Wii Laptop Screen Problems

timewarp · Post by **timewarp** » Sun Nov 02, 2008 4:30 pm

I've been working on a Wii Laptop for the past couple of weeks, and I've run into a snag. I found a nice 10.2" screen on eBay, and I won't have the thing running off batteries, but rather off of the Wii's PSU, like Ben's Laptop. I hooked up the screen's power leads to the ones on the Wii mobo, and when I start the thing up I get faint diagonal bands scrolling across the screen. I suspected this might be a result of a ground loop, so I hooked up the screen to some 9V batteries instead (the screen runs off of 9-12 volts), and the problem went away. Is there any way I can avoid having a separate power supply for the screen and the laptop?

Mario · Post by **Mario** » Sun Nov 02, 2008 5:58 pm

It may not be a ground loop, maybe the PSU simply can't handle the amp draw. Try taking out the backlight and see if the screen works then. The backlight sucks a lot of power. If it works fine then, then you'll have to LED mod.

Gordon1 · Post by **Gordon1** » Sun Nov 02, 2008 8:16 pm

Don't led mod such a big screen, it will look like crap. My advise would be get a biker psu if possible. Although, I don't know if the wii has a power brick or built in.

Post by **marshallh** » Sun Nov 02, 2008 9:25 pm

May well be an issue with the Wii's switching power supply. Trying putting a coil and diode in series with the screen's positive power line.

Mario · Post by **Mario** » Sun Nov 02, 2008 10:29 pm

Gordon1 wrote:Don't led mod such a big screen, it will look like crap. My advise would be get a biker psu if possible. Although, I don't know if the wii has a power brick or built in.

This guy did it. Link
I think it looks fantastic. It is only slightly dimmer than a CCFL (as all LED mods are). This is also a 17" screen, yours is only 10".

Gordon1 · Post by **Gordon1** » Sun Nov 02, 2008 10:36 pm

Mario wrote:
Gordon1 wrote:Don't led mod such a big screen, it will look like crap. My advise would be get a biker psu if possible. Although, I don't know if the wii has a power brick or built in.
This guy did it. Link
I think it looks fantastic. It is only slightly dimmer than a CCFL (as all LED mods are). This is also a 17" screen, yours is only 10".

Yeah, because there is only 40 of them there! Do you have any idea how much work that would be? Let alone adding to the size of portable/laptop. It is just not a good idea for something like this. Because odds are that quite a few will loose connectivity and potentially short something out.

This still quite amazing. However, I would only recommend this for a desktop or something stationary.

Although, I did find this

timewarp · Post by **timewarp** » Tue Nov 04, 2008 5:01 pm

Thanks for your thoughts, guys. I think what I'll just do is buy another PSU, this one specifically:
http://www.trcelectronics.com/Meanwell/ps-15-12.shtml
And just have this powering the screen instead.