Portable RetroCon (RiP) Portable RetroES (FtW)

[shiftybill]

hi guys,

first time poster long time lurker, while im waiting for my pandora to arrive ive been itching to get my hands dirty with a little project. I recently came across my old gba that i havent seen in years and thought to myself i might take it apart and see whats inside. Then another thought occured, could i fit nes in here? After some more thinking i decided i would attempt it.

First things first, i want it to be as cheap as possible therefore i have found a retrocon nes on ebay for $5 (he is only a 40 minute drive away so no postage ), he says it works, but it is very hard to get a game to go. My question, to fix it would i just need to replace the pin adapter or would there be more serious damage? Theres still 2 days left on the auction so any input would be greatly appreciated.

[snowpenguin]

If he has to wiggle the cartridge to get it to work, yeah, it's probably just a loose solder joint or a cartridge connector that needs replacing.

[shiftybill]

thanks i think ill go ahead and buy it, i mean 5 bucks!

need a little advice on which screen size to go for, the cavity which the screen sits in the case is 3.5", so should i go for a 3.5" screen? or should i get a smaller one (2.5") so it will definitely fit? Thanks again

heres a couple cheapish ones i found on ebay

2.5" - $32
3.5" - $40

[Metal Mario]

Well, for only $8 more, it's probably safe to go with the 3.5" for a nice and big display.

[shiftybill]

thanks for all the help so far guys!

Another question, batteries, what type, how many?

(sorry if this is a total noob q)

[Metal Mario]

I'd imagine just AA's.

[banditpaw1]

I'd imagine just AA's.

Umm Ya at least four AA's

[shiftybill]

hey guys,

well 24 hours left in the auction, should hopefully have it in my hands by the weekend, i have also decided to abandon my idea of using the gba case, simply to hard for a first time project like this, (second if u count my arcade machine), so i went and had a look and came across this, it seems to be just what im looking for, so my next plan of attack is to see if i can get the noac working and take it from there

update: Just won the auction $20 but still very cheap, cant wait to get it home and tear it to bits
update2: just bought mario1, 3 and kid icarus for $25 +$5 postage

[shiftybill]

The retrocon just arrived, but alas the games i ordered have not. So what ive done so far is hook it up to my tv and watch the blue screen turn black when i power it on. I will take it apart soon and will post a few pics.

[snowpenguin]

I'd wait to test that it works alright before you dismantle it, or you won't be able to return it if it doesn't.

[shiftybill]

no returns on this item, it was sold as is.

here are some pics






i have reassembled it in anticipation of mario bros. 3 :drool:

[snowpenguin]

no returns on this item, it was sold as is.

Well, if they said in the auction description that it works, it can be returned if it doesn't via a paypal/ebay dispute, no matter if it has an as is statement or not.

[shiftybill]

just an update on the current situation, the retrocon is dead, i got the mario bros 1 menu screen to appear a few times, so i cleaned the games and the cart slot, still no go. So I ordered a retro ES from stoneagegamer for $15, I heard it has pretty good compatibility and is also fairly small in size. I've also decided on what case I'm going to use, the AG-85 from polycase. It case should be thick enough to accommodate an internal cartride slot so the game is not poking a mile out. Heres a 2 second mock up of what ive got in mind.


This is the back, the screen and controls will be on the other side.

Also I think I am going to go for Polymer Li-Ion batteries like this

and the charger

So what do we think am I heading in the right direction?

[hailrazer]

It's going to be very difficult to fit it all in there. I had a terrible time fitting everything in my GeniMini. And that was with smaller camcorder cells. If you do buy that battery you will have to split them apart and even then it will be tight and may not work.

[shiftybill]

ordered an AG-85 the other day, and i just ordered this lcd, im going to wait and see what power the lcd requires before i choose the batteries, it says DC12V(+/- 10%) so does that mean i need at least 10.8 volts or will it work with 7.4, or do i need to open it up to be certain?

Update: Just got my RES but (just my luck) it refuses to turn on!! So I emailed them about either a replacement or a refund