve figured out what it could be and try again

@BorderlineOCD

Жыл бұрын

I plan to. I'd like to have bought an oscilloscope by then so I can probe the chips under the shield along with the crystal.

Is the cartridge facing the correct way?????

You needed to adjust the brightness control wheel on the top.

Try plug 415v into it I hear it gives it special powers