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NES Top Loader get! Upgrade? Kevtris?


Tanooki

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I got a bit lucky and found an externally fairly uncleaned NES top loader with all the original parts/accessories +1 old style NES controller with it for $70 today. I have been cleaning it up for a bit, it's your usual jailbar ridden machine not like the replacement with the multi-av out or the late RF board revision to combat that.

 

I did some poking around and I know on ebay you can pay too much ($400~) for an HDMI modded top loading system out the door already bought and then updated. I was thinking maybe this would be fit for that? I looked at it, but it's a little over my head popping off CPU/PPU chips, replacing that with brackets and modding the chips to be removeable and all that stuff along with some of the rest of the steps.

 

Who would be wise to go looking at for the most cost effective update to HDMI on it? I think I saw kevtris had created that update part and steps to do so fairly recently. What would be a reasonable rate to pay someone if I mailed the system to get the full package done with the HDMI+the little LED light under the power switch?

 

 

For nearly a decade now I've had this very nice RCA modded system that had the bonus of the LED light, but also the added upgrade of stereo and manual channel separation controlled in the back with a thin twisting wheel knob. As we know RCA style are on the way out, and like getting that GC external HDMI module for my Cube I'd like to bulletproof the NES too so I'd sell that (I see people pay around $200 on ebay for it) to cover the costs more or less. Is this at all doable?

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How much do you think desoldering two 40 pin ic with out wreaking them is worth? ;)

 

I've done two of these installs, both on top loaders ( Much easier than front loader).

 

Both TL nes where about $70, the kits $125 and an led installed under the power switch.

 

Sold the first for $350 on CL and the other for $300 on Ebay - both no hook ups.

 

So $105 to $155 on my end for "installation" - with out pre-assembled interposers.

 

Voltare lists $105 with led mod and soldering interpossers.

 

Which seems pretty reasonable.

 

But who knows when / if the next batch on nes hdmi are going to be made?

Thats probably why they are so high on eBay right now.

 

I've got a cheap TL NES that I am debating either a RGB or HDMI kit to install and flip.

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How much do you think desoldering two 40 pin ic with out wreaking them is worth? ;)

 

 

How much do you pay someone for a couple minutes of work?

 

However this install is a bit more than just swapping two 40 pin chips.

 

What's more mind boggling to me is paying someone $125 for a pcb and kit that probably only cost about $5.

 

Ya ya his time to design and put it together. I know its worth a billion $$.

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How much do you pay someone for a couple minutes of work?

 

However this install is a bit more than just swapping two 40 pin chips.

 

What's more mind boggling to me is paying someone $125 for a pcb and kit that probably only cost about $5.

 

Ya ya his time to design and put it together. I know its worth a billion $$.

 

Even with a desoldering gun it's not a couple of minutes - thats for sure. But that is the hardest part / 95% of the install.

If these where socketed, most people wouldn't hesitate to do it themselves.

 

$125 for a zero lag nes upscaler built in and overclocking / stereo options - its totally worth it.

If I didn't have a PVM And a lowbudeget super 8 bit with RGB output, this is what Id use.

 

But with the AVS from retrousb doing the same thing (mostly),Thats the real question as to why bother with the upgrade?

I'm pretty sure having the AVS out is why it's been so slow to get new HDMI kits.

 

 

Here is a good topic discussing the two:

https://www.reddit.com/r/nes/comments/6235oo/looking_for_advice_hidef_nes_mod_vs_retrousb_avs/

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Even with a desoldering gun it's not a couple of minutes - thats for sure. But that is the hardest part / 95% of the install.

If these where socketed, most people wouldn't hesitate to do it themselves.

 

I don't see where you would figure. I could do that quicker than dremelling out for the HDMI port making it nice and neat. I just yesterday desoldered ten 14 to 16 pin ICs on a board to test the ICs individually. 74 Series inverter, a couple nand chips, nor chip, or chip, a few multiplexers and a couple counter ICs. The hardest part(time consuming) of that job was setting up tests for them on a breadboard, and found 1 bad 74257 multiplexer chip.

 

 

How much do you think desoldering two 40 pin ic with out wreaking them is worth? ;)

So $105 to $155 on my end for "installation" - with out pre-assembled interposers.

 

I've still got more to do on the job I mentioned above I am going to replace the chip and also replace 4 switches. I'm charging $25 labor.

 

 

EDIT:

Don't get me wrong if I was doing it myself(the NES mod) I might also would figure in $105 to $155 profit if selling on craigslist or ebay but if I were doing it as a service to someone on here I wouldn't charge near that much.

Edited by SignGuy81
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Even with a desoldering gun it's not a couple of minutes

 

Sorry but you are wrong. I literally just desoldered two PPU chips not even a month ago for a front loading nes system that had a bad PPU and swapped with a parts system. My hakko fr-300 literally removed the chips in like a minute or two. There is nothing special about removing those chips. Now desoldering Jaguar roms is a pita and even those can be removed in a few minutes as well.

 

 

 

$125 for a zero lag nes upscaler built in and overclocking / stereo options - its totally worth it.

If I didn't have a PVM And a lowbudeget super 8 bit with RGB output, this is what Id use.

 

This is why he is selling them for like $100+ profit on each. If you are thirsting to death a bottle of water is worth $100 as well, so does that mean people should charge $100 for a bottle of water just because people feel it is worth it?

 

I guess that's why Apple can charge $70 for a battery that cost them $.25 because it is worth it.

 

I wish people would stop paying greed and we would all be better off.

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Sorry but you are wrong. I literally just desoldered two PPU chips not even a month ago for a front loading nes system that had a bad PPU and swapped with a parts system. My hakko fr-300 literally removed the chips in like a minute or two. There is nothing special about removing those chips. Now desoldering Jaguar roms is a pita and even those can be removed in a few minutes as well.

 

Do you have any pictures of boards after you've removed a chip so quickly?

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Do you have any pictures of boards after you've removed a chip so quickly?

 

 

I guess we can do a contest now, next time I get an NES I'll take a before picture with time stamp, use one of these inexpensive desoldering irons

 

iron.jpg

 

desolder both chips, take an after photo again timestamped, and also to prove no damage was done to the board.

 

 

 

EDIT:

 

Would you like to make a wager that I can't do it in a few minutes?

Edited by SignGuy81
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Do you have any pictures of boards after you've removed a chip so quickly?

 

This was the parts system I just used. I was going to toss it but decided I should at least take the cpu off it. Would you like me to record a video for you to show just how hard it is to remove a simple chip?

 

I didn't even care if I damaged this board but when you have good equipment it makes stuff clean and easy.

 

post-25078-0-51944200-1517161886_thumb.jpg

post-25078-0-08235300-1517161897_thumb.jpg

post-25078-0-47220600-1517161913_thumb.jpg

 

...

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EDIT:

 

Would you like to make a wager that I can't do it in a few minutes?

 

Insecure, much? ;) I was asking because I'd considered getting a Hakko in the past and this would help inform my decision. I have a Xytronic 966D where the pump is isolated from the hand held iron so I'd been skeptical of the integrated design. In my experience, the only snag in desoldering through-hole components is when the vias is attached to ground.

 

The only question I have at this point is the longevity of the Hakko. I read too many complaints that they die within a month of purchase. When you condense so much in a limited space...

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The only question I have at this point is the longevity of the Hakko. I read too many complaints that they die within a month of purchase. When you condense so much in a limited space...

 

I purchased mine in I want to say end of July/August 2015 and I used it very little and it was less than 2 months later the heater failed on me. I sent it back to Hakko fully under warranty and they fixed it. I have been using the same gun now for over 2 years. I have replaced most rubber gaskets and the diaphragm inside as well as tips. Overall I can't complain too much.

 

I was pissed shorty after I first got it and turned it on and it didn't heat up when it was so new, but it was fully under warranty and they paid shipping to them and back to me.

 

I did create a topic on maintenance on this for new users. Me never having anything like this before I was not at all informed on upkeep and such. However that had nothing to do w/the heater failing so fast.

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Insecure, much? ;) I was asking because I'd considered getting a Hakko in the past and this would help inform my decision. I have a Xytronic 966D where the pump is isolated from the hand held iron so I'd been skeptical of the integrated design. In my experience, the only snag in desoldering through-hole components is when the vias is attached to ground.

 

The only question I have at this point is the longevity of the Hakko. I read too many complaints that they die within a month of purchase. When you condense so much in a limited space...

I can't say anything about the Xytronic 966D as I've never used it but have used 2 different Hakko desoldering stations where I used to work and they both worked well. I believe the first one was the 474 but I can't remember for sure and then we went to the FM 204.

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I’ve done several NES-101 top loaders, an AV Famicom, and several NES-001 front loaders with Hi-Def NES. I did my personal NES without a proper desoldering station when I got one of the DIY kits from the first DIY batch (July 2016) it was a HUGE pain! My cheapie desoldering station barely has any suction but it still makes it a lot easier. If I had a nice Hakko it’d help a lot but even the cheapest ones are super-expensive ($330+).

 

UltraHDMI, on the other hand, is MUCH easier. Probably a bit easier to irreversibly screw up without good equipment and technique, but easier none-the-less. I’ve done a lot more of those! Probably around 40 with 20 more on the way (installing cheap for a bunch of people in a group buy).

 

Big fan of both kits. There’s a similar plug-and-play kit for TurboGrafx called “UpperGrafx/UperGrafx” since the digital video signals are accessible through the external bus. Heck, there’s also one for GameCube/Wii but I think we all knew that (based on Unseen’s work, much like MarshallH’s UltraHDMI).

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I really didn't expect a big debate so I'm not using the whole quote mess for bloat.

 

H454 -- Honestly I don't know. But I also know as iceman said, it's more. I think it was gametech that is selling it at that bloated cost of $140 for the setup. The dude put up page after page of DIY pictures and steps for all the parts. It's much more than desoldering just those 2 chips. You have to pop the chips, then make a socket, then make those chips capable to take the socket. Then there's the mounting of the new HDMI board, setting the 2 ribbon cables, snipping/cutting the console shell for the HDMI port, and running the led/wire and mounting that to the power switch. It's a moderate in challenge, but time consuming.

 

I was basing that post off this: https://www.game-tech.us/product/hi-def-nes/ And in that link there's the break down on the how to here: https://www.game-tech.us/hi-def-nes-installation-guides/

 

The question still is there about doing this, and where to go to get it done most cost effectively without corner cutting sloppiness.

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With a habd pump its a bit of fiddling with a powered sucker ya I can zip though a 40 pin dip in no time flat

 

On a top loader I think its harder to cram it all in the case than to actually do it

Well, Hi-Def NES fits the NES-101 toploader BETTER than the NES-001 frontloader, so no problems there. The front loader requires more cutting and a bolt coming through from the outside to hold the kit in place. I’ve done plenty of both. :)

 

Jason/GameTechUS did enough RGB NES installs on toploaders and worked with Kevtris to make Hi-Def NES as a toploader kit from the ground up.

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I also have a toploader that I was considering getting an hdmi mod for . I have not looked into them so I don't know all the details but the prices for the board and mod service always seemed really high to me so I have waited .

 

 

 

 

LOL, all the reselling you do you can afford it.

you just spend $376 on a system game lot

 

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Atari-Console-and-Game-Lot-151-Games-and-Accessories/323037131035

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LOL, all the reselling you do you can afford it.

you just spend $376 on a system game lot

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Atari-Console-and-Game-Lot-151-Games-and-Accessories/323037131035

 

Well you don't know how much shipping as for him unless you live in Ohio. I am in NY and it shows me $41.33 for shipping so odds are he probably paid more than $26 in shipping.

 

On a side note how is he going to make any money off that lot by spending damn near $400. I doubt he bought that just to resell. If he did, we need to have a talk about proper flipping LOL.

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A pre-made HDMI NES I've seen go around $300 on ebay, but from private on the side sellers like game-tech doing it directly they're $400 as they're in either case supplying the system too.

 

I've got the system and I'll mail it wherever within reason in the US so I figured that should slice it entirely down to return shipping, mod parts, and whatever their labor would be. I wouldn't be surprised all bundled up it going around but not over $200 unless someone is just being bad about it. I'd just sell my RCA + stereo wheel + LED light modded deck to cover it.

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