JagChris Posted July 14, 2016 Share Posted July 14, 2016 Who's doing the upgrades in Oregon, just curious? That'd be pretty cool if another local is doing some. I'm in Vancouver, WA, and I've done quite a few for Oregon folks as well as across the US. Actually it's you I am thinking of. I forgot you lived in Vancouver. I have not seen you at Paul's meetings so I need to send my Lynx to you to get the flex circuit fixed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8bitbill Posted July 17, 2016 Share Posted July 17, 2016 I would like to request the details on how to get this screen replacement for my Lynx II. Thank you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krip316 Posted July 17, 2016 Share Posted July 17, 2016 I would like to request the details on how to get this screen replacement for my Lynx II. Thank you. It's easy, pm McWill. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cowdog360 Posted July 17, 2016 Share Posted July 17, 2016 I would like to request the details on how to get this screen replacement for my Lynx II. Thank you. I PM'd you, I also have a few in stock in the US. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RetroGamerSteve Posted July 27, 2016 Share Posted July 27, 2016 Hi guys - I came across this thread from GadgetUK's YouTube video - thanks for putting this up, and to McWill for coming up with such a conclusive screen fix. I've been hoping for years that someone would come up a fix for the Lynx's awful LCD screen. A VGA-out might be handy at some stage, but I'm not 100% confident I can install the screen myself. McWill - would you be able to install the new screen for me? I'm in Australia, and I can send either a Lynx I or II model. I might have my remaining Lynx modded later on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McWill Posted July 27, 2016 Share Posted July 27, 2016 No problem, I can do the installation for you. Just send the LYNX without any cables or power supply to me. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Level42 Posted July 27, 2016 Share Posted July 27, 2016 (edited) I have some questions: how does your LCD respond to overclocking like the 24 Mhz hack McWill ? Has anyone tried it ? Do you expect there could be any trouble ? Also a 2nd question: I noticed switching between internal LCD and VGA is now done with the old brightness pot on the Lynx I kit. Is it still possible to remove this pot and use a switch instead ? I'm thinking of using the brightness pot for a variable overclocking mod (so it won't be connected to the original Lynx hardware anymore, just like as if it was removed). Is there a place to download the installation instructions so I can study these before ordering the kit ? I just bought the SD card and will need to spread my Lynx spendings a bit Edited July 27, 2016 by Level42 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McWill Posted July 28, 2016 Share Posted July 28, 2016 I think the overclocking could be a problem, because it is 50% faster than the original one (16 MHz + 8 MHz). You also can use a switch instead of the poti.The instructions can be downloaded here:http://atariage.com/forums/topic/233632-lynx-lcd-replacementvga-out-by-mcwill/?p=3453227 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Level42 Posted July 28, 2016 Share Posted July 28, 2016 Thanks McWill. I'm pretty surprised the 24Mhz hack seems to either been forgotten or not popular at all. The hack is SO old already.....and seriously, a good number of games really improve from it. Anyway, I'm planning on adding an adjustable clock control....so let's see if it will work or not and at what frequencies Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7800fan Posted July 29, 2016 Share Posted July 29, 2016 I think the problem is some games are already hard at stock speed. The hack would make some games go faster and be harder. Maybe underclock to something like 12MHz or 8? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Level42 Posted July 29, 2016 Share Posted July 29, 2016 (edited) With the mod I plan to install (and have ordered yesterday) this should be possible. The chip it uses is capable of frequencies from 1kHz to 33Mhz, However, I find a lot of games to be just a bit too slow, like Joust and Pinball Jam.....I kinda forgot which other games I played on the higher speed to be honest but there were more (Chekered flag maybe...?). Sure loads of other games got unplayable at the higher speed that's why you'll,always need a switch to go back to a fixed frequency of 16 MHz. Also, f.i. joust is just a bit too slow (I'm comparing it with my arcade machine), 24Mhz would be way too fast, so it will be nice if this variable speed will work, but I see no reason why it would work But....better to discuss this in my "Perfect Lynx" thread so we don't derail this one Edited July 29, 2016 by Level42 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoldenGraham Posted August 3, 2016 Share Posted August 3, 2016 A big 'shout out' (and a HUGE thank you!) goes out to McWill for this truly amazing screen mod for my Lynx II. As many have said before me it enhances the games so much, breathes new life and interest into the Lynx and is worth every penny. I did the fitting of the screen mod myself, together with VGA connector and the 5v mod that McWill recommends... and it all worked FIRST TIME! . Anyway, I thought I'd share a few points as follows... - I have a little soldering experience and found that with the help of YouTube video's and McWill's notes... and making sure you get organised in advance with all of the necessary soldering equipment... it's quite a straight forward job if you give yourself plenty of time and take great care. Also McWill himself was very informative and responsive on the AtariAge Instant messaging service. I also found the de-soldering part very difficult to begin with... but after watching a couple of guides on YouTube about de-soldering I soon mastered it. I mostly used the solder 'sucker', but also found that de-soldering braid was helpful at times too. - I found the fitting of the VGA connector to the exterior of the Lynx2 case the most challenging part as there is almost zero info to be found anywhere on this part. It was basically a case of whittling away at the plastic case with a sharp knife until you have a hole that fits. - Numerous times I would screw everything back together only to find that there was dirt or scratches beneath the plastic lense in front of the screen. Here I found a lint free cloth and a compressed air can to be very useful to clear the dirt/dust. I used car polish to remove the small scratches that I'd made, the plastic screen lense now looks perfect and better than ever! - Re: the VGA connector, I spotted someone's idea earlier on in this thread of using a thin 'pin header' as an interface between the Lynx and the VGE connector... to avoid having to cut into the lynx case to accommodate the vga connector. Whilst a neat solution, I decided against this idea as I think the VGA connector looks fine on the back of the lynx if you make a half decent job of it, and it means anyone can simply use any standard VGA cable to connect the Lynx to a monitor. - Another point re: the VGA connector, I opted to use the mounting screws that are supplied with the connector. I drilled 2 small holes in the Lynx case to accommodate the 2 connector screws. Now the thumb screws that come standard on VGA cables can be used to securely screw the VGA cable to my Lynx. - It's important that you mount the VGA connector on a flat (not angled) face of the lynx. I mounted mine a little too far away from the power socket which caused problems in attaching the second screw for the connector. Also, make sure you mount the connector so the metal 'plate' of the connector is on the INSIDE of the lynx, it looks far neater this way rather than being on the outside. - If there's anyone else like me based in the UK who's having trouble getting this mod fitted for whatever reason then please feel free to get in touch and I'll give you a quote, however I'd recommend using McWill's fitting service for 55 Euro's (plus postage of your Lynx to and from Germany) for as long as he provides the service as I don't think I'd be able to do it for less £. - For me the next mod for my Lynx will be RetroHQ's Flash card reader... and also an upgraded/modern speaker. The only mod that doesn't seem to be well catered for at this stage is a re-chargeable battery cell... to enable people to power their Lynx in a similar (wireless!) way to how they power their mobile phone. I've also heard recently about a 24mhz cpu booster that was mentioned on here recently... I'd be really interested to hear more about that if anyone has any info? Finally, a couple of very minor complaints as feedback just for McWill's benefit... Very minor complaints 1) Whilst I found the LCD mod in general very good value for money, I thought the 5v mod was over priced at 10 Euro's for what is essentially just a Recom R-78E5.0-0.5 component. I have no idea how to work the volt meter (multimeter) that I own to check that the voletage wasn't over 5.45v, so to be on the safe side I just fitted the 5v mod anyway However, since fitting the 5v mod I'm little concerned as to whether or not it was a good idea... since hearing what other people on this thread have said about it being a battery drain. However I've heard that the original diodes/components used for 5v regulation also result in battery drain. So I'm not sure which option is best... replacing the original 5v regulation components 'like for like'... or fitting the (Recom) 5v mod recommended by McWill...??? 2) On ordering, I didn't realise that the mod kit came without wires... however I soon found out that IDE ribbon cable from an old PC is an excellent choice. It is perfect thickness and avoids having a confusing spaghetti nest of wires inside your Lynx. 20cm length for ALL wires worked fine for me. 3) A small section (about 7mm square) of the LCD PCB next to a screw hole had snapped off at some point. This meant that the screw I insterted through this half-hole was in-effective. I don't want to dwell for too long on these 3 very minor complaints as the mod in general is of course truly amazing. I just wanted to include them for McWill so that he may improve his service. I'll finish with another huge thank you to McWill for investing so much of his time and effort in something that everyone on here enjoys so much... . Please keep up your amazing work! Here's some pics of my fitting experience 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Level42 Posted August 3, 2016 Share Posted August 3, 2016 @GoldenGraham: about a better speaker, the 24Mhz (or better, variable speed) hack and upcoming also battery hack....see http://atariage.com/forums/topic/255254-the-perfect-lynx/ 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Level42 Posted August 3, 2016 Share Posted August 3, 2016 (edited) Oh, oops, forget the speaker mod on that thtread because I now notice you have a Lynx II. There are better speakers for that too though....although it will never sound like the Visaton in my Lynx I Edited August 3, 2016 by Level42 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cowdog360 Posted August 3, 2016 Share Posted August 3, 2016 @GoldenGraham: Great write up and great work. Since I do a lot of the McWill mods on the Lynx, I'll just point out my tips/tricks: Wiring: An IDE cable works pretty good, but I got tired of the stripping, tinning, etc. So What I use now is breadboard ribbon jumper cable. I just peel off 9 conductions worth, snip off one end and tin it and solder in order to the McWill LCD screen first. Then I mount the Mcwill screen with the wires attached. From there, I use the breadboard jumper end,and slip them nicely into the holes where the original ribbon connector was. The beauty of it is that the wires I use are the perfect length from the factory, and the multicolor makes it super easy for me to track what I'm hooking up. Speeds up the process, and when you do a lot of these, I'll take the extra 5-10 minutes. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0196G5AEO/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 VGA Port: I do the pin connector mod rather than the port, but you're right, there isn't much info on how to install the port. Lithium Battery: It is next on my list to do, I'll document it completely. Basically I'll be installing a charging controller into the Lynx in place of the "5V mod" and hooking it up to a 3.7V battery. 5V Mod: You'll see lots of argument on this topic now. I've stopped doing it because of cost, reduced battery standby life, and I don't think you're adding much safety. A new MOSFET and zener should last another 20+ years and cost a total of about $1.10 US instead of $7 for the regulator. Speaker: Best Electronics has a pretty good one, but I just buy these on Ebay and they work good. They are much louder than the original and have decent sound http://www.ebay.com/itm/221624580932?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT Got any pictures of the work you did? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoldenGraham Posted August 3, 2016 Share Posted August 3, 2016 @CowDog360: Yes, right at the very end of my writeup there's a hyperlink to some pictures of various stages of my installation. How do you rate my soldering on the PCB...? Thanks for your words of wisdom on installing these too, sounds like you've done a lot! I perhaps shouldn't go on about other ones too much on this thread but the speaker I ordered is 8 ohms too and 0.5w. So I'm expecting it to be a lot louder at least. What I'd really like though is an improved dynamic range... i.e. more bass and better mid range. This is the one I've ordered anyway... http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2-Pcs-Black-Plastic-Shell-Round-Internal-Magnet-Speaker-40mm-8-Ohm-0-5W-/361358006748?hash=item54229d99dc:g:qcUAAOSwpIdW8RTH Please keep me posted on your rechargeable lithium battery. How much running time do you expect to get from it fully charged? Will we be able to completely reproduce one from your instructions or will you be selling them ready made perhaps? Ideally I'd like it to be chargeable via a micro USB charger similar to the one I use for my mobile phone. Cheers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cowdog360 Posted August 3, 2016 Share Posted August 3, 2016 Ah, I recognize those pictures, we've been talking on the Lynx facebook group as well. Speaker looks similar, and it should be louder. I'm not sure if the one I installed really has much more range, sounds about the same as stock, just clearer and louder. I'm not really the best person to judge work, as I'm not a professional, just a hobbyist. That being said, over all I think it looks good. What I did notice is that a few of the joints look cold/dry especially the one from the left side of the recom to the board. I'd wick up the original solder, apply flux and resolder it. In general using rosin core flux would help quite a bit with the joints. What kind of solder you using? I've been using Kester 63/37 with good success. Again, great work. It's interesting that you didn't remove the original LCD socket, that certainly would make it easier on the desoldering front. Also, tacking down wires on the board with hot glue will keep them from coming up over time do to vibration/use. -Aaron 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoldenGraham Posted August 3, 2016 Share Posted August 3, 2016 Thanks Aaron, yes my soldering on the Recom part was pretty p!ss poor, but I was quite pleased with everywhere else. I never realised that small Recom part was so expensive either... $7 really! I used Duratool Sn60/Pb40 solder 0.032" containing 2.2% flux. I also used my small pot of flux in places where needed. Yes I should've glued down the ide cables really but nothings rattling so far thankfully It never crossed my mind to remove the original lcd socket as it wasn't mentioned in any of the guides I used. I never noticed it impeding me at any point anyway. I know a lot of people find these jobs a pain in the a$$... but for me the fitting process is every bit as enjoyable as the end result. Whilst waiting for my 'turn' for the Lynx SD card reader, my next project is Chris Swinson's 32 mhz booster for the Atari STE 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Level42 Posted August 3, 2016 Share Posted August 3, 2016 Yeah, these solderings are not going to last: They look like as if the temperature was too low, or you used a too small soldering iron (with not enough watts) or you simply didn't solder the joints long enough for the solder to completely flow or you used unleaded solder......or any combination of those It's also a good idea to first wrap the wire around a pin a couple of times before soldering. its also a good idea to pre-tin the parts you are going to solder. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sulley Posted August 4, 2016 Share Posted August 4, 2016 Big thanks to McWill... I just received my modded Lynx II back from him. The screen is amazing and the service great! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Level42 Posted August 14, 2016 Share Posted August 14, 2016 Finally ordered one for my Lynx 1.......way overdue ! Can't wait to get it and install it Great that it comes from Germany.....just one border to cross and no import duties etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Level42 Posted August 14, 2016 Share Posted August 14, 2016 Did anyone make a step-by-step description or video for doing the Lynx I LCD mod ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Level42 Posted August 14, 2016 Share Posted August 14, 2016 (edited) Damn this video is brilliant, would love one for the Lynx I !!! https://youtu.be/NG9TNKmcv84 I just actually went through ALL 38 pages on this thread. At least I found a couple of pictures of Lynx 1 installed LCD's.... McWill, will your LCD board be OK with 5.2 Volts ? I plan on installing an Adafruit Powerboost 1000C (and rip out the entire original power-section) which pumps out 5.2V instead of 5.0V to compensate for load/wire lengths. According to their specs the 5.2 is also true at 1.0 Amps so it shouldn't drop with the Lynxes 350mA...... Edited August 14, 2016 by Level42 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McWill Posted August 14, 2016 Share Posted August 14, 2016 Yes this video is awesome. But don't remove the protective film at first!5.2 Volt should be OK, but don't exceed 5.45 Volt, otherwise the LCD replacement will be damaged. Perhaps try another powerboost with 5 Volt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Level42 Posted August 14, 2016 Share Posted August 14, 2016 (edited) Yes this video is awesome. But don't remove the protective film at first! 5.2 Volt should be OK, but don't exceed 5.45 Volt, otherwise the LCD replacement will be damaged. Perhaps try another powerboost with 5 Volt. Thanks for your quick reply (AND SHIPPING WOOHOO ! ) Yes I actually said exactly the same in a commentary on Youtube, leave the protective film until the very end Got it, will triple check the output of the Powerboost. The reason for wanting this is that it does everything needed: convert the lipo battery from about 3-4.2 volts into straight 5V, charge the lip battery and even does both at the same time I know the chip on the Powerboost can be "programmed" for the output voltage with a resistor so I could replace it if needed.... One more question Marco: you indicate to remove R73. Can you tell me why that is needed for the LCD mod ? Edited August 14, 2016 by Level42 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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