Ok another GC portable attempt.

[Leetsauce]

Ok, so i have been inspired by my good friend Kaser (mostly him always talking about making another portable )
So i have started work on an old gamcube i have here (which i swapped for 2 packets of haff-cakes ).
Right now, i have removed controllers ports, lengthened the reset switch and about to relocated LED + bios battery so thge board will fit under the mobo in the metal tray.
I intend to vac-form some of it, and use either a GC/psone screen.

I need advice on batteries though. And some help on how to go about the case. I like Gamelver's second GCP, i'm aiming for one similar th that, just keeping the GC lid on it.

I'm going to wire in a controller extension lead, to controller port 2 for two player gaming, and the other 2 ports will be redundent. I am also going to wire internally a memorycard, a 2000 block one should keep me going.

I'm temped to put an xenoGC in there to boot backups, but without the hassle of a Qoob(i already have a qoob in my other GC).
So my parts list is currently:
*GC Controller
*GC/PS1 screen
*Battery/s
*Big memory card
*GC controller extenstion lead (for controller port 2)
*Bondo or the like (maybe fibreglass)

I have access to a vac-form and a 2D CNC machine(for a custom logo ), so if anyone could helop me with the production of the case, what plastics to go for etc that would be awesome.
Cheers.
p.s, i'm not a newbie to modding, i have rebuilt my GC from ground-up with various mods, BUT this is my first portable attemt

[kasar]

kaser? hehe



hey mate how it is going?
your new portable design sounds interesting.
I also was thinking now about make another portable, but cause I out of money, and some tools,I decided to recycle my first laptop. now it can rest in peace.

Anyway,after that my new portable will be born, I removed useless things like the controllers board.
I removed that entire board, and I connected the first controller to the main mobo, like the led, battery and reset buttom.
I used this data:

(my gcp will be single player only,no, extra controllers, no expansions ,[ i removed all serial ports and outputs except the memcard ones).

I think the idea about put the 2048 memcard internal is good, You will need to remove the slot A and solder the memcard board directly to the main mobo.
Mmm, what do you think about reallocate the memcard slot B for get outside and allow plug another cards and transfer data?
I think it can be interesting, but maybe useless, depending of the situation.
you have acces to a CNC vac-form tool? , thats good Those plastic cases allways have better results than most of wood or another easy to handle materials.
Cant wait for see the pics man
when I will have my new ones I will create a topic too.
Cya my friend, and nice work

[Leetsauce]

cheers kasar

Yeah, i remembered i had a 6-wire ribbon cable, cut it in half and it's perfect for the memory card (12-pin), keepsd wires nice and tidy, that is a good idea, doing things straight from the mobo, i think i'll keep this board tho, and hide it up. I just need some help with designing the case/mould and should be good to go. Also what plastic would be best. Only going to have one card inside, and have removed the slots.

Yeahm i asked at school today, and he said i could use the vac-form, so it's good

[kasar]

Sorry for the reply delay mate,
some "m*th*r FUC**R" burned the telephone networks´s panel, and me and all myneighbours has been without connection and line arround 2 days (the voice telephone still without work today).

well I have a idea for the case (on mine I will use wood,I know wood sucks,but less than my first project), but if you use plastic try to make circles instead horrible cuadrangle boxes,cause hold a circle is better for play than a big cuadrangle box, (its only the cuarent design of my cuarent project,when i get photos I will create the topic)

here is it a preview design.


Today I tricked the dvd drive to fit at a thin case, and fixed the controller parts to fit also at the case,but it is only an idea, I has been based at bacteria and gamevelver designs.

Just use your great imagination and make a case for all your stuff.
Anyway are you thinking about put a "builted in" controller? or use a external one normally?

[Leetsauce]

How did you manage to ge tthat DVD drive smaller? I've ripped mine apart, the laser unit is so huge lmao.
I havent worked on it in a few days, just got my new bike . Will work on it tonight. I'm going to use an old IDE cable for the internal memory card. Also, i'm thinking about an xeno GC chip, as it shouldn't add to the dvd drive width. Gonna draw up a plan today =]

[kasar]

I saw time ago at this forum some image like this, but I didn´t find it again , so I redrawed and uploaded it.
I´m doing this, you need reallocate 12 small wires and 2 engine wires (red and brown)


Nice pic mate, but don´t forget that microsoft paint software (I think you used that ) have a easy tool for write text at the images, it make things easier for write/read .

I also make finally my own topic for my portable, I think you will find sone info of the dvd drive mod, I posted the pinouts and photos

http://forums.benheck.com/viewtopic.php?p=292646#292646

I think your case design is like mine,I´m also wondering for a place for put Fans/Coolers at the case. did u have any pic of your project? I´m very curius

[Leetsauce]

wow, thats pretty interesting.
I might rewire the DVD drive, like you did.
I'm going to use some good IDE wire, which is stronger than my kynar, for most things. I am in the process(right now) of sorting out the high speed ports, and now about tot statr the memory card mod.
Thats pretty impressive with the controller, individual buttons? Where did you get the buttons from?

[kasar]

wow, thats pretty interesting.
I might rewire the DVD drive, like you did.
I'm going to use some good IDE wire, which is stronger than my kynar, for most things. I am in the process(right now) of sorting out the high speed ports, and now about tot statr the memory card mod.
Thats pretty impressive with the controller, individual buttons? Where did you get the buttons from?

oh, those buttoms for the controller?

well. I allways had a lot of broken stuff at home, most of times is only a waste of space,I have a few broken laptops, the mobo is broken, but the rest of them are fully functional (screens, keyboard, mouse, batteries...).
Some laptops like Acer or dell, have small buttoms outside the keyboard. them are really small and hard to get the pins to solder, but thanks to god, my soldering skills are growing slowly, So I was able to get them working on my project. I just found 5 of those buttoms (I will use 4 for the D pad, and the another one for start) Seems I found some lucky today ^^.

If you have some broken stuff, like old tv,radio,.......ect
open them and get all you need from them.
remember at the most of damaged things, only 1 thing stops to working, but the most of other modules work perfect for another uses

[Leetsauce]

Haha, pretty awesome.
Ok, so i have finished removing all un-needed serial ports, both memory card ports are now gone too. I have moved the bios battery (extended wires) and the power LED + reset switch. So now the board fits under the mobo in the metal tray (keeps it nice an tidy). All i need to do is get a controller wired up inside, and a controller extender for player 2 port. Then it'll be testing, amke sure nothing is shorting out etc. Then onto the removal of the power-board slot, and i'll wire straigh tot he mobo. And same goes for the DVD drive. I'm debating getting a low level laptop-style heatsink/fan for the CPU/GPU.
I will make a start on designing the case when i get the screen(either PSone screen, or a GC one.)
Also, i need to think about batteries, i may well go for the gamecube car travel battery, to keep things simple.

I've been looking at some high-impact plastic to use, and i have the go ahead to use the vac-form. It's looking good so far
I haven't thought abouth the controller too much atm, not sure what i'll do about button relcating etc.
On a side note, glad i kept these IDE cables, they are great wire .

Cheers for your help kasar.

[kasar]

Np mate.

about the controller extender for second player, you dont need buy a extender, just remove the port carefully, and put it back soldering long wires, it will be cost only some wires and It will be smaller than use a original extender,I also have some problems thinking about the power system,I completed a OK one for my first project, but the board and battery was very big , heavy and huge, so this time will not help me :S. Mmm let me remember.. I still have those broken laptops, So I have some lithium ion battery cells, but Idk how to use them exactly,Did them need some protection circuit board? can I use the board came by default at the laptop battery pack?, or I should rewire everything and design a new charge system for my project? I should search for some answers later on the net, about the gc oficial battery pack should be a good idea, but those items are near extinct at those days, and are also a bit expensive, and that battery pack only works arround 30 mins (At least I heard that)
try also make the project as thin as posible, remove useless plastic pieces, and put the boards as closer as you can, but use something to prevent a shortings rom the boards. you can use some tape to prevent it.

[Leetsauce]

Yeah, i have used tpae to prevent short-outs.
I've found a new GC battery on ebay for pretty cheap so i will get that hopefully. Also, i have ordered a 2k block memorycard. On dealextreme it's $8, so pretty good deal. Allot of people selling for much more on ebay
Going to copy all my current data onto that card before i rip it apart and solder it in, so i can play from where i left off.

Only thing i need now on the hardware is the screen. Looking at a PS1 with screen (sony screen) at £10 so far on ebay

[Leetsauce]

Ok. So an update:

I have now soldered in a memory card. Also have soldered in a controller. Bios battery, reset switch, and power LED mved so everything fits under the mobo in the tray. Doing some tests on it now.


Also, experimenting with cooling. Have cut down an Intel reference HS, so will see how godo that is with some good thermal paste.