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I just received a NOS (CIB) VA5 Game Gear.

It powers on and plays games. This is the first GG I have seen that still has originals caps and works. I checked the boards and they look spotless. I was surprised.

However, the LCD looks like there are ripples or waves in the top layer of the LCD itself.

I have seen similar looking defects in lenses, but this is definitely not in the lens.

Has anyone come across this before? It almost looks like there is something removable on the top of the LCD... but I haven't touched it because I'm not sure I wouldn't cause damage.

Photo Aug 21, 10 30 38 PM.jpg (45.35 KB)

Ripples 1

Photo Aug 21, 10 30 50 PM.jpg (60.21 KB)

Ripples 2

That looks like a manufacturing defect, strange that it didn't get caught though...

Funny thing is that there is a prominent red QC PASSED sticker in one of the battery compartments.

After posting this it struck me that this is straightforward to fix. I just need to remove and replace the LCD polarizer. I've done the same to GBs and Wonderswans. I'll try replacing it over the weekend.

How do you get it off the glass ? It is glued on pretty tight...

It's not too hard. You just get under one corner with a fingernail or a razor and then peel up slowly. Sometimes it helps to heat the polarizer first.

Unfortunately, when I removed the polarizer from the screen in the first post, I discovered that the bottom polarizer was also damaged (presumably from being stored somewhere very hot). The bottom polarizer looks like it is sandwiched next to the LCD between two panes of glass, so I can't get to it without destroying the whole assembly.

I may try to transplant a good screen from another GG I have that I can't keep from resetting.

That's a bummer, but also opens up a perfect opportunity to fit a McWill LCD in there :)

I'd love to do that--but the McWill mod doesn't work on VA4, VA5, or Majesco Game Gears.

...at least not yet. On the AtariAge forums earlier this year he said he was working on it, but there isn't an ETA.

A VA5 Game Gear without a screen appears to be totally useless. No consolization mod or the like as of yet works with this revision.

If anyone has a VA5 GG with a busted motherboard but an otherwise functioning screen, please let me know. I have experience transferring screens, but don't have any of the VA5 screens, and where I live they are quite rare anyways.

Author	Message
blahblug Joined: 18 Jul 2017 Posts: 14	VA5 Game Gear "Ripples" on LCD Surface? Posted: Mon Aug 21, 2017 3:10 pm
blahblug Joined: 18 Jul 2017 Posts: 14	I just received a NOS (CIB) VA5 Game Gear. It powers on and plays games. This is the first GG I have seen that still has originals caps and works. I checked the boards and they look spotless. I was surprised. However, the LCD looks like there are ripples or waves in the top layer of the LCD itself. I have seen similar looking defects in lenses, but this is definitely not in the lens. Has anyone come across this before? It almost looks like there is something removable on the top of the LCD... but I haven't touched it because I'm not sure I wouldn't cause damage. Photo Aug 21, 10 30 38 PM.jpg (45.35 KB) Ripples 1 Photo Aug 21, 10 30 50 PM.jpg (60.21 KB) Ripples 2

TmEE Joined: 31 Oct 2007 Posts: 853 Location: Estonia, Rapla city	Posted: Mon Aug 21, 2017 8:48 pm
	That looks like a manufacturing defect, strange that it didn't get caught though...

blahblug Joined: 18 Jul 2017 Posts: 14	Posted: Tue Aug 22, 2017 1:56 pm
blahblug Joined: 18 Jul 2017 Posts: 14	Funny thing is that there is a prominent red QC PASSED sticker in one of the battery compartments. After posting this it struck me that this is straightforward to fix. I just need to remove and replace the LCD polarizer. I've done the same to GBs and Wonderswans. I'll try replacing it over the weekend.

TmEE Joined: 31 Oct 2007 Posts: 853 Location: Estonia, Rapla city	Posted: Tue Aug 22, 2017 5:15 pm
	How do you get it off the glass ? It is glued on pretty tight...

blahblug Joined: 18 Jul 2017 Posts: 14	Posted: Tue Aug 29, 2017 3:10 pm
blahblug Joined: 18 Jul 2017 Posts: 14	It's not too hard. You just get under one corner with a fingernail or a razor and then peel up slowly. Sometimes it helps to heat the polarizer first. Unfortunately, when I removed the polarizer from the screen in the first post, I discovered that the bottom polarizer was also damaged (presumably from being stored somewhere very hot). The bottom polarizer looks like it is sandwiched next to the LCD between two panes of glass, so I can't get to it without destroying the whole assembly. I may try to transplant a good screen from another GG I have that I can't keep from resetting.

dink Joined: 09 Dec 2013 Posts: 228 Location: detroit	Posted: Thu Aug 31, 2017 11:24 am
dink Joined: 09 Dec 2013 Posts: 228 Location: detroit	That's a bummer, but also opens up a perfect opportunity to fit a McWill LCD in there :)

blahblug Joined: 18 Jul 2017 Posts: 14	Posted: Tue Sep 12, 2017 3:57 pm
blahblug Joined: 18 Jul 2017 Posts: 14	I'd love to do that--but the McWill mod doesn't work on VA4, VA5, or Majesco Game Gears. ...at least not yet. On the AtariAge forums earlier this year he said he was working on it, but there isn't an ETA. A VA5 Game Gear without a screen appears to be totally useless. No consolization mod or the like as of yet works with this revision. If anyone has a VA5 GG with a busted motherboard but an otherwise functioning screen, please let me know. I have experience transferring screens, but don't have any of the VA5 screens, and where I live they are quite rare anyways.

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