Switch Replacement

Well, it seems the switch was defective from the start, because it hasn't been used terribly much, but it's having troubles. It's really fiddly when you turn it on, requiring nudges until it's in the perfect position before it will turn on, and if it gets touched, it will either flicker off for a second or it will dim the screen like not enough electricity is getting through. So, where can I get suitable replacement? I don't want to spoil the beauty of my console...

Yep, I have that same symptom. After it is on, it will work fine and gaming dosen´t touch it, but it is very sensitive.
I was wondering if it was the switch or the soldering.

I did investigate a bit but not much yet.

Well, I don't think it's soldering, everything looks good to me.

It could be both the soldering or the piece.
My trouble happened after leaving my gamebuino without running for about 3 months, yep such is life :(

I have been running it quite often these last 4 weeks and the problem seems to be slowly wearing off.
Right now, I have just a bit of it, while on, touch the switch too hard and it resets the console.

Maybe I should make a video of it and we can check if that is the same issue?

Thinking better about it, it must be something with the switch.

edit: wait, or maybe about firmware and updates? My gamebuino is not running the latest and I recall that started happening after a mid upgrade. Could it be it? Is yours up to date?

Errm, I think it's about 4 months since I wiped the SD card because of trouble I was having. So not up to date.

Ok, maybe that would be a nice start since the hardware is working. (for me too, I´m not really up to date)
If still the same, then I should shoot a video here and we check if it is the same behavior.

Ok, I will do that later today and see.

Every time I try to wipe the SD card, it says "SD card is write protected." How do I wipe this, then?
I also checked further, and it seems there are only problems when I press down on the switch, which happens normally when you turn it on. If I carefully slide the switch sideways without pressing down, no problems.

It should not be, are you trying to erase the sdcard with the gamebuino connected by usb?
Give a go with it directly on the computer, like with a sdreader.

Also, check the way you have to format it on the tutorial/wiki.

Yep, mine acts like that too, turning on it all fine and while off, I can push it without problems.
While it is on, pushing it will reset it most of the time (It was worse before, now it is wearing of).
Pushing it right, like to turn it off, but just a little also do the same reseting.

I will try recording a video tomorrow, first I have to update everything just to make sure.

erico wrote:It should not be, are you trying to erase the sdcard with the gamebuino connected by usb?
Give a go with it directly on the computer, like with a sdreader.

Also, check the way you have to format it on the tutorial/wiki.

Yep, mine acts like that too, turning on it all fine and while off, I can push it without problems.
While it is on, pushing it will reset it most of the time (It was worse before, now it is wearing of).
Pushing it right, like to turn it off, but just a little also do the same reseting.

I will try recording a video tomorrow, first I have to update everything just to make sure.

Oh, I had the sd card connected directly using a Micro SD to SD adaptor, because I lost the included USB adaptor. I really don't know what's happening, that never happened before, but I did delete some programs from within the loader, if that changes anything. All I need to replace is the loader, right? Or does that even make any sense?

Note how your sd adapter has a sliding switch on the side. Slide it all the way to the other side as it puts the card into write-protected mode

Sorunome wrote:Note how your sd adapter has a sliding switch on the side. Slide it all the way to the other side as it puts the card into write-protected mode

Ohh right! :oops: will do that today for sure.

Well, we can rule out software. The question now is where to find a matching switch. Show a video anyway, though.

Well, my guess is that dirt and dust got on the way of the switch.

Mine was pretty bad 3 months that I left it off and then came to turn it on.
It would even display bugged half bright screens.
These past 2 months, running it at leas a few times per week is solving things.
As of today, it is working almost as it should, pressing is not an issue anymore (it is but just a bit), it also dims the screen a bit.

Yep, I can´t de solder it to clean it properly.

I did a video yesterday but it is hard to do so holding a phone, so I didn´t post.
Will do one now. uploading to youtube, will add here soon.

There you go, forgive the crap resolution and everything else. I hope it demonstrates my issues.
Like I said, they are WAY easier now than before.
What do you think? Is your trouble worse?
edit: As you can see on the video, I have to apply some level of force to get it misbehaving, when I first ran it way before, it was way worse, no force needed in any direction and sometimes it wouldn´t even turn on properly.

Is it possible the soldering of the switch is breaking? What you do on the video looks like a contact problem that is very similar to a hairline crack in a solderjoint.

Well, that's the same trouble I was having, except not nearly as bad. But, after you said there may have been dirt from it sitting around to long, I realized that's when I started having trouble as well. To fix t, I furiously jiggled the switch back and forth while pressing down, and now my trouble is less than what's in the video. Not much trouble at all.
BTW, is that a custom paint job or just a beat up protection sticker?

I think it is the switch it self, if I push the whole metal body of the part around, all it ok.
That phenomena only happens with moving the black plastic switch, it feels like its contact inside the piece has some dirt or dust that is getting on the way.

I would not recommend people to "blow the cart" but I´d be lying if I say that it didn´t help.
I did get some more pressured air into it today and it seems the problem is gone, will be checking it throughout the week.

edit: Yep it is the protection paper I drew over a million times it is now quite a mess, less so on the back. Unfortunately I will have to pearl it off soon as it is starting to come of on its own. Maybe I could try to make a new protection paper so I can redraw stuff but I guess I´m going to enjoy the transparency a bit before such.

Well my switch isn't bothering me at all anymore. I IBT think it's a really good idea to do what I did though. On/off rapidly can't be good.
Try spray painting a white background, then adding pixelly art based off certain Gamebuino games. It doesn't take much of an artist to do that, right?

Or, I don't know, the button color scheme is identical to the Pikachu Edition Gameboy color, you could do that.

Yep, painting it white could work, but the paper is already very worn of, it is coming apart naturally.
Drawing pixel would be a bit hard, unless I get to a square pointed sort of pen or use a mask, still, I´d have to do it one by one and no mistakes.
I will just enjoy the transparent case for a while when I take the paper of.

I´d prefer black buttons and the likes, but the ones there are fine.
Good to hear your problem is gone, mine seems to be to as it doesn´t even react like the video anymore.

The transparent case just makes it look cool. Can't go wrong with that. For a while, I had mine with the protector removed from the outside edge but still on the inside, and that looked nice.
Good to hear yours is fine now too.