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Light shield modification/general FAQ
The faq is outdated, it's been added to my list of things to do :)
What is the purpose of this modification?
How long do the batteries last with this modification?
Is the glare still there, how bad is it?
Why not just buy an interact glowguard, doesn't it use an LED?
Will the dimmer switch still work with this modification?
Do I have to use the radioshack LED?
Will the modified light shield work with my AC adapter?
"I have kept" -or- Is there a way to keep the reflector with this modification?
Who are you, are you affiliated with a company or something?
What is the purpose of this modification?
Didn't think I'd have to answer this question but since someone asked on a message board: The purpose is to create a brighter, whiter light from the best made(quality wise) light shield on the market while gaining battery life.
How long do the batteries last with this modification?
I tested the GBA powered on, and constantly lit. On 2 panasonic alkaline AAs it lasted nearly 10 hours.
Is the glare still there, how bad is it?
The glare is definitely still there, because it is the nature of the GBA's screen. It is as reflective as a mirror and without some sort of anti-glare coating or add on screen cover there will always be a glare. The nice thing about this mod is that the light is so white and bright you can almost play it without the bulb directly over the screen. You can also position the bulb over the screen and change your angle of viewing for great results.
Why not just buy an interact glowguard, doesn't it use an LED?
As I've stated on this site in a couple places, I had planned to buy a glowguard but could not find one anywhere. Since this faq was first written, I've put up a review of the glowguard.
Will the dimmer switch still work with this modification?
The dimmer switch is basically a variable resistor. When running a gameboy advance game the output of the link port is 3v and the dimmer switch will show no difference in the light emitted whether it is completely lowered, or completely raised. When a gameboy color or regular gameboy game is played the link output voltage raises to 5v so it is best to keep the dimmer in the lowest position at all times since the LED is rated at 3.6v and will most likely burn out prematurely at an out of spec voltage rating.
Do I have to use the radioshack LED?
I used the radioshack LED out of chance and convenience. I originally went to EB to get a glowguard to pull the LED out of it, but they didn't have the glowguard in stock. I'm currently researching other LED's and hope to either implement a brighter (higher mcd rating) LED into the mod, or possibly implement multiple LED's using a proprietary power source(fancy way of saying the LED's would run off of their own batteries instead of the link port).
Will the modified light shield work with my AC adapter?
I have not tested the modified light shield with an AC adapter so I cannot say that it will or will not work. Update: I have received an e-mail from Harofox61@cs.com concerning the AC adapter: "Now my ac adaptor works with the lightshield
mod. Before the gba would just shutoff like in a sec. I think u should add
that little fact to your site."
"I have kept" -or- Is there a way to keep the reflector with this modification?
Yes, it is possible to keep the reflector from the original design of the pelican light shield. It requires an additional step of cutting a slot in the reflector to accommodate the larger size of the LED. However, I did not post this step as part of the walkthrough since I have come to the conclusion that the benefit would not be worth the extra work or effort since the LED by design is a directional light therefore does not benefit enough (in my opinon) to make the extra effort in this mod.
Who are you, are you affiliated with a company or something?
My name is Paul and I am not affiliated with any company or organization. I'm just a frustrated GBA owner who was looking for a better lighting device than the ones that were currently available on the market.
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