Passive Matrix

Is anybody is familiar with the Lynx 2 power jack socket. This unit appears to have a missing pad, and I'm only getting continuity between the front and back through the middle hole. Would running a wire from one leg of the power jack to the copper coil on the opposite side be sufficient? Cheers

I wonder if a similar technique could be used to create VGA ports for other consoles of the time like the Sega Master System.

I have repaired faulty units exhibiting this problem before. Try holding a powerful flashlight on the screen. With a bright light illuminating the LCD from the front you will be able to see a game running. As the LCD is still functional and its just the fluorescent tube that is not working a LED backlight mod will fix your problem. You can remove all the high voltage components associated with the fluorescent tube so you wont have to worry about it shorting again, also you will also have the added benefit of doubling battery life.

Ah I suspected a similar plug with the same sized holes would do the job, my problem is I am a bit of a perfectionist I wonder if 3D printing is accurate enough to make exact copies? Looking closer I noticed the letters JAE on the plug. A quick google takes me to Japan Aviation Electronics Industry, Ltd. I wonder if I am on the right track? Perhaps I should send them an email?

Yes good quality replacements are already available, but Best Electronics requires a minimum $20 USD purchase and international shipping is not cheap either. I wanted to make up something cheap for those who are not confident with a soldering iron.

So I was thinking about putting together a replica of the Lynx II speaker unit using modern parts. New speakers of the right size and impedance are readily available but I have run into a problem identifying the 2-pin female connector. Does anybody know if these connectors are still manufactured today or if equivalent compatible parts are available? I haven't been able to locate a part number but I would think it would be an 'off the shelf' product seeing as how Atari was looking to minimize manufacturing costs at the time. Would a connector that was the same size suffice? I assume it is not essential for it to 'lock' into place and that as long as it was firmly connected the friction would hold it together. Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Cheers

Ah clearly this was my problem! Thanks very much, you have a very keen eye

Thanks I will try that. Where is that part located on the motherboard? Is it a part still in production or will I have to get it from an old Lynx II?

So this didn't occur with your other installs? I just tried my new screen and motherboard in 2 different Lynx cases and it is doing the same thing so I don't think it is an issue with the backlight button anymore. One click on the backlight button is registering as 2 clicks so I can only seem to get 2 modes: Lynx screen on with no scanlines and VGA monitor on with scanlines. Here is a picture of what I've done so far. Does everything look okay to you?

I've just about finished my installation now but I've encountered a strange issue. I'm unable to to switch between all the display modes properly. I can switch between the Lynx screen and my VGA monitor but it will not display the retro mode with scanlines on either screen. I noticed that when I press and hold the backlight button on the Lynx it will show scanlines but as soon as a release pressure on the button it presumably switches to the next mode and I am unable to see them. Anybody encountered this issue before? I have a feeling that the mod is working perfectly and it's my Lynx that has a dodgy button or something.

Just attempting my first Lynx II install and I noticed when the new screen is screwed in place a little bit of the silver LCD housing is exposed on the left. Is there any way to adjust this so it doesn't show?

I'd replace all the common failure points of the power circuit. If that doesn't work it could be something to do with the power button. I got my unit to power up again by cleaning the contacts under the power button with a bit of alcohol.

So I managed to fix this problem with minimal effort. Somebody had already been inside this unit and had soldered the battery compartment to the motherboard incorrectly. The positive wire was connected to the pad intended for ground and vise versa. I just had to reverse the wires and the Lynx powered up from batteries just fine. There was definitely a short going on before I fixed it because whenever I put fresh batteries inside it they got noticeably warm. Stuff listed as junk on eBay can often be fixed with the smallest adjustments.

Hmm maybe, but the rainbow effect extends beyond the LCD over the bezel. It does most resemble petrol on a wet road so I'm thinking its some sort of chemical reaction to the adhesive. Has anybody else noticed this with their Lynx II consoles?

Just at certain angles. When looking directly into the screen it is not visible. Also it is much more pronounced when reflecting light from a polarized source, like from my PC monitor for example.

It looks like some kind of weird polarizing artifacts. I guess it is normal because it appears to be on both of my Lynx 2 consoles. Maybe it is the outer plastic screen having some sort of reaction to the glue that was used to stick it down?

I used 6 fresh batteries and the battery compartment looked fine with no corrosion or anything like that. Is it possible for AC power to reach the batteries if a component it faulty?

I just picked up a Lynx 1 with the same problem. Works fine on AC but nothing on DC. I replaced the power jack with a new one but nothing changed. I played a game for a few minutes on AC while the batteries were still inside and I noticed they got considerably warm which worried me a bit. I'm thinking of replacing all the common failure points in the power circuit and replacing all the caps. Is there anything else I should do or check before I go ahead with the new caps and power parts?

Here is where the smoke came from. A short circuit perhaps? Whatever it is I think this unit is too far gone at this point so I'll cut my losses and fork out the cash for a working one. I don't want to risk frying the new LCD when I install it! Thanks again for your suggestions.

Okay I have good news and bad news. The good news is I have isolated the problem as to why it was not turning on. It was simply a lack of conductivity in the "ON" button contacts. I lifted the little piece of plastic over those buttons and gave the contacts a quick clean with a cotton tip and alcohol and then bingo! it turned on. The bad news is smoke started coming from C56 and the solder around its legs began to bubble. Also while I was moving the whole button assembly around I heard a little snap and discovered part of the ribbon had split breaking one of the lines. These look like carbon or something so I don't think I will be able to bridge them with wire. So I guess I'm all out of luck. Could the smoke just be from 20 years of sitting idle or is it best to give up on the motherboard too?

Thanks for the tips, I checked and I'm getting 9.13 V across D11 and 9.15 V across C35. Does this mean the game is completing the circuit? I ask because I noticed a bit of corrosion on the cartridge connector pins that could maybe be an issue. I will scrape them clean with a blade and see if that makes any difference. I'll also check out the link you posted and see how that goes.

Hi, I recently purchased a very nice looking Lynx II from eBay which was listed as faulty. Upon opening it I found that the ribbon cable which connects to the LCD screen was damaged and had split half way along its length. This didn't worry me so much because I had purchased it with the view to installing one of McWill's modern LCD displays, however upon further investigation it seems like there is some other problem. The unit was not powering on with either AC or DC power when a game was inserted. Seeing as this is a common problem I purchased a kit of replacement parts and proceeded to do the following: - Replaced all the electrolytic capacitors, - Added a new MOSFET transistor on Q12, - Replaced the transistors on Q4 and Q13, - Replaced the Zener diode - Replaced R74 with a 30 ohm resistor - Replaced the original power jack Unfortunately even after all these steps the unit will not power up on either batteries or AC power. Is a working LCD display needed for the unit to power up? Is there any more repairs I can attempt before giving up? I have checked it with a miltimeter and power is entering the circuitry but it just doesn't seem to be enough to get it running. Any suggestions as to next steps for trouble shooting? It's a very nice looking PCB with no corrosion so I was kind of surprised I could not get it running. Any help would be much appreciated. Cheers

Hi Any news on Game Gear Va5 compatibility?