e5frog

Yes, still room, follow instructions in the first message of this thread. I'm expecting 20+ PCBs from my manufacturer within a few weeks, all parts have already arrived. Last week I had a prototype PCB made and it has worked wonderful. Also made a change to to menu software that makes it more likely that the menu will start after a power off even if you reset without holding button 1. I might have time to take a look at Pac-Man as well, see if I manage to switch it so the intermissions can be added in.

Finished a redesign of the PCB today to make the assembly a little easier. A little tinkering left to do but at least everything is wired up.

I'm not sure about the exact amount, about 20-25 probably so there are plenty left.

I took a chance and ordered the most expensive parts already, still one cart left. In a few weeks I'll be able to build at least four carts, need to scout for a good price on eproms as well. EDIT: 30 eproms ordered today.

You're welcome, see first post in thread. EDIT: So now there's one discounted cart left It's still allowed to order after the discounted carts are sold - these were just to get the ball rolling to be able to buy parts for a batch of 20 or so carts.

Two more for sale at a discount. I just got a reply about the memory interface circuits I have to use, the previous owner who was kind enough to give me a discount no longer works there and it seems they have changed personal again and are trying to sell these at a much higher price than before (can't really believe there's any demand for them). So I had to increase the number of discounted carts to five to get enough money to buy these a little faster (and the other parts I'm currently missing). So there's still two to be bought.

Found this while googling for pictures of the various models's PSU:s... Just fixed one of these recently, it was the small one just like yours that only has three wires, the iron core is much too small to handle only our 50Hz in Europe so it will overheat, even if using a stepdown transformer and getting about 110V instead of the 230V we've had in Europe for several years now... Anyway, when I finally found out that this PSU will overheat at 50Hz anyway I only fixed my American friends PSU which meant knocking it open with a knife and hammer and then tear the tape off the transformer and desolder the temperature fuse mounted there (no "real" fuse in the whole console) replacing it with a new one (96 degrees centigrades) - I managed to bust it again after the first swap before I found out about the relation between iron core sizes and frequencies... Anyway, I decided to use a broken C64 transformer instead, I had already removed the PCB from one of those wedge shaped things and found that the transformer part itself was OK but the DC PCB was not. So as the original Channel F PSU is an 18VAC transformer that is center tapped, I simply used the two coils of the C64 and soldered two ends together so I got the white wire of the Channel F in the common center of these two coils and 18VAC over both (each giving 9VAC and when soldering the right two ends together the phases are in the same direction and voltage peaks to the double) that's where I hooked the two red ones - problem solved. So that means between either red wire and the white you have 9VAC and between the two red 18VAC. The voltage is not crucial since there's a bridge with capacitors and two regulators that takes these down to 12VDC and 5VDC. You could just as well drive it directly with 5VDC and 12VDC for example from one of those external hard drive PSU:s if you hook it to the right spot of the mother board (out pin of the regulator for example, or a capacitor connected there). I was running the ones I mentioned with an old PC PSU I use as at the work bench. So this would be more than enough (can't say anything about the quality at that price though) http://www.ebay.com/itm/160866325650 Don't really know where you can find a center tapped 18VAC PSU, a double 9VAC is probably easier, depending on how important looks are you can also use two plain 9VAC transformers, cut the plugs, wire one wire from each PSU with the other and if you got your 50% right you'll have 18VAC on the non together twisted ends. If you have close to zero you need to use the other wire on one of them. Make sure you plug them the same into the power outlet later on or else you might invert one of them and get 0V on instead of 18VAC on the outer once. Best thing is probably to use an extension that you don't unplug them from. This is probably the easiest way, red wires then go to one single wire each and the white goes to the two that are tied together as described earlier. So two of these (I recommend at least 200mA): http://www.hacs.com/images/220vac-9vac-1.gif and one of these with three hookups: You can be up and gaming again in 10 minutes, requires pliers and a screwdriver as well, some wire peeling... As I mentioned a C64 PSU works, possibly others as well, if you want to build your own then one of these 2x9VAC cores will be fine, this particular model might not be good enough. http://www.ebay.de/itm/251136630697 There are many other models and ways this could be solved.

Three carts left for $122, #52, #53 and #54

evg2000 is welcome with a payment as described in the first post of this thread, still $122 for the next four carts.

Nope, no more Pac-Man carts are planned, Pac-Man can also be found on the Multi-Cart, currently $10 off for the firs four pre-orders: http://www.atariage.com/forums/topic/149932-fs-fairchild-system-channel-f-multi-cart-pre-order-now/

Definitely all out for now. Taking pre-payments for batch #5, first four payments get a $10 discount ($122, shipping included).

I found one last working memory interface so I have ONE more cartridge for sale right now if anyone else is interested in a really short delivery time.

Currently SOLD OUT, let me know if you're interested in one another batch is planned.

I had the back label prints and color matching back from the printer's when I got home from France. Just need to adjust size of the box to this type of paper and put the correct color codes in there. There was also some other details I wanted to change, haven't decided yet if I'm going to ask for another test print, it would be sad to have a hundred boxes up if they're not the best they can be.

#48, the last one in batch 4, is ready to be shipped, grab it now if you hate waiting. At least two months before the next batch.

Update: all carts are done apart from the back label (beginning with that later today), also finished the not sold yet cart #47, so grab it for instant delivery upon payment. Nice, right? EDIT: ALL DONE!

Finished the PCB:s of all orders. I only have TWO left on this batch and we'll see if there's going to be another one, if you want one soon (within the next couple of weeks) grab it right away. Will start cleaning shells and making back labels for the current orders. Link to first entry in this thread: http://www.atariage.com/forums/topic/149932-fs-fairchild-system-channel-f-multi-cart-pre-order-now/#entry1829446

Progress is slow, right hand numbs rather quickly while soldering, but it'll get better as time goes by. Taking a week's vacation, will resume building after that, hoping to finish all carts during the rest of the holiday (following two weeks).

I'll see if I can get some help soldering so I can speed things up here. I'm expecting to be able to get something going as soon as the cast comes off in two weeks. I asked the wife to glue a test box together today, she missed by 5mm... and that's one of the reasons I prefer doing things myself... Perhaps it was planned, so I wouldn't ask her again. Considered having 20 tests printed, just so she'd learn to do it properly.

Got my first test print, looks OK, need to adjust some colors, size is also too large because the cardboard is a little thinner than the one for the Pac-Man cart. (click it) Red is supposed to be more orange, yellow brighter, green more yellow and blue is pretty close, prints on back were a little dark. Need to clean up the yellow text as well. I added color strips to the print so I'd be able to pick the right color, got close ones to all except the green. I'm having the #7 box sent in for a CMYK color analysis, at least I'll get it as close as possible. Unfortunately I had an accident at home involving smashing the bottom out of a non-drunken (I wasn't intoxicated yet) bottle of beer, cut a chunk of skin off the index finger between the knuckles. Have gotten a transplant from the side of the elbow and all of the right hand is currently in a cast also tightly wound in different types of bandages. Just wanted to tell everyone not to expect any carts in the coming two months or so. Sorry about this.

... and the VideoBrain has plain roms in the cartridges since it uses a newer combined CPU and memory interface circuit. If I ever get one I'll try some programming for it.

This is the current version of the Work In Progress Multi-Cart box, if you have anything to say, say it now before I have 100 prints of it.

Thanks for voting #2 came in second... summing up all votes from forums participating in the vote the clear choice is #4:

As you won't be able to see in a few weeks it ended at $224.50, auction winner had guessed $200, I guessed less so the amount bet was deducted from the final price - $1. He was nice enough to give me a $1 tip though. This thread is now done and can be locked.

New back label from cart 36: Price adjusted to $132, I got some free parts, luckily nobody was quick enough to pay $138.