Some questions and stuff (GCN)

[Telos954]

Ok! So, to start this off, I was cleaning out my closet and found not only my original style Playstation, but my gamecube as well. Seeing as this isn't the place for the PS, I'll stick to the GC for now

I had seen videos on youtube about portable gamecubes and had even visited here a few times from links in those videos. After a bit of lurking around (not a ton, to be honest.) I got it in mind that I want a portable game cube. The problem is, I know NOTHING about how to do this.

Sooo, to the questions, I guess.
1. Is there any guide on just how to do this? Like - any videos or images?
2. With out including the case, about how much does it cost to build one of these?
**All I have is the game cube.
3. If there is no guide available - is anyone offering a service to make one?

I am -very- ignorant when it comes to the inner workings of electronics and circuitry, and would probably end up messing up big time any way, so anything would have to be pretty much babied down. I'd really like to get one of these for my self, and I would appreciate any help you guys could toss my way

 

[zeturi]

1. The closest thing to a guide is here: http://forums.benheck.com/viewtopic.php?f=41&t=26398 Otherwise, there are some worklogs on here and benheck that can help you learn.

2. Depending on what you have (tools, materials,) somewhere around $200 for batteries, a screen, casing, backup gamecube, other misc. supplies.

3. Contact Hailraizer about this. Check out the Finished Projects for pics of his. Be prepared for a steep price however, most well-built portable's can cost a lot.

* If you are serious about this and would like to learn how to do this, we are more than willing to help. But I honestly suggest from experience and 3 fried gamecubes to try another system first. (NES, SNES, Genesis, maybe nN64). These systems are less complicated, and are sometimes less work. If you decide to not listen, like I did, prepare for a lot of headaches.

 

[Tchay]

Ok! So, to start this off, I was cleaning out my closet and found not only my original style Playstation, but my gamecube as well. Seeing as this isn't the place for the PS, I'll stick to the GC for now

I had seen videos on youtube about portable gamecubes and had even visited here a few times from links in those videos. After a bit of lurking around (not a ton, to be honest.) I got it in mind that I want a portable game cube. The problem is, I know NOTHING about how to do this.

Sooo, to the questions, I guess.
1. Is there any guide on just how to do this? Like - any videos or images?
2. With out including the case, about how much does it cost to build one of these?
**All I have is the game cube.
3. If there is no guide available - is anyone offering a service to make one?

I am -very- ignorant when it comes to the inner workings of electronics and circuitry, and would probably end up messing up big time any way, so anything would have to be pretty much babied down. I'd really like to get one of these for my self, and I would appreciate any help you guys could toss my way

Hey man! Welcome to the modding world! There are a few guides but the best teacher for you will be opening up the Gamecube and looking around. To open it up you will need a bic pen (melt the back on the pen and mush it into one of the screws on the back of the Gamecube to form a mold around it) or a "gamebit." If you plan on doing this kind of thing a lot with Gamcubes, I would just get the gamebit:
http://shop.ebay.com/?_from=R40&_trksid=p3907.m38.l1313&_nkw=gamebit&_sacat=See-All-Categories

I made a cost list for my work log is on BenHeck.com and so far I have around $350 in supplies. BUT don't let that scare you because my portable is very nit picky and has a lot of unnecessary things. For a standard portable GC, here's the cost list:
GC - $25
car monitor screen $31
3 battery cells put together - $47.85
http://www.batteryspace.com/highpowerpolymerli-ioncell37v4700mah706285-8c1739wh37arate.aspx
Soldering Iron - $10
wires - $10 - although you can find most of them from old junk
hot glue gun w/glue - $10
GC controller - $10 (you might need 2)
case - free - $5 honestly, you can get a great case at a used thrift store for like 50 cents (just take out the guts and then you have yourself a case!)

so that totals out to about 150 dollars but add another 25 dollars for every GC you break

I can help you in any way you want. Feel free to PM (post message) me with questions on anything you are doing. No matter how silly or stupid the question may be, don't hesitate to ask me

If you want someone to make one for you, then most of us are taking commissions. I will warn you that the GC portables can get a little pricey (anywhere from $500 all the way to $1000 sometimes more depending on the quality). I am pretty much done with a portable GC (not from my worklog) that I knocked out in a week, but it is pretty crappy so you may not want it.

 

[Telos954]

Well, after looking around, I found my soldering iron, hot glue gun (and a ton of glue for it.), and a gc controller (Wavebird, dunno if that counts, though.), so that knocked down a bit of my cost. I'm sure I can find wires in some old stuff, and, as for the case - there's a thrift store right down the street. Seems a lot more do-able now.

Where did you find a car monitor for that cheap, though?

 

[ShockSlayer]

Want a tip? Ebay is your friend.

Story time:

Back in my GCp days, I fried quite a few of 'em. So I needed to get some more.

Went on ebay, looked for broken gamecubes, and then searched nearest first. Turns out, a pawn shop in my state had 3. Going for $10 for all of them.

Looked down in the information, got the name of the place and thier phone number. Called 'em up, talked with a pretty cool guy, and he told me he'd sell them to me for $10 if I just came and picked them up. Needless to say, I did.

The fun starts here. Of course, they are "broken" gamecubes. In my many years of portablizing, I have learned that people are stupid when it comes to broken game consoles. Let me describe this:

One was missing the lid.
One was missing the lasers eye(WTF).
One did not appear to have any problems at all, other than the 1st player controller port was loose.

Portablizers like us, ah, this doesn't phase us. You see, after having fried many a GC, I had several complete disk drive assemblies, so that was an easy fix. All I had to do on the broken lid one was to open it up, and put a switch on the lid sensor. The last one, again with the many spare parts thing I said, I replaced the ports in the front. Also they spilled soda in it.

I have more knowledge to share.

You see, Nintendo is not stupid. But people are. Lets say, oh, I don't know, someone spills coke in their GC. The gamecube immediately turns off and ceases to work. Why? Something somewhere shorted. That's nice, right? Well. No, its not. But in MANY CASES I have seen, the problem IS NOT the GC, but the power adapter. GC power adapters are really good at this. If the 12v line is shorted under load, or too long without load, it shuts itself off on the inside. I don't remember how it cuts back on, but it does over time, so whatevs.

Why is this important? Because it takes two kinds of people to be able to tell you that. Portablizers who learned this from experience, and the people who designed it. Normal consumers do not know this. ERGO! Broken gamecubes by the bunches.

See what I mean?

A little fixing up, and these GC's are ready for portablizing!

SS

 

[Tchay]

Want a tip? Ebay is your friend.

Story time:

Back in my GCp days, I fried quite a few of 'em. So I needed to get some more.

Went on ebay, looked for broken gamecubes, and then searched nearest first. Turns out, a pawn shop in my state had 3. Going for $10 for all of them.

Looked down in the information, got the name of the place and thier phone number. Called 'em up, talked with a pretty cool guy, and he told me he'd sell them to me for $10 if I just came and picked them up. Needless to say, I did.

The fun starts here. Of course, they are "broken" gamecubes. In my many years of portablizing, I have learned that people are stupid when it comes to broken game consoles. Let me describe this:

One was missing the lid.
One was missing the lasers eye(WTF).
One did not appear to have any problems at all, other than the 1st player controller port was loose.

Portablizers like us, ah, this doesn't phase us. You see, after having fried many a GC, I had several complete disk drive assemblies, so that was an easy fix. All I had to do on the broken lid one was to open it up, and put a switch on the lid sensor. The last one, again with the many spare parts thing I said, I replaced the ports in the front. Also they spilled soda in it.

I have more knowledge to share.

You see, Nintendo is not stupid. But people are. Lets say, oh, I don't know, someone spills coke in their GC. The gamecube immediately turns off and ceases to work. Why? Something somewhere shorted. That's nice, right? Well. No, its not. But in MANY CASES I have seen, the problem IS NOT the GC, but the power adapter. GC power adapters are really good at this. If the 12v line is shorted under load, or too long without load, it shuts itself off on the inside. I don't remember how it cuts back on, but it does over time, so whatevs.

Why is this important? Because it takes two kinds of people to be able to tell you that. Portablizers who learned this from experience, and the people who designed it. Normal consumers do not know this. ERGO! Broken gamecubes by the bunches.

See what I mean?

A little fixing up, and these GC's are ready for portablizing!

SS

YES! AGREE AGREE! Excellent tips SS

EDI: here is the screen bro
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=170401406499

thats the exact screen I have. Has decent video quality, easy to hook up for beginners. Problem? Well it has no speakers. But with some looking around and checking out the tutorials on here and Benheck.com, you will find that speakers and an audio amp is very doable.