That's what I get...

For ordering parts from China/Hong Kong/Thailand. Seems like my project won't go into full blast until mid next month when my stuff should get shipped, passed through customs, and delivered.

Ugh....

All parts ordered...

Got around to ordering the parts I needed for most of my mods that I'm planning to FINALLY do. The stuff from people in the US have already arrived. Just gotta wait for the China/Taiwan/Thailand stuff to come in...that might take a week or 2...

I also managed to FINALLY get that SCART to Component converter for the Wega that I scored for free on CL. That's gonna get the RGB mod treatment.

Since I have the PC Engine prepped and ready to go, I figured that would be the first console that I'd get RGB through. I have some cabling to make before then, so need to get back to planning everything.

I also managed to get this little beaut for my Turbo Everdrive:

A 3D printed cover! Better this than having exposed ICs. I have it sealed to the Everdrive, so it's nice and secure. Thanks to Buffalowing from the ASSembers forums. Really great work. 

I also managed to snag a Perfect Dark for N64 whilst digging at GW. Yay me!

It's Spring Break for my daughter, so I requested some days off. I'm hoping to be able to at least create one custom cable and get things rolling. Here's to hoping.

Camera is at the ready for the upcoming onslaught of modding!

RGB PCE happens soon-ish...

Well, I opted not to use the DB-9 and went with a 8 pin mini-DIN instead. That has been ordered and already waiting installation.

I also got sync stripping supplies. I actually was able to get some samples (freebies!) of the main component, the LM1881N, direct from Texas Instruments. I got 3 of them, even though I may just be using 2 of them.

I just have to get the other components for it (some capacitors and resistors), but while I was at it, I also got some ICs to make a scanline generator, as well as miscellaneous parts I needed for general things. Those are all in my cart waiting to be ordered.

While waiting to order the parts, I asked about the sync stripper and if it's bad to send a pure sync signal to the LM1881N. I got that it isn't bad, and may actually help clean up the signal even better. I also learned that I should be able to use a composite video signal in the PCE to send through the LM1881N to get a clean sync that way...good, so I don't have to build another amp for the composite sync then.

So, yeah. Here we go!

That long, annoying beep when...

You turn on a Dreamcast and you VMU battery is dead? Yeah, that beep.

I cut the wires for the tiny speaker inside the VMU from the board. So no more beep.

I don't put the secondary games on the VMU anyway. I just like it there for a screen.

That is all.

RF-ectomy complete...

After much hassle (those damn grounding points), I finally removed the RF modulator from the PC Engine.

I also got an RBG amp for it, just because.

I'm thinking, since I'm not selling it nor do I have plans to sell it, I'm gonna go ahead and use the DB9 connector. Wiring it up is gonna be another thought process, but at least now I have a decently sized area to work with. I'm going off the plans on GamesX.com for a multi connector, but I'm still wondering if I should implement a +5V connection within the mod. I was gonna replace that pin that's suggested for +5V with composite video, seeing down the line when I start hardcore modding for RGB, the device I plan on using for RGB to the Wega's Component input probably won't need it.

More research to be done. I definitely do not want to rush this thing. I'm gonna use this PC Engine for all my RGB testing for now since it's the smallest and I have majority of the components to complete the mod. I'm hoping that as soon as taxes and/or my extra check comes in, I'll be able to get this RGB thing in high gear.

The soldering iron comes out tomorrow...

I have a PCE that needs an RF-ectomy.

I already got the case cleaned up, just need to get rid of the RF modulator since...heck, no one uses those things anymore. I'm still not sure if I want to get a mini DIN connector for it or just use the D-Sub's that I have. I have several days to think about it, but the RF comes out tomorrow night.

Dreamcast revisited...

I had a quite day off today (read: No kids!), so I decided to take on the Dreamcast problem from my last post.

After opening it, I first noticed that one of the wires got pinched and was probably touching bare metal. After patching up that area, cutting the bad part, soldered and heat shrunk the connection, I decided to check the underside of the board at all my connections there. Other than the Horizontal Sync connection coming loose, everything was solid under there. Checked some of the components for bad ones and came up with nothing.

Since I had it opened, I rerouted wires and changed up the screws I had in the VGA connector for ones that didn't stick out as much for a tighter fit. I'm sure after closing up there are still some pinched wires in there, but for the most part, everything cleared.

I hooked it up to a monitor I had along with my headphones. Powered up and reset the calendar. I let it start without a disc. The startup sound came up....IN STEREO!

So it was that pinched wire that caused all the problems. Because I was tapping it from the AV connector itself, by having that wire short out, it also shorted out the left channel from the AV connector.

So yeah, problem solved.