Power supply E-FAIL...

So, I tried doing the power supply hack like I mentioned in my last post. I had it all set up and ready to test.

...nope...

Didn't work. I tried 2 different power supplies. Both didn't work (one actually screeched at me).

So, wat do?

I asked a local FB group I'm a part of for help. There was a guy that I dealt with before with the Atari 5200 that was willing to help me out. After getting lost several times, I was able to get there and test it out with his adapter.

Lo and behold. It worked.

...

So, on goes the hunt for a proper adapter.

In the meantime, I'm trying to wrap my head around why the hack worked for couple of people but not working for me. Here's to hoping that I can figure it out.

Yay, cheap stuff on eBay!...

On September 17th, I won an auction for a Neo Geo CD. It was for the console only, so no controllers or cables or the power supply.

I've contemplated looking online for an adapter for it, but they fetch a pretty high price tag. Not willing to pay about the same amount I bought the console for.

Enter power supply hacks for the Neo CD. I came up to THIS POST. The OP used an adapter that had a Molex style connector used in PC drives. (LINK). I do have that type of adapter, but I was thinking for future mounting of the connector, making it look stock.

I then remembered an old IDE external drive that I had. The power supply had roughly the same amperage as the above mentioned one, but a different connector.

...yeah...

So, what to do?

Well, the enclosure stopped working, so I just raided the PCB for the connector. In the process of desoldering the connector, I broke off one of the legs. Not a real problem; I took the connector apart and see that I can just solder a bit of wire to it. Doesn't matter since it's a ground pin, and if I need to, I can get another connector online or just mod the connector later.

The Neo CD did arrive today, but no one was home to accept delivery. So I just have to take a trip to the post office tomorrow to pick it up. I'll do a quick solder to the power points on the drive and test it out. If it works (the listing said it was tested and working), then I'm gonna permanently mod the connector.

Stay tuned...even if I post the results later than tomorrow.

Aaaand, I'm Back!

Fresh install of Win 10 x64. Already got stuff loaded back on. Chrome behaving properly. Universal Media Server working right.

Ready to go!

...now to get some other mod projects going.

Killing my computer...

The short of it: I installed a program for streaming from PC to device. It did something to my computer that hijacked my browsers (Chrome and IE), and there's no official way to change it.

Backing everything up now, and gonna install Windows 10 (for giggles). Anything I missed from the backup can be easily downloaded again.

I hate that...

Tackle and tested the 5200, snags included...

Tonight, I decided to tackle the Atari 5200. Mainly, the adapter issue. Sure, I could just use the PC Engine Duo's adapter and call it good, but I really didn't want to (under powering under 1.5 VDC is fine, just didn't want to over work the adapter).

So, I ordered a connector that works with an adapter that I had bought for another project but didn't work.

Same dimensions as a Sega Genesis Model 1 adapter (2.1 mm inner diameter, 5.5 mm outer diameter). Fits the 12 VDC adapter that I had.

I did a quick wiring to the power points on the board and tested it. Stunning results, even through RF!

To make room for the new power jack, I desoldered the original power connector.

Removed. Fuzzy picture warning.

Old jack removed. No love loss.

All was going good, until I needed to mount the new jack...

I had the intent of using the original hole for the stock power jack. As you can see, it didn't fare out so well.

I marked it with where the connections should be (positive to the center of the jack, negative to the outer part). 

I intend on getting back to this project. What's left to do is a video mod and probably some plastic patching like I've been doing to all the unused holes in my projects. I may invest in a mod board for it so I can get S-Video as well. 

Anyway, I know it works with the adapter, so that's good. I'm gonna have to figure out the controller thing as well. It did come with 3 controllers: 2 that was in good condition and 1 that had the joystick rubber torn. Ironically, the one with the tear it in worked, the other 2 not so much. I'm gonna tear into it later as well.

I also made a decision on the 2 joysticks that I worked on the other day. I decided that the Neo Geo stick isn't worth saving anymore. I'm gonna strip it down and use the parts in the other stick which, in turn, I'm gonna make into a multi console stick. 

More to come soon, I guess. 

Joystick done...sort of...

My daughter wasn't feeling well, so I took the day off to take care of her. Not really good to send her to daycare and get the other kids sick just because my wife or myself couldn't take the time off. She was at the tail end of a stomach bug (she's been throwing up most of the night prior), so all it was to get some food in her (soup, bread, crackers, rice, that kind of thing) and let her chill.

Since she was preoccupied with a combination of Netflix and telling her to read something so she doesn't lose reading comprehension before entering the second grade, I decided to finish up some of the projects that I've been getting lazy on working on.

First of, painting the recently patched items: The Genesis case and the Joystick case.

Here is, at least, the Genesis. Patched, sanded, and cleaned, ready for a hit of paint. Also got the Joystick case ready to go: bit of fine sanding, washing, and hit it with paint.

It was really quick, so I let them dry for about 4 hours or so.

I wanted the Joystick done more than anything, so I did that first.

Wiring all cleaned, not like that mess from a while back. 

Look! No alligator clips! I bought proper terminal connectors to make this look clean(er).

I got some countersink screws to replace the pan head ones that were there. It made it look cleaner from the top. Problem was...well, see where the one screw is missing? Well...

I over tightened that one. In turn, it caused the case to re-crack. Also, the screws I got were too long, so it was hitting the joystick terminals. I'm gonna have to trim that down sometime soon.

I was kinda upset with it at this point, but eh, it still worked. You can see where I attempted to match the paint up, but that didn't work. I may have to strip it all down again and start over from scratch. I may just go matte black all over...or maybe go another color...soon.

I mulled it over on how disgusted I was with myself for breaking my patch job. So I decided to, yet again, work on another stick. Remember that stick I stripped down from a while back? Well...

I put it to some use. I have it wired for Neo Geo control. And yes, I tested it and it works perfect!

Back during my first attempt at making a CMVS, I made a connector that didn't work so well. I opened it up tonight to rewire everything in that connector to *sorta* follow the Neo Geo wiring convention. Then wired the top row of buttons along with everything else to said connections. Tested it with a quick sesh of Fatal Fury Special to find everything working. 

As a note, the cable that I used had only 12 wires, including the shielding that I used for ground. That problem I noted with the "D" button was eliminated because I figured that I could just jump the 2 pins that is listed as registering "D" would work just fine, which it did.

I still have hopes and aspirations to convert this controller into a multi console controller. I am going to switch out the buttons currently in there to more arcade style ones...possibly change out the joysick as well.

Pic of that crazy project...

Or at least part of it.

It doesn't show, but there are casters under there, as well as the cardboard backing. These are just some of the older gen games that I had that needed to be shelved, this doesn't include the Wii/PS3/360 games, as well as the other games I keep in disc binders.