Replacing the Charge Port in a GBA SP with an Aftermarket Port

This part was specifically provided to me by retrogamerepairshop.com for the purposes of this video. You can grab one for yourself here: retrogamerepairshop.com/colle... if you want or you can probably grab one on aliexpress or ebay for a bit cheaper (albeit not much and with much greater shipping times but if you're outside the US, it's probably the way to go). Either way, I do not recommend this part unless you absolutely need it. Bending the pins to line up properly is tedious and frustrating.
If you're sure that the port is damaged, you can probably remove it much easier by just taking flush cutters to the pins to remove the port and then removing the pins after.
Surprisingly, the USB C mod is significantly easier to install. Check out my video on that here: • BlindEye's GBA SP USB ...

[@nicholasallen8864]

Exactly the video I wanted!! Been looking all over for a guide on how to replace my port. Thank you kindly!

[@sovietbirdz]

I haven't gotten through the whole video yet, but I just want to say thanks for showing how to do the multimeter check. I'm still a novice with electrical diagnostics and I was panicked when you said not to attempt the repair if you haven't narrowed down the issue. That helped me confirm the port as the problem.

[@tsquares6638]

Your videos are always so helpful. Thanks Mahko!!

[@abrahamrohm6886]

I did one of these a few months ago before lockdown. I had trouble bending the two outer pins, so i extracted the unbroken ones from the old port and transplanted them onto the new port, meaning i only had to bend the front four. I also, lifted a pin too, i don't have hot air station either.

[@JimmyGFromDayton]

The video was great as always, love the new camera.

[@jettdexter6719]

A trick: watch movies on kaldrostream. I've been using it for watching all kinds of movies lately.

[@zyaireesteban3361]

@Jett Dexter definitely, been watching on kaldrostream for years myself :D

[@mathew8543]

What are the odds that my gameboy happens to have a broken charging port and I was about to try and replace it. Same coloured gameboy too! Great vid

[@gunterxvoices4101]

Same here.

[@mmaaurraa4233]

Another great vid :)

[@davidusdavis7161]

In my gameboy The golden square is on the right side, does that matter?

[@debbiebesser9582]

Pin number two is the only one that works all the rest are broken. will this still work anyway?

[@iSupermanCKi]

Any chance you can give us a Type C tutorial with parts that are regularly available?

[@makho]

Did you not see the link in the description? I already did.

[@eye-zitt]

Hey, I checked my port and got 5.2 V off of a 5.2 V charger and both of my fuses have continuity as well, but my SP isn’t charging still. Any other tips to get it charging?

[@makho]

www.reddit.com/r/Game_Boy/wiki/repairs#wiki_game_boy_advance_sp_problems

[@eye-zitt]

makho Thanks!

[@jaehyuklee2329]

이거보고 고쳤어요!! 감사합니다!

[@chrisortiz2640]

What triwing screwdriver do you have? By any chance can you send me an exact link as to where you got them? The ones that I have cannot even open mine.

[@makho]

www.ifixit.com/Store/Tools/Mako-Driver-Kit--64-Precision-Bits/IF145-299?o=4

[@chrisortiz2640]

@@makho thank you.

[@jonathanmurphy7269]

I tested my charge port like you did but I am only getting at most 3V. Does that mean it is potentially the charge port? I also know it isn't my charger because this issue was consistent with 2 of my chargers

[@makho]

high resistance can look like that. Try cleaning your port.

[@BashoStrikes]

So I discovered an, apparently, unique problem with an SP board I recently aquired. The sound and volume through the speaker work great, as does the volume slider, but the sound through the headphone port is almost absent. It charges perfectly. I've cleaned and did a contact reflow - no difference. I've found absolutely nothing on the intertube about this - nada. Any ideas?

[@makho]

probably the port or your adapter

[@BashoStrikes]

@@makho Yeah, the port is a done deal. I switched it out for a usb-c. Thanks for the reply.

[@Ruslan.88266]

Nice!👍

[@m.emreak]

i f- up the place where w shoulc solder the new port so is there gadget or way to charge batter directly

[@makho]

Based off how you're phrasing this, I think the best course of action is to read more about circuits and practice soldering on something a bit more forgiving. When you're ready, the schematic can help you github.com/Gekkio/gb-schematics

[@m.emreak]

@@makho Thank you for your reply makho but it's the pcb i think you know the place where you need to solder new port's pins one of the six places is gone with the old one. so i suppose only way is charging battery outside of the gba i dont know like dslr battery chargers

[@phenheyden6094]

I tried to remove my charge port like this but I ended up ripping up a trace. I thought I'd just run it without a charge port till i had a chance to fix it but when I turned it on, the screen went bright white before it stopped turning on completely. 😢 any suggestions?

[@frunkchungus]

jumper wire time

[@BashoStrikes]

Could you mask the close points with kapton and use solder past with a heat gun?

[@makho]

Not sure how well that would work. Unless you mean to remove the port, then yeah, that would work great. I just didn't have hot air at the time or I would have done that from the start.

[@BashoStrikes]

@@makho I have one that needs replacing and I'm going to give it a try pretty soon. I'm confident about a proper flow at the contacts of the the port, but not so sure about other things not melting out of place near by. I feel the typically "tough" Nintendo solder will stay in place, especially if I use low temp solder paste. I will let ya'll know of the result.

[@jhlords2]

bruh i just orders a normal port and you said i could do it with a type c i should stay longer

[@Blues83Clues]

the original port has 6 pins, the replacements i can find only have 4. do we lose anything like sound via port with the new connector?

[@makho]

no, the replacements definitely have all six pins

[@Blues83Clues]

@@makho thanks. the photos i see online dont make it seem like there are 6 pins. are 2 bent under each other?

[@makho]

@@Blues83Clues it's the exact same part I used in the video.

[@reynafajardo950]

Not sure if you figured it out but 2 pins are hidden behind the 2 outer front pins

[@PivotBeginner100]

​@@reynafajardo950 just thought I bought the wrong port and saw the hidden pins, thank you!

[@-HDR]

These ports are pretty strange, i wonder if they are originally meant for something else.

[@makho]

I think they are the right ports but that the manufacturer skipped a few steps

[@chamoo232]

@@makho The DS fat uses the same port but I don't think it's a pass through either. Most likely you are right and the manufacturer just doesn't bother bending them in the right position as it's not just a standard 90 degree bend.

[@devilangel777]

I have to replace the link port. I assume the process is similar. The video is old so do you have any tips?

[@makho]

Link port is easy since all the pins are through hole. Just hit the eight pins with a solder sucker and then maybe you have to walk out the anchors. Otherwise should be very straightforward. Could even just run hot air against the bottom of the board since there's nothing underneath the link port.

[@MunkEMann]

Iron slipped back while getting the glob on the 4 pins and now 3 of my CPU pins are soldered together. It's so over.

[@makho]

It's not dead even if it's above your current skill level. Charge port mods in the SP are not what I'd consider beginner friendly. The GB discord is probably the place to go to seek help on this but they're going to tell you to start with a solder practice kit (and they're right) and learn to embrace flux.

[@MunkEMann]

@@makho yeah, I've done a ton of soldering on wires and automotive electrics, but this is like my second time soldering a circuit board.

[@Youtubeiscool865]

Sooo.. uhh what happens if you lift the traces? Cause.. I know a guy that may or may not be me that tore some traces off..

[@makho]

if they're audio traces, then just cleanup and move on. Four of the six traces are for headphone support. If you messed up the other two, you'll have to patch it.

[@Youtubeiscool865]

@@makho patch it with what? Is there a tutorial? Thank you for the reply. Please help :(

[@makho]

@@KZbiniscool865 wire

[@Porygonal64]

fucking hell. Just bought one of these damn charge ports and of course none of the pins line up. Why would they? It's not like it's an electrical component or anything.

[@makho]

I highly recommend just doing a USB C mod if you need to replace the port

[@flyingchic3n]

if god ment for humanity to solder, he would have given us three hands

[@makho]

you clearly lack foot dexterity

[@pomalejj]

Hi, I am getting 4.936. Is this good?

[@makho]

?

[@RyoSaeba0077]

Does the headphone adapter still work?

[@makho]

Yes

[@MrPCGamer2011]

What screwdriver kit is that

[@makho]

www.ifixit.com/products/mako-driver-kit-64-precision-bits

[@Stry-Glitch]

I destroyed 3 of my pad, damn those crap, I got the USB C mod, best decision I made for today, lucky enough, if was the one of the last pad standing lmao

[@dioxideuniversal]

Broke the pins on mine unable to get them into place, is there really no manufacturer that isn't skipping a step with this worthless trash part?

[@makho]

like I just mentioned in reply to another comment, this port was made and intended for 3rd party docks and accessories, not for GBAs specifically. Someone just found a stockpile of new-old stock (NOS) SP parts including the charge ports so if you really want to keep it stock, grab some of those to replace it. Otherwise, do a USB C mod. It's not worth trying to get one of these things to work.

[@pkendall99]

Why don’t you just replace it with a usb C one?

[@makho]

I have done that too. Some people want OEM ports for accessory compatibility.

[@MizuhoChan]

Are you feeling ok? Lots of sniffles.

[@makho]

FUCKING ALLERGIES I'm ok

[@MizuhoChan]

@@makho Good stuff. And yeah, I think USB-C is the way to go on this. If only I could print those spacers.

[@CratthewF]

Me, never having soldered anything: Yeah I could probably do this

[@makho]

One of the worst jobs to learn how to solder. I highly recommend starting with practice kits and coming back to this specific project after many hours of experience.

[@benjaminfuenzalida6765]

Tried to do this and i f*cked up all the traces under the port while trying to desolder it. Half of the pads fell apart from the motherboard. My motherboard is all ruined now.

[@makho]

I'm sorry that happened. I'd recommend getting more solder practice under your belt before trying again.

[@benjaminfuenzalida6765]

@@makho yeah i think it was my fault while trying to desolder the pins under the port, so i was told that i can still save the motherboard (it still turns on) by modding it with the usb c port mod. Sorry if i was an asshole with my first comment, but i was very frustrated after damaging the board trying to fix the port, your channel has rly helped me a lot to fix different issues

[@Stry-Glitch]

@@benjaminfuenzalida6765 you run just 1jumper for the Type C mode ;) it's not ruined :p

[@benjaminfuenzalida6765]

@@Stry-Glitch already sold the motherboard as junk product, got like 20 bucks for it

[@AgreeableDetail]

@@Stry-Glitch this is old and random but I lifted the third pin from the left. Just wondering if you might know where to run a jumper from if I just decide to do the usb c mod? Thanks !

[@j.a.styles547]

Looks much easier to do a type c mon than this..🤔hmmmm

[@dioxideuniversal]

It's annoying that these parts don't even match what they're meant to replace.

[@makho]

These aren't really intended to be for GBA SP consoles. There are aftermarket docks and such that use these through hole ports and that's what they're intended for. With enough elbow grease, as I showed, they do work in a SP, however.

[@Play-rb5zy]

Круто

[@Play-rb5zy]

👍