Hi guys,
I'm new in gamecube modding and my french (sorry for my bad english then ^^"). I'm watching portable gamecubes since 3 years but I never tried to make one because i thought it was too difficult, but now I bought all the necessary and I'm starting one !
It'll be a hard work because it's the first time i try soldering something (I trained on an old gamecube motherboard)
And I decided to use a rev C motherboard because I'm pretty sure that i would have failed to rellocate the regulator lol
I'll put a wasp on it (using a megadrive that i'll both buy at megalomaniac when it'll be available)
And i'll use batteries (that i'll buy later because I already spent all my money
)
For the case I'm not decided and I will think about it when i finished my gamecube.
There wont be any SD Gecko and I'll use a 4.3" Screen (this one : http://www.ebay.fr/itm/4-3-Inch-LCD-TFT ... 27f69c8d7f )
And i'm doing a minimalist GC cut.
I already wired my controller , the LED and the Bios battery.
I've also soldered wires on the memory card and i'll solder it to the motherboard soon.
Here are some pics:
The gamecube motherboard itself(i use IDE cable for the wires):
My crappy solder (i fried the pin on the bottom-left (pin 1 right?) so i had to solder it somewhere else and it seems to work !)
The LED indicator with the BIOS Battery : but my LED won't work and I don't know why :/
My very very bad solders of my controller wires ( the alone wire is here so I can solder the cable shield and the two ground wires together, it's easier for me, even if it's not really pretty i know):
My memory card that I wired and put hot glue on it to secure it (not an official memory card btw):
And finally here are some speakers that I took from old laptops:
I'll update it when there will be some changes.
Hope you guys like it
Feb 11 2015
So, I wired the screen to the motherboard and I hotglued the wires near the screen to avoid any shortcircuit with the back of the screen. I also had to solder the resistor and the capacitor from the original gamecube cable, but I don't know if it's from the screen but I think that my image is a bit too clear and I put brightness at minimum level, maybe I will solder a variable resistor instead of the one that come with, like it's said in Kasar's guide.
Btw, for the megadrive/wasp and for the audio i'll need a 3.3V line and 5V line but i'm in rev C so I don't know where to get those lines, if anyone can help me that'll be great guys
Heres's a pic of my screen working :
Next step : Buttons of the controller (maybe I will trim it but i don't really know how to this , I'm a bit scared to break it
)
Feb 17 2015
Some updates : I ordered some squishy tact switches (finally found them !) and some solder boards to put the buttons on.
Here is the link for the tact switches : http://www.aliexpress.com/item/50-PCS-L ... 53734.html
I also started thinking about the case : I will do it myself using bugman's method (viewtopic.php?f=8&t=10407)
But I still don't know what to use to frankencase, I mean what am I supposed to use to stick the parts together.
I think I will start designing the case soon, when I will soldered the Wasp and the buttons I think.
So the project is a bit in stand by, waiting for the parts to come, will keep you informed when I get them
Mar 18 2015
Some updates guys, I finally received my tact switches, so I started wiring the contoller and I put the reset switch too. Going to put some pictures soon, after that all I will need to do is :
-Wiring the battery pack
-Wiring the speakers and the amp (btw I found two 1ohm speakers from an old sony ericsson speaker hope they stil work, couldn't test them yet)
-Wiring the megadrive and the wasp when it'll be back in stock
-And finally, the most important, making the case.
And I need some help for the case because it'll be the hardest thing to do I think.
Does someone know where to get plastic sheets not too expensive that can handle a minimalist GC cut and not too expensive to ship in France (I'll give the dimensions when I'm back home)
Edit: And thanks naim, your diagram is very helpful
Edit2: Here are some pics :
-Starting my controller wiring.
-Finally decided to remove the LED and added the reset switch. I rewired my controller to the mobo because it was very messy and I hotglued all of this to make it stronger :
Edit3 : I remade all the soldering because they were very bad and I was bit nervous of getting a short circuit and frying everything. So, during my project I improved my soldering skills and i'm proud of that . But when I removed the hot glue from the front of the board (where there is the connector the controller, led, reset button etc..) I accidentally removed the little circle where we have to solder (don't know how it's called ^^) . So instead of just forcing to solder here, I used the trimming guide and I relocate just like if I did a cut, so it will let me at the end the coice to trim or not my board depending on my capacities of doing it.
I also removed the two stick from the controller to put wires and extend them. Done the same for the buttons. I changed my bios battery because I think that I burnt the previous one, but I had no way to check it so I just replaced it.
And finally I have a weird issue with my controller : When I use it on the gamecube menu (when I must choose the language of the cube), my controller stops working after 15-20 seconds, I remade all the soldering very carefully so I don't think that it's the problem, could it be from the controller itself? Should I buy another one? I can't tell if it's working during playing because I removed the disc drive port and I'm waiting for Megalomaniac's website to have a megadrive and wasp back in stocks .
Jun 14 2015
Some update guys :
First of all , I suspended my project for some weeks because I had some exams.
-With trying to wire batteries to my gamecube I fried the mobo D: (first time trying to wire batteries, Im ade it quickly and didn't take much precaution, next time I'm aware)
-So I bought a new gc and it's not a rev C, so i was thinking of making a custom regulator so I won't have to power 12V.
-I ordered a Megadrive and a Wasp from badassconsoles and I will receive them tomorrow (I waited about 2 weeks maximum, and I'm in France, so I'm quite satisfied with the shipping time)
-I also bought two mem cards (128mb each)
-I also had some ideas about the case, my school got a 3D printer and I was thinking of making a 3D-Printed case, anyone know if it's a good idea?
-And now that I know how a gamecube works on the inside (just a bit), I will trim my second board more than the first and see if it works
I'll give pictures and more info when I will receive my megadrive and wasp
Jul 15 2015
Finally back on my project !
So, the custom regulator is done and my gamecube is trimmed and is working well. I received my ZN-45 case (bought on mouser, i recommend this site if you're not living in U.S and want a polycase case, the shipping tax is about 20€)
I think that I'll work on the case when all of the soldering part will be done. I also received my Protection Circuit Module (http://www.ebay.fr/itm/220834832862?_tr ... EBIDX%3AIT) and I bought two of them, so I was asking : can I put 2 batterie pack of 3.7V in series to get 7.4V and then put the other pack of 7.4V on parallel with it to max the amperage? So I'll have 4 batteries in total.
I unfortunately fried the soldering pads of my megadrive v5 trying to desolder it because it wasn't working. I still don't know why it wasn't working. So I reorered one and this time I'll use ide cable to wire the megadrive to the board and make sure solders are right.
Suddenly my speakers stopped working so I get some new one and solered them with my headphone jack.
All I need to do now is to solder the stuff and trim the heatsink. When it'll be done I will attack the soldering of the batteries, because now I don't have any charger and I'll wait to get enough money to buy one.
I'm new in gamecube modding and my french (sorry for my bad english then ^^"). I'm watching portable gamecubes since 3 years but I never tried to make one because i thought it was too difficult, but now I bought all the necessary and I'm starting one !
It'll be a hard work because it's the first time i try soldering something (I trained on an old gamecube motherboard)
And I decided to use a rev C motherboard because I'm pretty sure that i would have failed to rellocate the regulator lol
I'll put a wasp on it (using a megadrive that i'll both buy at megalomaniac when it'll be available)
And i'll use batteries (that i'll buy later because I already spent all my money
)For the case I'm not decided and I will think about it when i finished my gamecube.
There wont be any SD Gecko and I'll use a 4.3" Screen (this one : http://www.ebay.fr/itm/4-3-Inch-LCD-TFT ... 27f69c8d7f )
And i'm doing a minimalist GC cut.
I already wired my controller , the LED and the Bios battery.
I've also soldered wires on the memory card and i'll solder it to the motherboard soon.
Here are some pics:
The gamecube motherboard itself(i use IDE cable for the wires):
My crappy solder (i fried the pin on the bottom-left (pin 1 right?) so i had to solder it somewhere else and it seems to work !
)The LED indicator with the BIOS Battery : but my LED won't work and I don't know why :/
My very very bad solders of my controller wires ( the alone wire is here so I can solder the cable shield and the two ground wires together, it's easier for me, even if it's not really pretty i know):
My memory card that I wired and put hot glue on it to secure it (not an official memory card btw):
And finally here are some speakers that I took from old laptops:
I'll update it when there will be some changes.
Hope you guys like it
Feb 11 2015
So, I wired the screen to the motherboard and I hotglued the wires near the screen to avoid any shortcircuit with the back of the screen. I also had to solder the resistor and the capacitor from the original gamecube cable, but I don't know if it's from the screen but I think that my image is a bit too clear and I put brightness at minimum level, maybe I will solder a variable resistor instead of the one that come with, like it's said in Kasar's guide.
Btw, for the megadrive/wasp and for the audio i'll need a 3.3V line and 5V line but i'm in rev C so I don't know where to get those lines, if anyone can help me that'll be great guys
Heres's a pic of my screen working :
Next step : Buttons of the controller (maybe I will trim it but i don't really know how to this , I'm a bit scared to break it
)Feb 17 2015
Some updates : I ordered some squishy tact switches (finally found them !
) and some solder boards to put the buttons on.Here is the link for the tact switches : http://www.aliexpress.com/item/50-PCS-L ... 53734.html
I also started thinking about the case : I will do it myself using bugman's method (viewtopic.php?f=8&t=10407)
But I still don't know what to use to frankencase, I mean what am I supposed to use to stick the parts together.
I think I will start designing the case soon, when I will soldered the Wasp and the buttons I think.
So the project is a bit in stand by, waiting for the parts to come, will keep you informed when I get them
Mar 18 2015
Some updates guys, I finally received my tact switches, so I started wiring the contoller and I put the reset switch too. Going to put some pictures soon, after that all I will need to do is :
-Wiring the battery pack
-Wiring the speakers and the amp (btw I found two 1ohm speakers from an old sony ericsson speaker hope they stil work, couldn't test them yet)
-Wiring the megadrive and the wasp when it'll be back in stock
-And finally, the most important, making the case.
And I need some help for the case because it'll be the hardest thing to do I think.
Does someone know where to get plastic sheets not too expensive that can handle a minimalist GC cut and not too expensive to ship in France (I'll give the dimensions when I'm back home)
Edit: And thanks naim, your diagram is very helpful
Edit2: Here are some pics :
-Starting my controller wiring.
-Finally decided to remove the LED and added the reset switch. I rewired my controller to the mobo because it was very messy and I hotglued all of this to make it stronger :
Edit3 : I remade all the soldering because they were very bad and I was bit nervous of getting a short circuit and frying everything. So, during my project I improved my soldering skills and i'm proud of that
. But when I removed the hot glue from the front of the board (where there is the connector the controller, led, reset button etc..) I accidentally removed the little circle where we have to solder (don't know how it's called ^^) . So instead of just forcing to solder here, I used the trimming guide and I relocate just like if I did a cut, so it will let me at the end the coice to trim or not my board depending on my capacities of doing it.I also removed the two stick from the controller to put wires and extend them. Done the same for the buttons. I changed my bios battery because I think that I burnt the previous one, but I had no way to check it so I just replaced it.
And finally I have a weird issue with my controller : When I use it on the gamecube menu (when I must choose the language of the cube), my controller stops working after 15-20 seconds, I remade all the soldering very carefully so I don't think that it's the problem, could it be from the controller itself? Should I buy another one? I can't tell if it's working during playing because I removed the disc drive port and I'm waiting for Megalomaniac's website to have a megadrive and wasp back in stocks .
Jun 14 2015
Some update guys :
First of all , I suspended my project for some weeks because I had some exams.
-With trying to wire batteries to my gamecube I fried the mobo D: (first time trying to wire batteries, Im ade it quickly and didn't take much precaution, next time I'm aware)
-So I bought a new gc and it's not a rev C, so i was thinking of making a custom regulator so I won't have to power 12V.
-I ordered a Megadrive and a Wasp from badassconsoles and I will receive them tomorrow (I waited about 2 weeks maximum, and I'm in France, so I'm quite satisfied with the shipping time)
-I also bought two mem cards (128mb each)
-I also had some ideas about the case, my school got a 3D printer and I was thinking of making a 3D-Printed case, anyone know if it's a good idea?
-And now that I know how a gamecube works on the inside (just a bit), I will trim my second board more than the first and see if it works
I'll give pictures and more info when I will receive my megadrive and wasp
Jul 15 2015
Finally back on my project !
So, the custom regulator is done and my gamecube is trimmed and is working well. I received my ZN-45 case (bought on mouser, i recommend this site if you're not living in U.S and want a polycase case, the shipping tax is about 20€)
I think that I'll work on the case when all of the soldering part will be done. I also received my Protection Circuit Module (http://www.ebay.fr/itm/220834832862?_tr ... EBIDX%3AIT) and I bought two of them, so I was asking : can I put 2 batterie pack of 3.7V in series to get 7.4V and then put the other pack of 7.4V on parallel with it to max the amperage? So I'll have 4 batteries in total.
I unfortunately fried the soldering pads of my megadrive v5 trying to desolder it because it wasn't working. I still don't know why it wasn't working. So I reorered one and this time I'll use ide cable to wire the megadrive to the board and make sure solders are right.
Suddenly my speakers stopped working so I get some new one and solered them with my headphone jack.
All I need to do now is to solder the stuff and trim the heatsink. When it'll be done I will attack the soldering of the batteries, because now I don't have any charger and I'll wait to get enough money to buy one.
