Guides

How to pick a retro console, handheld, dongle or mod kit as a gift, sorted by the kind of person you're buying for. Includes which console somebody grew up with by year, what pairs with what, and what to ask me to source for you.

How to install the DMG-01 headphone jack replacement board: desoldering the old harness, the hidden internal case trim, the Pro line-out wiring, testing, and the BOM source.

The complete guide to my 2-chip SNES RGB amplifier board: how to assemble a bare board (full BOM with every resistor position), and how to install it in a SHVC-CPU-01, GPM-01/02 or RGB-01/02 console. Wiring maps per revision, the optional cap refresh, bench test procedure and troubleshooting.

How to power an IPS-modded Game Gear, cycle the IPS display modes, care for the glass lens, and troubleshoot the usual problems.

How to power an original-screen Game Gear over USB-C with the included dongle, use the screen and controls, and get playing with cartridges.

How to power your original Game Boy (DMG-01) with the CA-DGBL1 5V USB-C Lite dongle: the critical center-negative polarity, why 5V is safe, and troubleshooting.

How to power your original Game Boy (DMG-01) with the CA-DGB1 6V USB-C dongle: the critical center-negative polarity, which USB source to use, and troubleshooting.

How to power your Sega Game Gear and the center-positive Sega family with the CA-DGGL1 9V USB-C PD Lite dongle: choosing a PD source, reading the status LED, and troubleshooting.

How to power your Sega Game Gear and the center-positive Sega family with the CA-DGG1 9V USB-C dongle: plug-in steps, which USB source to use, and troubleshooting.

The prototype dongles are cosmetic seconds of the Game Gear (9V) and Game Boy DMG (5V) units, electrically identical, with full setup instructions on the production guides.

How to power your NEC TurboExpress or PC Engine GT with the CA-DTEL1 9V USB-C PD Lite dongle: choosing a PD source, reading the status LED, and troubleshooting.

How to power your NEC TurboExpress or PC Engine GT with the CA-DTE1 7.5V USB-C dongle: what to plug in, which port to use, and how to troubleshoot.

How to power a Sony PSone, with or without its clip-on LCD screen, from the CA-DPSU2 USB-C dongle: which charger you need and why, how to spot the one failure mode that looks like nothing at all, and how long it runs off a power bank.

How to run a PlayStation 2 Slim from a USB-C charger or a battery bank with the CA-DPS2U1: which PS2 models it fits, what your charger has to be able to do, how to read the LED to confirm the negotiation worked, runtimes on batteries, and why plugging in a screen can reset the console.

What I do (and don't do) when restoring and testing the consoles and hardware I sell, from rust neutralization to real-world gameplay testing.

Everything I'd buy to get into electronics repair as a hobby, learned the expensive way: I'm on my third hot air station and fourth soldering iron because I didn't do the research. Soldering, hot air, microscope, meters, scope, thermal camera, bench supply, mains-safety gear, consumables, where to buy each thing, and who to learn from.

How to set up a Game Gear flash cart: it ships empty, how to load the SD card, menu basics, and the two ways to brick or lose data.