Was bored, did mod.

I've been away from this thread for a little while. I rarely react outwardly to things I see on the internet, but I must admit that those Earthbound Zero cartridges made me let out an audible "WHOA..." :drool:

Wiggy - I'm developing a little tech project and I thought of you when I asked myself, "How could I make this look nice?" I think it would be a small-risk, small-time-investment thing and I was wondering what the best way is to reach you. A message through your RCG site? A PM on CAG?

I've got a drop-dead delivery date on 12/7 and a demo on 12/9, so I thought I would put a bug in your ear a little early if you might be interested.

 
Those colored SNES buttons are classy and just plain beautiful. If I still had a SNES I would so want a set to install.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Crap! I missed the window for WiggyX's Earthbound cart drawing. No swanky custom Earthbound Zero cartridge for me. (there's no way I can justify bidding on the EBay auction, I've got Christmas shopping to think of)

I'm glad you're selling well with some of your custom carts, WiggyX. I just wish they weren't so supply constrained. I'm really hoping that the guys working on the Peachy Printer are able to get a functional commercial version out next year. Then I'll be able to produce my own custom cartridges. With blackjack. And hookers.

 
I wish I had the technical know-how to mod consoles and controllers like some of you guys can. Would be so fun. :(

Awesome stuff guys. :) What was the hardest thing to mod? 

 
I wish I had the technical know-how to mod consoles and controllers like some of you guys can. Would be so fun. :(

Awesome stuff guys. :) What was the hardest thing to mod?



Gotta start somewhere. Just use the google machine and start reading.
 
detectiveconan16 said:
Holy crap, Wiggyx you rock! You oughta try making a SNES D-pad that fits a PSP like that video on youtube. Like combining the base of a PSP dpad with the top of a SNES dpad. All one needs is wire cutters for that cross, and it's goodbye to Sony sh-ty controls.
Click to expand...

Haha, thanks!

Oooooh, that looks pretty cool. Might have to try that one :)


Mako1215 said:
Give us a how to wire LEDs tutorial :)
Click to expand...

It's not that hard. Take a look on YouTube. I'm SURE there are tutorials there.


lowdwn169 said:
Woah!!! I want a set of those multi colored SNES buttons!!! Are the available to purchase?
Click to expand...

Not at the moment. Just made a single set mold, which means that making one set takes a lot of time and effort because I have to mix 5 colors for just one set. I'll make a larger capacity mold at some point which will allow us to cast a handful of sets at one time :)

Lieutenant Dan said:
I've been away from this thread for a little while. I rarely react outwardly to things I see on the internet, but I must admit that those Earthbound Zero cartridges made me let out an audible "WHOA..." :drool:

Wiggy - I'm developing a little tech project and I thought of you when I asked myself, "How could I make this look nice?" I think it would be a small-risk, small-time-investment thing and I was wondering what the best way is to reach you. A message through your RCG site? A PM on CAG?

I've got a drop-dead delivery date on 12/7 and a demo on 12/9, so I thought I would put a bug in your ear a little early if you might be interested.
Click to expand...

[email protected] is probably the best way ;)

dragoon99 said:
Those colored SNES buttons are classy and just plain beautiful. If I still had a SNES I would so want a set to install.
Click to expand...

Thanks!

Richard Kain said:
Crap! I missed the window for WiggyX's Earthbound cart drawing. No swanky custom Earthbound Zero cartridge for me. (there's no way I can justify bidding on the EBay auction, I've got Christmas shopping to think of)

I'm glad you're selling well with some of your custom carts, WiggyX. I just wish they weren't so supply constrained. I'm really hoping that the guys working on the Peachy Printer are able to get a functional commercial version out next year. Then I'll be able to produce my own custom cartridges. With blackjack. And hookers.
Click to expand...

On second thought, forget about the blackjack :p

We would have made more, but they take stupid amounts of work to clean up after they come out of the printer, not to mention that 3D printing isn't an exact science. What works in an injection molded part won't necessarily work with a printed part. We went through a LOT of revisions during production. There allre no less than 8 different versions of the cart out there (most of the changes were really small, but some are actually visible from the outside).

ludus said:
I wish I had the technical know-how to mod consoles and controllers like some of you guys can. Would be so fun. :(

Awesome stuff guys. :) What was the hardest thing to mod?
Click to expand...

Hmm, hard to say. Generally speaking, newer consoles are harder. The parts get smaller and smaller with each generation, and the guts are packed more densely as well.

Javery said:
Gotta start somewhere. Just use the google machine and start reading.
Click to expand...
Yup, this. Also, just start tinkering. Take something apart and play around with it.


Our one-off Luigi 2DS is up on Game Gavel. 25% of the final value is goin to Child's Play, so bid away!!!

http://www.gamegavel.com/item.cgi?show_item=0000843235
 
Just knocked out this set of Zelda GBAs that has been sitting around since like August.

null_zpsc28e83df.jpg


 
After seeing Wiggy on RCG and TCP, I have to say, Wiggy is like the merchant in the Seiken Densetsu series: he's everywhere, doing everything.

Amazing mod work. Makes me want to finish mine.

 
Thanks, Mako :)


That sucker sold in about an hour!

Wasn't sure how long it was gonna take, but we did NOT expect it to sell that fast O_O
 
Alright, so I took some inspiration from your stuff and decided it was time to mod my GBA (I figured that if done right, it shouldn't take a whole lot of time). While I know Wiggy has no love for "Porkemans," I went for a Pokéball theme for mine, using DIY tips from the RCG site:

YJ50SIH.jpg
XKJv0LN.jpg

That is just kinda held together with friction and tape for the photos. It's now in pieces curing like it should be. The system had a few nicks and dings that I probably should have addressed, but I'm happy overall. More photos here.

I had considered a custom cast for the buttons, but that little DIY venture look pricey and messy, and I'm a sucker for instant gratification :)
 

 
Last edited by a moderator:
M47R1X said:
While I know Wiggy has no love for "Porkemans," I went for a Pokéball theme for mine, using DIY tips from the RCG site:
Click to expand...
Wiggy might not enjoy the Poke-mans, but I've enjoyed some Pokemon in my day. I love the design you've gone with. Red on the top, white on the bottom. And you even added the black edging on the sides. Perfect. Very reminiscent of the iconic Pokeball. When it's done drying and you assemble it, throw a copy of Pokemon Ruby in there to complete the effect.

 
Richard Kain said:
Wiggy might not enjoy the Poke-mans, but I've enjoyed some Pokemon in my day. I love the design you've gone with. Red on the top, white on the bottom. And you even added the black edging on the sides. Perfect. Very reminiscent of the iconic Pokeball. When it's done drying and you assemble it, throw a copy of Pokemon Ruby in there to complete the effect.
Click to expand...
Thanks! If only I had Ruby. Or even Fire Red. I went the blue/green/silver route.

I've been thinking of another way I could have done it and made a 5-min shoop of the concept (WARNING. VERY UGLY):

MygBILQ.jpg

It would be more of a pain in the butt, though. But it's a thought.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
M47R1X said:
Huh. Looks like someone used one of your images for their store:
Click to expand...
Someone's gonna be bummed out when that GBA arrives without the red buttons ;)

M47R1X said:
Alright, so I took some inspiration from your stuff and decided it was time to mod my GBA (I figured that if done right, it shouldn't take a whole lot of time). While I know Wiggy has no love for "Porkemans," I went for a Pokéball theme for mine, using DIY tips from the RCG site:


That is just kinda held together with friction and tape for the photos. It's now in pieces curing like it should be. The system had a few nicks and dings that I probably should have addressed, but I'm happy overall. More photos here.

I had considered a custom cast for the buttons, but that little DIY venture look pricey and messy, and I'm a sucker for instant gratification :)
Click to expand...
Looks good! Very tasteful color choices. True to the theme, but not toddler toy-like at all. I'm actually in the middle of making a pokeball themed DS lite for a very faithful customer :)

Yeah, casting is pretty far from instant gratification :( But it is REALLY rewarding when it works out :)

 
Last edited by a moderator:
wiggyx said:
Someone's gonna be bummed out when that GBA arrives without the red buttons ;)
Click to expand...
And they'd end up with that garish Target logo. No bueno.

wiggyx said:
Looks good! Very tasteful color choices. True to the theme, but not toddler toy-like at all. I'm actually in the middle of making a pokeball themed DS lite for a very faithful customer :)
Click to expand...

Thank you! And hey, if others like it, you could always make it for your store. It could be a nice addition :) .

 
I have a bit of an oddball question. Not sure if wiggy or anyone else here might have some knowledge on it, but I figured a modding thread might be a good bet. I have a GBA game that doesn't save. Kirby & the Amazing Mirror. It should be a late enough release that it uses flash memory instead of a save battery. Is there a way to fix this, or is something bad on the board that isn't easily done?

 
Well, I completely forgot that at some point I bought a triwing screwdriver (probably for this) so I just opened up the Kirby cart. Yup, flash. Bad photo incoming!

DSC00363.jpg


Side note: wiggy, have you done any work with DS'? I have a DS Lite stashed away that I kind of messed up a while back while trying to put in a replacement touch screen. One of the clips for a ribbon cable broke off and disappeared, which is probably the reason it turns off immediately afte being powered on, and the touch screen is not centered, though that might be because of the cheap screen used and not my own ineptitude. 

 
Well, I finished this dang GBA, although it could stand to be buffed and polished to get the true automotive sheen that I wanted:

4hYe3kn.jpg

Quick question about it: are scan lines on the screen normal in these screen conversion mods? It's kind of a pain in the butt. Or rather, eyes.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
M47R1X said:
Quick question about it: are scan lines on the screen normal in these screen conversion mods? It's kind of a pain in the butt. Or rather, eyes.
Click to expand...
No, I don't believe that scan lines are supposed to be present. Which screen conversion mod are you using? And which model of GBA? Depending on your configuration, it might be necessary to adjust a voltage pot on the motherboard of the GBA. I had to do that for one of my modified GBAs in order to get it working properly.

If you're using one of Wiggy's kits, be sure to ask him about the issue. He would know more, and could give you better instructions than I can.

 
Technically Wiggy, or rather Zerey, whom of which I believe is Wiggy's supplier (could be wrong). It needed the 40-pin adapter for my GBA. Used an AGS-101 (obviously). The wire was presoldered to the adapter cable. For installation, I followed Wiggy's instructions.

EDIT TO AVOID THE DREADED DOUBLE-POST: So I read up on it, and it's apparently fairly common among GBA screen swaps and adjusting the voltage pot is the answer. I'll need to look into this, apparently. Now, is that the same thing as the "contrast control screw" I had heard so much about back in the day?

Edit 2: I just read on Zerey's instructions, and yes, it seems that that is the case. Except his instructions say it's a button, not a screw. And it doesn't really look much like a screw. Fiddling is in order!

 
Last edited by a moderator:
In the course of your fiddling, be sure to make small changes, test, and repeat. When dealing with voltages, it's better to under-do and then adjust rather than over-do. If you crank the pot from the get-go, you could burn something out. Slight adjustments until it gets you where you need to be is the way to go.

I modified one 32-pin and one 40-pin model GBA, so I got the experience of both models. The 32-pin worked just fine the first time, with no adjustments. But the 40-pin always looked off, with strange ghosting effects, washed-out colors, and scanlines. Adjusting the pot on the motherboard very carefully eventually got the display into parity with the 32-pin model. It can work, it just takes a bit of careful tweaking.

 
I fiddled, and it looks much better now. There does seem to be some ghosting still, but the "scan lines" are no longer present, so long as I'm not moving.

 
Richard Kain said:
In the course of your fiddling, be sure to make small changes, test, and repeat. When dealing with voltages, it's better to under-do and then adjust rather than over-do. If you crank the pot from the get-go, you could burn something out. Slight adjustments until it gets you where you need to be is the way to go.

I modified one 32-pin and one 40-pin model GBA, so I got the experience of both models. The 32-pin worked just fine the first time, with no adjustments. But the 40-pin always looked off, with strange ghosting effects, washed-out colors, and scanlines. Adjusting the pot on the motherboard very carefully eventually got the display into parity with the 32-pin model. It can work, it just takes a bit of careful tweaking.
Click to expand...
This is actually why it's NOT in our manual. It's way easier to address the issue with individuals versus just telling everyone that they need to randomly adjust the pot. Hell, the first time my partner tried to adjust one he took the screwdriver and just spun it around like 3-4 times! O_O

That LCD wasn't very happy afterward :(

Funny you should say that about the 32 vs 40-pin, as my experience has been the exact opposite. The 32-pin boards ALWAYS need to be adjusted and the 40-pin almost never need adjustment. In the end, the 40-pin models take to the mod better, no matter what adjustments have been made, which is sort of a bummer. At least there seem to be far more 40-pin than 32.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
wiggyx said:
Funny you should say that about the 32 vs 40-pin, as my experience has been the exact opposite.
Click to expand...
I probably have them mixed up in my mind. I've only done this once, after all. The next time I do one I'll make sure to focus on the 40-pin model. I know I have a few more of those in storage.

I don't know if this qualifies as retro, but it is almost certainly a mod that I did. Earlier this week I completely dismantled an old 40-gig PS3, cleaned it out thoroughly, and replaced the fan with a more efficient 19-blade model. When I put it back together it was running much more quietly than it had been previously. (it had gotten to the point where it sounded like a jet engine when you turned it on)

The PS3 in question was one I had gotten for my sister as a wedding present. She and her husband have been using it as their DVD/Blu Ray and media player for years. When I got it for them I dropped a 320-Gig drive into it, and copied a slew of DVD movies to it for their viewing convenience. They've gotten a lot of great use out of it over the years, but for a while now the noise it makes while running has been getting on her nerves. This quick mod and cleaning job should keep the old beast going for another few years.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Well that Extron switch that I bought a while back didn't have audio in/out, but I thought I could get away with using the H & V sync for audio. Wrong! :(

So I recently bought one with audio ins and outs. Problem is that they aren't RCA or BNC connectors, which means I'd be splicing a lot of female RCA pigtails in. No thanks to that mess. So I'm gonna modify the V/H sync boards (since I don't need them) to run the audio. This way I'll have BNC connectors for everything plus the video and audio in and outputs will all be right next to each other :D

Pulled the boards that need to be modded (V/H sync + Audio)
null_zpse4580bc4.jpg


Backside of one of the sync boards where I will be bypassing to the audio board.
null_zps5d356851.jpg


Little slice with the ol' Dremel
null_zps17143d2b.jpg


Bypassing the sync board and running wire to the audio board
null_zpsc3736b29.jpg


Here's what I would have needed to deal with for the audio.
null_zps9f2be7a0.jpg


Desoldered all the clips and will wire the bypass from the sync boards directly to this board.
null_zps5af4054d.jpg



Ran out of time tonight. Will try and finish tomorrow or early next week (it's at my office, and it's quite possible that I won't make it in tomorrow because of the lovely non-stop snowfall here :/

wrote this up last night, and I am indeed still stuck at home.  Hopefully I can get some time in this weekend on it.  If I make it to the office, then I'll just bring it and the tools I need home.  Not much more work to do to it.  Just some wire cutting and soldering.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Man, these monster video switch boxes are indeed very complicated.

I did my last mod for the season, considering I can't leave the window open during the winter for soldering. I finally hacked a PlayStation 1 controller and hooked it up to a Hori Real Arcade Pro 3 which has a USB board. Took me a full day since the wires were 26 gauge but am satisfied with the results. I could've done it cleaner but lacked terminal strips (since they cost $5 a piece at RadioShack sheesh).

Meanwhile I'm debating whether or not to bring home an N64 which I can get for really cheap. On one hand, I have a Wii meaning I don't need to play the Nintendo-published classics, but on the other hand I'd like to play Mischief Makers. If I bother to get rid of those damned tabs in the cartridge slot. I'd lean toward a yes. But I wonder if anybody has created a replacement plastic piece like via a 3D print or a mold.

 
Finished up the switch. Works perfectly!

Swiss cheesed a bit to run the wires where I'd like.

null_zpsf4a48db2.jpg



Wires taped down and whatnot.

null_zpsa92664ce.jpg



All set to reassemble.

null_zps9f781d96.jpg



And then just the final touch.

null_zpsa78f2cdf.jpg


Works perfectly and it keeps the entire unit as tidy as possible, with no pigtail wires or anything dangling from the back. Couldn't be happier!
 
Luckily I don't own anything pre-NES :p

But seriously, I do need to get around to adding S-vid ports to my Saturns and possibly modding my TG-16 for S-vid as well (though the latter is a rather significant undertaking). Then the only thing left running on composite in my collection will be the NES, but I never play that anyway. It's all to easy to just play NES games by way of emulation.
 
Yeah, Wii or PC FTW.

S-video should be easy for the Saturn considering there are pins for it or you can find a cable or something. But I guess a bigger challenge would be to make the composite video look better considering it's pretty muddy especially by VCR standards.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Well I did get this a while back.

null_zpsd5400fdf.jpg


Haven't had a chance to try it out (it came as a freebie), but I'll give it a try ASAP.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Have a handful of otherwise unused solid SFC titles sitting at the office, so I thought I'd spruce them up a bit so we have something to play when folks visit the office (which seems to be happening a lot lately). Still have a few others to finish up. These were fun to do :)

null_zps0170ce24.jpg
 
This was sorta just a random, impromptu project for games we had sitting around. Don't really have plans to do any other games (aside from the other 3 that I still need to make labels for). Mostly just to have some fun stuff to play at the office when we need a break or have visitors. Kinda just show off pieces ;)
 
Wiggy, I was searching the net for some info on making SNES repros when I came across your name. Are you familiar with the process? I'd like to make a cart with the rom from my NBA Jam 2k14 project, but my knowledge on the subject is limited. Seems like something I'd be able to do, but I just need to find more info about it.

 
Sorry for the late reply.  I haven't been here as often as I used to be.  Shoot me a PM and we can chat about it (repro talk is not something that CAG is too keen on).

 
So I have  a $5 credit to use on ebay and I've been looking for parts.  Does anyone know what the "good" security bits look like?

I was thinking about these: http://www.ebay.com/itm/3-8mm-4-5mm-Security-Bit-Tool-Set-for-Nintendo-N64-GameBoy-SNES-NES-Games-/360964024547?pt=US_Video_Gaming_Replacement_Parts_Tools&hash=item540b21e8e3

Or maybe these: http://www.ebay.com/itm/3-8mm-4-5mm-security-bit-tool-for-nintendo-Sega-N64-SNES-NES-Gamecube-/161304154335?pt=US_Other_Video_Game_Accessories&hash=item258e7a10df

any ideas which is better? or are they both junk?

 
wiggyx said:
I recommend just skipping the unknown crap out there and just going to a place that sells a good part, period.
Click to expand...
I would second this, especially if we are talking about a tool that you will be using multiple times. I picked up security screwdrivers for my classic cartridges. I got them from an Amazon distributor. They are quite good, and the longer shafts of the screwdriver make it easier for me to dismantle older consoles.

 
There, fixed it :)

null_zps7c9e3ec7.jpg


null_zpse34a4c77.jpg


null_zps3c9fd68d.jpg


null_zps943ee90e.jpg


null_zpsa7e3269f.jpg


BONUS!  It seems that this is a typical issue with the Q, so I guess I'm gonna sell these suckers too.   Didn't expect to make any money on the project.  Was just trying to fox my busted Q :)

 
You must log in or register to reply here.
bread's done
Back
Top