Question about portablizing a console.

[gravity]

I am not sure if this is the correct forum, but i was wondering if anyone has done an odyssey portable, and if it will be possible to chop it small enough so it is not like an xbox portable (Dump truck with a monitor)? Any information on this would be great, thank you.

[cowsgoquack101]

Do you mean the original Oddysey? Because that wouldn't work, it only has RF signal not compostie like the Atari and up has composite. Plus the original only has 6 games. Maybe I should be called the expert on the Oddysey

[gravity]

is there such a thing as an rf to composite converter? If not, i guess i could do something a little less random like an NES or a turbografix 16 hehe.

[daguuy]

maybe there's some sort of composite mod you could do to it (like atari) but you'd have to figure it out cause nobody's atempted that yet

[gravity]

Maybe it is something i can come back to after I have done a couple, it doesn't sound impossible, but I just think it would be awesome to have a portable version of a 32 year old console.

[marshallh]

You'd have to make your own screen overlays for the screen you're using (The Odyssey was all B/W) and you might be able to find a pocket tv with a antenna in so you could use RF.

[bicostp]

Well, from the looks of it, the Odyssey was just a bunch of capacitors, resistors, and transistors inside (<a href="http://www.pong-story.com/odyssey.htm">link</a>), so it may be possible to rebuild the console out of off-the-shelf parts, or buy a really cheap one off eBay (that doesn't include screen overlays or anything).

Because of its mid-1960’s type of technology, the Odyssey is completely different from modern video game systems. It uses no microprocessor and has no need for memory. It is based on a hybrid analog and digital circuit design. Opening the physical game unit reveals only discrete components: resistors, capacitors, etc. The only semiconductors are about 40 diodes and 40 transistors.

But there will be a few challenges for this system:
-It requires screen overlays, so you'll have to make and print some on overhead projector transparencies.
-There's no composite out signal (rf only)
-A lot of the games need extra pieces like boards, player tokens, poker chips and dice

Advantages:
-probable small size, depending on what components you use
-probable long battery life
-the cartridges are just wire jumpers, so it may be possible to make smaller versions out of DB-9 connectors, or rig up a breadboard and use actual wires

I suppose if you re-engineered it you could use logic gates or something like that, but the easiest thing to do would be to make a new board on a radio shack project board.

However, the only game that I see as a ctually playable on the road with just the unit is Table Tennis. You'd be better off making a PONGp. Velleman has a kit to make a composite-output pong machine. (<a href="http://www.velleman-kit.com/common/prod ... 1">NTSC</a> <a href="http://www.velleman-kit.com/common/prod ... 43">PAL</a>)

<img src="http://www.velleman-kit.com/images/prod ... 121pal.jpg">
As you can see the kit's PCB has a lot of wasted space on it. If you remade it, following the schematics, you could, in theory, make it much smaller, maybe with detachable controllers. It looks like the easiest way to make a dedicated PONGp.

Hmm it looks like it already runs off of batteries.