17 Reply by friendofmegaman

(2 replies, posted in Nintendo Handhelds)

Tecosa wrote:

Alright, so I got a science-guy arduinoboy off eBay. One cable is for a DMG and the other is for color/advance. I was wondering if there is anyway of making the DMG input a color/advance one, so that I have two cables that would work to sync two advances. Would soldering work, or is there no way around this?

Thanks in advance. /wink

If I understand it right:

- You have an arduino boy that has a DMG and a GBA cables.
- You want it to have 2 GBA cables as opposed to 1-DMG 1-GBA
- And you want it in order to sync 2 GBAs.

Let's assume you made it and now you have 2 GBAs connected to you arduinoboy.

1. How do you know they will sync? I think what will happen is arduinoboy won't work at all. Because two cables are for your convenience only (depending on which GB your plugging it to). And they don't serve as syncing tool. But to be fair I've never tried that, so I might be wrong.

2. At what level do you want to sync them? Do you want two LSDJs run in sync? Or do you want to sync at MIDI level?

As for turning a DMG cable to a color one. Yes you can cut the DMG jack and solder a GB jack. However you must be extremely careful and test it thoroughly because colors of the wires are not consistent. That is soldering red wire of DMG link cable to the red wire of a GBA link cable doesn't guarantee that it's the same data/clock line. Do you see what I mean?

Sorry for not being able to help staright away, perhaps if you provide more details someone more educated than me will give you the correct response. Cheers!

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18 Topic by friendofmegaman

(3 replies, posted in Nintendo Handhelds)

Correct me if my wrong - DMG (as well as any other GB) has switching power supply, therefore if batteries and adapter are both in place battery supply is switched off.

Now if we replace batteries with a LiPo cell and wire adapter jack directly to charging PCB it should be fine. It will be powering the boy and charging the cell. No current will be sucked from the cell.

Or am I missing something?

Cheeers!

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19 Reply by friendofmegaman

(16 replies, posted in Nintendo Handhelds)

MidnightAbyss wrote:
friendofmegaman wrote:

You need this http://amzn.com/B004OKDW20. This is 40%

I got your link to work by removing the period. The stuff you linked is called 40 Volume but it's H2O2 percentage is 12% not 40%. Hair products are listed as V10, V20, V30, and V40. The jump from each one is 3% H2O2. So V10 has 3% and V40 has 12%.


Black light would go too.

Weird I'm pretty sure I read on the back of the tube that it has 40% H2O2... I'll double check it once I get home.

Plus I noticed you chose the xantam gum approach. I wouldn't recommend you that because the thing is too hard to clean off. Especially from groovy parts and screw holes. The hair solution I linked can be used as is. And way easier to remove.

EDIT
Also updated link on the original post, sorry, didn't notice the dot.

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20 Reply by friendofmegaman

(16 replies, posted in Nintendo Handhelds)

So in my experience 3% H2O2 isn't too efficient. You need this http://amzn.com/B004OKDW20 This is 40%

Buy a couple and coat your GB shells in it. Then wrap it in the clear (100% clear!) shrink wrap and put under UV light (or direct sunlight, but I haven't tried it I go with UV lamp).

Again in my experience small amounts of yellow goes off in mere hours, good deal of yellow in 24 hours, hardcore yellowness might take up to 48 hours.

What I tried it with:
- Original Famicom very yellowed - whitens it to 'vanilla' color, not perfectly white. Took 24 hours
- Famicom model 2 considerably yellowed (not too hardcore) - took 24 hours to restore original color
- NES controller so yellow, brown even - took around 40 hours to return to original color
- Front panel of SNES (one surrounding joystick slots) a bit yellowed - took 2 hours

IMPORTANT!!!
This is ONLY relevant for the side EXPOSED TO UV. You need to turn it over and give another side a go (given it's also yellow of course, it might be good).

Finally.
Retrobright works best on grey and colorful plastic. I think you will be able to fully recover your blueboy's color (I actually have one blueboy myself with a bit of yellowing but haven't brightened it yet).
As for white white (such as white boy) certainly give it a fair coat and leave it at least for 24 hours. It might not recover completely but should be much better.

And most importantly please keep us posted and show the pics wink

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21 Reply by friendofmegaman

(3 replies, posted in Nintendo Consoles)

Finally done. A short write up is on my blog in case you're curious http://friendofmegaman.wordpress.com/20 … o-famicom/

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22 Reply by friendofmegaman

(47 replies, posted in Nintendo Handhelds)

You could buy a broken AGS-101 and the ribbon "adapter" it will cost you around $30-$40 total. But you have to be patient since even broken SPs are too bloody expensive these days.

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23 Reply by friendofmegaman

(3 replies, posted in Nintendo Consoles)

And btw these two tutorials describe essentially the same mod, just executed slightly differently

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24 Reply by friendofmegaman

(3 replies, posted in Nintendo Consoles)

So I tried the second one (http://jpx72.detailne.sk/modd_files/fc/avmod.htm) and it worked.

I tried it on my breadboard first:

I didn't solder the caps to PPU and CPU as the tutorial required and didn't cut the trace to pin 21. I just wanted to test the concept and to my surprise the picture was pretty good. So called "jail bars" were barely noticeable.

I took GND and +5V directly from the voltage regulator (you can check 7805 datasheet to know which pin is which).

Now 3 things are left to do:
1. RCA sound mod
2. Finish the AV mod (add the caps)
3. Drill the holes in the housing shell for RCA jacks (not sure yet where to put them).

I wonder how hard would it be to preserve the RF signal also...

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25 Reply by friendofmegaman

(12 replies, posted in Nintendo Consoles)

yogi wrote:

Replacing the main xtal would affect the PPU as well as the 2A03, and would mess with the timing of the video signal.

Aha, got it, thanks!

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26 Reply by friendofmegaman

(12 replies, posted in Nintendo Consoles)

Waaaait a second.... why can't we de-solder the native crystal and replace it with, say 24 MHz one?

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27 Reply by friendofmegaman

(12 replies, posted in Nintendo Consoles)

onapokoya wrote:
yogi wrote:

You would risk breaking the pin off the IC; you'd have to do allot of bending to pull just one pin. If you'er dead set on not cutting a trace, I would  de-solder the whole chip and then bend the pin.
With cutting a trace it's a simple job to restore it; the solder mask is very easy to scratch off. I've repaired cracked PCBs, bridging all the broken traces and epoxying the crack on the  board. I had a monitor that lasted 10yrs after I rescued it smile
Yogi

This is what I was thinking would happen as well but I just didn't get it out right. I bivert DMGs and I just cut the traces. If removing single pins was required I wouldn't bother. I think that would be too much work and too risky. Also recently added some link ports to a few Super Gameboys and I just cut the required traces. I never even considered removing a whole pin. It would probably just break the pin off while trying to remove it.

I guess it's just the matter of taste, because for me lifting two pins of the lcd socket is a piece of cake. I tried cutting once, but I ended up undercutting and needed several goes to finish.

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28 Reply by friendofmegaman

(12 replies, posted in Nintendo Consoles)

DIL socket sounds good!

I've never tried fixing cut PCBs... in fact I have a cracked Super Metroid and Yogi's story makes me want trying this method and restore the cartridge...

Anyways thanks for the good advice fellas

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29 Reply by friendofmegaman

(12 replies, posted in Nintendo Consoles)

onapokoya wrote:

Wouldn't pulling the pin be just as "irreversible" as cutting the trace? I'd think just cutting the trace would be easier 'cause if you want to revert it back to stock then you just jump a bit of solder across the cut trace.

I believe it wouldn't since you can either put it back to the hole and add a bit of solder or use a small wire to connect the pin. What I meant by pulling it out is that you just kind of take out the leg from the hole you don't cut it or anything.

Frankly I do not understand how would you solder back a PCB trace. Indeed you could solder two ends of the cut trace with a wire but what do you mean by jumping a bit of solder? You mean one should scrub the PCB to expose the copper and then solder two parts of the cut trace? Because I don't see where the solder sticks to on this case....

bitjacker wrote:

dont wreck a nes. have a professional do it!

I won't smile I'm actually saving non-working consoles (and modding some of them) not wrecking wink



The reason I'm asking is that no tutorial actually explains why should you *cut* the trace, so I was hoping that someone familiar with the schematic would give me quick answer. I think I'll look into the schematic myself and try to figure can I avoid cutting traces or not (I just don't like cutting anything on PCB). I'll keep you updated smile

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30 Topic by friendofmegaman

(12 replies, posted in Nintendo Consoles)

Hello,

So I went through a couple of tutorials how to oveclock a NES (such as this one). They all require cutting traces to pin 29 of the CPU. I don't understand why. Can I just desolder and pull out this pin? Don't want to make irreversible changes to the PCB. Thanks.

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31 Reply by friendofmegaman

(4 replies, posted in Nintendo Handhelds)

Jazzmarazz wrote:

Go to Menards and buy a dremel kit for $9.99.
IU can't find the one I use anymore, but here is a similar one:
http://www.menards.com/main/tools-hardw … -10099.htm

Cyt yourself a rectangle, and then shape it with one of the filing tools. You do not need a perfect trapezoid though, if you cover the hole with the metal plate on your DB-25.

Yah I already have a rotary tool and cutting bits I'll give it a go. Thank you guys!

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32 Reply by friendofmegaman

(4 replies, posted in Nintendo Handhelds)

Category wrote:

Awkward holes and filing are made much easier with a dremel (or similar "rotary hobby tool") - just make the hole too small to begin, and "stretch" it out as needs with filing bit.

I take it you're going AC adapter only on this DMG?

Nope. I'm gonna put this lipo cell instead. It fits perfectly the battery compartment so I can remove metal springs and this will give enough space for DB connector smile

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