Messages

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / Re: How old were you when the Turbo Grafx came out?]

Couple months shy of 14 years old when the TG16 came out.

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / Re: How you discovered the turbo grafx]

Back in 1989, I saved up and bought a turbografx-16 with my own money from a sketchy local store. My first game was JJ and Jeff. It was almost my last, but luckily my friend got Bloody Wolf.

lol

I remember the first game I played on the TG16 was bloody wolf.

[Off-Topic / Re: Favorite "system neutral" magazine]

Though Diehard did have bias issues, I do have to say for the most part that that was my fav mag back in the day. Game previews and the such had great gameplay pics and usually went pretty in depth, and I liked the fact they covered imports and Pce stuff a lot of the time.

+1

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / Re: HuCard Travel Case]

My Hucard Travel case:

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / Re: Turbo Everdrive PC Engine / Turbografx 16 Flash Card Nearing Release]

Soldier Blade on the turbo everdrive works fine on both my tg16 and white pce.

[Off-Topic / Re: Lets wish Nightmare Tony Well.]

I believe he has kidney cancer.

[Console Repair/Mod Center / Re: Soldering iron/station]

I picked up a Sparkfun 937b at Microcenter yesterday for $40.
http://www.microcenter.com/product/396467/Variable_Temperature_Soldering_Iron_-_50_Watt

It's a Hakko 936 clone. Even directly uses Hakko tips.

Includes a nice fine point tip. Soft, flexible cable on the iron to the base.

Heats up mad fast.

I have only briefly had a chance to use it, but so far seems pretty nice.

[Buy/Sell/Trade / Re: PCE LT for sale.]

About 4 years ago

I am going to go out on a limb and say that pricing isn't relevant anymore.

[Console Repair/Mod Center / Re: Soldering iron/station]

http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/uh_viewItem.asp?idProduct=24790

They have them in the USA warehouse but are out of stock at the moment, they've been selling damn fast. Compatible with Hakko tips.

Word is that they're not junk. A dozen or so people from an Australian arcade forum I frequent purchased them (at $25 delivered who could resist) and they've all said that they perform brilliantly. I'll be getting one myself once they get stock back in to the Aussie warehouse.

Once the US warehouse has them back in stock, I think I am going to snag one (or maybe 2) of these.
After reading some reviews of this Yihua 936 station, it looks to be a very high quality clone of the Hakko 936.

[Console Repair/Mod Center / Re: My RGB modded White PC Engine]

Very nice work. Good and clean. On the foam padding below the breadboard to prevent shit from touching, if you want, you can try coating the bottom of the board with a few coats of Plasti Dip or Liquid Tape instead after you are sure its working.

Good tip.

However the foam tape is there to keep the board from moving around. On the bottom of the perf board I hot glued on a thin piece of transparent plastic to keep it from touching anything.

[Buy/Sell/Trade / WTB: White PCE controller]

Recently picking up a white PCE, but it didn't come with a controller so I need one for it.

Would prefer one from a DuoR since its matching white and has turbo buttons (I am a lazy gamer).

[Console Repair/Mod Center / My RGB modded White PC Engine]

Picked up a White PC Engine yesterday. Got it for free as it was supposedly dead. Replaced the fuse and all is well once again. Cleaned up pretty nicely too. No major yellowing.


RGB modded it this evening.






Same basic formula as my RGB modded TG16:
https://www.pcengine-fx.com/forums/index.php?topic=13244.0


Built the amp board substantially smaller (maybe half the size of the one in my TG16). Layed down some of the larger caps to make sure there was room to close the cover.

Just like the TG16, has Composite video, RGB and Stereo audio on the 8 pin mini din.

[Off-Topic / The “What-Did-You-Buy-Today?” Thread]

Picked up a dead, original white PC Engine today.

Replaced the fuse and works like new. RGB mod coming up next for it.

[Console Repair/Mod Center / Re: Soldering iron/station]

It might be a bootleg/clone of a 936, but i wonder how well it performs?

I need to replace my worn out cheapo Stahl tools station, and was planning on a FX-888, but this might be a decent cheapo replacement.

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / Re: Duo RX with SCART RGB mod... how do I use this input on an American TV?]

Modding the Scart to component encoder box and adding a pair of stereo rca jacks is a far more reasonable option.

[Console Repair/Mod Center / Re: Soldering iron/station]

The higher end models have a couple benefits:

Heat up quicker
Hold their temperature while in use far better
Designed to have serviceable and replaceable parts like the heater element and etc
Built like something that will last a long time
Better grade tips that won't wear out after soldering a couple dozen joints (hello Radio Shack tips)

[Buy/Sell/Trade / Re: WTB: Turbo Duo]

Bump

Still looking

[Buy/Sell/Trade / Re: Duo R for sale]

PM incoming!

[Console Repair/Mod Center / Re: Soldering iron/station]

If you have the $100 or so, the FX-888 is definitely the way to go.

[Console Repair/Mod Center / Re: My RGB modded TG16]

Where can I find that Amphenol type?

The one I was thinking of is this one:

http://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/C091%2031N008%20100%202/361-1135-ND/1036179


Sadly it looks like the price has went up!. Now nearly $13 a connector. I am sure there is someone out there that sells these for less.

Also note: This is a full size 8 pin din connector rather than a mini din. I am not sure if they offer something similar in the mini din.

I have used these in the past and they are built like tanks. The connector will probably outlast what ever it's installed into.

[Console Repair/Mod Center / Re: My RGB modded TG16]

Sorry, didn't realize a Sega-16 attachment wouldn't display here. Let's try that again.

Nice looking mod.

Anytime I use those type of Din 8 connectors, I tend to reverse mount them. Mount them on the back side the plastic so you don't see all that silver metal flange going around. Then use black screws and the whole thing looks a lot more stealthy.

Like this:




This is from a consolized Neo Geo MV1B I did earlier this year. Same exact Din 8 connector, just mounted on the back side of the plastic.


Also, while they cost more, Amphenol makes some that mount with a retaining nut on the backside. Kinda the way RCA jacks mount. Drill one large hole, put the 8 pin din through it, and then screw on the large retaining nut. However those are $5 or $6 each, but look very high end.

[Console Repair/Mod Center / Re: My RGB modded TG16]

I used the same technique that mmmonkey used. Bend over one of the pcb mounting tabs and place it through one of the holes left by removing the rf modulator. And then behind the connector, scratch off some of the green pcb coating to reveal the copper below it. Then solder the backside of the 8 pin mini din to that. Helps secure it down in the front and rear. You could also run a bead of hot glue around it to help strength it.

[Console Repair/Mod Center / Re: Composite sync stripper for the schematic illiterate]

I had my consoles hooked up to a pvm using a scart breakout board with a lm1881 built in but when i switched to a pvm2030 i got a new cable and it doesn't have one built in yet all my systems synced perfectly. What is thw point in using one?

While most PVM's work just fine with composite video as sync, some however don't. Some monitors like the NEC XM29 requires straight composite sync. The playstation series of consoles don't output composite sync, so you have to use composite video for the sync when using RGB. And in that case, depending on your monitor, you would need to strip the sync signal from the composite video to get a stable picture. Plus some consoles have a dirty sync output and running it through a LM1881 circuit cleans it up.

[Console Repair/Mod Center / Re: 4 videos of mods/repairs I did on a DUO - caps - country - LED - rca jacks]

I like the cap replacement tutorial and the technique for replacing surface mount caps with through hole.

[Console Repair/Mod Center / Re: My RGB modded TG16]

Nice work! Does your mod also output composite from the din jack like duo RGB mods?

Yup. I opted to run composite video to the din 8 instead of amped composite sync. My monitor has no problem accepting composite video as sync and its nice to have a fall back video output in case it's needed.

[Console Repair/Mod Center / My RGB modded TG16]

Thought I would share a recent RGB mod to my TG16.


RGB modded it with stereo audio and composite video as sync. Used a mini 8 pin din and installed it where the useless RF output was at keeping a stock external appearance. Borrowed this idea from MMmonkey.
http://www.mmmonkey.co.uk/console/pce/rgb.htm

The RGB amp design came from GameSX. It's the regular SC1815 transistor based amp.
http://www.gamesx.com/rgbadd/duorgb.php





This was my first time building an RGB amp and actually working inside a TG16. Pretty happy with the results. Other than some very minor jailbars when there is a light, full screen background, the RGB is very nice. Hooked up to my 20 inch Sony PVM. Next time I build one of these amps, I will make it smaller and probably lay some parts down (like the 220uF caps) so that it has a lower profile.

[Buy/Sell/Trade / WTB: Turbo Duo]

Looking for either a Duo or Duo-R for a reasonable price. US or JP doesn't matter to me.

I can do recapping it that needs done. No problem.

Would like it to be in reasonably nice condition.


Thanks!
 Todd

[Buy/Sell/Trade / Re: Turbo Grafx 16 / PC Engine / Express / GT Region Mod Chips for sale!]

Installed one of these chips into a CoreGrafx and works fantastically.





Pretty easy install. I used a slider style switch instead of a rocker.