| |
TWW
Registered: Jul 2009
Posts: 545 |
Modding a C64G
Hi
I am the lucky receiver of a original C64 which my wife bought me for my birthday. It's purchased 2nd hand here in Brazil and it's NTSC / 110V. Original box and all. I believe it's imported(suitcase import) from the US as the original receipt for $199 was lying in the box.
Now I'd like to mod this box with a S-Video output and Audio RCA output. I can always make a cable and plug into the DIN port (It's got 8 pins so it should work fine) or I can add the sockets on the breadbox itself (got access to good gear and have a pal with leet soldering skillz so that shouldn't be any problem).
My question is: Any good reason not to add the sockets vs. makning/buying (probably requires import which is SATAN here in Brazil) a cable?
Also are there any good ideas for other MODS I could/should carry out to make the lifespan and shiz as good as possible for this little thing?
Last but not least, where can I buy a "heavy duty" PSU wich delivers as clean power as possible (In Brazil what comes out of the wall is crap)?
Well I got one more Question come to think of it... I see some 1541s for sale down here but I am uncertain this is any good as I don't have any of my old disk anyway. Perhaps better to go for a SD car reader thing which I saw somewhere. Where can I buy the most popular version of this?
cheers! |
|
| |
chatGPZ
Registered: Dec 2001
Posts: 11350 |
you definately need a 1541 - for transfering all these rare brazil cracks and demos :) |
| |
wacek
Registered: Nov 2007
Posts: 513 |
I'd stick to buying a cable, instead of making another socket. The result is pretty great, and if you don't have to 'butcher' the box, don't ;)
There is this really simple mod by Lemming in one of VN issues that gets rid of vertical stripes/dots - it works pretty neat and I absolutely recommend it.
Also, disconnecting the audio-in pin, which decreases noise. |
| |
TWW
Registered: Jul 2009
Posts: 545 |
Gpz: Actually today I went down to the "local electronics market" here in Rio de Janeiro to look for some treasures and buy modding equipment. I found out that "the guy" who had the biggest collection of retro stuff closed up the shop 1 week ago... Figgures..... I was hoping to snatch a rare disk-box or somesuch.
Oh well, I got to spend like 1500 euros on some modding equipment (new solder station, fluke, air/glue gun, dremel++) instead 8-D...
Made a simple RF cable just to test that part and it showed up nicely on my 60" samsung. Tomorrow I'll try to get the S-Video cable done (didn't find 8-pin DIN plugs but got some 5 pins ones and they are possible to "expand"). Curious if my tv can hanlde that... |
| |
bugjam
Registered: Apr 2003
Posts: 2579 |
Good luck with finding some rare games - this shop owner _mus_ still be around somewhere. :-) |
| |
Kristian
Registered: Apr 2002
Posts: 126 |
I've got a S-video cable and it works perfectly. My problem is that I no longer have a LCD TV with S-video input and the new TV's don't seem to have those anymore.
And I really, really wish I could get rid of the noise from the sound. Unfortunately I dont't have the skills. Sucks, because those two things means emulator for me... :/ |
| |
Oswald
Registered: Apr 2002
Posts: 5086 |
use SCART then, tho on most LCD the picture will suck anyway. why not get a 1084 ? and you can always find someone around with soldering skills good enough or if not, go to a party and bring your machine. |
| |
Kristian
Registered: Apr 2002
Posts: 126 |
1084 or CRT is out of the question. They take too much space. SCART could perhaps do it. Thanks for tip. |
| |
TWW
Registered: Jul 2009
Posts: 545 |
I found that my TV don't have the S-Video in thingy. I made a composite cable but it was not so good as I had hoped.
The SCART thing won't work as there is no scart plug on the dam thing but I have another plug which I bought a special cable for Nitendo Wii thingy the kids use which has 5 plugs dangling on it (RGB+audio i believe). Need to convert to RGB from S-Video but then I just as well can do a S-Video to HDMI/DP/DVI/VGA/Whatever converter thing and it should work fine also... To be tested.
Will get my wife to try and hunt down the "shop-guy". I am curious^^
ps. Finding a 8 pin u-shaped DIN plug was hell too. I only found a 5 pin which I "modded" to have 6 pins (added the pin in the center). Can put two more pins also but no point as I don't use dual SID (yet).
The grounding of the SID Input line didn't make any noticable difference between the normal RF cable and the composite cable with grounded SID IN... |
| |
Kisiel
Account closed
Registered: Jul 2003
Posts: 56 |
This is my modding :
http://wiki.projekt64.filety.pl/lib/exe/fetch.php?media=http%3A.. |
| |
dink
Account closed
Registered: Mar 2012
Posts: 30 |
Hi Kisiel, would you explain the mods in your C64? |
| |
Adam
Registered: Jul 2009
Posts: 323 |
Quoting KisielThis is my modding ...
nice!
and yeah, what dink said. :D |
| |
Kisiel
Account closed
Registered: Jul 2003
Posts: 56 |
2MB SRAM with battery backup, software compatible to 256KB,
512KB Flash Rom, with kernal modification and DOS system,
HD/CF card with FAT16 system, device is no. 10, compatibility is like IDE64, but interface speed is about 80kB/s on 1Mhz, load, in system is about 60KB/s so this means d64 is loaded to external memory in more than 3 seconds.
This computer is in normal use as it contains macro assembler with source in external memory, FAT16 CF card with files from PC,e.g. you can browse folders and load/save files directly with Action Replay, software d64to1541 etc. You can play some games from IDE64, also. Software has not been finished yet.
Only 3 computers in world so far. Two working one not.
This modification is going to evolve with project called "blitter" this contains TDC (turbo 4Mhz) and over hardware dreams... like DMA for CF.
Please check my projects on web page:
it is mostly in English.
http://wiki.projekt64.filety.pl/doku.php
PS. Groepaz it is not fake pictures, not fake movies , not a fake webpage... come to see real 1541 emulation on SP7 :) |
| |
chatGPZ
Registered: Dec 2001
Posts: 11350 |
Quote:Groepaz it is not fake pictures, not fake movies , not a fake webpage...
no idea what you are trying to say - but everything on that page has been posted before elsewhere, so whats your point? *shrug*
Quote:come to see real 1541 emulation on SP7 :)
where? |
| |
Kisiel
Account closed
Registered: Jul 2003
Posts: 56 |
Quoting Groepaz
no idea what you are trying to say - but everything on that page has been posted before elsewhere, so whats your point? *shrug*
Quote:come to see real 1541 emulation on SP7 :)
where?
First thing, Multi Action with Cortex M0 on board is on CSDB?
second thing is UK1541 posted on CSDB also ? how come???
Yes, MultiAction logo is posted by Arise, Wackee made also label for MultiAction Card so it counts for you?
Last time then I gave link for vector part calculated on UK1541 you mansion that you watched a lot of fake movies on YT.
So this is why I posted , "this is not fake picture" :)
SP7 => Silesia Party 7 we have invitation on first page of CSDB.DK |
| |
chatGPZ
Registered: Dec 2001
Posts: 11350 |
Quote:First thing, Multi Action with Cortex M0 on board is on CSDB second thing is UK1541 posted on CSDB also ? how come???
i dont know? what are you trying to say?
Quote:Yes, MultiAction logo is posted by Arise, Wackee made also label for MultiAction Card so it counts for you?
what?
Quote:Last time then I gave link for vector part calculated on UK1541 you mansion that you watched a lot of fake movies on YT. So this is why I posted , "this is not fake picture" :)
i cant find any UK1541 picture at all there, so indeed, not fake either =)
Quote:SP7 => Silesia Party 7
yeah well, although silesia and arok are on my list of parties i want to visit someday.... not in the near future unfortunately. |
| |
dink
Account closed
Registered: Mar 2012
Posts: 30 |
Kisiel, very nice :) some people are going to be jealous :) |
| |
Kisiel
Account closed
Registered: Jul 2003
Posts: 56 |
Dink do not be :)
My last project:
http://www.speedyshare.com/eQ2Za/BOOM-BOOM-level-3.mp4
http://www.sendspace.pl/file/d38c4bb8cc63fc55af757d3/boom-boom-..
Greopaz this is not fake ;) |
| |
GeoAnas
Account closed
Registered: Mar 2014
Posts: 41 |
Sorry for resurrecting this old thread, but I thought this is the appropriate place to post my recent "achievement" in modding a C64 :-)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=5&v=cxzoUXQNmJU
:-) |
| |
soci
Registered: Sep 2003
Posts: 479 |
Cool. Some comments on what we can see would be nice. I think the most prominent thing is the audio level meter. Is it self made or straight from ebay? Really some words about the config would not hurt, otherwise it's difficult to grasp the awesomeness ;)
For the recording using the automatic exposure on the camera for dark scenes like this was not a good choice, I think you know already. I would put there more background lighting, just because the cheap camera I have would be too grainy otherwise. The other option you may try is to set manual ISO until the LEDs can be seen much better. The rest of the picture will be completely black, with the obvious drawback that it's now not visible that it's mounted on a C64. So more lighting is better.
Last time it took me like 10 minutes to make a proper CRT TV "screen shot", it's more difficult than it seems ;) |
| |
GeoAnas
Account closed
Registered: Mar 2014
Posts: 41 |
Hi soci !
Thanks for your kind words and for the video advise...
I was so disappointed from the quality of my video, but full of enthusiasm in the same time!
I had just finished the "modding" job and I was really enjoying the final result in a live performance ! LOL !
C64 is really well placed in my heart. It still gives me all the excitment I had with it, as a kid.
This VU meter is very spectacular, isn'it ? :-)
I bought it, as a kit from Ebay, so I had the satisfaction of soldering and assembling it by myself !
Here is my Google+ photo album with some pictures inside :
https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/+GeoAnas/albums/620425377855..
Here is a list of all the mods, I've done to this machine...so far :-)
- Early revision motherboard. Cleaned and repaired.
- Brand new acrylic case / transparent.
- Fully and totally recaped.
- All chips have been socketed and 95% of them have been replaced by brand new or New Old Stock ones.
- Heat sinks on top of all chip "heaters" :-)
- Dual / Stereo SID adapter mounted with 2 NOS 6581s. Switch between $d400 for both SIDs or $d420 for stereo.
- All voltage regulators have been replaced.
- Switchless Kernal. Normal + JiffyDOS Mod for Dolphin DOS Kernal.
JiffyDOS Mod for Dolphin DOS Kernal .
- Internall "DigiMax" Stereo device.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gn1w9tJHtAQ
Can switched off and free the user port ;-)
This is based on Digital Audio Concept's (Thanks to Vanessa !) schematics, here:
http://digitalaudioconcepts.com/vanessa/hobbies/projects.html
- LED VUmeter. Takes sound signal from SIDs.
http://hobbykit.eu/svetodioden-indikator?search=1010
Schematics :
http://hobbykit.eu/image/cache/catalog/s1010-800x600.gif
- Dual Voltage led meters, checking constantly the SIDs voltage
(6581, 5V + 12V)
- Custom made PLA. New replacement 100% compatible.
- PLA Viewer / Tester.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rb4airxZliY
- IRQ Viewer / Tester.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhUO4trQ3vI
- Golden plated RCA jacks.
Video / SID Left Audio / SID Right Audio / DigiMax Left / DigiMax Right
- Brand new red power led :-P |
| |
Style
Registered: Jun 2004
Posts: 498 |
Im in the middle of similar mods (although not as many), and the only real difference so far is my dualSID will be 6581/8580 on the same address, so rather than being useful for 6 channel tunes itll be better for demo comps/watching when you want to select between 6581/8580 depending on which the musician would prefer you used. |
| |
ready.
Registered: Feb 2003
Posts: 441 |
Nice joystick you have. I also have one like that, but I need to replace the connector to adapt to C64. I found it this year in the trash while I was in Athen for work and picked it up. My job trip was surely worth it! |
| |
GeoAnas
Account closed
Registered: Mar 2014
Posts: 41 |
This is NOT mine ;-)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VqKYuAZjtWM
Merry XMas to all of you sceners ! LOL ! |
| |
soci
Registered: Sep 2003
Posts: 479 |
GeoAnas:
That's a nice list of additions/changes. I'm wondering why no serial bus activity LEDs yet ;)
I've also did a "restore reset" with a 555 for my C128 DCR. But you can easily reach the backside of the machine for a cartridge reset button. |
| |
GeoAnas
Account closed
Registered: Mar 2014
Posts: 41 |
Quote: GeoAnas:
That's a nice list of additions/changes. I'm wondering why no serial bus activity LEDs yet ;)
I've also did a "restore reset" with a 555 for my C128 DCR. But you can easily reach the backside of the machine for a cartridge reset button.
Thanks !
...You are giving me ideas ! ;-) |
