Want to make Portable N64 *NO EXPERIENCE*

Includes but not limited to: SNES, Genesis, Sega CD, PlayStation 1, Nintendo 64, Dreamcast, Game Gear and I guess the Virtual Boy.

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brbhavetopee
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Post by brbhavetopee »

bacteria wrote:There are two guides I put up to assist people trying to make an N64p; the Nintendo 64 Advance, and the more detailed, more recent multi-console system; whilst I am remaking the casing and design, the guts and screen for the working N64p is all documented in a step-by-step guide on this thread.

It is not difficult to make an N64p, even as a first project, you just need to be careful. The Nintendo 64 Advance was only my second project after all, once I had an idea of how to solder properly.

Go for it!
Thanks, I'll definitely check them out. I'll be as careful as I can be, but usually with these kind of things I feel like a caveman with the oversized fingers trying to dial on a small telephone.
vskid wrote:
brbhavetopee wrote:And that price you posted for the screen is great, however I searched on eBay for another one as me and my friend have this project in mind and I want to be able to get him one too. I did not find any for that price, only about 20$ more expensive. :cry:
Like anything on ebay, good deals come and go. What I do is look at completed sales (go to advanced search and theres a checkbox for it) and see what the prices are like, and then I just look for deals at the lower end of the price scale.
Thank you for the advice, I will do that. I will also order the screen now because that seems to be a great deal.
evilteddy wrote:Before you spend any money make sure you have the right tools.Can you solder and desolder. Do you have the right tools. Bacteria's tool list-

craft knives, small and large
soldering iron, 30w plus - don't glue wires together, they will unstick and lose contact!
solder, desoldering braid
pliers (large strong ones and thin fiddly ones)
electrical tape
electrical wire and thin wire
scissors
plenty of glue sticks for your glue gun
switches and tact switches
controller, N64 mobo, step down regulator, batteries (optional)
perspex, mounting board or similar (I also don't have vacuum forming table either, so make your own case - it is simple to make!)
multimeter (contacts, voltage)
sandpaper
paint/ similar
putty or similar
screen and speakers (you have that)
various screwdrivers, including one to open the N64
dremel and bits
design - paper, pencil, eraser, metal ruler.

Make sure you can do it because the n64 isn't the system for someon with no experience.
Thank you very much for the list. I do have no experience, but I'm still going to give it my best shot.
brbhavetopee
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Post by brbhavetopee »

What kind of battery should I use? I'm a total nub with this stuff. Should I just rip open a DVD player? I don't even know how I would go about doing that.
bacteria
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Post by bacteria »

For a good system, go Li-ions or Li-polymer; if cheapskate then AA's but don't expect much playtime with them or NiMH cells.
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brbhavetopee
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Post by brbhavetopee »

bacteria wrote:For a good system, go Li-ions or Li-polymer; if cheapskate then AA's but don't expect much playtime with them or NiMH cells.
Thanks, I'll probably go with the Li-ions or Li-polymer. Do you know how much each are and the key differences?
lovablechevy
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Post by lovablechevy »

if you haven't already purchased your screen, here you go. $22.49 shipped.
they call me the Queen of Bondo, though maybe i should be called the Queen of Epoxy Putty

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current project - code name: blue mushroom!
brbhavetopee
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Post by brbhavetopee »

lovablechevy wrote:if you haven't already purchased your screen, here you go. $22.49 shipped.
Thank you.
brbhavetopee
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Post by brbhavetopee »

Sorry for another question but I got one more.

Say I want to play two player on a n64p. I will be using the controller I built on the system, but say my friend wants to play. If I want to play two player in a game with them, do I have to plug in 2 n64 controllers to be able to play two player? What I'm asking is how do I get the system to recognize that I still want the original controller (when no extra controller is being plugged in) to be 1st player and when I plug the first 3 prong controller in will it automatically be 2nd player?
Kind of a confusing question but I hope you guys can decipher my question.
Tibia
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Post by Tibia »

When you build your controls into the system, you will need to have the mobo from a controller. That will be soldered to the three pins in your player 1 port. If you leave the player 2 port intact, you will easily be able to plug in a second controller and the system will recognize both.
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bacteria
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Post by bacteria »

An N64p is really for one player only if you think about it. If you want two player then you need to make a switch for the first controller to switch between the controller inside the portable and an external controller - you only need to switch between the red (3v) and white (data) lines, the black is negative after all.

To make your portable smaller, you can make make plugs (small ones) on the bottom of the case and make an adapter for the N64 controllers with female plugs to connect. This will make your case much thinner.
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brbhavetopee
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Post by brbhavetopee »

Tibia wrote:When you build your controls into the system, you will need to have the mobo from a controller. That will be soldered to the three pins in your player 1 port. If you leave the player 2 port intact, you will easily be able to plug in a second controller and the system will recognize both.
Oh, okay. Thank you.
bacteria wrote:An N64p is really for one player only if you think about it. If you want two player then you need to make a switch for the first controller to switch between the controller inside the portable and an external controller - you only need to switch between the red (3v) and white (data) lines, the black is negative after all.

To make your portable smaller, you can make make plugs (small ones) on the bottom of the case and make an adapter for the N64 controllers with female plugs to connect. This will make your case much thinner.
What kind of switch is that for the first controller to switch between the external and the portable?

Is it possible for you to show picture of what you're talking about cause I'm lost.
:?
bacteria
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Post by bacteria »

A standard two pole switch (ie one switch, two relays; like I use on my projects all the time.

Plugs - small ones, like 4mm banana connectors, or phone connectors like below - small as you can get, male and female connectors needed.

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brbhavetopee
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Post by brbhavetopee »

bacteria wrote:A standard two pole switch (ie one switch, two relays; like I use on my projects all the time.

Plugs - small ones, like 4mm banana connectors, or phone connectors like below - small as you can get, male and female connectors needed.

Image

Image
This might sound pretty stupid but how would I go about switching between the two?
bacteria
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Post by bacteria »

Using a switch...

Far easier method, although you would need to remember to switch to "off" before plugging in these plugs to controller port 1.
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brbhavetopee
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Post by brbhavetopee »

bacteria wrote:Using a switch...

Far easier method, although you would need to remember to switch to "off" before plugging in these plugs to controller port 1.
Hahah sorry what I said was really dumb. And thanks. I can't wait till the screen comes in the mail so I can give this a shot :twisted:
bacteria
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Post by bacteria »

Good, keep us posted with pics.

Many modders here use the original controller ports, I think it makes more sense (if you need external controllers) to use small plugs and make an adapter; it makes the portable far smaller without the ports. It is only 3 connections after all for a controller to work.
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