Afterburner Installation Guide

Thinking of installing an Afterburner back light in your GBA all by yourself? Let GamePro be your guide in this step-by-step digital handbook, complete with photos!

Triton Labs' Afterburner is a pretty amazing GBA backlight device?when it's installed correctly. While a properly inserted Afterburner provides awesome backlighting that no Worm Light, UFO light, Shark Light, Super Dragon God Light Deluxe, or any other external light (aside from maybe an airplane reading light) can come close to rivaling, an improperly installed Afterburner can leave your GBA a wreck-bubbles in the screen, distortion, and even permanent non-functionality can result if you screw up a step or solder an improper connection.

While GamePro highly recommends the Afterburner for anyone frustrated with their GBA lighting situation, we also highly recommend you get someone professional to do it for you. www.portablemonopoly.net is one reputable online site; they offer installation AND hardware for $50?and believe us, it's WELL WORTH IT. A big list of installers is also available here at Triton Labs' online forums. The install process is long (it took me 4 hours, and I used to do this kind of thing for a living before coming to GamePro) and involves cutting, soldering, drilling?and voiding your GBA warranty.

We also know that some people are just going to ignore us and try to do it themselves anyway, despite that very, very sound advice. Here's a hopefully helpful step-by-step guide for you crazy kids. We highly, highly, highly recommend you read EVERY STEP before even attempting this?just so you know the mess you're getting in to. And don't say we didn't warn you if your GBA doesn't work once you're through.

WHAT'S INCLUDED IN THE AFTERBURNER KIT:

  • Afterburner Light (don't peel off the plastic liners yet!!!)
  • Black Wire
  • Red Wire
  • One brightness dial (potentiometer, optional)
  • Anti-reflective film (again?don't peel off the plastic liners yet!!!)
  • 44 ohm resistor
  • Black Plastic Card (for prying the screen off the plastic)
WHAT YOU'LL NEED TO GET YOURSELF:
  • Soldering Iron (you can get it from Radio Shack)
  • Solder w/flux (also a Radio Shack item)
  • Wire Strippers (to strip a couple of the tiny-gauge wires, Radio Shack)
  • Heavy-duty Wire Cutters (cuts wires, resistors?heavy-duty because it works well for cutting plastic, too. Radio Shack)
  • Dremel or drill (for optional brightness dial, find it at a hardware store)
  • Exacto Knife (For more precision "clean-up" plastic shaving. Lots of places have these, hardware stores, drug stores, craft/hobby stores, etc.)
  • Tri-wing screwdriver (a tiny, three-pronged screwdriver to open the back panel) and 1/16" flathead screwdriver (hardware store is your best bet?kinda hard to find)
  • Needlenose pliers (for "holding" small pieces)
  • Fine Marker (for marking up the GBA casing)
  • Rubber Cement or Epoxy (to keep the potentiometer in place)
  • Extreme Patience

    Before beginning, make sure all of this stuff is handy. Have a little bowl or dish nearby where you can keep your screws and other little plastic pieces, because you'll be collecting a lot of them as you go along?and you don't want to lose them.