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Colecovision Video Mod


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Where do you find the 4516 chips? I've been using 4164 chips -- it seems wasteful to simply not utilize all that extra capacity, but they're cheap and plentiful.

 

I picked up a few tubes when I was out in the Bay area last year. I love scrounging surplus electronics places!

 

The 4164 chips will work just the same as long as you have the extra address line tied high or low to keep it from floating and switching banks at random. Since it's on pin 9 and pin 9 is left tied high by the instructions I wrote up it'll work fine.

 

 

Channelmaniac, what wattage of resistors did you use for your board? Thanks!

 

They are all 1/4 watt. There's no need for anything bigger and I don't care to use anything smaller.

 

Put me on your list of interested parties!

 

Done!

 

Thanks to BigO loaning me an expansion module I'll have it tested tonight for audio output with the different tap spot. If all goes well then I'll take a final picture of the audio tap spot and adjust the installation guide to finish it up. I already have 10 kits assembled and waiting - one goes to BigO for letting me borrow his module.

 

Raymond

Edited by channelmaniac
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Channelmaniac,

 

Thanks for your help. Glad the 1/4 watt resistors are acceptable 'cause those are the size I have. I just got done assembling my video board and it works great! Not near and nice looking as your boards, but it works. Thanks agian for all the great info.

 

I think I may try some more of the mods that you have posted on your repair logs site.

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Thanks to BigO loaning me an expansion module I'll have it tested tonight for audio output with the different tap spot. If all goes well then I'll take a final picture of the audio tap spot and adjust the installation guide to finish it up. I already have 10 kits assembled and waiting - one goes to BigO for letting me borrow his module.

 

It's done and working well! The audio from the expansion module is there and sounds great. I'll get a pic taken tomorrow and update the doc then put them on the website.

 

 

Channelmaniac,

 

Thanks for your help. Glad the 1/4 watt resistors are acceptable 'cause those are the size I have. I just got done assembling my video board and it works great! Not near and nice looking as your boards, but it works. Thanks agian for all the great info.

 

I think I may try some more of the mods that you have posted on your repair logs site.

 

Sweet! Did you do the audio mod too? Tapping off of C88 works great and you get audio from the CV and from the Expansion Module.

 

BTW: It wasn't my schematic, I just built a PC board for it. :D

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Sweet! Did you do the audio mod too? Tapping off of C88 works great and you get audio from the CV and from the Expansion Module.

 

BTW: It wasn't my schematic, I just built a PC board for it. :D

 

Yes, I did tap into C88 and the ground right there for the audio, which worked great!

 

The custom board really makes your project look professional. I appreciate your help with the project.

 

Do you sell a flashed dual bios chip on your site?

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I don't have it on my site, but if anyone wants one it would be a matter of ordering the EPROM and a custom programming fee then telling me you want the dual BIOS on it.

 

It takes a 27128. Any speed or version (CMOS or non-CMOS) will work.

 

It's so simple that there really isn't a need to put a "kit" together for it. All you need is:

  • The BIOS chip
  • 2 wire jumpers
  • 3 pieces of wire
  • 28 pin socket

And, of course some simple hand tools, including an Xacto knife to cut the 2 traces for the mod.

 

RJ

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I don't have it on my site, but if anyone wants one it would be a matter of ordering the EPROM and a custom programming fee then telling me you want the dual BIOS on it.

 

It takes a 27128. Any speed or version (CMOS or non-CMOS) will work.

 

Thanks RJ. I will probably order one from you in the near future.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I'v just finished modding my Colecovision. My first project was to build the video board that I originally started this post asking about. The quality of the video is great and no RF static. I would highly recommend this video mod. I have not done or seen the benheck video mod, so I can not compare the video quality.

 

I've also updated the memory on the Coleco to use the +5 (MK4516) DRAM instead of the touchy 4116 that Coleco put in the system and added a selectable bios chip to get around the 12 second Colecovision splash screen. I never realized how long 12 seconds is until I didn't have to wait through it any longer. Both modifications were really easy. I have not done very much work on PC boards or with ICs and found the process to be pretty fun and not that difficult. The memory upgrade was tedious but not difficult - removing the solder on 128 pins to get the old memory out got a little old, but was not too bad.

 

I want to thank chanelmaniac for posting his repair logs they were most helpful in doing these upgrades. If you are considering doing either the bios or memory upgrade, his site will be most helpful. http://newlifegames.net/nlg/index.php?topic=40.0

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Thanks for the pr0ps!

 

I know it has taken awhile to finish this up. The day job keeps me pretty busy and this has taken a back burner to all the repairs people have been sending me.

 

I built 10 kits and now there are 8. All 8 are listed on my site.

 

http://www.arcadecomponents.com/catalog/it...687/6715562.htm

 

The first kit went to BigO who was gracious enough to loan me his expansion module for testing. I sold the second tonight to a local Neo-Geo.com/Digital Press forum member that came over tonight for some AES repairs and modification. I bought more components and wire to make more kits. I just have to order all the RCA jacks to finish them up. That will give me another 20 to list soon.

 

The instructions are finished and in the downloads section of my site.

 

http://www.arcadecomponents.com/f/Colecovi...nstallation.pdf

 

Thanks everyone! I really appreciate the help y'all have given.

 

Raymond

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Ordered 1. Glad the price is so fair. :)

 

One thing you could do to help everyone is offer "first class" shipping on this instead of Priority. The PO overcharges so much for essentially the same service. And, since the item is so light, it'd cost $2 or less instead of $6.

 

-Howie

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Ordered 1. Glad the price is so fair. :)

 

One thing you could do to help everyone is offer "first class" shipping on this instead of Priority. The PO overcharges so much for essentially the same service. And, since the item is so light, it'd cost $2 or less instead of $6.

 

-Howie

 

Thanks!

 

I tried to price it where it would NOT be a "rape & pillage" of the community. ;)

 

I TOTALLY understand on the shipping part. The reason I standardized on Priority Mail is that it really makes it easier on shipping chips since they are protected by the boxes. It also saves me from having to go buy as many shipping supplies and is easier to integrate into the shopping cart.

 

Raymond

Edited by channelmaniac
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"If I didn't already have one, I'd buy one."

--BigO

 

 

Got mine installed. Works perfectly. Simple to assemble, easy enough to install. The picture is great. I confirm that the audio does work perfectly with the 2600 expansion module.

 

This kit is an excellent value. Even a novice should be able to assemble and install it.

Edited by BigO
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I have some feedback on the instructions that I'll send in a PM if you're interested, but worth mentioning in public is the fact that while the text references a red wire, the associated picture shows a white wire for the 12v power connection. That was a tad confusing.

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Yep. It's not many. I'm not worried about it. Just letting people know it's more than they might think. It is a good deal, if it works :)

 

i figured "kit" meant "pieces" but i'm okay with that, too. we built three or four kits a million years ago in vocational electronics, it'll be like having a flashback. :D

 

besides, if pieces = cheaper then i'm all for it.

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I'm *thisclose* to pulling hte trigger on this... anyone got a better suggestion on hooking to an HD projector? Maybe a Component video hack? My only hesitation here is that I'd have to run it thru the DVD recorder (using it as a composite-to-component converter-- works fine with my 2600 composite mod) to run to the projector the way the home theater is installed.

 

Murph

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Hiya,

 

I just put in my order. Any chance that this could do s-video output? I ask because I may be using this as part of a project for broadcast. I'd like to get the best possible picture. There are some mods out there for component too, which would be even nicer! ;)

 

Thanks for creating these boards. I can hardly wait to play nice clean Colecovision!

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Google says:

http://www94.pair.com/jsoper/cv_svideo.html

 

This place has svideo, but for more $

 

http://www.8bitdomain.com/products.php?id=13

 

Hiya,

 

I just put in my order. Any chance that this could do s-video output? I ask because I may be using this as part of a project for broadcast. I'd like to get the best possible picture. There are some mods out there for component too, which would be even nicer! ;)

 

Thanks for creating these boards. I can hardly wait to play nice clean Colecovision!

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It doesn't do s-video output, only composite. I haven't investigated doing s-video yet on the CV.

 

The instructions are in the download section of my website. They haven't been updated yet for the red/white wire issue. I need to grab another CV out of storage and install a kit to take new pics of the red wire. I'm terrible at Photoshop. :(

 

It's all in pieces, but there aren't very many pieces to solder in. 3 caps, 3 resistors, and one chip socket.

 

Raymond

Edited by channelmaniac
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I'd like to get the best possible picture. There are some mods out there for component too, which would be even nicer! ;)

 

Thanks for creating these boards. I can hardly wait to play nice clean Colecovision!

 

You can always go a step further and convert the VDP's native YUV to VGA. Here's a thread I had started about this a ways back:

 

http://www.atariage.com/forums/index.php?s...=130346&hl=

 

There are some screenshots for comparison between RF, composite, and VGA.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hey, all! I'm catching up on my hobby of vintage systems and looking to finally get my Coleco(s) working. An upgrade would be nice in the process!

 

I have 3 Colecos in various states of functionality. I'll need to inventory them and see what's what this weekend.

 

In the meantime, is there anyone who would fix these? I see talk of custom boards you can solder yourself here, but that's a bit beyond my reach. Is there a repair service of some sort?

 

I'd be willing to send in all 3 of my systems in return for a discount on fixing 1 and upgrading the video out.

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