Atariuser85 Posted March 19, 2021 Share Posted March 19, 2021 So how would I need to "create the connection yourself"? Can I first try to drop some solder there to see what it does? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turbo-Torch Posted March 19, 2021 Share Posted March 19, 2021 Some flux with a dab of solder and it'll flow over from the pin to the trace nicely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nickle241 Posted March 19, 2021 Share Posted March 19, 2021 (edited) push the pin closer to whats left of the trace if it doesnt want to connect, but yes, thats basically how it works solder has some insane surface tension, its much more insistent than water in this regard Edited March 19, 2021 by nickle241 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atariuser85 Posted March 19, 2021 Share Posted March 19, 2021 Just now, Turbo-Torch said: Some flux with a dab of solder and it'll flow over from the pin to the trace nicely. Thank you. Sorry what is flux? I have solder wire, will that not be enough? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nickle241 Posted March 19, 2021 Share Posted March 19, 2021 Just now, Atariuser85 said: Thank you. Sorry what is flux? I have solder wire, will that not be enough? depends, a lot of modern solder has flux core so its included already, but if you're using old-school supplies then it would most likely by a tube or small tub with a yellowish amber stuff inside Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turbo-Torch Posted March 19, 2021 Share Posted March 19, 2021 I use Kester 186. Whether you have rosin core solder or not, you'll still want to add flux for an easy bridge. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atariuser85 Posted March 19, 2021 Share Posted March 19, 2021 (edited) Update: So when I changed the contrast button and push hard downward on the cartridge it seems to work. However the last row of lcds closet to the knob seems to fad out or not display the panel. If I push hard I can see the bottom LCD row. Any ideas? Wow fixing this bad boy is taking more work than I thought. Edited March 19, 2021 by Atariuser85 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nickle241 Posted March 19, 2021 Share Posted March 19, 2021 (edited) you are either causing the broken solder joints to reconnect or your cartridge connector has flat pins or you have an issue with your zebra strip. if its the zebra strip you can try putting a few layers of paper underneath it to see if the added pressure fixes it ive stated my dislike of zebra strips a few times here Edited March 19, 2021 by nickle241 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atariuser85 Posted March 19, 2021 Share Posted March 19, 2021 43 minutes ago, nickle241 said: if its the zebra strip you can try putting a few layers of paper underneath it to see if the added pressure fixes it Thanks. Where exactly do I place the paper? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nickle241 Posted March 19, 2021 Share Posted March 19, 2021 underneath the stepped zebra strip is probably the best bet based on the position you described, but you may need to do some trial an error to find the best spot or if this will even work 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atariuser85 Posted March 20, 2021 Share Posted March 20, 2021 (edited) I tried the paper, but that did not fix the problem. Actually lost pixels. But, thank you for the suggestion anyway, sounded like a great idea. However, by reassembling the unit I now have the bottom row of the pixels. I am now missing the top row but I can now see the breakout paddle. I notice the knob (potentiometer) is a little rough to move. I have 3m silicon spray, should I spray that into the potentiometer or will that short it out? How do I clean / provide maintenance to the potentiometer? I don't have anything else besides 3M Silicon spray. Thanks Edited March 20, 2021 by Atariuser85 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nickle241 Posted March 20, 2021 Share Posted March 20, 2021 contact cleaner or rubbing alcohol, contact cleaner is preferred but either will work, no need to be particularly cautious, douse it. if the adjustments caused the dead pixels to move around its definitely going to be either the ribbons or those pins 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atariuser85 Posted March 20, 2021 Share Posted March 20, 2021 1 minute ago, nickle241 said: contact cleaner or rubbing alcohol, contact cleaner is preferred but either will work, no need to be particularly cautious, douse it. if the adjustments caused the dead pixels to move around its definitely going to be either the ribbons or those pins Where do I put rubbing alcohol on the potentiometer (knob) to make the knob smoother? I already used rubbing alcohol on the contacts around the lcd area and around the cartridge plug areas. I am now trying make the knob (potentiometer) feel smoother. When I turn it, it feels like almost sand paper, so not turning too smoothly. Its smooth, but not that smooth like it should be. Was wondering how to lubricate the potentiometer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nickle241 Posted March 20, 2021 Share Posted March 20, 2021 Just now, Atariuser85 said: Where do I put rubbing alcohol on the potentiometer (knob) to make the knob smoother? I already used rubbing alcohol on the contacts around the lcd area and around the cartridge plug areas. I am now trying make the knob (potentiometer) feel smoother. When I turn it, it feels like almost sand paper, so not turning too smoothly. Its smooth, but not that smooth like it should be. Was wondering how to lubricate the potentiometer. inside, you quite literally want to soak the inside of the component and move it around to clean up the inside. this fixes jittery jumpy movement although im not sure what you could do if its actually grinding, thats not generally a condition they end up in, but you could try adding a little lubrication around the stem and pivot, the front and rear rotation points Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaperJam Posted March 20, 2021 Share Posted March 20, 2021 I see two issues with this picture. The zebra strip to the left side of the image is the connector for the horizontal lines on the LCD. In this image the strip is not centered and will be missing rows of pixels. See the arrows for the optimum position. Confirm the zebra strip is lined up along side the plastic stance. The second issue is the green foam pad backing is far to thin and deteriorated. This pad is intended to push the LCD up against the other zebra strip for the vertical column lines (Circled). You should find some material and replace it. Try something soft like cotton or another foam pad. This stuff is common packing material for electronics. You may have some inside a box somewhere. Whatever you do, don’t let anything get between the zebra strips and the board or LCD. We want the electricity to flow unimpeded thru these connections. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nickle241 Posted March 20, 2021 Share Posted March 20, 2021 you might be able to use the notched cardboard insert from the original screen to help center the strip and make up some of the lost thickness, i totally missed that, yeah based on the positioning you would lose the top row for sure 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atariuser85 Posted March 22, 2021 Share Posted March 22, 2021 (edited) Wanted to thank the community for all the helpful information. I got the repaired unit to work ~90 percent. The first top row of LCDs are glitchy and the paddle is a bit glitchy but works well enough for game play. I ended up using rubbing alcohol to clean up the potentiometer (knob). I did not end up wanting to re-open to try to re-orient the LCD because its working. Figured if I keep moving it around may loose game play again. Also found an interesting article on cost of the Microvision and other handhelds through time. Looks like the original Microvision cost equates to in today's dollars approximately about the cost of a Nintendo Switch ($385) adjusting for inflation. Edited March 22, 2021 by Atariuser85 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigO Posted March 22, 2021 Share Posted March 22, 2021 (edited) On 3/19/2021 at 5:30 PM, Atariuser85 said: I tried the paper, but that did not fix the problem. Actually lost pixels. But, thank you for the suggestion anyway, sounded like a great idea. However, by reassembling the unit I now have the bottom row of the pixels. I am now missing the top row but I can now see the breakout paddle. I notice the knob (potentiometer) is a little rough to move. I have 3m silicon spray, should I spray that into the potentiometer or will that short it out? How do I clean / provide maintenance to the potentiometer? I don't have anything else besides 3M Silicon spray. Thanks I had a lot of mechanical drag and roughness in the paddle control on one unit. It was due to wear and crud between the knob and the other piece of plastic that the knob passes through. Cleaned the area and applied a very light coat of silicone grease to fix the issue. I've seen at least one other person post the same issue. Edited March 23, 2021 by BigO Typo 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nickle241 Posted March 22, 2021 Share Posted March 22, 2021 2 minutes ago, BigO said: I had a lot of mechanical drag and roughness in the paddle control one one unit. It was due to wear and crud between the knob and the other piece of plastic that the knob passes through. Cleaned the area and applied a very light coat of silicone grease to fix the issue. I've seen at least one other person post the same issue. its a forty year old potentiometer, this kind of thing is inevitable, the only reason its an uncommon issue currently is because most of them became unplayable due to the screen rather quickly, but their age also means that its actually possible to repair it unlike the more modern designs which are riveted together 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rik1138 Posted March 23, 2021 Share Posted March 23, 2021 16 hours ago, Atariuser85 said: Wanted to thank the community for all the helpful information. I got the repaired unit to work ~90 percent. The first top row of LCDs are glitchy and the paddle is a bit glitchy but works well enough for game play. I ended up using rubbing alcohol to clean up the potentiometer (knob). I did not end up wanting to re-open to try to re-orient the LCD because its working. Figured if I keep moving it around may loose game play again. Also found an interesting article on cost of the Microvision and other handhelds through time. Looks like the original Microvision cost equates to in today's dollars approximately about the cost of a Nintendo Switch ($385) adjusting for inflation. Their information is wrong... The Microvision system was $40 in 1979-1980, and the cartridges were about $16 So adjusting for inflation, it's about $127, and the carts would be $51. Original Sears catalog page from 1979 here: https://www.handheldmuseum.com/BooksMagazines/Cat-Sears_79/Sears79_7.htm Not even hard to find the original price, not sure where they got that $100 from... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocktaCake Posted March 27, 2021 Share Posted March 27, 2021 (edited) How long did it take to get y'alls screens? I personally ordered one on the 13th and mine still has yet to ship. Edited March 27, 2021 by DocktaCake Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+stupus Posted March 27, 2021 Share Posted March 27, 2021 I ordered on 3/7. I havent received mine or any responses to my messages here or at his website. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+stupus Posted March 31, 2021 Share Posted March 31, 2021 Got mine safely yesterday. Thanks! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+5-11under Posted March 31, 2021 Author Share Posted March 31, 2021 On 3/27/2021 at 1:00 PM, DocktaCake said: How long did it take to get y'alls screens? I personally ordered one on the 13th and mine still has yet to ship. This was mailed out close to a week later, I think. Hopefully it arrives within the next handful of days or so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigO Posted March 31, 2021 Share Posted March 31, 2021 (edited) On 3/23/2021 at 1:31 AM, Rik1138 said: Their information is wrong... The Microvision system was $40 in 1979-1980, and the cartridges were about $16 So adjusting for inflation, it's about $127, and the carts would be $51. Sheesh. No wonder I didn't have one back when I was free-school-lunch eating, poor rural kid. That would have been multiple summers' worth of picking and selling wild blackberries and "pop bottle hunting". I have three of these things now. I have arrived! Edited April 1, 2021 by BigO 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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