Half 64 Worklog

[FLAPJACKDAN]

This portable/handheld will be my first and most likely only n64 portable. The portable will be built like the Gameboy Advance SP. Meaning it will have a flip screen.

Features:
-Flip screen
-Tapwave Analog Stick
-Two 3.7v 5000mAh batteries
-Unmodded Psone screen
-Dual Z buttons
-Detector Switch built into player one port
-Vacuum molded case
-3 way switch between wall power, charger, batteries
-40mm fan

I'm currently waiting on my PTH08000 regulator. Here's the progress:

 

[bud]

My suggestion, use thinner wire to secure the heatsinks. You need the wire to go in the grooves not over the grooves. It'd suck if your heatsinks fell off inside your portable.

 

[Ashen]

I'd suggest putting some kind of thin plastic barrier between those Li-Po's and the bottom of the motherboard also. If the battery's puncture it would be a BAD thing. Also, you could just use some thermal epoxy to affix those heatsinks. Then you never have to worry about them going anywhere.

Looks interesting otherwise, Keep up the good work.

 

[FLAPJACKDAN]

There is a layer of electrical tape over the battery's contacts. Though if you think it's really need I will get some kind of plastic to cover it. Also here's a picture with thinner wires for the heatsinks:

 

[bud]

It's really best to have something covering the entire cells. Even if it's just electrical tape. Lithium cells need as much protection as possible.

 

[FLAPJACKDAN]

I think I might just use cardboard since I don't have any plastic sheet lying around and I don't plan on buy one.

 

[neverused]

idk how hot those heatsinks will get, but hot glue may not be the most effective way to secure the wires holding them, unless it's high temperature hot glue.

 

[FLAPJACKDAN]

I tested the n64 before with the heatsinks secured using hotglue and they held out very well.

 

[Spoleyo]

now im building one also, and i have read in the mega-sticky that it is not a necessity to have heatsinks, and that it wont have trouble at all..would it be better for me to use some? or just let it go?

EDIT: link - http://forums.modretro.com/viewtopic.php?f=33&t=1395

 

[FLAPJACKDAN]

Well I'm almost done just need to build in the controller, add an external av out, a headphone jack, and a case.

 

[unicycler17]

You aren't almost done. Cases take forever to make, and require tons of work, and getting all your electronics inside the case isn't all that easy either.

 

[FLAPJACKDAN]

When I mean't almost done I mean't within a month. Also I have all the parts of my case ready I just need to vacuum form it then put them in place which at the very most would take me a week or two.

 

[Frozener]

You aren't almost done. Cases take forever to make, and require tons of work, and getting all your electronics inside the case isn't all that easy either.

This. I thought I was almost done last summer when I had everything wired up like that. Granted, I scrapped my design about 3 times and was unable to work on it because of school for like 8 months. But the case can really be a pain the first time around (especially vac-forming), and if you aren't using a beastly huge case it is a nightmare to fit everything inside. Also, I would recommend mounting everything inside the case and then wiring it all up because it helps prevent broken or excessively long wires, but that's just my opinion.

 

[FLAPJACKDAN]

That's what I plan on doing, mounting everything in. The case will be pretty roomy for air to circulate And hopefully I won't need to scrap my plan since I pretty much have all the parts for the case (such as the psone screen hinges and n64 controller holes). But I'm pretty confident that I will finish this handheld/portable this summer.

 

[Noah]

Keep in mind if you use bondo/JB weld, you are looking at at least 1 to 2 weeks worth of work, just to mount the controls onto the case. I've only made 2 portables, and the case was the hardest part.

 

[FLAPJACKDAN]

Okay got it. A case takes awhile to make. In other news I just got my tapwave analog stick to work and it works very well. I did a small battery test and saw that my batteries lasted about 2 hours and twenty minutes.

 

[Noah]

Not bad for the batteris, as long as you don't mind charging it often.

 

[FLAPJACKDAN]

Woops I made a typo I mean't 2 hours and 20 minutes at full brightness.

 

[Noah]

That's better. All I know is the batteries I use got about 4 and a half hours of play time.

 

[FLAPJACKDAN]

I think when I did a test to see how long the portable will last the batteries got overcharged. I think I just fried my board. The system turns on and the screen turns on too but I get no audio or video. I'm also got about 9v off the battery. Is there a way to check if the battery and/or charger is useless?