Recommended Equipment

This mod requires a high amount of skill and soldering experience to pull off. You will also need to be properly kitted to tackle this project. With that said, please review these notes before starting the project.

Important Things Before You Start

1. This project requires you remove some components from an original Game Boy Advance. This will require a hot air rework station. If you do not have experience removing components, especially large ones, with a hot air station, I highly recommend you practice on something else before starting.
2. I am not responsible for any damage you do to your self or your property. Attempt this project at your own risk.
3. I do not guarantee design compatibility. You may encounter issues with certain games or other mods. There is also a chance I have made an error in the design or the BOM - if this is the case, I will do everything I can to address the problem as quickly as possible.

Equipment

• Safety first! A fume extractor and safety glasses are a minimum. I also wear gloves to prevent burns.
• You will need basic tools, like a soldering iron, tweezers, etc. You'll also need to be proficient at drag soldering with the soldering iron - for this I recommend a wide soldering tip.
• You should use flux to make soldering easier. There are hundreds and hundreds of solder joints on this project, and any one missing or bridged joint could prevent the Game Boy from working.
• As mentioned, a hot air station is required to remove the GBA CPU and RAM. You can't only use a hot plate to do this, because the GBA board is double-sided. There are parts on the opposite side of the CPU that prevent you from using a hot plate without first removing those parts.
  • That said, a hot plate is very handy for soldering parts on the AGBM board, and I've designed it so that you can use a hot plate for most steps.
• And to clean off all that flux, you'll want to get some isopropyl alcohol. I use 99% - the higher the concentration, the better. You can use Q-tips to clean, but be careful - the fibers can get caught on component leads. I personally use rigid (not cottony) nail polish removal pads, and sometimes a (not-for-oral-use) toothbrush.
• In order to test-as-you-build, you should get a multimeter of some sort. I personally use a Fluke 117, but that's a higher-end one that's definitely overkill if this is the only thing you're gonna use a meter for. You can get other cheap ones online, just make sure it can measure voltage and resistance.
• If you're making a lithium-ion version of the AGBM, you'll need tools to cut a hole in the shell for the USB-C port. I use flush cutters and a file set, but you could be cool and get a fine drill set.