[NEED HELP] How To Make A GameCube Portable?

[dididan2000]

Hey guys. I joined this board today, because I really need someone's help. I've wanted to create a GameCube Portable for about a year now. I've thought about buying one from the many I saw on YouTube, but it's just not worth the money people are asking for. I know it's super hard to do. I've heard it's one of the hardest consoles to make a portable of. I've been told that many times, and I've been told that I cannot do this. People have told me it's impossible to do it with my zero experience. I tried following the guide on this board already, but it's too outdated. I've tried following so many videos on YouTube, but they are either bad quality, bad explanations, outdated, or never finished. If anyone could help me out, I would really like to make one. I'm 14 and would like to make one so I could switch off playing it with my friends, play it on the go, and have the experience of making one. That would be awesome! Hopefully there is someone nice enough out there that will help me instead of telling me I can't do it and that it is impossible lIke many have already. Thanks!

 

[The_Next_Guy]

Well the cost to make a portable is only about $50 less that that of a commissioned one. Anyway I started by getting a case. Specifically a ZN40 case from polycase.com and bought a 5" screen from ebay. Then I started the process of taking a controller and cutting out the button face plates. After That I cut holes into the ZN-40 Case for the controller and screen. Then the long and tedious process of wiring the wiikey fusion to the gc mother board started.

Now I'm not saying that you can't make a gc portable, I'm just saying you should have lots of practice soldering and a lot of patience. I recommend buying a diy solding kit like a radio or something like that to start learning.

 

[Shank]

Hello there. We are here to help you as much as we can. But in order for us to help you, you will need to help yourself. A portable gamecube is a difficult task, but I have every bit of confidence that you can do it. However, you need to realize that starting with a gamecube portable is not the best way to go about doing this. The first thing I think you should do is learn as much as you possibly can about electronics, and the best way to do that is through YouTube and other internet sources.

AfroTechMods will teach you all the basics of individual components, and using them to make general purpose circuits that can be used for almost anything. Watch all of his videos, you will learn so much really fast.

ElectroBoom is great because he is an idiot and makes lots of mistakes that makes him get hurt. And he doesn't edit it out. He does this to show you what happens when things go wrong. Great channel for learning a little more, and bits on safety

If you are REALLY committed to getting this done, check out the EEV Blog videos. They are long but you can learn quite a bit

You really should consider taking up smaller projects first, in order to learn the basics. Once you have all that down, hit the mega stickies and get started.

 

[legofan623]

Just because you're 14 doesn't mean you're any less likely to do it than the rest of us. I finished my GCp at 16 (about a week ago actually), and while it might work, look, and feel like crap, bottom line is that I got it done and it works. Before I started my GCp though I had about two years electronics experience, mostly just messing around with a thing called an Arduino, it's a great way to get into the worlds of both engineering and coding, the latter would help you out a lot with a GCp. I made a range of different things with the Arduino, my first mature project was a RC car controlled by a ps3 controller, then an IR controlled outlet switch, and then a universal TV remote! Point is: the more stuff you make, the more knowledge you gain while making. If you truly want to try this, you have to do what the guys above me said, and then find a way you can learn "hands on" with a kit or DIY. And price-wise, a lot of your money will be going toward tools, which is fine if you want to keep tinkering for a long time. A short list of tools and their prices (generally):

Solding iron: $70 (used)
Hot glue gun: $15
Hot glue gun ammo: $15
30awg wire: $10
Solder: $10
Multimeter: $30
Screwdriver kit: $25
Rotary tool (dremel): $30
Nintendo bit: $7
Electrical tape: $5
Flux: $5

And that's just the essential tools. After that you have to add up what you'll spend on a GameCube, controller, LCD screen, case making, drive replacement, etc. Then you'll have to account for replacement parts for when you break stuff. I've only barely touched the surface of everything you'll need to make a GCp, so if you want to commit, prepare to spend over $300 and commit most of your time to electronics.

 

[dididan2000]

Well the cost to make a portable is only about $50 less that that of a commissioned one. Anyway I started by getting a case. Specifically a ZN40 case from polycase.com and bought a 5" screen from ebay. Then I started the process of taking a controller and cutting out the button face plates. After That I cut holes into the ZN-40 Case for the controller and screen. Then the long and tedious process of wiring the wiikey fusion to the gc mother board started.

Now I'm not saying that you can't make a gc portable, I'm just saying you should have lots of practice soldering and a lot of patience. I recommend buying a diy solding kit like a radio or something like that to start learning.

Thanks. Can I have a link to the kit?

 

[dididan2000]

Hello there. We are here to help you as much as we can. But in order for us to help you, you will need to help yourself. A portable gamecube is a difficult task, but I have every bit of confidence that you can do it. However, you need to realize that starting with a gamecube portable is not the best way to go about doing this. The first thing I think you should do is learn as much as you possibly can about electronics, and the best way to do that is through YouTube and other internet sources.

AfroTechMods will teach you all the basics of individual components, and using them to make general purpose circuits that can be used for almost anything. Watch all of his videos, you will learn so much really fast.

ElectroBoom is great because he is an idiot and makes lots of mistakes that makes him get hurt. And he doesn't edit it out. He does this to show you what happens when things go wrong. Great channel for learning a little more, and bits on safety

If you are REALLY committed to getting this done, check out the EEV Blog videos. They are long but you can learn quite a bit

You really should consider taking up smaller projects first, in order to learn the basics. Once you have all that down, hit the mega stickies and get started.

What kind of small projects? And what is the mega stickies? Thanks.

 

[dididan2000]

Just because you're 14 doesn't mean you're any less likely to do it than the rest of us. I finished my GCp at 16 (about a week ago actually), and while it might work, look, and feel like crap, bottom line is that I got it done and it works. Before I started my GCp though I had about two years electronics experience, mostly just messing around with a thing called an Arduino, it's a great way to get into the worlds of both engineering and coding, the latter would help you out a lot with a GCp. I made a range of different things with the Arduino, my first mature project was a RC car controlled by a ps3 controller, then an IR controlled outlet switch, and then a universal TV remote! Point is: the more stuff you make, the more knowledge you gain while making. If you truly want to try this, you have to do what the guys above me said, and then find a way you can learn "hands on" with a kit or DIY. And price-wise, a lot of your money will be going toward tools, which is fine if you want to keep tinkering for a long time. A short list of tools and their prices (generally):

Solding iron: $70 (used)
Hot glue gun: $15
Hot glue gun ammo: $15
30awg wire: $10
Solder: $10
Multimeter: $30
Screwdriver kit: $25
Rotary tool (dremel): $30
Nintendo bit: $7
Electrical tape: $5
Flux: $5

And that's just the essential tools. After that you have to add up what you'll spend on a GameCube, controller, LCD screen, case making, drive replacement, etc. Then you'll have to account for replacement parts for when you break stuff. I've only barely touched the surface of everything you'll need to make a GCp, so if you want to commit, prepare to spend over $300 and commit most of your time to electronics.

Thanks a lot! I appreciate it. Do you have a link to a kit?

 

[Fluxedo]

There isn't really a kit. I'd recommend buying them separately for cost. Amazon prime is great if you have it. I'd also look into 3D Printing your case if you have the tools.

 

[dididan2000]

There isn't really a kit. I'd recommend buying them separately for cost. Amazon prime is great if you have it. I'd also look into 3D Printing your case if you have the tools.

I was thinking about 3D printing a case when I get really into this, but I honestly do not know how to make a 3D model for this case to print.

 

[Fluxedo]

Look into Autodesk software. I'm new to 3D modeling as well but for my needs I've found success with Autodesk stuff. There's tons of software out there and even more guides on how to use them all. I started modding at 12 and didn't finish my first portable until this year at 16. Trial and error, experience, and knowledge are essential. Just read anything you see that may even be even slightly related to what you're wanting to do. Make sure you really understand basic electronics ect. too so that you can solve problems faster as you assemble what you make.

 

[The_Next_Guy]

Contact RedmagnusX, he's got some swanky 3D printed cases he will print for you. Don't ask for the file though. We already know what happened.

 

[Cllinw]

I second what The_Next_Guy said. I actually talked to him about printing a case and he gave a good price for it as well. There is one thing though, he uses a specific set of parts in his cases and they're designed around those. If you don't want to use the specific parts that he does, you can tell him the measurements of everything and he'll adjust the design accordingly.

 

[legofan623]

Thanks a lot! I appreciate it. Do you have a link to a kit?

No problem man! As for a kit, something like this would be good to learn how to solder components to a pcb:http://r.ebay.com/hnsvFQ. If you want to try Arduino, you'd be better off buying parts separately as kits are really expensive. There are clones of the board on Amazon for a good price, a brand of clones I always buy from is SainSmart.

 

[Shank]

To put this metaphorically, you are asking us to teach you how to build a car, but you don't know how to change the tires. It may sound ridiculous, but you are asking me what other small projects you could do. If you watched the videos I linked, every single one of those channels has plenty of small projects to teach you. We can lead a horse to tutorials, but we can't make it watch them.
I'm not trying to be harsh or discourage you. I just would rather tell you what you need to hear instead of what you want to hear. You can certainly do it, but we can't really help you until you begin taking the steps to learn the basics. Watch afrotechmods. Watch electroboom. Google things that interest you. Solder stuff. Dismantle electronics and explore their guts. Get a multimeter and start poking things. Just keep in mind if you go straight for the gamecubes, you are going to blow a lot of money on bullflax and screw ups.

As for your age, Blargaman is proof that age is just a number. At age 13 he made some of the cleanest cubes you will ever see. At age 14-15, he taught me everything I know now, and answers everyones question threads.

So let your brain soak in all that sweet sweet knowledge from YouTube, and come back here and we will fill in whatever blanks are left

 

[dididan2000]

Look into Autodesk software. I'm new to 3D modeling as well but for my needs I've found success with Autodesk stuff. There's tons of software out there and even more guides on how to use them all. I started modding at 12 and didn't finish my first portable until this year at 16. Trial and error, experience, and knowledge are essential. Just read anything you see that may even be even slightly related to what you're wanting to do. Make sure you really understand basic electronics ect. too so that you can solve problems faster as you assemble what you make.

Thank you.

 

[dididan2000]

Contact RedmagnusX, he's got some swanky 3D printed cases he will print for you. Don't ask for the file though. We already know what happened.

How do you do that exactly?

 

[dididan2000]

I second what The_Next_Guy said. I actually talked to him about printing a case and he gave a good price for it as well. There is one thing though, he uses a specific set of parts in his cases and they're designed around those. If you don't want to use the specific parts that he does, you can tell him the measurements of everything and he'll adjust the design accordingly.

Ok, Thank you.

 

[dididan2000]

To put this metaphorically, you are asking us to teach you how to build a car, but you don't know how to change the tires. It may sound ridiculous, but you are asking me what other small projects you could do. If you watched the videos I linked, every single one of those channels has plenty of small projects to teach you. We can lead a horse to tutorials, but we can't make it watch them.
I'm not trying to be harsh or discourage you. I just would rather tell you what you need to hear instead of what you want to hear. You can certainly do it, but we can't really help you until you begin taking the steps to learn the basics. Watch afrotechmods. Watch electroboom. Google things that interest you. Solder stuff. Dismantle electronics and explore their guts. Get a multimeter and start poking things. Just keep in mind if you go straight for the gamecubes, you are going to blow a lot of money on flax and screw ups.

As for your age, Blargaman is proof that age is just a number. At age 13 he made some of the cleanest cubes you will ever see. At age 14-15, he taught me everything I know now, and answers everyones question threads.

So let your brain soak in all that sweet sweet knowledge from YouTube, and come back here and we will fill in whatever blanks are left

Ok, I will. Thanks.

 

[dididan2000]

Thanks a lot! I appreciate it. Do you have a link to a kit?

No problem man! As for a kit, something like this would be good to learn how to solder components to a pcb:http://r.ebay.com/hnsvFQ. If you want to try Arduino, you'd be better off buying parts separately as kits are really expensive. There are clones of the board on Amazon for a good price, a brand of clones I always buy from is SainSmart.

Thanks. This looks awesome!

 

[dididan2000]

To put this metaphorically, you are asking us to teach you how to build a car, but you don't know how to change the tires. It may sound ridiculous, but you are asking me what other small projects you could do. If you watched the videos I linked, every single one of those channels has plenty of small projects to teach you. We can lead a horse to tutorials, but we can't make it watch them.
I'm not trying to be harsh or discourage you. I just would rather tell you what you need to hear instead of what you want to hear. You can certainly do it, but we can't really help you until you begin taking the steps to learn the basics. Watch afrotechmods. Watch electroboom. Google things that interest you. Solder stuff. Dismantle electronics and explore their guts. Get a multimeter and start poking things. Just keep in mind if you go straight for the gamecubes, you are going to blow a lot of money on flax and screw ups.

As for your age, Blargaman is proof that age is just a number. At age 13 he made some of the cleanest cubes you will ever see. At age 14-15, he taught me everything I know now, and answers everyones question threads.

So let your brain soak in all that sweet sweet knowledge from YouTube, and come back here and we will fill in whatever blanks are left

I am right now looking at afrotechmods' videos from the beginning to now and the capacitor video I honestly understand completely! The learning stage is actually quite exciting. Hopefully I could get started when I turn 15 in November. If I do not 100% fully understand everything I'll just start on the trimming and just work from their each step at a time. From what I have experienced on this whole GameCube thread is to have patience and I will. I have wanted to make a GC Portable for so long. I do not want to screw it up... at least make the first one decent.