GPA v2;0 build log and power cords Mods

[sixbras]

Hi there,


I've bought two kits, v2.0, and i'm new in the retropie world.

I plan to use case from GBA out of order that i have foung on "le bon coin" , the french Greg List.

Here is a lot of pict of my build, i hope not too much :


First opening and bathing gba case, using "glanzer" a good cleaner that remove dust easilly.





After a first try, i was not very happy with hole that i made in the white genuine case, so i do it again, using drill press, in a spare purple front part.




I watch the full build video, and print instruction fron Ed, and everything goes gently, as far as i follow the instruction.
But, i always want to made it my way....




... and when i receive my SANYO UR 14500 i realize that they are flat on the 2 sides, not like AA. I had to soldering another little peace of metal to close the circuit.

[Flavor]

I've seen a few different styles of 14500 cells. Some are flat. Some have a "button" on them. Some have an extra protection circuit board attached. All of them can be made to work, but the protected ones are what we recommend (for safety). The protection makes them longer, and then they fit very tightly.

What you've done looks like it works well. Are you happy with the results?

[sixbras]

With the first test i don't like the look and feel of the "inside micro-usb" connector for powering, and the big hole around it.

I bought a micro-usb magnetic cable for my phone and decide to try it on the gba.







As you can see it fit perfectly in the micro usb port, and go just outside the box.
I think it woulb be perfect if i can fill the gap around.

So i decide to use white "sugru"



I fill the gap and wait 24 hours to let it be harder.

---

I've seen a few different styles of 14500 cells. Some are flat. Some have a "button" on them. Some have an extra protection circuit board attached. All of them can be made to work, but the protected ones are what we recommend (for safety). The protection makes them longer, and then they fit very tightly.

I realize that the one i got from ebay is not protected. But i'm pretty sure it's genuine Sanyo. What are the types of risk?


Finally i had to replace the connector, poor quality, is not charging the gba properly.

I remove sugru, and add a new connector that i bought on amazon :
https://www.amazon.fr/gp/product/B01MQ0H...UTF8&psc=1




And the final result is ok for me, nice look, and easy to plug.

[Flavor]

Cool!

EDIT: I forgot that you asked about the risk. Shorting out the unprotected cells can be a big problem. I have also heard that overcharging them can be bad.

From what I understand, the protected cells have a component that monitors the temperature and shuts off the cell if it gets too high. The charging circuit on the GPA also has the ability to do this (with an added component), but it can't actually tell the battery temperature (as it's not close enough to the battery). You could, in theory, wire up a thermistor to do this, but I think a protected cell would be easier than adding a component.

[sixbras]

Thanks Flavor for your help and support.

I have finished my second GPA, and i just want to share my add-on to cover the raspberry port.

First step, i cut a very boring cartridge in two parts.



Then i glue, using epoxy a small but strong neodyme magnet on the nylon spacer beetween GPA circuit and raspberry.





Another magnet goes in the game case.




And finally the result. A very clean cap for the GPA port.



Easy to put, easy to remove, not easy to loose.

---

And finally some pict of my second build.

I choose to not using XY buttons; I mainly play with GBA, GB classic and PC engine roms, that do not need XY buttons.
My feeling is that the look is better with only 2 buttons, i understand the difficulty to put them with same look and feel as the AB button in a proper place.

After all modifications have been made on my GBA case, i removee all parts and spread 2 coats of black primer.



Then i made a custom paint with my airbrush, and finally 3 coats of mat varnish.

Et voila :

[Flavor]

That's really amazing looking! Excellent work. Thanks for sharing it all with us!

UPDATE: You have been added to http://gamepieadvance.com/showcase/