New "Console Project" project Forum request!

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bacteria
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New "Console Project" project Forum request!

Post by bacteria »

I am working currently on modding a GBA, as per http://benheck.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=18585&start=0

Looking on the Forum rules, a finished console project can go into "News", and a WIP into the "Console Projects" - there is no heading for GBA modding - could there please be a new heading in the "Console Projects" forum to deal with other projects like GBA please? :wink:
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Post by Reaperman@home »

wow where did you find a new gba transverter? I'm hurting for one bad. my old one just stopped working one day, and I don't feel like tracing the problem, or figuring out where I stuffed it.

good luck with the gba project. mine kind of lost steam when the gbm and the mega-flashcarts started to hit. I would like to see if the screen connectors are similar enough to still use on gbm (I know the cable won't fit, but maybe the pinouts will be similar). I have kind of a docking station idea.

maybe I should check forums other than f42 once in a while...
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Post by bacteria »

I bought the GBA Transverter a few years ago from a UK site (long since stopped selling them). I put it on my old GBA, only used it for tv out once, got a GBA SP and used the old GBA for flashing a flashcart - it spent most of its time collecting dust.

You can't get these anymore, couldn't find any on the internet or even on E-bay; however there is another tv-out system for the GBA available - it is easier to wire than the Transverter as you don't need to solder directly to the chip pins and the sync and ground are easy to locate. These appear on E-bay typically on "GBA tv converter" - there are a couple on E-bay at the moment...

Both types of GBA tv out are great, the Transverter gives you full horizontal screen size and about 90% vertical; the other GBA tv out type (easier to find) only gives more like about 70% full size (horizontal and vertical on PSone screen) - however you could still do a proper mod with it. I bought one of these recently too, couldn't make it work - the Transverter uses a ribbon cable to connect to the GBA cable attachment, the other method makes the connections to the rear of the ribbon cable on the GBA which is rather fiddly - if you bend the cable round it might connect into the GBA ribbon holder - will try this out.

If a new Forum heading is made to allow people to post for "other" projects, like the GBA, I can upload a guide (based on existing link, but more defined explanations) and also give the pinouts for the other GBA tv out card, as the alternative. If a new subsection isn't made I will post details in "News" when the project is completed, however it won't be long before it gets lost in the forum as it works its way down the forum topics; if there is a subsection made available, it will be there permanently! I have done a lot of research, I would like to think others could benefit from what I am doing - and the way to maximise this is with a new subsection - even if it is only labeled as "Other systems not listed, eg GBA". :wink:
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Post by Reaperman@home »

sorry to hijack your topic. I am in agreement that misc projects might be better in their own section, rather than the forum 42 which seems to fill with misc non-project information. a 'misc project' section would be far more useful than the sections that have been cropping up around here recently.

I just looked them up on ebay, $60 shipped isn't bad for the new style tv converter. before I get one I will have to open one of my spare gbm's to see how likely it is to work. (I've been stocking up on gbms)

really all I should need (in theory) is to jump the control testpoints, audio and video pins out the bottom or back in a way that will allow a good connection. maybe even the charger points if I'm feeling lucky.
that's assuming the gbm still has controller testpoints like the original, compatable video and most importantly, space to do it with. then there's the aspect ratio problem, I wonder how the new converter deals with it. in any case, pulling that off would create my ideal handheld.

I used to think I wanted 'bigger' but now I realize that I'm a small handheld guy. very, very small, and handhelds only seem to be getting bigger again.
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Post by bacteria »

There is no hijack of the topic, far from it, appreciate your comments.

$60? The one I bought a couple of weeks ago was about £10 ($20), shipped (E-bay).

You can buy second hand GameBoy Advance units for about £12 ($24) on E-bay, or thereabouts. As modded handhelds go, this is not an expensive project to run with. You only need a PSone screen (c. £26-£30), GBA (c. £12), GBA tx converter (c. £10), wires, old NES controller (c. £3), solder, batteries (6 x 2500 NiMH batteries c. £3.25), battery holder (c. £0.70), optional better speakers (c. £7), case building materials and spray paint (c. £9), step-down regulator (c. £10). Total build about £85. (most prices shown are E-bay auction prices I got items for - the Transverter I already had).

Yes, it would be better to have a new subsection please (? any comments from the Moderators please ?). Forum 42 seems to fill with rather "unrelated" topics.

Small handhelds are great for what they are, if you don't mind squinting at a small screen; a bigger screen gives much more of an enjoyable gaming experience. As with all game consoles, the GBA have a lot of cack games, but there are a lot of very high quality games with good graphics and longivity playtime (maybe 10%-15% of available games, which still represents a lot of titles), there are many games on the humble GBA which are better than other platforms have in their portfolio in my opinion, which makes this mod, in my opinion, worthwhile.
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Post by gannon »

Been said before, this forum is for converting consoles to handhelds, not the other way around (or any other handheld modification for that part). Put it in F42 or it's respective generation's forum.
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Post by Reaperman@home »

he's not asking for a handheld forum, just a misc/other forum that doesn't get filled with non-project posts. which is more legitimate than asking for a handheld specific forum

my old project is located here. but you're as far along as I was. I also did the controller mod a bit stupid and should have used the test points. ah, back in the day...

$60 shipped was for the only tv converter sold in the US on ebay, I could have a look over at europe and see what international shipping runs. usually it's pretty inexpensive to send here from europe...just not the other way around...

but I'm pretty interested in cracking open a gbm and figuring out what it looks like compared to all the others I've ripped apart. if that docking station is possible, I may add it to my project queue.

I *love* the gbm screen. Even compared to the psone/transverter/rgb I had going. not to say that setup wasn't totally beautiful, which it was, but I have equally few complaints about gbm's stock screen. I also had a weird problem of the psone screen going green after about an hour use. I've heard similar complaints from some, and none from others, so I assume there was just a version of the screen that did that.
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Post by gannon »

I based my post on the title, which asks for a "New "Console Project" project Forum"
bacteria
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Post by bacteria »

Reaperman@home - excellent website for information. I think I stumbled on your site when I was doing research (and others too). I see you can still get an NTSC Transverter for the GBA SP for about $17: http://www.superufo.com/product_html/Ga ... ystem.html
If someone bought an NTSC PSone screen it would hook up the the GBA SP (not old GBA as I used).

Like your ideal of the SD card - I am using the new flashcart which uses SD cards and plugs into the regular GBA cartridge port, and acts as a media centre too (play films, music, etc). I need to be able to remove the back of the case I am making to access this if I need to, and to change the batteries anyway, so not a problem.

I put the speakers on the top and controllers on the bottom so they are easier to use (personal preference). In process of making the casing now.

My pics to date (nearly) on http://benheck.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=18585

I will do a posting in "News" when completed.

gannon - Thanks for your comments, I appreciate your comments as Moderator. I was intending to pose the question as to if it might be possible for the inclusion of an "other" forum (or similar) title under the "Console Project" - the GBA is referred to (I believe) as a game console (by Nintendo), yes it is handheld I know - does that make this less worthy? Any flexability? The principles of the GBA modding (I would suggest if I may) follows similar principles of the console modding in the other sections - whether you mod an Atari or Snes or whatever you end up with a similar end result as the GBA modding after all (all be it the GBA modding is easier I know) - all be it that arcade consoles are designed for tv out whereas the GBA isn't as standard.
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