jediknight0
-
Content Count
20 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Posts posted by jediknight0
-
-
I've done a few game system mods such as my TRON themed Flashback 2 (http://mods.xkill.net/gallery/TRON_2600/index.html), my TRON themed Wii (http://mods.xkill.net/gallery/TRON_Wii/index.html), and arguably my TRON themed iCade (http://mods.xkill.net/gallery/TRON_iCade/index.html).
Here's a few quick pics. More at the links above.
-
3
-
-
Er... I think Magnavox already beat him to it.
What he said.
My game is based on the Speedway game for the O2. It's not an emulation, just a game very much like what I remember about the game from my old O2 (which I don't have anymore). My game also has an "enhanced" graphics mode that shows updated graphics that the O2 couldn't do, but it's really the same game.
It's actually my first game for the iPhone & my first paid application so I'm curious how things will go.
-
I don't want to be SPAMy so if this isn't appropriate please delete/move/burn as appropriate but...
I thought people here might like to know about an iPhone app I wrote. It's inspired by my first videogame system (and first videogame), the Odyssey2 game Speedway. You can check it out on my website (which includes a link to iTunes). It's my first paid application so I'm curious how it will do.
Here's the link for my website: http://iphone.xkill.net
And the iTunes link: iTunes iSpeedway
let me know what you think.
Here's some screenshots of the "classic" and "enhanced" modes:
-
I think Curt is busy, so jediknight0, I'm pretty sure you win! The other mod was way cool too though.Thanks everyone, I'll wear the crown with honor for the next 19.72 days.
I'm not 100% sure, but I'm thinking of doing another flashback 2 mod... something a little more simple but still elegant. I'll let everyone know when/if I finish something.
-
Thanks for the comments everyone.
Yup - I took the original joystick parts, made a RTV rubber mold, then used epoxy resin and various dyes to make the new parts. The hard part was figuring out exactly how much dye to use and how to mix it all (as well as the best way to add embeded LEDs to the sticks and buttons).
You can see the complete worklog here: TRON 2600 work-log.
More pictures are available here: TRON 2600 gallery
Of course, you can check out all my case mods here: http://mods.xkill.net
-
I'm not doing anything else tonight, I'll "enter" this contest.
This is my flashback 2 mod - basically a TRON themed atari 2600
The finished case
The open case (including game grid and light cycles), custom joysticks (they light up and have color-coordinated cables), and light-up TRON cartridges.
Inside UV lights (lightcycles are UV reactive) and audio V.U. meter, proof that it all works (or did the last time I checked it)
-
Thanks for the kind words.
As for the cart slot, anything is possible but it would have required fabricating a stable base for the carts further into the case - a difficult task at best. Reallty, looking at it in person it just looks "right" and pretty professional as it it... (IMHO)...
-
Well, that time is upon us - the mod is complete!
Check these pics out:
Visit my website at http://mods.xkill.net and click on "Mods" to see more pictures. Be kind tho... it's only on a DSL line...
-
Well, the project is really coming along now! I finally got all the cart port wires hooked up and it works!
Just a few things left here... I just have to adjust the length of the cart port / internal games switch (I can't believe it - it's about 4mm short... ARGH!) and then some minor TRON theme pieces (got to finish painting some lightcycles - I'm about 1/3 done or so) and it's ready for the final pics.
I have to admit - it was kinda cool to watch the UV LEDs bounce in relation to the game sounds, the UV internal light bouncing off all the "TRON" lettering inside the case, two lighted TRON joysticks, and a lighted TRON deadly discs cart in the cart port.
-
Well, I have bad news and good news.
The bad news is that the mod suffered antoher setback. All was going well, the only think left was to actually mod the FB2 to attach the cartidge ports and paint up a couple light cycles. In attaching a my third wire to one of the solder points, i accidentally lifted and broke off the solder pad.
[FYI, this does not mean I hadn't modded the FB2 before that. Even to get to this point, I had to attach another plate for mounting a slightly more distant screw hole to support the FB2 motherboard and also had to install headers to attach nearly all the switches and joystick ports. In other words, dozens of solder points even BEFORE attempting the cart port]
I went back to the walmart I originally got the FB2 at and got another - but it was a rev B. All my designs planned on a rev A (yes, those differences could be a pain, and the different size of the board actually matters as well).
The good news is that I've decided to redo the mod with a rev B board. Only one real pain I found so far - the difficulty switches use the GND connection from the video rather than a dedicated GND line. Kinda a pain, but I think I've worked around it. I've spent about 4 hours tonight bringing the rev B board to where I can mount it in the case and try it out (without the cart port). Basically, I'm at the point I was last night except I haven't tested it yet - I'll save that for tomorrow night.
-
What do I want the FB3 to be? AVAILABLE
Cheap shot, but it felt good...
-
Actually, this is my mod - thanks for the kind words Curt! The mod isn't done yet, but it's still in progress. I've been spending some time on a non-Atari mod and that's drawn my attention away from this mod but I will get back to it shortly. When it's finished I'll post something here.
As for a basic PC case, well, it's not really just a PC case. It will have sound-reactive light meter, some UV lighting, and lightcycles (of course). The whole idea is that it's TRON on the inside with all the glowy stuff but strict, corporate ENCOM on the ourside.
Plus, after all these years of modding away from the boring beige box I got a bit of perverse pleasure modding something that was never beige or boring into a beige box!
-
As one part of one of my mods (TRON meets atari 2600), I've built "custom" joysticks using the new FlashBack 2 joysticks as a base. I replaced the cable with a color-coded cable and built new fire buttons and joystick handles casted in clear blue or clear red with perl dye in it. The handles and buttons also light up.
If you want to see the whole work-log, you can read it here.
You can also vist my webpage http://mods.xkill.net and click on "Current Project"
-
DOH! You're right, of course. New labels made, applied, and pictures updated.
Hmmm... Not sure I'd want to do that, but I'd be happy to share the graphics and some tips with anyone. The file is a Visio file...
It is powered off the cart slot. With all that power there, why not use it? Using batteries would actually be harder, since I'd have to have a battery holder and some way to change the batteries.
I actually had the idea of lighted carts before I ever saw your cart, but credit where credit is due - you had the idea and implemented it before I ever did. Nice job on your cart, of course. I noticed the lighting was off-center in your pic - was that on purpose or by design? For my carts, I made the light off-center on purpose so that the word "TRON" lights up a little brighter than the rest - thus, the blue cart has the light on the left and the red cart has the light on the right.
Good idea about the pics. How about this:
-
A few of you have seen my custom TRON atari joysticks discussed here in this topic. Those are part of a bigger atari 2600 TRON mod still in-progress here:
http://mods.xkill.net/WIP/index.html
As part of this mod, I purchased the 2 TRON atari games - "TRON deadly disks" and "Adventures of TRON". Both worked fine, but lived in boring cartridge cases. An added complication was the fact that Mattel didn't use standard atari-sized ROMs (scrap plastic on left, atari ROM in middle, Mattel ROM on right):
A little work with a a photoshop wanna-be program, a color laser printer, some spray adhesive, and a soldering iron and I ended up with these:
Of course, these "glow" as any good TRON item should...
What does everyone think?
-
Yes, pulling 100-130mA per stick would be a bad idea on an original 2600 console - I'm not sure about the FB2; it also uses a 7805 regulator, but with no heat sinking. However, the FB2 mainboard probably uses much less current than a 2600. Clipping a big heatsink on the 7805 would allow the circuits to pull as much as an amp, total - if the wall wart can provide it! Six-switch 2600s have a decent heatsink on the regulator that could probably handle a full amp. Later boards use the board copper as heatsink, which doesn't work as well. Also, the standard 2600 wall wart is only rated to 500mA (of which the board itself uses 350-400mA). I don't know what the FB2 supply is rated for.The FB2 power supply is rated at 200mA - but the joysticks work fine with all the games I tried. I dug out an old 4-switch 2600 tonight, and the joysticks work fine there as well (played about 6 or 7 different games for a few minutes each). If anything, the joysticks were a little brighter on the real thing.
That's not just any wax, it should only be pure paraffin. And it's supposed to rise to the top - its function is to block out air from open castings. But it sounds more like you're having a reaction problem with the mold. Assuming the mold is silicone, try using a stronger solvent, such as acetone, to clean it. Also, in spite of being rubbery, silicone is actually a pretty good heatsink, and polyester needs heat to cure - try pre-heating your molds (or even post-heating).I was using pure paraffin - it's a special surface cure agent from the same plastics store that I got the rest of my materials from. And I did try pre and post heating the molds, no difference. I don't think I'm having a reaction to the mold - instead, the slight shrinkage from the curing of the resin allows just enough air in to cause the tackiness.
In any case, I'm relatively happy with the epoxy resin sticks so I'll leave it at that. I've got 3 modified sticks now, plus one original so that should be enough. On with the rest of the mod...
-
OK, here's my latest effort - I'm calling it my "Limited Edition TRON joystick"
The basic joystick is pearl in color (with white cable), but when power is applied the joystick handle cycles through red, green, and blue. The fire button lights up white, but flashes in sequence with the joystick handle.
You can view a very quick video here
-
Wow, tons of responses! Thanks!
Let's see if I can answer them all in 1 post...
@A.J. Franzman: Hmmm... are you saying that the cartridge port AND the controllers share 100mA? If so, I'm in trouble here. The LEDs I'm using require 80-100mA for the stick and 20-30mA for the fire button. I use one half-watt resistor shared between them. I'm assuming the stick LED (it's 22000mcd, that's why it eats so much juice) is grabbing the majority of the current, leaving only a small amount for the fire button. Oh... I do scuff up the LEDs to diffuse the light more.
I've tried the max stuff in the polyester resin, but that didn't work out too well. First, the sides of the joystick still remained tacky no matter how much time I left it to cure and how much hardener I used. When using the wax, the wax (a) left the casting a little too cloudy and (b) only kept the top (i.e. the bottom of the handle) non-tacky - the sides were still tacky. I think the wax rose to the top of the casting.
I don't have and can't justify a vacum chamber - that would solve a lot (all?) of my problems here.
@Jacob Rose: Yeah, the Falcon getting stolen was a bummer. Never believe MS about security, that's all I can say! On the bright side, they were nice about it and send some money my way - I ended up buying a motorcycle rather than rebuild.
@keilbaca: I got the 5V directly from the joystick port. Pin 7 or 8 isn't used for joysticks typically, but has 5V on it for the paddles.
I've tried polyester resin and epoxy resin for the handles and ended up using epoxy resin. I prefer the hardness (and price, and clarity/color) of the polyester, but without a vacum chamber the polyester has problems. I made silicone molds from the original FB2 joystick parts.
@NightSprinter: One more controller mod coming up shortly. More of the same, but a different color. Care to guess?
@ATARIPITBULL: Never really planned to, but I wouldn't be opposed to making some for sale. I just doubt anyone would pay the price. Figure $30 for a FB2 yields 2 joystick, so $15 per. Add a $5 network cable, plus a little under $3 for a couple of LEDs, plus let's estimate $3 of epoxy resin, plus $3 for DB9 connector & hood. So we're looking at about $29 before adding anything for my time. I can't imagine anyone wanting to spend that... but I'm willing to listen if anyone disagrees with me.
-
Hi everyone. I'm a somewhat well-known PC modder (Millienium Falcon PC, etc.), and I've started an Atari mod based around the movie TRON.
As one part of the mod, I've built "custom" joysticks using the new FlashBack 2 joysticks as a base. I replaced the cable with a color-coded cable and built new fire buttons and joystick handles casted in clear blue or clear red with perl dye in it. The handles and buttons also light up.
I thought people here might want to take a look:
If you want to see the whole work-log, you can read it here.
You can also vist my webpage http://mods.xkill.net
Let me know what you think!
Like us on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter
AtariAge on Instagram
Watch us on YouTube
Chat on Discord
Case Mods
in Hardware
Posted
Thanks.