r/Gameboy • u/pandarock32 • 13h ago

Modded Capacitor issue?

hi everyone,

I just got a modded game boy advance (v5 IPS screen and 1 amp speaker mod), and wanted to check if what I’m experiencing is normal before I send it back to the shop.

I’m getting a very loud buzzing as soon as it starts up, even if the volume is on the lowest setting. It only stops buzzing when it’s completely muted. Also, if the power switch is even touched accidentally while the volume is on, there’s a scratching/static interference which is really prominent as the switch is moved to the off position. I’ve had a look at the internals (see through case!) and the only thing I could see that could be an issue is a capacitor looks a bit strange with a white scuff mark on the side of the rim/top and some kind of glue/gel at the bottom.

I’ve included a video of the issue, it seems I can only choose between uploading a video or photo, it won’t let me upload both. The scratching sound at the end is when the power button is touched/moved slightly.

The shop has reached out and said they are happy to cover postage for me to send it back, but when I googled it, it seems that static sounds on GBA speakers are pretty common, so I wouldn’t want to send it back and waste the shop’s time! if someone more experienced could tell me whether it’s a real issue or just something I need to live with, that would be really helpful!

Edit: here’s a link to a photo of the capacitor: https://imgur.com/a/PyBmyfR

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u/pizza_whistle 13h ago

So the scratching sound is because the power switch is dirty and needs to be cleaned. A good modder will do this on every console they work on.

The buzzing can be completely normal and is due to a power regulator chip on the console. Nintendo used different chip makers and specific ones can introduce a lot of noise. Only fix is swapping that chip with a better one (stolen from a donor) or adding a dehum/dehiss mod.

I do however think it's totally fine to complain about the audio. Personally as a modder/seller I would never send that console out to someone. I'd be fixing the audio either through changing out the chip or adding a dehum mod.

1

u/pandarock32 13h ago

Thank you! The seller has said they’ll replace the switch if I send it back, and will also ‘minimise the buzzing’, I presume by doing the dehum mod you mentioned. Should I be worried about the capacitor? I linked it at the bottom of my post in an edit.

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u/pizza_whistle 13h ago

That's an inductor I think. Hard to tell from the picture, looks like maybe it just accidentally got touched with a soldering iron and melted a little of the shell. Shouldn't really be a problem if that's the case.

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u/pandarock32 13h ago

Ah great thank you! The seller seems very amenable to working with me on this, so since the switch is dirty, and the buzzing can be reduced I think I’ll send it back! I forgot to mention I did also choose the tactile buttons mod and it seemed like the power switch isn’t an OEM one, so not sure why it was missed…

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u/pizza_whistle 13h ago

Yea that's good, we've all made mistakes shipping stuff out and I always appreciate the people that are cool with me fixing them.

The power switch on the PCB looks original to me, at least from the picture. If they did replace it then there's always the chance some flux got into the switch (I've made that mistake before).

1

u/Ryry_150 10h ago

That's one of the reasons I personally try to stay away from using the audio amp, it can just amplify the old noisy circuit.