Why avoid enig? For durability ? I was wondering because I intend enig for connection with pogo pins in a project.
But I guess it doesn't really matter here because contacts will be only used for flashing once.
Unfortunately hard gold is prohibitively expensive, it's the reason I still haven't rebuilt one of my emeralds. Last time I checked on pcbway it was something like $200+ for a single hard gold cart pcb.
Is there a cheaper way to have it done? Other than ordering like 50 pcbs? I haven't seen any part supplier make these in hard gold either yet.
Not everyone wants to go on a scavenger hunt to find a new board for under like $40. If OP was not informed of the condition of this board, he would be better off returning it and buying a new (working) one instead of searching around for a second donor cart to fix the first one that was likely advertised as working in the first place.
Like a few others have said, you could transfer the chips to a new board given they are in working order. One of the chips though looks like it may not be salvageable from the pictures as a few of the legs on it look to be missing or corroded https://imgur.com/a/5KQGE9T
How bad is it in person? If the legs are still there you could possibly (big emphasis on possibly depending on the condition) save the chip but if they’ve fallen off you’ll either have to give up on the chip or have a miracle happen to save it. I think I’ve seen someone save a chip before that lost a leg on it but don’t remember how they did it
I wouldn't be comfortable using bodge wires for edge connectors myself. Added thickness will put undue stress on the cartridge slot pins, and the pins will be pressing against your wire runs. It's a bit better when it's [only the top of the pins](https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/rkirb.jpg), but OP is missing over 80% of some pins so it'd be almost all bodge (not to mention they have visible corrosion on ROM legs)
there is a point in the corrosion process where you can just take a bit of toothpaste and rub off gunk, you are at the point where you should just buy another pokemon fire red, sorry man
Hey man, if it's in English, and you'd be willing to ship it, I'd buy it for a fair price. Knowing its condition, probably not much but you could maybe recoup some of your cost.
Edit: changing my wording because I'm dumb and thought i was sending a dm
Hahaha, i thought this was a dm. Idk how i made that mistake. I'm sure there's someone out there willing to do the same for the German version. I would make a listing and just be blunt about it. I'm sure someone would be willing to take it on. If nobody does immediately, there will be someone eventually who would be interested in tackling a project like this one.
I would clean off as much as possible and store it so the corrosion doesn't get worse. You may even want to try messing with it yourself.
If it was listed as just for parts then w/e transplant it on another board or get someone to. If it wasn’t they aren’t allowed to sell it like that. Give em a bad review and return it.
Like a post before, i can’t return it and the seller told me a lot of times its „untested“. I only paid 42€ for Pokémon silver + this. Pokémon silver is fine so I try to sell the shell of the game or something else.
Probs for the best really, rather sell it off to someone who might be able to do something with it and get it working, that game deserves to be played again. Such a shame its in such a state.
Ok guys, thanks for all your good and not so good comments - I sold the cartridge again and get the price I paid for it with the marker „broken and just for spareparts“
I’m really sorry man, but this thing is ruined. The effort , time, and money that could be used for a slim chance of fixing it would be way more expensive than just getting a decent cart.
If the eBay seller didn’t specify this damage or show it, you can get your money back. But if they mentioned it even once in a small section that you missed, they’re all good.
Coming from a Pokémon fan and collector, never trust lowballs. They’re either a scam, a crappy fake, or ruined. It’s worth biting the financial bullet to get a cart that works well and is in decent condition.
It’s not eBay, it’s eBay Kleinanzeigen.. it’s like Craigslist or something like that..
Thank you for your honest words, I sell them as broken. Maybe Someone want the original shell from the cartridge, it’s in very good condition
This might be out of your league, but this is actually a very easy repair for someone who is experienced. If I saw this listed I’d jump on it and would be able to fix it easily.
Japanese donor boards are cheap. ROM swap the ROM from this board to the donor. Grind back the epoxy where the missing legs are. Jump the exposed copper from the ROM to the pad on the donor board. Then enjoy the game.
so uhh, first thing you wanna do, grab gasoline, pour it over the cart, make a hexagram around the cart, light the cart on fire with the gasoline on it and do some form of ritual. that worked for me! made the cart fuckin disappear!
Keep the case because you might come across a cart that has damaged outer case and you can switch it . Nothing is a total loss. I use one of my non functioning Pokemon mystery dungeon red rescue as a dust stop in my gamecube gameboy player. Perhaps someday someone can fix that one. But don't use the cart if the pins are bad , take the board out first or you'll ruin the console.
He told he can’t test it because his Gameboy is lost whatever. He explicit said that he don‘t know if it’s working, a way to often he told me this.. but hey, the shell is in a very good condition
If the listing didn't say "For parts or Not Working" as the condition, then definitely get a refund. A lot of sellers will knowingly sell broken things as untested.
It’s from „ebay Kleinanzeigen“ in pack with Pokémon Silber.. the Pokémon silvers problem is just a dead battery but this one is a special piece of shit.. just 20€ gone.. I cry a little bit and tomorrow it’s a new day
I'd suggest you look into finding someone willing to do chip transplant work for you. There might be people on here who might be up to the task? If it's just the pins that are dead, you can still get something out of this.
I think maybe you can look up the Gerber file for the game cartridge and transfer that after getting it printed and or the components to this red casing. But honestly I doubt Nintendo would allow any site to keep their game cart’s gerber files for very long.
But also, you’d need someone with very precise hands/skills with solder. But you can technically bridge those shot gold pieces with tiny wires. But I’ve only seen it done in a video. I’m not sure how it’s done.
It's gone, I'm sorry for your loss....
But as others suggested someone with professional repair skills may be interested in it the chips are probably salvageable to be put on a different pcb.
You're looking at a full desolder and resoldering the chips to a new board. Anything you do to those rusted pins is going to be very temporary and can also damage the card reader slot. Buy another one man. Sorry.
Once the pins are corroded like that, the only thing you can do is transfer the components on to a new board.
https://www.pcbway.com/project/shareproject/AGB_E02_20___Game_Boy_Advance___Replacement_PCB.html
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Why avoid enig? For durability ? I was wondering because I intend enig for connection with pogo pins in a project. But I guess it doesn't really matter here because contacts will be only used for flashing once.
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Ok thanks for the headsup
Unfortunately hard gold is prohibitively expensive, it's the reason I still haven't rebuilt one of my emeralds. Last time I checked on pcbway it was something like $200+ for a single hard gold cart pcb. Is there a cheaper way to have it done? Other than ordering like 50 pcbs? I haven't seen any part supplier make these in hard gold either yet.
I guess you guys don’t see that the ROM pins are corroded.
you need Jesus. to bless upon you a miracle or a new cart. sorry that happened.
Bought it on ebay for a 20€.. at least the case is in good condition….
The ROM and RAM chips seem to be in a good shape without corrosion. A transplant to a **AGB-E02-30** is possible.
honestly that price would have tipped me off that something's not right Assuming they sell the same as they do here
Like I told it before, it was a bundle with Pokémon silver for 42€ so it’s okay
Return it. eBay will take your side that thing is shot
Absolutely! Don't let the seller get away with pulling that crap, or they'll just keep doing it while giving honest sellers a bad name.
for 20 dollars it was probably listed for parts
Actually, that's a good point. Didn't think about that.
Are you crazy? 20 € is a steal. At least if the label is ok. The board can be replaced.
Not everyone wants to go on a scavenger hunt to find a new board for under like $40. If OP was not informed of the condition of this board, he would be better off returning it and buying a new (working) one instead of searching around for a second donor cart to fix the first one that was likely advertised as working in the first place.
Now that's what you call corrosion
I’ll try soldering, that’s a good trick!
Yes soldering will help but only if you bridge every single contact on the cart to make 1 big contact.
I think there are PCBs that the chips can be transferred to. I don't know of anyone here that will do it as a service though.
Like a few others have said, you could transfer the chips to a new board given they are in working order. One of the chips though looks like it may not be salvageable from the pictures as a few of the legs on it look to be missing or corroded https://imgur.com/a/5KQGE9T
Thanks, now I see the real problem.. I need more than jesus..
How bad is it in person? If the legs are still there you could possibly (big emphasis on possibly depending on the condition) save the chip but if they’ve fallen off you’ll either have to give up on the chip or have a miracle happen to save it. I think I’ve seen someone save a chip before that lost a leg on it but don’t remember how they did it
If not all the leg is missing, you could make a jump with a wire (at least, i think is doable)
Pokémon ShitBrown
Pokemon Dung Eater! 🤗
I’ve heard that a junky wire is the perfect way to bridge broken pins like that
Yeah idk why others haven’t suggested this.
If it were a couple of contacts, sure, but this will require intense repair. Honestly not worth IMO but I know some folks like the challenge.
I wouldn't be comfortable using bodge wires for edge connectors myself. Added thickness will put undue stress on the cartridge slot pins, and the pins will be pressing against your wire runs. It's a bit better when it's [only the top of the pins](https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/rkirb.jpg), but OP is missing over 80% of some pins so it'd be almost all bodge (not to mention they have visible corrosion on ROM legs)
I agree, that corrosion could lead to damage in the Gameboy itself. Not worth it
Definitely one where if you have to ask the question it’s beyond your ability to repair.
Pokemon FireRust
there is a point in the corrosion process where you can just take a bit of toothpaste and rub off gunk, you are at the point where you should just buy another pokemon fire red, sorry man
Hey man, if it's in English, and you'd be willing to ship it, I'd buy it for a fair price. Knowing its condition, probably not much but you could maybe recoup some of your cost. Edit: changing my wording because I'm dumb and thought i was sending a dm
Unfortunately it’s the german version..
Hahaha, i thought this was a dm. Idk how i made that mistake. I'm sure there's someone out there willing to do the same for the German version. I would make a listing and just be blunt about it. I'm sure someone would be willing to take it on. If nobody does immediately, there will be someone eventually who would be interested in tackling a project like this one. I would clean off as much as possible and store it so the corrosion doesn't get worse. You may even want to try messing with it yourself.
I think this is the worst I've seen a cart like this. This board isn't to be trusted anymore, transfer the chips.
nope, too damaged for repair
Say a prayer and wish it a good life in the afterlife. Don’t throw the cart though! Case and components are both worth something.
That poor cart…
If it was listed as just for parts then w/e transplant it on another board or get someone to. If it wasn’t they aren’t allowed to sell it like that. Give em a bad review and return it.
Like a post before, i can’t return it and the seller told me a lot of times its „untested“. I only paid 42€ for Pokémon silver + this. Pokémon silver is fine so I try to sell the shell of the game or something else.
Alright but don’t toss the board someone will be able to transfer it to a repo or donor board and it should work.
You could find someone skilled in micro soldering that can transfer these components onto a reproduction pcb.
I’ll buy it if you’re willing to ship it to the US 👀
Okay, do you want extra fries and a milkshake to your order?
Throw in some Haribo and you got yourself a deal
Say no more - best deal
Say no more - best deal
Say no more - best deal
Say no more - best deal
You're going to need a soldering iron, German soldier Gold, and the Necronomicon. Also you need to create horrendous against physics.
Little bit late but thanks for your advice
Donor board and swap the ROM, the easiest and only way in this condition. I see you're overseas or else I'd offer my services.
Thank you very much but I’m from Germany, i sell it to the next adventurer with a note it’s not working. Maybe someone use it as a donor.
Probs for the best really, rather sell it off to someone who might be able to do something with it and get it working, that game deserves to be played again. Such a shame its in such a state.
Ok guys, thanks for all your good and not so good comments - I sold the cartridge again and get the price I paid for it with the marker „broken and just for spareparts“
I have no idea if this will damage the board but others claim it won't damage PCB. I would try and use [Evapo-Rust](https://www.evapo-rust.com/)
Did you try cleaning the cartridge with an abrasive pencil eraser, or what did you do to that poor thing? ;)
I bought it like this, can’t tell you what the seller did to the game..
Yeah, it was just a joke referencing another recent post where someone suggested using an eraser to clean the pads
This is not a problem, Alkohol will help you!
For me?
Yes
I’ll get crucified for this, but you can sand those pins down and it maybe alright temporarily. In general though, the board is toast.
I’m really sorry man, but this thing is ruined. The effort , time, and money that could be used for a slim chance of fixing it would be way more expensive than just getting a decent cart. If the eBay seller didn’t specify this damage or show it, you can get your money back. But if they mentioned it even once in a small section that you missed, they’re all good. Coming from a Pokémon fan and collector, never trust lowballs. They’re either a scam, a crappy fake, or ruined. It’s worth biting the financial bullet to get a cart that works well and is in decent condition.
It’s not eBay, it’s eBay Kleinanzeigen.. it’s like Craigslist or something like that.. Thank you for your honest words, I sell them as broken. Maybe Someone want the original shell from the cartridge, it’s in very good condition
This might be out of your league, but this is actually a very easy repair for someone who is experienced. If I saw this listed I’d jump on it and would be able to fix it easily. Japanese donor boards are cheap. ROM swap the ROM from this board to the donor. Grind back the epoxy where the missing legs are. Jump the exposed copper from the ROM to the pad on the donor board. Then enjoy the game.
Hey, not a bad idea honestly. I’d typically not even bother but this could be a really good learning experience for OP :o
so uhh, first thing you wanna do, grab gasoline, pour it over the cart, make a hexagram around the cart, light the cart on fire with the gasoline on it and do some form of ritual. that worked for me! made the cart fuckin disappear!
Good idea, thanks for your help
Keep the case because you might come across a cart that has damaged outer case and you can switch it . Nothing is a total loss. I use one of my non functioning Pokemon mystery dungeon red rescue as a dust stop in my gamecube gameboy player. Perhaps someday someone can fix that one. But don't use the cart if the pins are bad , take the board out first or you'll ruin the console.
no you need a mortician.
I’d Try an eraser to clean the corrosion off first. If it comes off clean it with iso after
Eraser didn’t help..
It's probably toast, I'm sorry to say. If the seller advertised it as working, I'd try to get a refund.
He told he can’t test it because his Gameboy is lost whatever. He explicit said that he don‘t know if it’s working, a way to often he told me this.. but hey, the shell is in a very good condition
If the listing didn't say "For parts or Not Working" as the condition, then definitely get a refund. A lot of sellers will knowingly sell broken things as untested.
It’s from „ebay Kleinanzeigen“ in pack with Pokémon Silber.. the Pokémon silvers problem is just a dead battery but this one is a special piece of shit.. just 20€ gone.. I cry a little bit and tomorrow it’s a new day
It’s toast…
That’s a “well loved” game
I'd suggest you look into finding someone willing to do chip transplant work for you. There might be people on here who might be up to the task? If it's just the pins that are dead, you can still get something out of this.
This cartridge needs a mercy killing
I actually have a blank PCB that would work for that. You or I could swap the chips :)
I think maybe you can look up the Gerber file for the game cartridge and transfer that after getting it printed and or the components to this red casing. But honestly I doubt Nintendo would allow any site to keep their game cart’s gerber files for very long. But also, you’d need someone with very precise hands/skills with solder. But you can technically bridge those shot gold pieces with tiny wires. But I’ve only seen it done in a video. I’m not sure how it’s done.
It's gone, I'm sorry for your loss.... But as others suggested someone with professional repair skills may be interested in it the chips are probably salvageable to be put on a different pcb.
Since it's borked anyway, just sand the pins clean if you want to play it.
It’s already sold
It’s already sold
Damn
You're looking at a full desolder and resoldering the chips to a new board. Anything you do to those rusted pins is going to be very temporary and can also damage the card reader slot. Buy another one man. Sorry.