Leet64 - XCVG's Second N64 Portable

[XCVG]

THE STORY BEHIND THE NAME

Once upon a time there was an N64 portable. It was big and ugly and took a year to build, and it was called YAP64. Some time later, a rival portabilizer came out with a good portable, also called YAP64. The creator of the original was angry and spouted on a certain chatroom about building a portable "that's a lot better and called Leet64, or L64". Well, it's happening now. Oh, and I'm not really stealing the name, since this is Leet64 and his was L64.

Current Status

Have all necessary parts except for charger. Board has been trimmed and ports removed. Currently awaiting thermal testing and slot relocation. Screen frame is cut, will begin casework soon.

Original Post

Well, you know that I couldn't stay away. This time, though, I plan on selling it when it's done. Not a commission, but I plan on selling it. Progress will be pretty sporadic, since I don't have a lot of money right now, I just got a 360, and I have other projects that are higher priority. The original plan was to build a 360 laptop, but then I realized I couldn't even afford the 360. So I'll build this first.

I considered a PC game case (like a DVD case but thicker) but it seems too flimsy and getting the two halves together will be a royal pain in the ass. I also considered vacuforming, but too much work, quite a bit of opportunity to screw up, and I would never be able to get the halves together. So I went back to the AG-85. I have two of them for some reason- I think I was going to use one for YAP64.

The N64 will have to be cut down quite a bit but I don't think I have to RCP wire it. Cutting it down will be hard enough. The cartridge slot will probably be on the top, though I am considering putting it on the back. 3.5" screen, of course. Probably a jumper pak as well- there's not a lot of room and relocating would do almost no good because of the shape of the case. Controls will be fairly minimal: Top-mounted shoulder buttons, probably no d-pad, haven't figured the analog stick out yet, and loose/spinning A, B and C buttons. I plan on getting some squishy tacts and building button boards from perf. I'll have to find the mini speaker I was saving for a project like this - small, thin, and has a crappy but usable-ish amp. Lithium-ion camcorder batteries- lipoly would be better but it's all I have. I should be able to fit in 3000mAh, maybe 4500mAh.

So far I need to get:
-more N64s (I'll trash a few trimming for sure, and I only have one extra right now)
-3.5" screen (just over $20 on eBay)
-charger (probably a stupid one)
-thin analog stick (PSP or RetroCon)

 

[Bino Gas]

Re: MSN64p - XCVG's Second N64 Portable

I'm looking forward to seeing it! The AG-85 is such a comfortable case.

...but don't do loose buttons. There's enough room.

 

[Royal]

Re: MSN64p - XCVG's Second N64 Portable

I just got a 360

Good job Finally! How much did you get for?

I considered a PC game case (like a DVD case but thicker) but it seems too flimsy and getting the two halves together will be a royal pain in the ass. I also considered vacuforming, but too much work, quite a bit of opportunity to screw up, and I would never be able to get the halves together. So I went back to the AG-85.

getting the two halves together will be a royal pain in the ass. I also considered vacuforming...

will be a royal pain in the ass. I also...

royal pain in the ass.

I see what you did there...unintentionally(?) applying that I am a pain in the a**?? People do that alot... they think they are funny...

Anyway, Hope the project doesn't look like crap!

 

[XCVG]

Re: MSN64p - XCVG's Second N64 Portable

$200 for the 360, but it came with Modern Warfare 2 and Splinter Cell: Conviction. One of the new 4GB Slim units, actually. 4GB isn't a lot but it's enough to be usable.

And I actually thought about that. It briefly occured to me, but I didn't mean to say you were a pain in the ass. Though now that I think about it...

Anyway, I found my mini speakers, and they are tiny. I just gotta figure out which wire is which and test them. Monaural audio, but it has two speakers. The amp is tiny; I think I'll be able to use it. Not sure about the volume control yet but since it's mono I think I can find a small potentiometer.

 

[Royal]

Re: MSN64p - XCVG's Second N64 Portable

+1, quite witty

Just use some flash drives, like two $10 8GB usb drive stick thingies.

Can you use an external hard drive on a 360?

Anyway, Hope the project doesn't look, feel, sound or play like crap!

 

[J.D]

Re: MSN64p - XCVG's Second N64 Portable

royal pain in the ass.

I see what you did there...unintentionally(?) applying that I am a pain in the a**?? People do that alot... they think they are funny...

Err....no. "Royal pain in the ass" is a common term, like, wherever English is spoken.

Anyway, try not to break like over 9000 N64s like you did with the YAP64

 

[Royal]

Re: MSN64p - XCVG's Second N64 Portable

Oh yeah, why'd you name it after a overrated news site?

 

[Mako321]

Re: MSN64p - XCVG's Second N64 Portable

Implying that you can't fit an n64 into an ag-54

 

[XCVG]

Re: MSN64p - XCVG's Second N64 Portable

It's my second portable, I'm not going to cut it down microscopically and RCP wire it. I'm decent at soldering but I still haven't figured out a good way to trim boards. Nibbler? Bandsaw?

Also: Moderately Small Nintendo 64 portable

 

[Mako321]

Re: MSN64p - XCVG's Second N64 Portable

File and scissors work for me.
As long as you don't want to rewire the cart slot(looks fine for stuff like the TSF), you can keep the cart slot where it is and have it sticking forward with no cart relocation, just trimming on the top and bottom.(Would look nice if you did it right)

 

[ToastBucket]

Re: MSN64p - XCVG's Second N64 Portable

dremel cutting wheel. works fine.

 

[blaze3927]

Re: MSN64p - XCVG's Second N64 Portable

if you dont want the hassle of setting up a psp joystick i could help you through it, i finally found the perfect way to do it and still use the official n64 controller

 

[βeta]

Re: MSN64p - XCVG's Second N64 Portable

if you dont want the hassle of setting up a psp joystick i could help you through it, i finally found the perfect way to do it and still use the official n64 controller

Make a thread, we'll sticky it.

 

[XCVG]

Re: MSN64p - XCVG's Second N64 Portable

For no real reason, I tested the amp today. It still works. I'm not sure if I want to use one speaker or two. They're pretty small, but two speakers isn't any louder. I guess I'll see if I have room or not, all in good time.

 

[XCVG]

Re: MSN64p - XCVG's Second N64 Portable

Did some stuff today, not a lot but I'm getting started at least. I might be getting another N64 and another XBOX soon, by the way.

This is the board that may or may not be dead. I chopped it up some more- hopefully not too much. Unfortunately, it still doesn't quite fit in the back part of the AG-85. I also began to re-relocate the cart slot. I'll wire up a PTH08080 and AV at least for testing soonish. I still have to get a screen though.

This illustrates the problem a bit better. I'm thinking of shoving a controller board in there. Will a SuperPad (normal one, not the weird shaped one) do or should I get a Retro-bit controller? I could easily shove the speakers and amp back there but I'm worried that it wouldn't be loud enough, or worse would be loud but in the wrong direction. Maybe if I face them forward? By the way, cart slot goes on top. Still trying to figure out a way to keep stupid people from plugging the cartridge in backwards.

So, I'm still not sure about the analog stick, and I need to get a screen. I have to finish the cart slot wiring and see if this board still works. If not, I have another N64, but I should get some more anyway.

 

[Hrduncan]

Re: MSN64p - XCVG's Second N64 Portable

i used the orginal cartridge slot on the n64 ( the grey part on the case) to stop the cartridge from being put in backwards works well but its a lot of dremeling.

 

[XCVG]

Re: MSN64p - XCVG's Second N64 Portable

Halfway done the slot relocation. I hope this *Can'tSayThisOnTV*er still works- but I wouldn't be surprised if it doesn't. It might not be a working board in the first place, and I trimmed the Heck out of it. I now have to U8 wire it since I accidentally cut off the P1 controller area, but it still doesn't fit. Are those two traces at the very front safe to rewire? I think they are, but I want to make sure.

On a side note, I opened up my SuperPad 64 Colors. It doesn't seem to use standard 10K pots, and it's wired weird so I don't think I can use a PSP slider. I'm considering using a SuperPad Plus, but I don't really want to sacrifice mine, and rewiring/trimming it is going to be a Sega. Are Retro-bit pads like this? Also, does anyone have a RetroCon stick?

 

[XCVG]

Re: MSN64p - XCVG's Second N64 Portable

Well, it's fried. Need to get another N64.

EDIT: I have two. One's an -08, which (apparently) fries easily, and the other is an -03, which is an RGB-moddable one. I'm going to have to get another one, since I don't want to use either one.

 

[XCVG]

Re: MSN64p - XCVG's Second N64 Portable

I wired up the PTH08080 and tested it. 3.2V, close enough. How do you pronounce that, anyway? Is it Pee-Tee-Aich Oh-eighty-eighty or Pith Oh-eighty-eighty or Pee-Tee-Aich Zero-Eight-Zero-Eight-Zero or Pith Zero-Eight-Zero-Eight-Zero?

Anyway, this is more or less on hold until I get more N64s. I have to work on my halloween setup anyway. Motion sensors, a fog chiller, a computer, an Arduino, and some flash circuits will all be in it. And more!

Also considering renaming it to the Leet64 (L64).

 

[βeta]

Re: MSN64p - XCVG's Second N64 Portable

I call them "TI-regs"