Arcade & Retro Repairs & Mods, all new recipe, with no added MSG...

o1s1n · 16-03-2018 10:12am

CiDeRmAn wrote: »

Cool, I can't wait now.
If I can find a cheap N64DD I'll nearly be done collecting... Right up to seeing something else all fancy like.

Just stick your N64 on top of a 3DO, that's what I used to do

I have a N64DD but it's completely dead, just a fun looking pedestal for my N64. Really suits the look of the console though!

DaveyDave · 22-03-2018 8:27pm

Just wondering if anyone has had success with adjusting the laser of the Dreamcast? Mine is having issues reading games. I read online that playing it upside down is a good test of whether it not it needs to be adjusted or replaced.

I gave it a try and it seems to play ok so I may open it up when try small adjustments.

22-03-2018 8:29pm

I'm in a similar boat, my dreamcasts laser is goosed and I was looking at getting a replacement but it's all cheap Chinese crap out there.
I decided to wait for the GD-emu to come back on sale instead. Handy looking bit of kit

DaveyDave · 22-03-2018 11:25pm

I've heard about the rails alright. I'm hoping as it reads discs upside down that it will be fine with an adjustment. Haven't cleaned the lens as I don't have any IPA (and honestly wouldn't know where to look to buy some!) and I'll use some compressed air to clear out dust.

If that doesn't work I'll clean and regrease the rails but I'll try do the minimum I can just so I'm not messing around with it too much.

Inviere · 23-03-2018 7:59am

DaveyDave wrote: »

I've heard about the rails alright. I'm hoping as it reads discs upside down that it will be fine with an adjustment. Haven't cleaned the lens as I don't have any IPA (and honestly wouldn't know where to look to buy some!) and I'll use some compressed air to clear out dust.

If that doesn't work I'll clean and regrease the rails but I'll try do the minimum I can just so I'm not messing around with it too much.

You should do the cleaning first, & only if that doesn't work, adjust the laser itself. If it doesn't need to be adjusted, and you adjust it, you'll end up burning it out a LOT quicker that way.

DaveyDave · 23-03-2018 3:08pm

Good thing I posted here, sounds like the information I had was wrong! I wouldn't mind but I read a few different threads saying this.

Any idea what grease would be ideal?

eric90000 · 24-03-2018 9:29pm

For anyone who's interested, CastleMania games are doing free international shipping on the HD Retrovision cables and the EON HDMI gamecube adaptors this weekend. They just posted on Twitter. I also found a coupon for 10% off: 'fromthegrave'.

Picked up a set of high quality male-to-male component cables for €12.75 shipped from the states...pretty banging deal considering how high quality their products are.

https://castlemaniagames.com/shop?olsPage=products

Steve X2 · 26-03-2018 1:27pm

Is there any use in getting a machine to create dual layer PCB's? Would I be able to create anything interesting audio/video/mod wise for use with consoles, or is it still better to design and send to China for manufacture?

I'm looking at a machine here for about 500 US dollars, it can do dual layer(connected by copper rivets it seems), hole drilling, soldering an some other stuff. I'm thinking it would be useful for prototyping as well, as you can go from design to pcb in minutes/hours rather than weeks months from China.

I don't have much experience as I know some of you do with PCB design, but I'm looking to start and was thinking this might be a good thingy to have.

https://www.voltera.io/

Any thoughts?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PeW1nURJ5ww

The Last Bandit · 26-03-2018 2:21pm

Would be useful for prototyping but thats about it really. Does it drills the holes and route out the boards as well, if not then not much use for thru-hole stuff.

Biggest problem is the lack of solder mask to protect the traces, you really don't want to be wasting time debugging a problem with your design that turns out to be cracked/scratched traces. Also, they mention 'solder they supply' makes me think you can't use regular off the shelf stuff.

Steve X2 · 26-03-2018 2:31pm

The Last Bandit wrote: »

Would be useful for prototyping but thats about it really. Does it drills the holes and route out the boards as well, if not then not much use for thru-hole stuff.

Biggest problem is the lack of solder mask to protect the traces, you really don't want to be wasting time debugging a problem with your design that turns out to be cracked/scratched traces. Also, they mention 'solder they supply' makes me think you can't use regular off the shelf stuff.

Yeah it does have a drill attachment for holes and whatnot. It’s basically a Cnc machine. I’d even guess it’s running a firmware very close to the what’s on open source 3D printers.
But you make some valid points, you do need to purchase their solder packs.

omb0wyn5ehpij9 · 26-03-2018 3:42pm

I have a SNES that is proving very temperamental for the last while. It can take up to 15 attempts to read a game! Any ideas what is causing it? Console and games needing a good clean? If so, any guides to tried and tested methods of cleaning?

o1s1n · 26-03-2018 3:49pm

Isopropyl alcohol and a cotton swab for the carts and a credit card (or something similar) with a piece of cloth over it bathed in Isopropyl for the console's cart slot.

Does the trick in most cases. You'll be surprised with how dirty the cart swabs come out.

Those crumbly rubbers/erasers are also good for cleaning cartridge edge connectors.

Inviere · 26-03-2018 3:52pm

What o1s1n says

Plus, the cart connector is really easy to remove from a Snes motherboard...two phillips screws I think, & it just lifts off allowing you to clean it better.

omb0wyn5ehpij9 · 26-03-2018 4:56pm

o1s1n wrote: »

Isopropyl alcohol and a cotton swab for the carts and a credit card (or something similar) with a piece of cloth over it bathed in Isopropyl for the console's cart slot.

Does the trick in most cases. You'll be surprised with how dirty the cart swabs come out.

Those crumbly rubbers/erasers are also good for cleaning cartridge edge connectors.

Is it that easy? I thought I would have to open up the SNES to get at the console's cart slot properly! I presume the best place for isopropyl alcohol is a chemist?

o1s1n · 26-03-2018 4:59pm

Last time I picked it up I bought a big bottle on ebay.

Yep it's definitely that easy, most cart based consoles that are booting to a black screen can be sorted with a bit of a clean like that. Handy to have a bottle on standby if you've a big cart collection.

Any time I'm tempted to blow on a cartridge I try to remember to use that instead!

omb0wyn5ehpij9 · 26-03-2018 5:01pm

o1s1n wrote: »

Last time I picked it up I bought a big bottle on ebay.

Yep it's definitely that easy, most cart based consoles that are booting to a black screen can be sorted with a bit of a clean like that. Handy to have a bottle on standby if you've a big cart collection.

Any time I'm tempted to blow on a cartridge I try to remember to use that instead!

My brother might have some of it, so I will try "borrow" some from him

! Is there any need to dry off the cart or console cart slot after cleaning? Obviously they won't be dripping wet, but are they ok for the bit of moisture to dry naturally?

Inviere · 26-03-2018 5:21pm

BDJW wrote: »

My brother might have some of it, so I will try "borrow" some from him ! Is there any need to dry off the cart or console cart slot after cleaning? Obviously they won't be dripping wet, but are they ok for the bit of moisture to dry naturally?

It evaporates quite quick, but best to leave it a few minutes just to be sure

Steve X2 · 26-03-2018 6:24pm

sugarman wrote: »

Yeah id agree with the above, ideally youd want 4 layer too in most audio/video devices to reduce interference.

Its a nice machine all the same, id still find a use for it... its just the price point. If it was half that id take a chance.

If youre interested in making your own PCBs by hand, look into etching.. results vary and its a good bit of effort but its fun to try and can be handy for samples.

Yeah, I could do some basic pcb etching using a 3D printer or my laser machine. But those look very basic from what I’ve seen online.

CiDeRmAn · 27-03-2018 8:53am

So I've a 8Bitdo FCPro controller, and the battery life has been appalling.
I'm thinking now of replacing the battery with something a bit more beefy but I am at a loss as to track down the closest match to the size of the existing battery while ensuring that the thing has more gaming hours available to me, the troubled gamer.

So, here's a pic of the interior of the controller, with the battery front and centre, if someone more accustomed to such things could point me in right direction to buy one I'd be very grateful!

img_3795.jpg?w=640

geotrig · 27-03-2018 9:42am

I replaced a battery similar to these last year on a watch device with battery deigned for gps's mainly or something similar ,only place i could get one that matched was from aliexpress or alibaba .might be worth taking measurements so you can get one that isnt too thick. if the ae code is the only one on it try that in places also

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/801635-3-7v-430mAh-3-7V/2052016971.html

o1s1n · 27-03-2018 10:15am

Don't meant to be smart but have you made sure you've switched it off after each use?

I thought the battery life was terrible too but as it turns out, silly me was forgetting to switch it off after I'd used it. (I was turning the Snes off but leaving the controller on, which was just silently staying on until the battery died)

Steve X2 · 27-03-2018 10:31am

Make sure to upgrade the firmware on your 8bitdo devices. They have loads of fixes and added support with the more recent versions. I bet there’s power saving and battery fixes in there as well.

CiDeRmAn · 27-03-2018 10:56am

It's updated alright.
And turning it off, yeah, it might improve things, but it's the first controller that needed such a measure, at least in my collection.
I would have assumed it would have a standby thingy where, not detecting any input, it would turn itself off.
But no, it seems it has to be manually turned off after use.

The shoulder buttons aren't in quite the right spots either, might invest in either the SnesPro or a Switch Pro controller instead.

o1s1n · 27-03-2018 11:19am

CiDeRmAn wrote: »

It's updated alright.
And turning it off, yeah, it might improve things, but it's the first controller that needed such a measure, at least in my collection.
I would have assumed it would have a standby thingy where, not detecting any input, it would turn itself off.
But no, it seems it has to be manually turned off after use.

The shoulder buttons aren't in quite the right spots either, might invest in either the SnesPro or a Switch Pro controller instead.

Yeah from what I've seen it just keeps scanning for bluetooth connections unless you switch it off. So just make sure to hold down the start button until it blinks off after you've used it. Took me until recently to figure that out :eek:

On a side point, I'm amazed nobody seems to have made a docking station for them. At the moment I've a USB cable coming out of my Kodi box that I charge them from, would be nice to have a little charging cradle to sit them in instead.

Steve X2 · 27-03-2018 2:05pm

o1s1n wrote: »

Yeah from what I've seen it just keeps scanning for bluetooth connections unless you switch it off. So just make sure to hold down the start button until it blinks off after you've used it. Took me until recently to figure that out :eek:

On a side point, I'm amazed nobody seems to have made a docking station for them. At the moment I've a USB cable coming out of my Kodi box that I charge them from, would be nice to have a little charging cradle to sit them in instead.

Plenty of stuff on Thingiverse for 8bitdo.
https://www.thingiverse.com/search?q=8bitdo&sa=&dwh=695aba414dcd756

o1s1n · 27-03-2018 3:05pm

:eek: I didn't think of that!

The Super Nintendo one with a red logo would be excellent. Could run a couple of USB cables up through the bottom of it.

Inviere · 01-04-2018 12:29pm

So you can use a Wiimote with a PC for emulation purposes, everyone knows that. Some clever people have taken it one step further though, you can use the bluetooth chip from a real Wii, and have Dolphin use it as a passthrough, thus allowing full control over the device for a 1:1 experience (zero lag, output sound from the Wiimote, functioning sync button, etc).

I built the circuit, according to the instructions:

...and mounted it in a Gamecube Memory Card carry case

So, combined with a usb Wii sensor bar, a real Wiimote & Nunchuk, and Dolphin, it provides what I'd now call a superior experience over an actual Wii. Just had a blast there of a few games, with the internal resolution bumped up, it looks and plays fantastically well.

o1s1n · 19-04-2018 7:35pm

Damn it, so I bought an AES copy of Samurai Shodown II to isolate whether the problem with my AES was the converter or my console - looks to be the console

Neo Geo logo appears, then the warning and no game follows.

Edge connector is immaculate. So clean there was no dirt at all after swabbing.

I wonder did years of inserting games via the converter maybe break a trace?

Other options are the video cable or the PSU ? Feels like I'd be clutching at straws at that point.

Inviere · 19-04-2018 8:05pm

o1s1n wrote: »

looks to be the console

On the bright side, at least you've a working N64 DD, the Retro Gods work in mysterious ways......

/runs

CiDeRmAn · 19-04-2018 8:43pm

o1s1n wrote: »

Damn it, so I bought an AES copy of Samurai Shodown II to isolate whether the problem with my AES was the converter or my console - looks to be the console

Neo Geo logo appears, then the warning and no game follows.

Edge connector is immaculate. So clean there was no dirt at all after swabbing.

I wonder did years of inserting games via the converter maybe break a trace?

Other options are the video cable or the PSU ? Feels like I'd be clutching at straws at that point.

Sounds like you need.... The Last Bandit!

Arcade & Retro Repairs & Mods, all new recipe, with no added MSG...

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