Messages

[Buy/Sell/Trade / Re: FS (Florida) Region+RGB modded white PC Engines]

I guess the $89.00 doesn't sound too bad when you consider you get the vga cable, the 5v power supply, and a housing for it all.  Have you tried this particular model?

 I saw a board similar to yours for $33.00 plus $5.00 shipping on ebay.  I found a 5v 2amp power supply cord on ebay for 7.00 shipped. The male to female DB-15 cord for $6.00 shipped.  I'm  assuming any DB-15 cord will work. 

Either way, I would still need that female SCART to VGA cable that you have in your ebay auction.  Do you have another one for sale?

Well I don't know what you will be using on the system but I can make dedicated cables for most systems (console to VGA type plug with a 3.5mm stereo lead for the sound.) If you go for the SCART options the cables themselves will work out cheaper per cable but yes you need the SCART to VGA. I am waiting on some components (little plug that powers the sync stripper) but I'll be putting some of these on soon. I have all the other parts though.

Other bonus with the VGA boxes is you can add scanlines to them. It works with any VGA out. This is a later consideration I guess but you can buy a little box that adds scanlines, or build one. Details are here http://www.mmmonkey.co.uk/console/other/vga-scanlines.htm - I'm hoping to add the simpler version to my store, I don't want to copy arcadeforge's design. They also do a sync stripper but it does no better job than the one I sell.

[Buy/Sell/Trade / Re: Raffle: Sapphire ACD's!]

I'm interested, never had this, never actually played it, don't want to put CDRs in the Duo.

[Buy/Sell/Trade / Re: FS (Florida) Region+RGB modded white PC Engines]

I'm interested.  What will the difference be between your offering and something like this?

http://sewelldirect.com/Gefen-SCART-to-VGA-Adapter.asp

I'm interested.  What will the difference be between your offering and something like this?

http://sewelldirect.com/Gefen-SCART-to-VGA-Adapter.asp

I honestly don't know what the deal is with leads like that. The circuitry required for converting properly to VGA won't fit into something like a SCART plug. I don't know if they work as a sync stripper (they'd have to, to get anything close to VGA as 99% of SCART cables output composite video, not pure sync.

If you plug that lead directly into your TV it will not work because what you will have is 15kHz RGB in the VGA lead as this is what consoles output for SCART. Monitors that work with 15kHz are rare, I imagine TVs don't support it at all. The RGBS to VGA converter converts this to proper VGA.

I personally use the one without external housing, there's one with housing here http://www.ambery.com/rgbcgatovgac.html - gets pricy. There are some units out there that take direct SCART in. Please note though, I haven't tried any of these. This is the setup I use http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=160665425834 - the listing being for the sync stripper for the SCART but as I say with a direct lead from the console you don't need a sync stripper. I bought the RGBS to VGA board from another seller for $40. As far as the fact it lacks casing, you can build your own but I tend to use it as is. Just don't spill anything on it/leave it near static. It doesn't seem to pick up interference from an LCD.

[Buy/Sell/Trade / Re: FS (Florida) Region+RGB modded white PC Engines]

My TV (LG model 47LH30-UA) has a 15 pin RGB in female port on the back of it.  Looks like a vga connector to me.    What can you recommend that will work to hook up through this port?  The DVDO Edge was around 400.00 when I googled it. 

Do you know of a brand that will work that is cheaper?

The cable I have looks like the one in this auction  (your auction??):

http://www.ebay.com/itm/White-PC-Engine-RGB-SCART-plays-Turbo-Grafx-PCE-games-/160679176179?pt=Video_Games&hash=item256939a7f3

Yes that's my auction.

Plenty of much cheaper SCART to VGA converters on eBay. I use the RGBS/CGA to VGA board personally, which requires an extra sync stripper - I do sell these for $30 meaning you can do the whole thing for $70 ish. Or I can supply a VGA type plug with sync out for your console instead of SCART meaning you do not need the sync stripper. Easy enough to do and I have the parts. I'm going to sell these cables soon because lots of people have that cheap VGA board.

The quality of the upscaling is not as good as DVDO and you may see some lines of pixels looking thicker in places. However the image quality is far superior to composite video, obviously. PC Engine works pretty well with it. You may see some image tearing at times with some consoles when there's lots of scrolling. Depends what you think you can tolerate, it seems to be system specific. SNES has a lot more image tearing, Saturn has basically none (see:

- no tearing.)

[Buy/Sell/Trade / Re: FS (Florida) Region+RGB modded white PC Engines]

Question.....

How do I hook up a RGB modded Duo to a modern TV?  Is there some sort of HDMI converter that we can use?

Generally the best success I have had is with VGA upscalers. Cheaper HDMI converters don't upscale well and the one I bought defaults to converting to composite video despite being fed the right voltages for RGB switching. Component video conveters are better for CRTs as many LCDs don't display low resolutions through component. If you want to do it cheaply and have a VGA socket, go for VGA. If you can afford to not do it cheaply, get a DVDO Edge (which then requires a SCART to RGBS converter) or XRGB from MIcomsoft (which similarly requires a converter) - these converters are just cheap through ports though.

[Buy/Sell/Trade / Re: FS (Florida) Region+RGB modded white PC Engines]

I am really tempted by the modded PC Engine, but I ordered one of the RGB cables instead, it should be easy enough to add a panel mount DIN 8 to the Turbo CD dock. Other than the added RGB pins, are the other pins wired like a standard Duo AV port?

Hi,

Thanks for your purchase - yes the other 5 pins are standard Duo AV type, the top three go red, green, blue from the left.

The amp inside the cable is the same type as seen in the video.

[Buy/Sell/Trade / Re: FS (Florida) Region+RGB modded white PC Engines]

Just thought I would post my eBay feedback, long history of selling PCE and mods - I've sold here before but that was a long time ago. Moved here this year from UK.

http://feedback.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewFeedback2&userid=retro_console_accessories&ftab=AllFeedback

Mostly I sell RGB SCARTs for most consoles plus a few PCE games on that ID. I used to trade as pcenginesales.

Everything on my site can be paid for by Paypal so it's covered anyway, just thought I should clarify all this as I saw in another thread people not wanting to trade with a person with a few forum posts. I have 7000+ eBay feedback and 99.9% of that is selling (literally.)

[Buy/Sell/Trade / Re: FS (Florida) Region+RGB modded white PC Engines]

did the coregrafx 2 fall through?

No, those are sold out. I just have a couple of white PCEs now.

Re. video amps. The transistor mod commonly recommended on the web (the one on gamesx) ie. the most common transistor mod done by people online has jailbar issues. I am fully aware a video IC amp is a combination of components ie. reduces components neeed. I have tried several video amp ICs and the one I use now is better quality than any other, including the basic transistor mod. Obviously this could be replicated broken down into simpler parts but a lot more time spent=more cost to buyers and I don't think the quality can be improved on at any rate. The NJM2267 is a really nice video amp IC which is very popular with Japanese modders. I saw ghosting effects and jailbars with other ICs. Doujindance on eBay uses it too.

The other good video amps I tried were based on Sony CXA ICs but those are hard to get hold of. Worthwhile for the s-video out if people want it, but most people these days only want the RGB.

I feel the NJM2267 produces the best picture, the other bonus is the SMT version fits inside a standard SCART which means you can externalise the amp. As seen in the video. This enables another thing I sell which is a kit to allow easy DIY installation of the RGB amp for buyers.

[Buy/Sell/Trade / Re: PC engine 1.0 system card]

I have several of these unboxed in stock in Florida.

I can match anyone else's price so let me know if interested.

[Buy/Sell/Trade / Re: WTB: pc engine with region mod]

Does the condition matter?

I have a white pc engine in bad condition I use for testing games, somebody scrubbed it with wire wool or something.

I had two of these from the same Japanese seller (who I will never purchase from again.) AV+region modded by myself. No leads except the AV lead, would be happy to let them go for $55 shipped. One is already sold.

It's not really possible to get them cheaply in good condition because the sellers in Japan have to ship them and the sellers in the USA have to add the Japanese shipping to total. I buy all my units from Japan so you see what I mean. The rate of the yen to dollar is also very high at the moment. I pay on average $35-$55 for unmodded consoles including japanese shipping then you are talking $35 for each mod. I can only sell at a loss if i feel I got a bad console.

[Buy/Sell/Trade / FS (Florida) Region+RGB modded white PC Engines]

http://www.retro-access.com/ourshop/cat_150586-Modified-consoles.html

Just had an order fall through on these so I've put them on my site. Usually the site has a backlog with orders with everything apparently "out of stock", but as I say - this order fell through.

This mod uses the NJM2267 ICs which after heavy testing of various methods I find to be the best mod possible. Really cuts down the vertical banding visible on transistor mods.

There's a video of the mod method here.

I had a couple requests a while back for a white PCE but we were so heavily backlogged with orders I couldn't find time to do these jobs, if you needed a console and have requested previously please let me know. They do sell out fast because of the good condition they are in and lack of white PCEs on the market.

International postage is $13.95 on these light consoles.

[Console Repair/Mod Center / Modder and PC Engine in Florida now taking orders]

I'm a modder of 15 years experience, used to be based in UK, now based in Florida. I can source PC Engines from Japan as I have contacts there.

Here's an example of my work http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/160636593885

This is my website: http://www.retro-access.com/

I am also looking to buy up broken Duos and I can repair your broken consoles.

[Console Repair/Mod Center / Re: Help with my Region Mod]

Oops sorry - it's on the Japanese systems near the HuCARD slot. If it's not on the US models then I don't know of a comparable source, I wouldn't use the pins on the hucard slot though if only for potential of shorting thanks to the pins bending easily once cut.

[Console Repair/Mod Center / Re: Help with my Region Mod]

The 10uf capacitor on the HuCARD port board is a great source for voltage+ground. It connects at the positive end to the 5V source and at the negative direct to ground. If it helps I always use that and I've never once had trouble with interference.

If it also helps I would use different coloured wire for the mod as it helps with troubleshooting. It's very easy to wire these wrong. I've done it multiple times. You can be scratching your head forever if you don't code the wire. I tend to buy a multicore cable with thin gauge wire in it for mine.

[Console Repair/Mod Center / A switchless mod for a core grafx/Duo - anyone tried?]

I've posted this before but I still don't know if it's possible and I don;t have time to faff arround sadly, I am snowed under with orders/mods to do.

But there's a pin on the EXT port for PCE that resets the console.

To make a switchless mod, you need the IC circuit for the mod and some way to tell the cartidge to reset itself to use the new setting.

Now if that pin exists (and it's not just a software reset as I assumed select+run might be) might it still be possible to not cut holes in the Core and Duo?

If anyone has tried/wants to try I'd appreciate the info if it works.

I'm still using white PCEs as best candidates for mods as you can simply rag out the RF and use a nice new DIN and a switch in place of the TV out switch for the US/JP (hint: don't use superglue for the DIN as mmmonkey's site suggests! I'm not nice enough to give away my super strong glue solution that has NEVER come lose for customers in 10 years or so, but I will say "epoxy" and take it from there.)

http://www.mmmonkey.co.uk/console/pce/rgb2.htm - I use 9 pins as customers might plug the joypad into the TV out, I don't want that as it could cause damage/blow fuse at very least.

[Buy/Sell/Trade / Re: Wanted: Original White PC Engine]

Hi

I am possibly after an original white PC Engine (preferrably with the RGB mod). As my current one seems to be out of action for the time being. I am UK based. Many thanks for your time.

Regards

Hi,

We sell the RGB modded consoles in the UK (site is down at the mo though as somebody stole my credit card and I'm still waiting on a replacement.)

I sell on eBay, I think you bought some cables off us?

The units we supply are modded for a Megadrive SCART lead.

There's one on eBay at the moment though I assume you would want a discount as don't need the power supply? Let me know. And the old console can be tested too. If you want to send that to us for a diagnostic check, with the offending game (I read about your issue in the mods forum) we can test that game on the other white engine we have. The issue sounds intriguing and perhaps it is repairable.

[Console Repair/Mod Center / I have 8PDT switches available, anyone need them for the region mod?]

I've bought a whole truckload of some SCART switcher boxes to sell on eBay but they ain't selling. On taking them apart to potentially strip for components, I have discovered the 8PDT switch inside, the switch that is needed by many for the region mod. I've heard of power issues with the IC mod, saying that I have never had the power issues, however if you've had such issues I guess this is some solution for you.

These would of course be salvage parts and be desoldered off the board but I'm guessing this is no issue to most. They are off new, unused boxes so no wear and tear. I have over 100 of them available. Anyone interested? These are coming of course from the UK but if I have enough demand I can ship a box over to the USA to be redirected - less shipping costs for you. I'll probably put them on eBay too.

[Console Repair/Mod Center / Getting 60hz from PAL TG (and can anyone tell me what's in the US model?)]

This is nuts.

Tried to replace the crappy PAL crystal in this, result: NTSC 50Hz video, console still clocked at 50Hz. Pulled up pin 10 of the processor (OSC input as stated here http://www.archaicpixels.com/index.php/HuC6280) wired the output of the 21.44727mhz crystal to that, still the console runs at 50Hz (what the hell?)

I completely turned the 50Hz crystal OFF as well as the adjacent crystal (I removed a jumper giving power to the whole circuit they were involved in.)

There's a chip taking input off the crystal and it appears to be what's giving the signal for the output video (well obviously.) And it's a chip that's definitely not in the original PC Engine. It appears to be a Z80 variant? Marked PCZ80-119. If it's a processor it could be taking over operations from the HuC6280. As giving the HuC6280 the correct crystal for 60Hz is NOT speeding up the system, it appears this PCZ80 chip is somehow forcing the whole board into 50Hz. The only thing that forcing a 60Hz crystal does, is turn the video colour encoding to NTSC. The output of the new crystal is fed to both this weird new chip AND the HuC6280. It does nothing to help.

Can anyone tell me if this chip is in the original TG-16? And the crystals, what are they and what do their output pins go into? What pin of PCZ80-119 does pin 8 of the D74HCU04 go into (if present?)

SOMEBODY TELL ME WHY THIS IS HAPPENING IT'S DRIVING ME NUTS. 50HZ MUST NOT BE ALLOWED.

[Console Repair/Mod Center / S-video from Sony CXA1145 - how good is it?]

I'm thinking of s-video mods using various chips but this one seems to be the easiest to get hold of at the moment. You can rag the CXA1645 out of a Saturn but the price of a broken saturn+postage off eBay pretty much defeats the object of this (postage cost being the main issue.) I have the Sony CXA1145 on hand and I wonder if there is any difference in image quality? Does anyone have a schematic for the 1645 mod - I assume the 1145 is the same pinout, same circuit.

[Console Repair/Mod Center / Re: Buyer says a console I sold him broke 2 briefcase CD units]

I bet since its a "mod" he thinks he can wank you out of your money by saying its broke and hitting the HALP ME PAYPAL button.


That or he broke the stuff before you got the item to him and hes just real dopey

Nah I don't think it's either. Like I say somebody very likely from here, and bought off me before with no trouble. How do you break the video out? I don't think anything is/was broken. Probably some other equipment problem, is my guess, or the PCE has a dodgy EXT port meaning nothing is broken, it's just not sending the video signal. If that's the case it would be very easily fixed.

[Console Repair/Mod Center / Re: Buyer says a console I sold him broke 2 briefcase CD units]

No reply from him as yet so I assume he's figured it out. It's also quite likely he posts here/reads the site. He buys off my site and if you hunt on google for this stuff, my threads on the mods come up before my site does, so people click through from here. Like I say this is a regular buyer too. His name has come up time and time again on my eBay sales in the past.

I mean no offense to this person and I understand the frustration when something like this happens. A while back every single PCE I was modding ended up producing nothing but severe noise and interference on both TVs in the house, green screening and buzzing. I tested a lot of equipment and chucked stuff out in frustration. They were doing it through SCART and the native AV. Then I noticed the fault was also on my unmodded stuff. It happened with different power supplies, different TVs, different cables, different power strips, different soldering irons/none at all in the case of unmodded. I wrote a bunch of consoles off as potentially unfixable as I could not find the source of the problem. I went into a state of absolute panic, and was hardly coherent in testing the stuff, nor did I have time to do thorough checks. I was in the middle of a huge order to be completed for a gamestore, and it was intense. Five consoles were "broken"  by this fault. I gave up on plugging any more in for testing. I went to bed highly miserable. A day later, they were all working again! To this day I do not know what caused this ridiculous phantom problem. Why it only occurred on PC Engines I have NO clue, everything else was working. It's very easy isn't it, to assume the fault was caused by your TV, then your power strip, then your soldering iron, your cabling, you blame everything and anything and it's severely frustrating. So I can see why he would assume it was the mod, or the console. It's just impossible though. Obviously he isn't as aware of the fact it is impossible, or I imagine he would be taking his consoles apart and tinkering with them himself. The signal from the EXT port can't damage a CD ROM unless there's a short circuit somewhere, and as they share the +5V and ground when plugged in together, that short would blow the fuse on the console before you ever plugged it into the CD ROM. So if it's working fine by itself it can't wreck the CD ROM. Even if the short was on the PCE and you plugged it into the CD ROM before testing it by itself, the fuse would go anyway and there would be no damage done. Only way you could damage is if you replaced that fuse with a wire. The console would still fail to run by itself though!

I have nothing against my buyers of consoles, but this sort of stuff was why I took a long hiatus from selling consoles. PCEs are so modular, that if the fault is on the person's equipment the blame WILL go on your console, as you modded it. If you sell it on eBay it's especially bad, the buyer won't know you, will come out of the blue and be instilled with all kinds of "sellers on eBay are scammers" bias despite the fact that Paypal makes it so that most scammers on eBay are well, buyers. It made selling CD consoles completely impossible as 1/10 of drives would break thanks to overseas postal service. You could still sell and make a profit, replacing the 1/10, but was the threat of negative feedback worth it? Nope. I STILL don't sell CD consoles. The buyers can purchase a Core or a white engine and go get a Super CD ROM2 elsewhere off somebody braver than me. I have that philosophy, then something like THIS happens! Saying that though I never had a Super CD ROM2 break on me, but the weight posting them from overseas STILL cripples your profit and the tax on bringing them to the UK from a supplier kills the resale profit anyway. Oh well.

[Console Repair/Mod Center / Re: Buyer says a console I sold him broke 2 briefcase CD units]

Well this was the icing on the cake, my sales are down this month by 50% and I don't know why, competitors not selling anything either. Now this will wreck the bit I DID make and here's me the great big stupid mug paying $1000 to apply for a fiance visa that will get rejected if I can't show I'm earning over a certain threshold, god help me. Here's me having just put down a big freaking deposit on a house. Why just why. I'm so utterly depressed and sick of Paypal giving me no ability to have a say in anything. Please god I hope this guy is decent about this because I can't think of what to say. You mod a console, something goes wrong and people just auto assume it's your mod, we all know it to be the case.

[Console Repair/Mod Center / Re: Buyer says a console I sold him broke 2 briefcase CD units]

Tell him to go pound salt.  I don't see how a properly functioning PCE could possibly kill his CD setup, but even if it did, why in the blue hell would he hook up another CD unit and risk its death?

I have one word for you and that word is "Paypal."

He's also a regular customer. Plus if I had such an issue I'd just go ahead and plug another right in because I can't logically see how a console working by itself with its video out working fine would go break the video out on the briefcase. They share the video out - there might be some extra components in the briefcase but even so the video will work from either the console or the briefcase while running CDs. I'm almost certain too - been a long time since I took one apart (almost as annoying as Saturn assembly) but I think the RGB lines don't even connect to the briefcase, all it does is throw data at the PCE and they share the video out signal that the console produces having processed said data. That's very simplified obviously, but how would it break the video out? Certainly nothing to do with my mod, and yet even forgetting mod, I can't think how a working console would break the CD interface? Specifically JUST the video? I've asked him if he tried another console (he has them, he has at least 2 of my modded units) but from "broken" I assume he feels certain. I can see the EXT connector being screwed and not sending composite video to the CD ROM (no problem, I can replace the console) but "broken" is another story. Really I'm pretty scared about the whole situation.

[Console Repair/Mod Center / Buyer says a console I sold him broke 2 briefcase CD units]

Specifically the console works, it's running my regular RGB mod, never a complaint to date. I tested the console on a briefcase CD myself, not the same model (he says IFU-30) but he says it's broken the video out on two of his units. Now the video out on the white engine works, as does the RGB out and all that's been altered is the amped RGB to the SCART on the white engine. Non amped RGB going to the CD ROM unit as per usual, but I'm not sure it even uses it. If the video out from the white engine is fine, how can the video out from the CD ROM be broken? And the same mod as all the other consoles I've sent out, proven and working on briefcase CD ROMs time after time.

Not that I've got any specifics from him as yet but, well I'm posting here I guess before he does.

Now am I right in thinking he must be mistaken? There's not a thing I can think of that would cause this. A bad connection sure could wreck the visuals but not cause a permanent fault. He says it's specifically *broken* it. I've had many PC Engines and briefcases in my time, we're talking in the several hundreds and I've had many faulty ones, video errors, RAM errors, HuCARD connector errors, I've plugged faulty into non-faulty purely to isolate causes of problems (ie a console green screening on HuCARDs but running fine on a Super CD ROM means a problem with cartridge reading) and one's never broken the other. Not that this console displayed a single fault nor has he even mentioned any other fault since getting it. Just another kick in the teeth for me I guess, got a feeling no matter what I'll lose out badly on this one.

[Buy/Sell/Trade / Modded White PC Engines, Core Grafx I, II in stock in UK from £55]

http://www.retro-accessories.co.uk/ourshop/cat_150586-Modified-consoles.html - just added new stock.

The Core Grafx II is not on there but it's the same price as the Core Grafx I. I will post overseas, cost varies from £10-£18 to do so.

These are the best prices you will find on or off eBay given the top condition of the consoles.

[Buy/Sell/Trade / Re: WTB Core Grafx II]

I'm looking to buy a Core Grafx II  system with a few games.

Where are you located? I have one in stock, modded if you need it.

[Off-Topic / Re: So apparently I send cable "mended with tape"]

That aside, what's wrong with the feedback? You have 100%, no negatives in recent months, and this guy even left you a positive. Not to mention your star ratings are almost perfect across the board. On what grounds is eBay suspending any accounts?

What's wrong with the feedback is it makes it look like I send cables that are cut up, twisted together then "mended with tape" insted of professionally soldered. I mailed the buyer amd asked him wtf and he expressed consternation that he could find no factory made cables and that my cables looked handmade so why couldn't I say so in auction? He also went on and on about how when he bought a Duo, the seller supplied a power supply where the end plug "came right off" and this sort of thing was "unprofessional." He's talking about those variable power supplies where you change the plug to the one you need, of course.
The ludicrous thing is, the thing he is talking about - that shiny bit of heatshrink is FACTORY APPLIED - it's a pre-made freaking cable! All I do is add the DIN on the end. Which he's not even referring to with his "mended with tape."

All this has cost me sales, I've not sold a single PCE cable on that account since.

And I didn't know for a long while about the TG not having an AV port. I've never seen a TG irl in my life in fact, they are awful looking and I only deal in Japanese PCE. Though I could have sworn I amended that in the listing a long gtime back, I must have accidentally relisted a listing which was incorrect. Although it's not actually hurt me because I haven't had anyone say they got it for a TG16 and it didn't work - they must know it won't I guess.

[Off-Topic / So apparently I send cable "mended with tape"]

I've just about HAD it with eBay, and this ID's had too many low DSRs as it is this month from lost in post items combined with low sales that I think eBay are also about to decide I've had it with eBay, and kick me off.

I'm just furious about the feedback and low stars this guy has left. And terrified for this account. And all my accounts as a direct result of this one being suspended. I don't have long left.

http://feedback.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewFeedback2&userid=shirubania&ftab=AllFeedback

[Off-Topic / Re: Can anyone help me out with this scammer on eBay?]

just let ebay know its the same guy and theyll investigate his stupidity.

I have done this, many many times on many accounts with fresh evidence each time, I have even phoned the powerseller support line directly. eBay have done ABSOLUTELY NOTHING, like I say this person is clearly using a brand new IP, possibly a friend's old account. The only way to hurt his sales is to boost my own and try to increase visibility over his. It severely sucks and I don;t know why they don't accept identical listings, same pictures, same location same feedback phrases as evidence. All they will ban on is same IP, which I don't think they look into too closely (ie if he used it in the past, they probably just look at IPs he is using NOW.)

[Off-Topic / Re: Can anyone help me out with this scammer on eBay?]

Roger that Ill be sure not to buy from this guy! Ill put you on my fav sellers list and watch on of your items!....Whats your ebay name?

It's pcenginesales, like my ID here. Thanks a lot and remember favouriting the other sellers that are not this guy will help too.

HEH...I went to add you and realized you were the one I was going to buy that Turboduo cable from....lol

I still need that cable...

You wouldnt happen to know if a PS1 Scart will work on a duo for converting to RGB on USA TV's? I saw a guy from JAP selling one with a duo and he said he wasnt sure about USA.

I've seen those Duos converted to SCART and it's weird, they either install a Playstation type socket in the unit (why?) or an 8 pin to PS type plug converter. I really don't get it because making an 8 pin to SCART cable will suffice and be less work. I suppose it's a gimmick to draw attention to the mod they've done, replacing the 5 pin with an 8 pin doesn't look like a mod at all. I just don't know! Anyway a PS1 SCART will not work on a Duo that has not been modded with a playstation socket. Most aren't. You want a Neo Geo type 8 pin DIN to RGB SCART instead, now if you ask for these to be wired in any config you like to fit the mod you have that'll do fine.

Now if you bought the PS1 SCART modded Duo in the first place I see no reason why the mod won't work on an RGB to YUV converter, but it might depend on mod. I know my basic SCARTs with Duo-R's amp work, he has confirmed they work. Now my SCART with an amp inside is being tested by him when he gets the time.

So if you bought for now a Duo with amp inside from Duo-R, plus a Neo Geo SCART from me (make sure you tell me it is for Duo-R's mod) that would work. Can not comment on PS1 modded Duos, I don't know what amp circuit they are using or if it poses any potential problems.

[Off-Topic / Re: Can anyone help me out with this scammer on eBay?]

Roger that Ill be sure not to buy from this guy! Ill put you on my fav sellers list and watch on of your items!....Whats your ebay name?

It's pcenginesales, like my ID here. Thanks a lot and remember favouriting the other sellers that are not this guy will help too.

[Off-Topic / Can anyone help me out with this scammer on eBay?]

I'm having serious problems with a guy on eBay who keeps undercutting my prices. If I dropped lower, he would drop lower to a ridiculous level, I could make no profit, he could feasibly make no profit.
That is fair enough you might think, but check this guy's feedback.

http://feedback.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewFeedback2&userid=mikes-hobbies-zone

Yep, he just plain stopped posting out. He scammed a lot of buyers, got booted from eBay. My sales went back up.

Fair enough? Oh no, he came back: http://feedback.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewFeedback2&userid=reid8036

Note: DON'T put his stuff on your watchlist, don't visit his listings more than once (don't anyway as there's no proof any more to be found in them thanks to his listings on banned account being deleted) as all this will do is bump his interest levels and push my own items down in eBay's search.

Now I've lost a large bulk of sales to the scammer in the past fortnight because he came back with his lowest prices EVER, and he seems to be posting out OK at the moment so has built up some OK feedback. It's probably a blessing I had low sales this week as I was on a gruelling training course, but now I REALLY need to protect my future interests.

I'm working at only a little over minimum wage on these cables. I pay taxes, insurance, fees on a business account. He's not tax registered, sells OK for a bit then runs off with the money of anyone who doesn't know how to claw money back on Paypal. So obviously he can afford to undercut me.

When he came back he used the same pictures in his listings (though for a while he stole chaoticjelly's, probably to hide his identity, but cj reported him and the listings were pulled.) He uses the same large point comic sans font in blue, same listing layout, is selling from the same English county (small state like boundaries of England that are no bigger than a medium US city) sells the same items, etc etc which I reported to eBay. They have utterly failed to ban him. Now they've pulled all his past listings on the banned account (happens when you are perma banned on eBay) so buyers can't even compare and see that reid8036 is definitely the old scammer. Result of this is his sales have shot up.

THe only proof I have to you guys bar my word is this:

http://feedback.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewFeedback2&userid=mikes-hobbies-zone&ftab=FeedbackLeftForOthers
http://feedback.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewFeedback2&userid=reid8036&ftab=FeedbackLeftForOthers

Now as you can see he leaves the same bizarre phrase in feedback on both accounts. Both with blatant misspelling of "Carlsberg" too. I reported him again today to eBay with this fresh evidence but they won't do squat of course, this cheeky, brazen git is plainly selling on a friend's old account and IP.

Now reporting this guy is going to do squat. Sabotaging him would be stupid and put me in jeapordy.

If you can help, one way you can do it is find the listings of other legit sellers for these cables. Put them all on your watch list. If this is annoying, just put the four on that this guy is also selling (megadrive 1 and 2 SCART cables, Neo Geo SCART cables) What this does is pushes the scammer down in search. It doesn't stop him selling of course, but it might alleviate some of the damage done to legit sellers who rely on this for a livelihood.

Another way you can help of course is to never buy off this guy when you need a SCART cable, don't be fooled by the low prices. Spread the word as far as you can. 

I sold THREE cables yesterday. I usually sell 4-5 times that on Saturday. NONE were the same cable the scammer is selling. He has literally run off with all of my sales. Lowering my price is not an option and woud put me in the same position he put himself in (so many orders he has to run off with some money to break even.)

[Console Repair/Mod Center / Re: Region Mod woes !@!#@$!@#$]

I am acquiring a CGII that I am going to region mod when it comes in.  First, thanks for this thread, awesome information...

And for the Core, when I get a free moment I am going to try to install a switchless mod. Which will of course be IC only.

This interests me, since I really, really hate cutting holes in anything (I am like this with my car and customers cars when I use to install).  Instead of auto-sensing, which would be the best choice, is there a way to maybe use a magnetic reed switch instead of a standard SPDT switch?  Not sure if it is strong enough to go through the plastic of the console.  Perhaps use a stronger magnet and place some metal around the reed so it sticks to the outside of the console?

Hi,

It's possible to put most any kind of wireless switch in a console, though I don't like putting magnets near electronics (I'm not too au fait with any damage that could occur, I just don't like the idea.) If you know something about such switches you would know better than I.

There is another thing you can do though. If you are keen on an RGB or S-video mod, you can use unused pins on the cable to add the switch for the region mod to the actual cable.

Say if you disconnect the ground wire on the 8 pin din, use the ground from the shield for the plug instead, that leaves you with a free pin for the terminal on the switch. The +5 and ground for the outer poles are already in the cable.

Now SCART plugs can come complete with switches for video/RGB, you can reroute those to the mod. But it's annoying because the SCART is then around the back of a TV. If you are using a video converter though, you probably have better access to the switch.

Or you can put the switch on the DIN. You would probably have to cut shielding down (annoying) and make a square hole in DIN, gluing this in place.

Or you could put the switch in a small project box on the cable. Some project boxes may even come with built in switches.

[Console Repair/Mod Center / Re: RGB to Component (YUV) converter options for TurboDuo / PC Engine]

Does that take the same crystal as the CXA1645 circuit for NTSC?

http://www.farnell.com/datasheets/83875.pdf

"4FSC Clock Input. Circuit A
For NTSC: 14.318 180 MHz.
For PAL: 17.734 475 MHz."

[Buy/Sell/Trade / Re: Lots of PCE in Florida]

Duo I got your PM, we will review the condition on that game, as you can see we have to do this via Skype and he knows nothing about PCE, I'm training him basically. He's asleep at the moment.

[Console Repair/Mod Center / Re: RGB to Component (YUV) converter options for TurboDuo / PC Engine]

There are two variants on this circuit I found (though the circuit build is self explanatory, given how the IC does everything for you.)

There's an AD725 chip (this one off a Neo Geo RGB mod page):



And an AD724 (this is off a SCART>svideo mod page):

http://www.tvterminal.de/TVT_composite_AD724.gif

Now it looks like these are basiclly the same chip, I bought a 725. They are not cheap sadly (£11) but they go down to £6 if you buy 100, I don't have £600 to throw away on a chance though.

I need to buy more caps but I have the IC and the NTSC crystal which form the core of the mod, and I guess you integrate said mod with a PCE amp.

I will review the circuit when I can put it together. Has to be better than native composite. I have a TV which takes raw NTSC through composite so I'm sure it'll accept s-video too, the IC does do PAL but PAL users have SCART so I'll review how to perforns through NTSC.

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / Re: Anyone remember the Electric Brain Fanzine- now with pics]

You know I THINK, and it's an extremely vague recollection because I've written for so many fanzines and magzines since, but I THINK I wrote the Dynastic Hero review for Electric Brain. Was definitely some fanzine along those lines, my first ever published review too so it's possibly crap.

You got a copy of that? Would be interesting to see if it is mine. You are talking the early 90s here and I would've been 18 or so.

[Console Repair/Mod Center / Re: RGB to Component (YUV) converter options for TurboDuo / PC Engine]

has it been documented to work on a Duo? What other systems does it work on besides the Neo?

Are you talking about an AD724 circuit?

I bought the chip and am planning on converting a white engine when I get around to it.

[Buy/Sell/Trade / Re: Lots of PCE in Florida]

I am only just getting round to this, I'm working in social care and doing a training course this past week so, guys you have to put up with this, I am extremely busy, I have two jobs and am way way overworked beyond the point of it potentially being legal (new legislation might cap the working week to 48 hours.)

Now the reason for this is precisely that the government want me to be earning a STUPID amount before they even consider me allowing my partner to live here, and I'm entry level in the UK job field+self employed so I can't earn a stupid amount without severe overwork.

I don't feel like I should have to justify this because I don't need to sell these games, we are doing it as some experience for my fiance in selling games and we aren't going to make much. Still every penny you can send us is a step towards me bringing him here/me going there (I need $17000 savings to get on a student visa and the pound fell so much in the past 8 month I have lost around $6000 on what my money used to be worth.) So I appreciate any interest but PLEASE be patient on these, we will ship them out as soon as they sell but sorting it out is taking a while.

Talking about the book:

[31/03/2009 18:59:28] Rachel Ryan says: A- meaning "we noticed some very minor flaws but there is no damage per se, there may be minor indents in the manual etc" and B is "Very good, average condition of games sold in Japan"
[31/03/2009 18:59:40] Rachel Ryan says: A is mint, I know it's not mint but is it B or A-?
[31/03/2009 18:59:51] drewseleski says: depends on how important the sleeve is
[31/03/2009 19:00:02] drewseleski says: would say the book itself is definitely a-
[31/03/2009 19:00:10] drewseleski says: but the sleeve is B

(he seems super fussy, he is referring to marks like the one in the top picture, and tiny folds - he found one on the top left corner of the page in the second picture:)

/dsc00135a.jpg
/dsc00136kkh.jpg
/dsc00137v.jpg

We know this book is valuable. It is likely going on eBay as an auction to find its own value.

The games, I will research current values on eBay today and get back to you.

[19:18:13]: Bomberman was all B
[19:18:52]: Jackie Chan was B for hucard and c or d for manual
[19:19:32]: cover of it is dirty, spine is torn in places
[19:19:38]: staples coming loose
[19:19:53]: every page has bend marks on it
[19:20:01]: the top right corner is water damaged
[19:24:29]: Think Gate of Thunder is all A
[19:25:30]: the cd
[19:25:47]: has some very tiny scratches but
[19:25:52]: games are sold new like that (I don't know what he means by this)
[19:26:00]: it's impossible not to have them
[19:26:26]: Manual is definitely a
[19:26:27]: no spinecard
[19:28:44]: ninja spirit manual is b
[19:29:03]: the hucard seems fine except there are those vertical scratches on it
[19:29:09]: dunno what those make it
[19:32:35]: Final Blaster is B
[19:33:23]: Cotton does not have the spine
[19:33:33]: cho aniki -no spine in that either
[19:36:35]: Cotton is B manual and A disc

[Buy/Sell/Trade / Re: Lots of PCE in Florida]

I am, I literally work 10 hours a da at 2 jobs and all the admin sorting these sales out is via my fiance who knows nothing about PCE so it's lengthy and I have to go bug him loads over it.

The stuff isn't on eBay, I've arranged one sale but we are working through all these requests because there were a lot and I need to go do research on what games are worth.

[General Gaming / Re: Worst video game characters.......ever!!!!]

I actually had a meal out and karaoke in celebration of WD going bust.

I can't remember what I did when he lost the rights to Lunar (little known fact: He lost them because the creator of Grandia II knows english, actually played his translations and told the GameARTS boss of the real content.)

I was freelancing for Enix at the time and was handed in some nice insider info from another (very reliable, very prolific) freelancer with contact with Vic.

Back in the 90s I was in contact with Vic and all the people I worked with on a UK gaming mag (Sega Power) hated WD translations, so I was talking with Sega Europe about freelancing them an entire translation for the UK market.

And Vic told me point blank WD had bought out all the rights to Lunar for 10 years and that nobody would EVER be able to produce a shoddy, non WD hackjob because he would see to it personally that he owned Lunar and renewed the license, that even Gamearts could not revoke said license.

HAHAHAHAHAHA

[General Gaming / Re: Worst video game characters.......ever!!!!]

I thought of FFVII as well, particularly Cloud and Sephiroth. Although I think the game, especially the story and characters are hugely overrated, they're still far from the worst for me.


Another couple I couldn't stand are Hiro and Lucia from Working Designs' Lunar EB Sega-CD. I don't remember if their dialogue itself was annoying, but I hated their voices/acting. I haven't played the Playstation version, but I don't think that they seemed bad in the japanese Saturn version. It really was enough to ruin those characters for me to the point where I was hoping for Lucia to get killed off or taken away for the rest of the game.

Working Designs raped that... I mean every game.

That one most so.

The translation was written entirely from the perspective of an adolescent with a fetish for bodily excretions. And california-isms. And Bill Clinton jokes.

Working Designs are entirely why I learned Japanese. Hey I'm ACTUALLY NOT KIDDING.

[Buy/Sell/Trade / Lots of PCE in Florida]

OK all this is at my fiance's house:



And it is going on eBay, as we want to bolster an account up with feedback to sell PCE from Florida. But if there is anything anyone wants in that picture please mail me with an offer and hopefully I can set up a sale on eBay for it, I am looking for nice feedback for our new US selling account.

Now most things in the pic are in B condition apart from stuff that's missing the case etc, and I think Dracula X had the spinecard too. Of course, we can check over the stuff and I have instructed my fiance how to judge condition.

These are things I bought from Japanese sellers and made them post to the USA not the UK because I do not like paying 50-80% in customs and import tax tariffs, nope not at all. Just in case people were wondering.

[Console Repair/Mod Center / Re: Region Mod woes !@!#@$!@#$]

I'll attempt to sort out my current issue with interference on my Core over the weekend and I think I'll attempt this one more time.

This time I'll try stacking the chips and tapping them directly into the HU-PCB wiring instead of tapping the pins.

I tend to do mine half and half, all the PCB connections are wired to the bottom of the board, chips glued there then the pin connections go round the board and are soldered up to the pins on the connector. Then I put glue on the connector as the cut pins could end up pushed out over time.

[Console Repair/Mod Center / Re: Region Mod woes !@!#@$!@#$]

m the + end of the 10uF capacitor on the HuCARD port board (this part should mean nothing however.)

Every single PCE I've modded in this way is also modded for RGB with a full amp circuit. The amp is placed in between the ribbon cable. I don't use a board for that either!

    Wait- are you really using the full circuit, or are you using this simpler circuit? Because that thing's becoming a nightmare to wire up even with perfboard and I'm thinking of trying the simpler one.

Full circuit.

I have this crazy obsession with designing configurations for mods crammed inside of cables and stuff and my mod design for pce I figured fit nicely flat in between the ribbon cable. The perfboard isn't cheap when you don't get a lot of orders so I keep my PCE mods down to minimal parts, most of which I use in other stuff.

Now I made this weird mod config that my family says looks like a windcatcher or something and my fiance says looks "retarded." IMO it is also way less ime consuming to wire up than perfboard. No linking all those contacts on the bottom of the board. As an alternative I cram all the parts inside of the SCART cable.

I have a pic of the SCART variant, I'll show you.



Hard to not get interference there but I cracked it.

There is, of course tape/heatshrink around the components in the DIN once it goes together, this is just to demonstrate how they go into the DIN.

I got some glue on that resistor in the DIN, it's accidental but I couldn't be bothered wiping it off and let it just set that way. TBH resistor needn't even be there, I was messing around with variants on the mod.

I will probably pour glue inside of that DIN in future as if you squish it, the legs on the caps could touch. Now it's hard to add heatshrink to 100% prevent that, and the DINs aren't as solid as a SCART plug. I sent one of these cables to Duo-R sans any glue as if it gets squished I'm sure he can fix that. And this is the amp in cable I am going to sell if anyone is interested.

I want to try to cram an AD724 s-video circuit inside of a SCART cable too, I am going to try.

[Console Repair/Mod Center / Re: Region Mod woes !@!#@$!@#$]

not going to be able to do a mod on the IC's detecting region and switching. I do believe this is possible on a Genesis however.

Possible to somehow force a hardware reset though, a recheck of the card while the system is on? THe engine's natural reset is of course no good because it just reboots the HuCARD. And that reset I'm pretty sure is programmed into each HuCARD and not a hardware thing. Oh well. If it's not possible it's a shame because I hate making holes in Cores.

[Console Repair/Mod Center / Re: Region Mod woes !@!#@$!@#$]

And for the Core, when I get a free moment I am going to try to install a switchless mod. Which will of course be IC only.

Does this mean that it will sense which huCard is inserted and switch itself?

I'm not sure how I would do that. Would have to research how the console identifies the card region, which it obviously does re: a US card won't work on JP PCE without connecting a certain pin to ground. So it knows the cartridges are US region, and it's not just a simple case of pin config swapping.

But it would be a lot of work and I'm not sure it's possible/worth time taken.

I was thinking more along the lines of those mods for other consoles where you hold down combinations of buttons to set the region. I don;t know if the PCE can do it, you'd have to reset the console somehow as well.

It requires looking into and I have no bleeding time atm what with 5 billion SCART cables to make.

[Console Repair/Mod Center / Re: Region Mod woes !@!#@$!@#$]

Well, you are using the same version of the chip for a start.

I'll try to get a picture. But basically yeah, I stack them. Solder the common pins together, the +5V, ground and control pins. Then you wire it all up like the schematic, forgetting the prototyping board.

Then you glue the chips to the underside of the HuCARD pcb on the right side. The rest is exactly like the mod you've already installed.

IF you are going for the neatest looking mod, you can even prewire some 16 pin IC mounts, glue those onto the bottom board and stick the chips in afterwards. I don't see much need for the prototyping board in this case as the circuit is so simple. You're not even adding anything to the circuit but these chips. All circuitry is self contained in the chip and the mod uses lots of wires whether you use the board or not.

I really don't think you could have damaged the chips. If they work from the start, then they work.


But you probably want to replace your power supply too or at least test it after running it for a bit.

Im just really surprised to hear of this issue. I thought everyone here did the IC based mod, the chips are probably easier to get hold of than the huge switch.

And for the Core, when I get a free moment I am going to try to install a switchless mod. Which will of course be IC only.

[Console Repair/Mod Center / Re: Region Mod woes !@!#@$!@#$]

I have NEVER had this happen.

What is the exact number on the chips being used?

Also (though should mean nothing) I don't use any board to mount my ICs on. I keep my mods cheap because well, people are cheap and I can't get good money for mods. I solder both ICs together then glue them to the bottom of the board for the HuCARD port.

I use a simple two way switch like yours and very thin wire.

I use a third party 1000mA PSU.

I draw +5 voltage from the + end of the 10uF capacitor on the HuCARD port board (this part should mean nothing however.)

Every single PCE I've modded in this way is also modded for RGB with a full amp circuit. The amp is placed in between the ribbon cable. I don't use a board for that either!

I've modded like twenty of these for customers this year and not a single one has reported an issue.

Now occassionally I do get an interference issue on first screwing a unit together, this is solved by unscrewing, moving wires, moving the amp. I don't understand why these issues would be considered so common as to resort to that enormous switch. Might look OK on a Duo but it's not good on a Core. I see you put a hole in the Core for your IC mod switch, which is the sam place I've put it in the past. The only feasible place really for the 8PDT switch to go in a Core is behind the AV out with the switch sticking out the back (but not too far to plug in a CD ROM unit.) And all the consoles I've seen modded this way had had that config. Plus you can't use the existing hole for a switch in a white engine if you use the 8PDT. Nor can you engineer a switchless mod.

You know what I'm guessing this issue is? The more stuff you cram into a console the more likely you get interference. The less space in the unit, the more squashed it gets when you screw it together. So you keep the parts to a minimum. I don't use the prototyping board. I'd rather glue IC components to existing board then solder onto the legs of the ICs. Keep the wire thin and short. But not too short it can catch and be pulled undone on something.

Here's another issue. The Core Grafx has a metal plate in the casing above the port. I had modded 5 white engines using IC mod before I tried a Core and I short circuited the unit. I didn't take note of the metal plate. The blobs of solder you apply can end up touching that plate. If you bend back the pins in the HuCARD port to do the mod, they DEFINITELY will touch that plate. It won;t damage your console to plain remove the plate (apply heat to where it has been literally applied by melting the plastic casing, melt it off.) Or if you prefer, seeing as that plate is added to prevent interference you can simply cover the mod up with tape.

I think if you made your mod like mine, ie don't use prototyping board, use the same socket mount ICs I do, glue ICs under the HuCARD port, use thin wire, draw +5V from where that capacitor is soldered, you would not have power or interference issues. The only issues you would have would be related to wiring the mod wrong, which is easy enough to do and you'd notice it right away anyway.

Your other problem here is, you are modding a console that's been fixed before. And the crack you had was all around the power in port. You could have some damaged components there which are causing a loss of power and could be affecting this mod.

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / Re: so I bought a PcE from ebay..]

first off any 9 AC adapter will work is BS. You plug in one with the wrong polarity and your system is fried....

Not true with the PC Engine, I periodically use the wrong polarity when testing a power supply which has no markings on to indicate polarity. The PC Engine just fails to operate under wrong polarity, so it is my testing unit.

Well it's only a matter of time then before you fry your PCE. ;)

the PCE may have a regulator or diodes at the power input that protects it against such shenanigans.

I've never fried my testing unit doing this in years, so while I wouldn't recommend people do it on purpose if they don't have say, 30 or so units lying around like I do, I'd certainly say it's not a huge danger.

Now the Famicom, that will fry and fry itself good. It doesn't even have a safety fuse.