So I've been getting a bit pissed with my hobby recently.
As you're probably aware, despite being on this forum, I'm still a n00b to PCE gaming. Some time ago, I finally managed to acquire a PCE from Samurai_Ghost. However, my order got mixed up & I ended up with just the system & no controller. It was an honest mistake & I happily, patiently waited for the controller.
When the time finally came to have the controller shipped, Samurai offered to sell me an IFU. Naturally, excited at the thought of playing my PCE with composite out instead of channel-95 RF (which, by the way, gets an absolutely terrible, grainy picture on my TV for some reason), I accepted & purchased the IFU.
So I get the IFU & the damn thing requires a different power supply. After sifting through my electronics junk, I unearthed about 8 or 9 different DC9V PSU's, none of which fit the IFU. The only things I have that will fit are a 12V PSU, which I'm not comfortable trying, and a power inverter for plugging a DC/AC device into your car's cigarette lighter. So, guess I'm stuck with shitty RF picture until I can fork out the dough for a suitable adapter.
On another note, I recently had my Game Gear re-capped. After 3 failed attempts at getting a working one with the same result, I finally decided to go with the fool-proof solution. So while I'm waiting for my restored Game Gear to arrive, I find a copy of GG Aleste II on ebay. Stupid, I know, to have basically two copies of the same game, but I said "what the hell" & bought it. I figured most of the affordable games for the Game Gear are just okay at best, so why not spring for a good one?
So I get my Game Gear, plug it in, turn it on, and everything's great. The sound is loud and the picture is fantastic. My Master Gear converter even works without flickr. That is...for about 20 minutes. Then the screen begins to fade. Pretty soon, it's entirely shot again. I look the Game Gear over. I notice the power jack says "DC9V". I look at the adapter I bought for it, which was specifically for the Game Gear (and the Genesis II, I guess) and it reads 10V. Thus, I concluded that this adapter must have ruined each GG I've gotten. So, I'm going to have to send the damn thing back to have it fixed, and buy an official Game Gear adapter. I'm not taking any chances this time.
Money, money, more fucking money.
I know it's stupid to bitch about spending lots of money on retro games, but...really? It isn't this difficult collecting for the NES. Or the SNES. Or the Genesis. Or the Master System. Or pretty much every other console I own games for, save maybe for the famicom (with its pitiful RF.)
Sorry if I'm whining, I'm just frustrated with the bullshit I've been dealing with trying to broaden my gaming horizons. I'm sure you guys have similar stories to tell, what with the Duo's rampant cap issues, as well as the Express/GT's. Care to share?
Well, I can't get my famicom working, after trying a dozen times to AV mod it.
As for your problems (which seem to revolve around power issues); I'm 90% sure the IFU *needs* a 12v adaptor - it's supposed to power a CD drive AND a PC Engine.
And I doubt the problem with the GameGear is the adaptor. Admittedly, I'm not so sure of this, but I'm sure we can get to the bottom of it right here. Admittedly, I do like playing the games, but I do find mods exciting. It's frustrating when you put so much effort in and end up with broken stuff, but when it works, I'm proud, and I love the sense of ability that I have being able to open up these magic boxes, and even at my level just knowing roughly what everything does and how to fix it.
Of course I'm not a patch on some of the guys here, but maybe in time...
1. Romy from Amdromeda is a funny AI.
2. find an electrical Engineer, or person who mess with VCR stuff.
3. Make them do the installations.
4. I thought I would never say but seriously.......A person is a noob because they are greem, in exprienced is X feild.
Their is no such thing as retro. That is an advertisement word meant for the kiddies who never grewe up with real X item Before you start collecting preivew the actually item, first. Down the street from me, a garage automachanic
has a working 1920's car. in "like new" condition. Those cars are street legal, but not everybody use them.
I do not know your age, but seriously if you are not in college yet, save your money, forget videogames all together unless really love math and programming. Graduate from college at 17. Study, Study, and save your money man. Then get into the stuff, because it is not going anywhere fast. It is a just an intrest, or hobbie, that people are into.
If it was 1989 you might have understood. The newer stuff is made out of confete, and will all breakdown in a matter of days. Marvel VS capcom, Street Fighter IV is
rehashed since the Saturn. Sace your money, because they want you to spend it.
Money is power, so save it. Please.
Quote from: RegalSin on 08/06/2012, 09:59 AM1. Romy from Amdromeda is a funny AI.
2. find an electrical Engineer, or person who mess with VCR stuff.
3. Make them do the installations.
4. I thought I would never say but seriously.......A person is a noob because they are greem, in exprienced is X feild.
Their is no such thing as retro. That is an advertisement word meant for the kiddies who never grewe up with real X item Before you start collecting preivew the actually item, first. Down the street from me, a garage automachanic
has a working 1920's car. in "like new" condition. Those cars are street legal, but not everybody use them.
I do not know your age, but seriously if you are not in college yet, save your money, forget videogames all together unless really love math and programming. Graduate from college at 17. Study, Study, and save your money man. Then get into the stuff, because it is not going anywhere fast. It is a just an intrest, or hobbie, that people are into.
If it was 1989 you might have understood. The newer stuff is made out of confete, and will all breakdown in a matter of days. Marvel VS capcom, Street Fighter IV is
rehashed since the Saturn. Sace your money, because they want you to spend it.
Money is power, so save it. Please.
I don't understand. Nobody even mentioned the newer stuff. I haven't bought a 360 game for the better part of a year, now. I drive a car from 1963. I want a working Game Gear because I had one as a small child. Same reason I have a Genesis II, N64, and PS1. Everything else, I have because I have an affinity for old games. If your main point is to save my money, I am. I have a budget. But I can assure you that, at least for me, money is NOT power. No amount of financial security has brought me the amount or quality of happiness I've gotten from music, art, knowledge, etc. For someone who blatantly has it out for "the man", Regal, you sure seem eager to play into his game.
Quote from: soop on 08/06/2012, 05:22 AMWell, I can't get my famicom working, after trying a dozen times to AV mod it.
As for your problems (which seem to revolve around power issues); I'm 90% sure the IFU *needs* a 12v adaptor - it's supposed to power a CD drive AND a PC Engine.
And I doubt the problem with the GameGear is the adaptor. Admittedly, I'm not so sure of this, but I'm sure we can get to the bottom of it right here. Admittedly, I do like playing the games, but I do find mods exciting. It's frustrating when you put so much effort in and end up with broken stuff, but when it works, I'm proud, and I love the sense of ability that I have being able to open up these magic boxes, and even at my level just knowing roughly what everything does and how to fix it.
Of course I'm not a patch on some of the guys here, but maybe in time...
My original plan was to figure out how to recap the thing myself. However, even if I were to start learning how to solder PCB's, I don't think this is best job to start off with. I know what you mean, though. I've cleaned the laser on a PS2 and made it work again, and I fixed some vertical lines on my aunt's original Game Boy, and I did enjoy the feeling of accomplishment I got from it. Anyway, if not the adapter, then what might the problem be?
I broke down & tried using the 12V adapter on the IFU, by the way. The thing didn't power on at all. I didn't break it, did I?
you didnt consider amperage when you powered the IFU You need at least 1450mA to power that thing.
Their is all kinds of luck, god luck, devils luck, human luck, or whatever. You want to play the video games from the normal days, and your frustrated, then go down the street and look for an electrical engineer, person, who really knows electronics.
I know what you are thinking, why spend money, when you can hang out with Amdromeda. Well money is real, commedity is real and is worth it to somebody on the planet, or universe, It is either that or we, spend the rest of our lives, singing, "Oscar mire wiener," to the next set of rubbish released.
My understanding is that voltage needs to be within 10% of the required amount. Amperage can be higher, but not lower. And polarity has to match. My guess is that you broke the Game Gear, but not the IFU. I've tried incorrect power supplies for brief moments without bad results.
The cheapest way to get power supplies is to go to your nearest thrift store. They usually have dozens of AC adapters hanging in bags or sitting in a box for, like, fifty cents each. Find a wall wart with the specs you need, then find another unit with the right tip to fit your device. Buy them both for a dollar, go home, and splice the right tip to the correct wall wart.
I hate the Sega Scope 3D glasses. I bought a broken pair on the cheap thinking I could jury rig something to replace its missing ear hook. Alas, the glasses are so heavy that nothing holds them up short of duct taping them to my head. Even when I do stabilize the glasses, the 3D effect just doesn't work for me. My eyesight is fine, but I can't focus the dual blinking images into a single effect. So I bought a modern pair of liquid shutter glasses on ebay and plugged them into the 3D adapter - same problem.
Ahh, that's a point. The polarity has to match. That could well be the problem. And as long as you din't leave it plugged in for like 5 minutes, it's gonna be fine.
As far as recapping, I agree with you, it's a bit too much for a beginner. I started with a Megadrive region mod, probably the easiest thing you can do, and I've tried making an RGB amp, which is still a bit beyond my skills. However, I have messed around with PC Engines a lot since I have a bunch of white ones knocking about waiting for something cool to happen to them. They seem a lot less scary when you've spent so long looking at them, and the caps are actually pretty hefty. I've swapped out a couple now.