Jazzoff2000 Posted May 4, 2015 Share Posted May 4, 2015 Hey guys, just nabbed an eBay auction for a LYNX II boxed in *excellent condition*... however when I received it today the screen was very dull and could not be viewed at a straight-on, 90 degree angle . With the contrast all the way up I could just make out the picture by tilting the LYNX back. I've attached some pics. Just wondering if you experts out there could give me your opinions? Would this cap kit do the job: http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Atari-Lynx-II-2-Capacitor-Repair-Kit-Fix-no-power-sound-or-video-/181088590328?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2a29b899f8 Any help would be greatly appreciated! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gilsaluki Posted May 6, 2015 Share Posted May 6, 2015 McWill to the rescue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jazzoff2000 Posted May 7, 2015 Author Share Posted May 7, 2015 McWill to the rescue. My thought exactly... I have a new LCD Mod waiting to go for another LYNX II but I wanted to ask the experts here if I need to change the caps firstly...??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7800fan Posted May 7, 2015 Share Posted May 7, 2015 Couldn't hurt to change but you will need to remove the metal shield for one of the cap. The original caps are around 25 years old and could pop anyday although Lynx generally don't suffer from rash of bad caps like TurboExpress and Game Gear did. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jazzoff2000 Posted May 7, 2015 Author Share Posted May 7, 2015 Couldn't hurt to change but you will need to remove the metal shield for one of the cap. The original caps are around 25 years old and could pop anyday although Lynx generally don't suffer from rash of bad caps like TurboExpress and Game Gear did. I think I'll end up getting someone more knowledgeable do it for me. I build my own guitar effects pedals etc., but it's on thicker gauge wire. I've got a great amp tech though, who used to service arcade machines etc... I reckon he'd have no dramas... I've ordered a cap repair kit. When it arrives I'll let the forum know if they worked or not. Fingers crossed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gilsaluki Posted May 7, 2015 Share Posted May 7, 2015 Advancing the subject. When changing the caps; how do you remove the metal shield to change that one cap? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7800fan Posted May 7, 2015 Share Posted May 7, 2015 Desolder around the edge. You will need to desolder both sides as the metal shield tab are through hole and welded with copper sheet on the back side. It took me a while but don't rush it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gilsaluki Posted May 8, 2015 Share Posted May 8, 2015 Thanks, sound tough. I been reading accounts of people with no video, and it seems recapping has not fixed them. I have one that properly powers up, loads the game, has video and sound....then the screen goes white after a few minutes. After I let it sit overnight...and power it back up, I get video again. Weird. Not sure if the caps are causing and/or the video only circuits are slowly losing the juice to display video. It has a new video screen from Best. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GadgetUK Posted May 11, 2015 Share Posted May 11, 2015 That looks like an LCD failure to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jazzoff2000 Posted May 11, 2015 Author Share Posted May 11, 2015 That looks like an LCD failure to me. Well, I'll report back after recapping it. In the end I reckon I'll buy a new screen from McWill anyway... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lamer Deluxe tm Posted May 12, 2015 Share Posted May 12, 2015 Recapping before adding McWill's display seems like a good idea anyway, because after the mod, the display is not detachable anymore, which makes recapping slightly more complicated. IIRC it can also improve the audio quality. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jazzoff2000 Posted May 12, 2015 Author Share Posted May 12, 2015 Recapping before adding McWill's display seems like a good idea anyway, because after the mod, the display is not detachable anymore, which makes recapping slightly more complicated. IIRC it can also improve the audio quality. I reckon I'll install a plastic cone speaker from best electronics while I'm doing it too... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lamer Deluxe tm Posted May 13, 2015 Share Posted May 13, 2015 I reckon I'll install a plastic cone speaker from best electronics while I'm doing it too... Now that I've installed my new screen I notice I need a new speaker and probably a recap and a proper voltage converter. The one from best electronics will probably get too expensive for me as I read they use the most expensive kind of shipping. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jazzoff2000 Posted May 14, 2015 Author Share Posted May 14, 2015 Now that I've installed my new screen I notice I need a new speaker and probably a recap and a proper voltage converter. The one from best electronics will probably get too expensive for me as I read they use the most expensive kind of shipping. Yes, you'd want to purchase a few items to make up for the shipping expense. I will say they have great customer service though and are very helpful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wyluli Wolf Posted May 15, 2015 Share Posted May 15, 2015 Oh yeah, they definitely have high shipping. I'm not sure why since a flat rate priority box would hold most of what they sell. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jazzoff2000 Posted July 7, 2015 Author Share Posted July 7, 2015 Just thought I'd post a follow up to my initial post. I did the recap but decided to install the McWill LYNX mod into the LYNX instead - I did try the old screen just to see if the cap job helped but it didn't appear to (the old screen has had it, I reckon)... An interesting side note to all this is that I modded 2 lynx at the same time - one with the recap job and one without - and it turns out that the recapped lynx has a slightly brighter screen. The 2nd lynx that I modded was one that I bought, brand new, back in the early 90's - it went into storage after about 1999, only to be opened up last weekend, and guess what? No video!!! So I thought I'd try the McWill screen in it without recapping as an experiment - works perfectly, just not quite as bright as the recapped lynx... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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