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I've been wanting to make a portable N64 for years now, finally decided it's time. I'm hoping to keep the budget around $100 (not including the N64,a MakoPad, and tools which I already have).
I will keep this thread updated with pictures etc once I have some.
Here's the list of parts I plan to buy or already have: (* indicates 'already have')
I will try to keep this list updated with everything I had to buy, in case someone wants to replicate this project. I will provide links if applicable, prices, and/or location of purchase.
* N64 Console (Black), had it for who knows how many years.
* MakoPad
* Generic 3rd Party N64 Controller to rip anything else from
* $22.99 - 4.3" LCD Screen http://www.ebay.com/itm/4-3-Inch-LCD-4-3-TFT-Rearview-Monitor-Screen-for-Car-Backup-Camera-DVD-VCD-GPS-/380528992099?pt=US_Rear_View_Monitors_Cams_Kits&hash=item58994b9f63 (http://www.ebay.com/itm/4-3-Inch-LCD-4-3-TFT-Rearview-Monitor-Screen-for-Car-Backup-Camera-DVD-VCD-GPS-/380528992099?pt=US_Rear_View_Monitors_Cams_Kits&hash=item58994b9f63)
* $20.12 - Polycase ZN-45 (was hoping to get something smaller but this is my first portable so I'm going to try to keep things on the easy side) http://www.polycase.com/zn-45 (http://www.polycase.com/zn-45)
* $15 - AUVIO? MP3 Folding Speaker from Radioshack - http://www.made-by-bacteria.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=179&t=1897 (http://www.made-by-bacteria.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=179&t=1897)
* $0 - TI Power Regulator Sample PTH08080WAZ (site's sample page didn't work, but contacted support and they gave me two for free) http://www.ti.com/product/pth08080w (http://www.ti.com/product/pth08080w)
* $24 - x2- Li-Ion Battery 7.4v 2000mAh for Canon BP-915 camera (will be wired together for 4000mAh) http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=390436247634 (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=390436247634)
* $5.29 - Knockoff battery charger: http://www.ebay.com/itm/BP-915-BP915-BATTERY-CHARGER-FOR-Canon-GL1-GL2-XL1-XL2-/130353785237?pt=Batteries_Chargers&hash=item1e59b0e995 (http://www.ebay.com/itm/BP-915-BP915-BATTERY-CHARGER-FOR-Canon-GL1-GL2-XL1-XL2-/130353785237?pt=Batteries_Chargers&hash=item1e59b0e995)
* $1.39 - 100uF 16v+ capacitor from Radioshack
* $1.50 - 1.8 Ohm resistor from Radioshack
* $8.99 - Spool of shielded wire from Radioshack
* $2.00 - On/Off switch of some kind from Radioshack
* $11 - 20mm Fan from Fry's
* $3 - Charging plug + port from Radioshack
* $7 - Copper Heatsinks http://www.ebay.com/itm/330849884420?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649 (http://www.ebay.com/itm/330849884420?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649)
Tools:
* Dremel brand kit w/ sanding drums and various different cutting wheels
* Soldering Iron
- Precision electronics tip
* Lead-free solder
* Solder wick
* Solder sucker
* Various Pliers and Screwdrivers
* Gamebit screwdriver (go to hell nintendo) Made my own bit, check page 2 of the thread
Here's my planned case design, I'm open to suggestions as far as placement of the cartridge slot. Currently I plan to make a cradle on the back of the case (for easy access and easy install), but if I could have it any more flush with the overall design, I'm open to it.)
(https://dl.dropbox.com/u/7345145/N64/N64.png)
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Trem... I'm gonna keep my door unlocked tonight... ;)
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Trem... I'm gonna keep my door unlocked tonight... ;)
:mother:
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Just got the two PTH08080WAZ regulator's in the mail... not only did TI give them to me for free but they Fedex overnighted them... jesus christ I feel like I stole these
(https://dl.dropbox.com/u/7345145/N64/PTH08080WAZ.jpg)
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are you making only one? I still have thousands of cartridges, and putting them to use on-the-go would be amazing.
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are you making only one? I still have thousands of cartridges, and putting them to use on-the-go would be amazing.
Depends on how this one goes. If it goes well and I feel like I can improve on the design etc I will probably make multiple revisions and eventually settle on one where I can make multiple copies and sell them.
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where I can make multiple copies and sell them.
Let us know how it goes, I'd totally be in on buying one.
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Let us know how it goes, I'd totally be in on buying one.
Sounds good, I'll definitely post about it here.
Just got home with more parts: Speakers, resistors, capacitors, some switches, and some 20 guage stranded wire.
I opened the N64 up today - I almost bought a gamebit screwdriver but for now I'm too cheap. I spent a few minutes hacking up a drill bit using my Dremel and ended up with a cruel little tool that (with some elbow grease) helped me remove the security screws. Credit to this guide for the idea: http://www.made-by-bacteria.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=228&t=861
(https://dl.dropbox.com/u/7345145/N64/IMG_0135.JPG) (https://dl.dropbox.com/u/7345145/N64/IMG_0133.JPG)
As far as the speakers go, I'm debating whether to waste my time removing the glue from around the speakers in order to mount them with hot glue in my case, or to just cut around the speakers and frankencase them into my case - the latter won't look as clean but it saves time and the speaker grate is already made. For now I've cut them down to a workable size - later I will probably remove them from the glue so that I can do a clean mount:
(https://dl.dropbox.com/u/7345145/N64/IMG_0136.JPG)
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Just finished ripping off all the connections I don't need from the motherboard as well as disconnecting the game cartridge port. Will solder the wires to the port tomorrow.
(https://dl.dropbox.com/u/7345145/N64/IMG_0137.JPG)
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awesome progress trem, looks like its coming along nicely :D
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Looks good trem 8)
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Bought more parts today, will solder the game port later today when I get time.
(https://dl.dropbox.com/u/7345145/N64/IMG_0139.JPG)
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It took about an hour but I managed to get all 48 26-guage wires trimmed & stripped. Also just finished tinning the prongs of the game pack. I'll tin the joints on the motherboard next and then start wiring.
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Alright Treminaor, I know that I'm pretty demanding expecially for a member that doesn't bring a whole lot to the table, but I still have an Atari 2600. Any chance you'd be willing to put a screen in that? I mean, playing Pitfall, Outlaw and Chopper Command on the go would be equal in excitement to being asked to be one of the main characters in The Expendables 3 and then finding out that my ex-wife got hit by a truck on the same day.
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(https://www.ugx-mods.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.memegenerator.es%2Fimagenes%2Fmemes%2F3%2F2225527.jpg&hash=855525e156e3530044b212a92bfa2dd779633c5f)
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Alright Treminaor, I know that I'm pretty demanding expecially for a member that doesn't bring a whole lot to the table, but I still have an Atari 2600. Any chance you'd be willing to put a screen in that? I mean, playing Pitfall, Outlaw and Chopper Command on the go would be equal in excitement to being asked to be one of the main characters in The Expendables 3 and then finding out that my ex-wife got hit by a truck on the same day.
Like this but with a 2600? http://benheck.com/06-18-2008/atari-7800-portable
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Well I'm not particularly proud of the work, but I've started soldering the wiring for the game pak slot. I checked with a magnifying glass - nothing's bridged and the joints are acceptable. I'll hot glue over it once I verify the wiring works. The reason the wires look so high up on the joints is NOT because I used too much solder or anything - it's because there are still partial pieces of old pins in the slots which I have soldered onto. Should be fine.
(https://dl.dropbox.com/u/7345145/N64/IMG_0141.JPG)
The sleeving is a little burnt up but other than looking bad it shouldn't effect things. The wires have been worked with too much honestly but I didn't have the motifivation to re-clip and restrip both of ends of 48 new wires, haha. What happened was initially I soldered all 48 wires to the wrong row of ports - no damage done but the time's wasted.
I'll do the other row next, then wire the other ends to the game pak slot.
Batteries should be here tomorrow or the next day I think. Hopefully once they arrive I can test things.
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Ok I finished the second row on the board, and finished one of the rows on the game pak slot. One more row to go on the slot, then I to test the board by supplying power and a display in order to check for video output and game load.
(https://dl.dropbox.com/u/7345145/N64/IMG_0143.JPG)
(https://dl.dropbox.com/u/7345145/N64/IMG_0144.JPG)
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I think the game slot is finally completely soldered. I'm tempted to glue it all now before anything breaks but I really want to test it before I make it semi-permanent. As soon as the batteries come in the mail (hopefully tomorrow) I will wire everything up and test the cartridge slot. If it doesn't work I'm going to scream because I spent two hours soldering this slot :'(
(https://dl.dropbox.com/u/7345145/N64/IMG_0147.JPG)
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I hope your batteries get there soon :/ i wanna see it in action
btw was there no easier way then soldering, like just leaving it where it was originally?
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I hope your batteries get there soon :/ i wanna see it in action
btw was there no easier way then soldering, like just leaving it where it was originally?
If I had left it where it was, the cartridge would stick out the back of the case perpendicular to everything. Would be pretty shitty imo, look bad and your fingers would hit it. If I had to make a lot of these I would probably leave it that way though unless the person gave me like $50ish extra - its a lot of work for looks.
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ohh ok i see now. when my bro gets back from collage im ganna make a sega genisis potable
EDIT: or not http://www.geekosystem.com/ultimate-portable-game-player-genesis-games/ (http://www.geekosystem.com/ultimate-portable-game-player-genesis-games/)
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nice idea, im getting near finishing my xbox
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nice idea, im getting near finishing my xbox
Post some pics in your thread! :)
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Screen works nicely:
(https://dl.dropbox.com/u/7345145/N64/IMG_0148.JPG)
Has controls for Brightness, Contrast, Color, and Aspect Ratio (16:9 stretched or 4:3 natural)
Charger works and was powering the screen - I will hotglue the wires so that they aren't exposed.
(https://dl.dropbox.com/u/7345145/N64/IMG_0149.JPG)
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Screen works nicely:
(https://dl.dropbox.com/u/7345145/N64/IMG_0148.JPG)
Has controls for Brightness, Contrast, Color, and Aspect Ratio (16:9 stretched or 4:3 natural)
Charger works and was powering the screen - I will hotglue the wires so that they aren't exposed.
(https://dl.dropbox.com/u/7345145/N64/IMG_0149.JPG)
hahaha you're watching, "It's always sunny in Philadelphia" Great show.
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hahaha you're watching, "It's always sunny in Philadelphia" Great show.
One of the best
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I've got the 3.3v regulator and the power cable wired to the board (this is temporary, I will incorporate the batteries when they arrive)
(https://dl.dropbox.com/u/7345145/N64/IMG_0154.JPG)
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I quickly wired up the screen's video signal and power line to the board and plugged things in - no power indication on the board - LED remained unlit on the N64 mobo. I assume there's a short somewhere, I'll investigate tomorrow.
(https://dl.dropbox.com/u/7345145/N64/IMG_0156.JPG)
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I quickly wired up the screen's video signal and power line to the board and plugged things in - no power indication on the board - LED remained unlit on the N64 mobo. I assume there's a short somewhere, I'll investigate tomorrow.
You need to activate the Stick Insect module for it to work correctly.
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Batteries and heatsinks arrived today:
(https://dl.dropbox.com/u/7345145/N64/IMG_0166.JPG)
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Progress updated from 30% to 50%.
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Turns out I had a voltage issue - now the system powers on via batteries. This thing is officially portable now. However I still have no video signal - I assume there is a wiring issue with my game cartridge slot relocation. I will be examining that closer today.
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I bet you still haven't activated the stick insect module... tsk tsk. This will be causing huge problems without the required attention!
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Everything is working now :gusta:
I'll have a video soon of the progress.
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:rainbow:
Everything is working now :gusta:
I'll have a video soon of the progress.
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Everything is working now :gusta:
I'll have a video soon of the progress.
I TOLD YOU it was the stick insect module! See, now you've activated it and everything just works perfectly.
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Didn't have much time today but I spent an hour just now on the A/B button hole and I also cut out the C button array to work on more tomorrow:
(https://dl.dropbox.com/u/7345145/N64/IMG_0196.JPG)
I'll epoxy them in and spray some filler into the gaps when I finish all the other holes.
(https://dl.dropbox.com/u/7345145/N64/IMG_0198.JPG)
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Alright I just glued in the C button array, the A/B button array, and the Start button hole. Screen hole is already done. What remains is the D-Pad hole, the Joystick hole, the R/L holes, and the Z hole. I plan to cut out the joystick from a Gamecube controller that I ordered on eBay. Once I cut and mount all of the holes I will spray the gaps with the primer filler I got. Once that sets I will sand it down and prep for paint.
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Alright I just glued in the C button array, the A/B button array, and the Start button hole. Screen hole is already done. What remains is the D-Pad hole, the Joystick hole, the R/L holes, and the Z hole. I plan to cut out the joystick from a Gamecube controller that I ordered on eBay. Once I cut and mount all of the holes I will spray the gaps with the primer filler I got. Once that sets I will sand it down and prep for paint.
sounds awesome :D
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Added the D-Pad - can't do the joystick until the GC controller arrives - I'm expecting that to be tomorrow.
I will do the L/R/Z buttons next.
(https://www.ugx-mods.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi49.tinypic.com%2F30hqwkh.png&hash=516d8812098239a41f9579499e65a39d6b8ba3b8) (https://dl.dropbox.com/u/7345145/N64/IMG_0201.JPG)
I will add filler to close the hole gaps around the button pieces and then paint over the whole case piece so that it is all the same color and opacity.
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Watching you explain all this made me think of a quote from Dirty Work.
"Ninety degrees."
"That's gonna be a problem."
"What's the problem?"
"We lied on our resumes. We know nothing about construction. When is lunch?"
"You're fired."
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coming along great, im gonna take on portable xbox if i ever get the chance
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coming along great, im gonna take on portable xbox if i ever get the chance
also whats your favorite game system ever? mines ties with n64. gamecube and super nintendo, you know what im gonna for the second time take on the challenge of finding every bit of tresure in zelda wind waker
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Over the last week I've cut all the remaining holes for buttons as well as made vent holes and speaker holes etc - I need to do a test fitting of all the parts - then its time to paint.
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Great job man! looks so good. im in the process of finishing my portable up, i can get the monitor to turn on ok, but the 64 board does not power up. i have the regulator etc in place, could it be that the battery does not have enough charge? its a 7.2V - 2190Mah. or can you take a close up picture for me of the wires coming from the regulator and the board so i no its all correctly put together? thanks heaps!! ;D
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Great job man! looks so good. im in the process of finishing my portable up, i can get the monitor to turn on ok, but the 64 board does not power up. i have the regulator etc in place, could it be that the battery does not have enough charge? its a 7.2V - 2190Mah. or can you take a close up picture for me of the wires coming from the regulator and the board so i no its all correctly put together? thanks heaps!! ;D
The battery should be powerful enough. Have you left it on a charger for at least 2 hours? It might be too dead to give the 7v.
Also it depends on what regulator you are using - I used a TI PTH08080WAZ. The wiring is different for every regulator model. The basic idea is that you use the 7v line as input and then the output goes to the 3v line.
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yeah battery is all powered up.
i used a PTH08080WAH. is that the same or?
everything else is ready but no one so far can help me get this part done :(
any idea? thanks again!
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yeah battery is all powered up.
i used a PTH08080WAH. is that the same or?
everything else is ready but no one so far can help me get this part done :(
any idea? thanks again!
Yeah that should be the same. Use a 2.2k resistor and a 100uF capacitor above or equal to 16v. Use a multimeter set to Ohms mode to check how much resistance the resistor is - even better is to learn the color codes. Don't take that resistor in the picture to be the correct ohms, it might be an old pic. When running power through the system you should be able to measure 7.2v or greater from the 7v wire for the regulator and 3.1v or greater from the regulator. If your voltage is correct and the system does not power on, then it is probably a fried board and you will need a new one.
(https://dl.dropbox.com/u/7345145/N64/IMG_0158.JPG)
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i have a 25v 100uf capacitor and a 2.0k resistor, would that still be ok?
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i have a 25v 100uf capacitor and a 2.0k resistor, would that still be ok?
Test the voltage with a multimeter and see what the regulator is outputting. The capacitor is fine.
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no worries will do, what should it be outputting?
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no worries will do, what should it be outputting?
Above 3.1v. Also take a picture of your wiring so I can verify it.
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/Users/seanferguson/Pictures/iPhoto Library/Modified/2013/22:01:2013/IMG_1632.jpg
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/Users/seanferguson/Pictures/iPhoto Library/Modified/2013/22:01:2013/IMG_1632.jpg
You will need to upload the image to an image host such as tinypic or imageshack. Then prove the URL to the uploaded image. Or you can attack the image directly to your post by editing your post, pressing "Attachments and Other options" (below the textbox), then browse to the file. Then save your edited post.
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sorry here it is
http://tinypic.com/r/14kv0pf/6
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sorry here it is
http://tinypic.com/r/14kv0pf/6
What's all over your board?
Wiring looks fine, test the voltages with a multimeter next.
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oh its super gue dust nothing really haha. yeah i tested with a multi meter and i have enough to turn the screen on but not the board. so i tried to do it with just the board and the screen disconnected and it didnt work. just so i no did you take off the original switch for the nintendo64 board? like the on off switch? if you did do you have to re conect it or something?
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oh its super gue dust nothing really haha. yeah i tested with a multi meter and i have enough to turn the screen on but not the board. so i tried to do it with just the board and the screen disconnected and it didnt work. just so i no did you take off the original switch for the nintendo64 board? like the on off switch? if you did do you have to re conect it or something?
Yes if you take the switch off, you need to bridge it. You can either use wire strands or the left-overs from snipping the ends of resistors, your choice. Personally I prefer to use resistor clippings.
(https://dl.dropbox.com/u/7345145/N64/IMG_0161.JPG)(https://dl.dropbox.com/u/7345145/N64/IMG_0162.JPG)
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ok i re wired the switch and still nothing.. i did a test with the battery connected and its a sold 7.4 volts from the in/output of the regulator. is there any other test i can do? i think if fried it :(. if i had the wires connected incorectly and added the battery could that have fried it?
thanks for your help so far it means alot.
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ok i re wired the switch and still nothing.. i did a test with the battery connected and its a sold 7.4 volts from the in/output of the regulator. is there any other test i can do? i think if fried it :(. if i had the wires connected incorectly and added the battery could that have fried it?
thanks for your help so far it means alot.
You should be getting 7.4v input, 3.1-3.3v output. If you are getting 7.4v output from your regulator then your board is definitely fried now.
if i had the wires connected incorectly and added the battery could that have fried it?
Yes. I wired my first board with t he wrong voltage and it fried the board. The LED still came on but its dead. Most of the time the LED won't even light up when the board is fried.
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yeah no worries practise makes perfect. thanks heaps fr your help so far, your the only one ho has given me the time to help! legend. could i also ask, when im checking the voltage form the regulator input, red obviously goes on input and where does the black go? aswell as the output just so be 100% iv done it right.. thanks again
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yeah no worries practise makes perfect. thanks heaps fr your help so far, your the only one ho has given me the time to help! legend. could i also ask, when im checking the voltage form the regulator input, red obviously goes on input and where does the black go? aswell as the output just so be 100% iv done it right.. thanks again
Red goes on positive (what you refer to as input) and black goes on the negative or ground connection, whichever is applicable.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bF3OyQ3HwfU
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hi again, thanks for your help so far.. im just trying to confirm the output voltage for the regulator.. i dont have a clue how to check if it is out putting 3.3V, do you have a vid or can you explain how i do it? like do i put the positive of the battery to the input and the negative to the output then just touch the connections? or
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hi again, thanks for your help so far.. im just trying to confirm the output voltage for the regulator.. i dont have a clue how to check if it is out putting 3.3V, do you have a vid or can you explain how i do it? like do i put the positive of the battery to the input and the negative to the output then just touch the connections? or
Do you have a digital multimeter which is capable of measuring DC current?
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yep sure do at the ready
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yep sure do at the ready
Positive (red) poker touches the output wire of the regulator (the one going from the corner of the regulator to the 3.3v pad on the N64 board. Negative (black) poker touches any negative point on the board (which is any ground connector).
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thanks mate. do you have a pic of your video in wiring diagram at all? 64 board is now powering up thanks to you! i just need to to connect to the little lcd monitr 7" im using..
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thanks mate. do you have a pic of your video in wiring diagram at all? 64 board is now powering up thanks to you! i just need to to connect to the little lcd monitr 7" im using..
Not offhand, no. I might be able to snap a picture soon though if I don't forget. It's pretty simple, wire the composite yellow cable to the signal pad on the board, and wire the ground to a ground point. Power the LCD from the 7v pad on the N64 board where your battery connects - make sure your screen can run on that much/little voltage first or you may risk ruining something.
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ok all good. i tried soldering the yellow to composite but nothing the monitor and board powers up fine but it keeps saying no signal, i have a game in and the expansion pack.. god dammit!!
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ok all good. i tried soldering the yellow to composite but nothing the monitor and board powers up fine but it keeps saying no signal, i have a game in and the expansion pack.. god dammit!!
Just to clarify - there is a center wire in the composite cable that is very small - this is the signal. The copper wire stranded around this inner wire is the ground. If you do not properly ground the video signal it will not output.
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any new pics comming soon?
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any new pics comming soon?
Hopefully during spring break I will have time to finish it more. Haven't done anything so far.
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Hopefully during spring break I will have time to finish it more. Haven't done anything so far.
ok
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Alright I finally have a week to work on this... Made a shitload of progress on everything yesterday and today - tomorrow I'm going to put the first coat of primer on the case pieces. Once I finish doing primer coats I will put some black paint on it, then finish with a clearcoat. Then I can mount in my buttons (which I made backplates for today with tact switches), then wire everything up. Then once everything fits in the case I can seal the case with screws and be done with the fucking thing.
I've probably put 200 hours minimum into this project thus far - the main time-consumers were the various slot relocations I had to do for the game slot, memory slot, and expansion slot so that it would all fit in the case dimensions. The second most time-consuming thing was fabricating the case from scratch. I take my time so that I end up with something I am 100% happy with. I've learned a lot of ways I could've saved time and effort on this project, but I don't think I will be making another portable any time soon. It has been a labor of love, and it would not be reasonable for me to make and sell a second one unless I charged an upwards of $800 for parts and labor, and had the freedom to take a few months for building... doubt I would find many people willing to pay that, and I probably wouldn't look forward to doing it. Regardless I look forward to finishing this one for myself and enjoying it for years to come. FINALLY I WILL HAVE SOMETHING TO DO DURING BORING FUCKING COLLEGE CLASSES. No more tetris on my phone!
I will try to get some pictures on here in a few days. In the mean time, here's a picture from last month that I forgot to post:
(https://dl.dropbox.com/u/7345145/N64/Feb%202013/IMG_0325.JPG)
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cant wait to see it done :D. btw don't you have a laptop in class? cant you play some steam game on there? :P
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cant wait to see it done :D. btw don't you have a laptop in class? cant you play some steam game on there? :P
The desks aren't wide enough to have a mouse on them next to a laptop, which limits me to a trackpad. I pretty much just sit in there and do my programming homework, then i sit for another hour, then I leave.
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Put the first coat of primer on a few minutes ago - will put 5-6 coats on, depending on how it fills.
Trying to decide on a color... first thought was black, but I think that's too boring. I won't want pure white, either. Was thinking maybe a grey? Not sure if I want light or dark grey, but it seems good in my head. Any suggestions?
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Put the first coat of primer on a few minutes ago - will put 5-6 coats on, depending on how it fills.
Trying to decide on a color... first thought was black, but I think that's too boring. I won't want pure white, either. Was thinking maybe a grey? Not sure if I want light or dark grey, but it seems good in my head. Any suggestions?
you should do a dark grey, and maybe get some sticker paper or something and make some cool stencils, maybe some red lines. just an idea
Edit: Not exactly what I mean but this is the best example I could find:
(https://www.ugx-mods.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fus.123rf.com%2F400wm%2F400%2F400%2Fvipervxw%2Fvipervxw1003%2Fvipervxw100300086%2F6620636-black-with-red-stripes.jpg&hash=7a0ede2c4df94d14a2834600031c6cd1a9958674)
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You should put racing stripes on it, just so that you can always be reminded that at one time it was the fastest gaming machine on the planet.
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Just finished two coats of primer - will sand it down tomorrow and do one more coat.
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It's ready for paint (tomorrow). I'm not really concerned about how that rectangular slot looks on the back piece because you won't be looking at it 98% of the time anyway, and it will be slightly covered by the game slot.
(https://dl.dropbox.com/u/7345145/N64/March%202013/IMG_0351.JPG)
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It's ready for paint (tomorrow). I'm not really concerned about how that rectangular slot looks on the back piece because you won't be looking at it 98% of the time anyway, and it will be slightly covered by the game slot.
(https://dl.dropbox.com/u/7345145/N64/March%202013/IMG_0351.JPG)
:rainbow:
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Well I finished painting it today - I'm not entirely happy with the way the paint turned out - won't be buying any Krylon Fusion paint anymore... the spray atomization was terrible - splatters too much.
Going to let it dry for 24 hours and see if it looks any better - if not, might consider buying different paint, sanding it a bit, then painting over it. Regardless as soon as the final coat of paint is dry I will start mounting the buttons in.
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Well I finished painting it today - I'm not entirely happy with the way the paint turned out - won't be buying any Krylon Fusion paint anymore... the spray atomization was terrible - splatters too much.
Going to let it dry for 24 hours and see if it looks any better - if not, might consider buying different paint, sanding it a bit, then painting over it. Regardless as soon as the final coat of paint is dry I will start mounting the buttons in.
so excited, cant wait to see :D
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Well, somehow some epoxy got smeared on the front of the case while I was hotgluing buttons into the case... I can't mask off the button holes at this point so I can't do any repainting... :'(
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you going to buy it? :rainbow:
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Ended up respraying it with some blue spray I had sitting around, looks much better now. I'll post some pictures when I'm done painting it and it's dry.
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Well this is interesting.. the black Krylon Fusion paint I used did not dry properly at all, and was very very sensitive to knicks and fingerprints... totally not right for paint, and it really worried me. I let it dry overnight and it was still just as soft and useless. The spraycan I used must have been defective, because the spray atomization was totally wrong. It was coming out in thick splatters instead of a fine mist, but I had no choice since I was already in the middle of spraying a piece. Didn't want to spend hours sanding half a paint coat off to an even finish.
I decided since the black paint looked and felt absolutely terrible, I would sand it a bit to roughen it up for grip, and put a coat of blue over it that I had lying around. I noticed some slight imperfections after painting it black, so I put some primer over the black so I could sand out the imperfections.
Interestingly, the primer dried with hairline cracks all over it, similar to veins in your arm or dried out earth in a desert area. It looks pretty cool, actually. I would imagine the primer didn't react well to the paint underneath it, despite me sanding it. Rather than waste even more of my time sanding down the entire layer of primer and paint below it, I decided to roll with the look. I'd already spent 20 hours shaping the case, there was no way in hell I was going to undo that work or waste even more time.
I decided to paint evernything but hte face of the case blue, and leave the face alone. Then after I did that, I decided it would look even better if I did a fade gradient from the blue to the grey primer on all the edges. I think I did a pretty good job of making lemonade from a lemon, tell me what you guys think:
(https://dl.dropbox.com/u/7345145/N64/March%202013/thumb.jpg)
(https://dl.dropbox.com/u/7345145/N64/March%202013/IMG_0354.JPG)
(https://dl.dropbox.com/u/7345145/N64/March%202013/IMG_0356.JPG)
Considering the finish was ruined because of that stupid cursed Krylon paint, I think it turned out pretty well. I used some medium blue Osh brand general purpose spray paint I had lying around and some old rust-o-lium clearcoat that I had, worked fine. I know the Krylon paint is meant to be applied directly to plastic but there was just something fundamentally wrong with the spray nozzle on mine. It was coming out in thick spatters instead of a fine mist. The Krylon clearcoat sprayed fine, but I didn't use it.
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I was SO close to a Mario Paint joke, but that was SNES :(
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I was SO close to a Mario Paint joke, but that was SNES :(
hahahaha
(https://www.ugx-mods.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi0.kym-cdn.com%2Fphotos%2Fimages%2Fnewsfeed%2F000%2F166%2F752%2Fsoclose.jpg%3F1314381160&hash=e27e88d89d58a425b85fb6330687a478f080fc14)
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(https://dl.dropbox.com/u/7345145/N64/March%202013/IMG_0365.JPG)
(https://dl.dropbox.com/u/7345145/N64/March%202013/IMG_0364.JPG)
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AWESOME! :D :nyan: :rainbow: :nyan:
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wow this looks awesome, its one of a kind unfortunately your the only one who would have one :troll: honestly great job, i love the cracks on the casing cant wait to see it in action :nyan:
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hey mate i was talkin to you awhile ago regarding this you helped me get it up and running which was awesome!im just now having trouble once again, im using tac switches for me buttons, running the 2 wires from the switches to the controller board, but when i press the button it doesnt work? if you need a pic let me no but this is the final stage im stuck on when its figured out ill show you how i went :D
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Trem, how long do you think It will be now until you have the whole thing wired up and ready to go? :D
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Trem, how long do you think It will be now until you have the whole thing wired up and ready to go? :D
Well I tried to get something done today but unforunately most of my time was spent wiriting a 3 page single spaced study guide for a history midterm I have tomorrow. I start school again this week so it will probably take me all of next week to make the same progress I would make in 2 vacation days. I managed to do some of the button wiring today but there's still a bit of work to be done.
I need to:
Glue the screen in
Wire up all buttons
Install L/R buttons and all switches and plugs
Wire up batteries to motherboard again
Wire up motherboard to screen
Wire up controller to motherboard
Wire up modified memory card slot to controller board (32 wires smaller than a paperclip's diameter)
Glue cartridge slot to back of case (already made it)
Done.
hey mate i was talkin to you awhile ago regarding this you helped me get it up and running which was awesome!im just now having trouble once again, im using tac switches for me buttons, running the 2 wires from the switches to the controller board, but when i press the button it doesnt work? if you need a pic let me no but this is the final stage im stuck on when its figured out ill show you how i went :D
Depends on what kind of tac switches you have. Take a picture of the switch, your wiring to it, and your wiring to the controller board.
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heres the link
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/843/img1898w.jpg/ (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/843/img1898w.jpg/)
just a normal tac switch with 4 pins, i just need to no if there wired properly and if i just wire to the motherboard of the controller where the old button used to sit?
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heres the link
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/843/img1898w.jpg/ (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/843/img1898w.jpg/)
just a normal tac switch with 4 pins, i just need to no if there wired properly and if i just wire to the motherboard of the controller where the old button used to sit?
The switch is wired properly - I can't see anything else.
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when i have the 2 wires from the tactile switch do i just twirl them together and solder that straight onto the controller board or? cause i still cant get it to work
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when i have the 2 wires from the tactile switch do i just twirl them together and solder that straight onto the controller board or? cause i still cant get it to work
You need to provide more pictures of your work so that I can actually tell.
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ok, so i have attatched a few pics, im just doing a trest before i glue it into my portable. is there anything you can see wrong?
thanks again!
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/689/img1899mf.jpg/ (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/689/img1899mf.jpg/)
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/341/img1900i.jpg/ (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/341/img1900i.jpg/)
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/13/img1901jt.jpg/ (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/13/img1901jt.jpg/)
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/577/img1902kh.jpg/ (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/577/img1902kh.jpg/)
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/843/img1898w.jpg/ (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/843/img1898w.jpg/)
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ok, so i have attatched a few pics, im just doing a trest before i glue it into my portable. is there anything you can see wrong?
thanks again!
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/689/img1899mf.jpg/ (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/689/img1899mf.jpg/)
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/341/img1900i.jpg/ (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/341/img1900i.jpg/)
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/13/img1901jt.jpg/ (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/13/img1901jt.jpg/)
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/577/img1902kh.jpg/ (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/577/img1902kh.jpg/)
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/843/img1898w.jpg/ (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/843/img1898w.jpg/)
Looks like the wires connected to the controller are shorting out. You stripped way too much off of the wire - you only need a few millimeters. Make sure youre soldering to the correct side of the contacts.
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no worries ill give it a go. which are the correct sides so i no its correct
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no worries ill give it a go. which are the correct sides so i no its correct
The side leading to a thick copper lead is the ground, the side leading to a thin copper lead is the signal.
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Alright, summer time is upon us. My personal goal is to have this thing finished before school starts again. I havent touched it since Spring Break.
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Forgot about this, glad you are gonna get back working on it :)
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Anymore progress.this is jawdropping!!!
I want it for Zelda: The Ocarina of Time
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Anymore progress.this is jawdropping!!!
I want it for Zelda: The Ocarina of Time
Nearly all of my spare time has been allocated for the last 6+ months, I haven't made any progress :(
All that remains is finishing the controller wiring and gluing the components into place.
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Got ya i hope it works out. Btw could you look at the pm i sent you
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Look into cutting the cartriges down to size if you willing that will make it alot smaller.
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Look into cutting the cartriges down to size if you willing that will make it alot smaller.
I looked into this before and didn't want to cut up my cartridges - but I agree that would make a huge difference in the thickness of the device.
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1 day we will all own this device, 1 day.
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1 day we will all own this device, 1 day.
i pray for that damn day to hurry lol
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Hmm...
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I decided i want to continue the quest of reliving my childhood portably so hopefully there will be some progress updates soon. Right now I'm trying to pick up from where I left off but the N64 board has no video output and I'm wondering if I ruined it somehow and don't remember lol... its been over 2 years since I've touched this. I tried rewiring the cartridge slot and that didn't solve the problem so I might need to hunt for a new n64 to tear apart :(
The price of N64s on eBay has tripled since the last time I ordered a replacement. They used to cost about $20, now they are $60+ plus $15-20 shipping. These people are insane.
Went ahead and ordered one that has a stuck reset button and no power/AV cables for $20, I can make that work.
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Awesome to read you're going to work on this bad boy again! I think I'm gonna start a project like this. Was thinking of making a custom case for a Raspberry PI with a small screen on it or make a custom case for my modded PSP.
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The price of N64s on eBay has tripled since the last time I ordered a replacement. They used to cost about $20, now they are $60+ plus $15-20 shipping. These people are insane.
Went ahead and ordered one that has a stuck reset button and no power/AV cables for $20, I can make that work.
Bro, I've got a working N64 and I would have mailed you mine for free. Sometimes you just gotta put the feelers out there and see if anyone is willing to feel your feeler back.
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Bro, I've got a working N64 and I would have mailed you mine for free. Sometimes you just gotta put the feelers out there and see if anyone is willing to feel your feeler back.
I wouldn't mind having a backup one in case what I ordered doesn't pan out. Feel free to ship it to me lol thanks.
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I got the eBay n64 in the mail today and it works. Took out all the nintendo gamebit security screws and removed the board from the case, will desolder and relocate the game slot tomorrow and then test again. If it still works after that then it's time to chop off the controller ports.
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Spent an hour on the cart slot relocation today, got the wires soldered to the slot side and made some progress on the board side. Might finish tonight or tomorrow... I put some hotglue over what's done for now (not in pictures).
(https://www.ugx-mods.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FWhV8110.jpg&hash=e57cbd5f49f658d54427272925680c0fa8c36bdf)
(https://www.ugx-mods.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FCDO5K44.jpg&hash=6a88b1472d0fac7f2b00f601780fbaf68ab8a812)
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Cartridge slot relation works :D
(https://www.ugx-mods.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FaOoj8Xw.jpg&hash=e36c7f9878f6004d88a4fd13ab144b3dfc58b0e0)
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Oh man, firing up some quake? Looks like someone's getting laid tonight. I still got my Mario Kart 64, holding onto that sweet baby until the time is right. No woman can resist Mario. Kart. 64. That's baby makin' material right there.
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Oh man, firing up some quake? Looks like someone's getting laid tonight. I still got my Mario Kart 64, holding onto that sweet baby until the time is right. No woman can resist Mario. Kart. 64. That's baby makin' material right there.
thats actually ttrue, think its why my wife loves me
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So trem. Amazing job you did so far :). Thou if this getting finished " i hope it is " . How much will it cost ?
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So trem. Amazing job you did so far :). Thou if this getting finished " i hope it is " . How much will it cost ?
I'm keeping this one. If someone wanted me to make one for them it would be at a couple hundred dollars for parts alone, and then probably another $300 in labor hours.
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I got the buttons in my case wired to the n64 and tested them, they all work ;) Even the PS2 joystick works, man it feels so much better than the stupid axis-locking nintendo stick.
Next on the to-do list is fix the fact that I put the Joystick frame into the case upside down (lol)... its superglued so I won't be able to just remove it and turn it around, I'm going to need to cut it up a bit and make it mount inside the frame the right way.
Edit: turns out its not upside down, the left/right input is just inverted somehow... not sure how or why. Going to look into this tomorrow.
After that I need to wire the battery packs into the case and get the on/off switch and the speakers wired into everything.
Progress updated to 90%
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i would really like to see this done. good job so far
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lol I don't know why I always get the motivation to come back to work on this every spring but here I am a year later messing with it. For some reason the joystick/controller config I had done isn't working anymore, had to order another controller - the d-up and c-left/right buttons are stuck "down" even though I don't see a bridge in the solder pad connection. Once the replacement controller shows up I'll rewire it quickly and then I've also made plans for an external box that will contain two extra controller ports and an AV output so it can be plugged into a TV.