What dumb little tech repair have you done recently that felt good anyways?

[Razzie.P]

I replaced the clock capacitor in one of my original XBox consoles. Nothing major, I'm sure, but I just started learning to solder and that was my first project, so pretty proud when I booted it up and the darn thing actually worked.

[TheCoolDave]

Over the weekend I finally installed the NESRGB into my ORIGINAL NES from 1985.  It all worked perfect after a 72 pin upgrade. 

 

Well, I installed it with with a Nintendo Multi-out, wired it to do composite, S-Video and RGB.  connected it to my Framemeister via a SCART cable to my 65" 4K TV....

 

BLOWN away... PIXEL perfect on my TV, I walked to and looked from 2" from the TV and still blown away.  Waiting for the last parts to come in to finish up, doing the stereo mod in it before putting it all in the case. 

[Hakogame 箱亀]

I fixed my Famicom's strange no audio issue after a few years.

Sometimes when you'd turn it on, it was fine, and other times there was no sound. I tried everything: checked the voltages, continuity, replaced all the caps...

It wasn't until recently when I pressed on the on/off switch a little while turning it on that I noticed the sound came back on when I applied pressure to the switch.

So I cleaned the switch, put it back together and now it works flawlessly.

I can only imagine that the issue was caused by the dirty switch providing just enough current to run the system but not enough to power the audio signal.

 

Such a simple solution to a bizarre problem.

[Tanooki]

This month I worked on two really jacked up GBC/Ps and worked on a project third of my own.  

 

GBP was a visually thrashed disaster so it got the screen speaker and board transplanted into a DMG designed style shell lens and button scheme I slapped together.  

 

GBC was scuffed horribly lens too and the speaker was fried. All replaced and the shell is translucent sapphire. 

 

 

The personal project was another hosed GBC from early this year I had already cleaned restored and put into a translucent charcoal shell. I added the fresh off the line handheld legend drop in backlight LCD and it’s stunning.  Also meets the power sipping Benvenn one and costs less also with no solder tip snip needed either. 

[xenomorpher]

Not really a repair per say, I did replace a wonky Sega Saturn modchip I got off of RacketBoy years ago with the phantom one, and I wish I had done it sooner. Before I had to mess around with how the modchip was seated for half an hour, if I was lucky, to get a game to start. Now it just works every time, and I can screw the case together whenever I find the screws. I hadn't soldered in awhile but it was a dead simple job. I need to get some projects to work on my skills. I thought about getting an AM/FM radio kit since it's something I'd actually use.

[SiberianSpForces]

Replaced my HTC 10's battery. Not as much hard, as it is tedious by all the cables needing unplugged. The big part is getting the screen off without breaking the lcd. I ended up scratching the lcd as the cards I used to cut the adhesive went between the lcd and glass. Also somehow goofed the contact button LEDs. Got the replacement board with those buggers, and I'll be ordering the new screen tomorrow. The battery is holding up, so I can consider that a victory.

[newtmonkey]

Finally got around to opening my WICO Command Control joystick up and solving the issue it was having moving to the left (required more throw compared with the right direction).  Just a simple matter of bending the corresponding leaf switch a bit inward, and now it works like a charm.

 

Not really repairs but...

- Went in and updated the FW for my MIST FPGA, installed some of the newer cores that have come out since I bought the thing (specifically, some amazing Megadrive, SMS, and PC Engine cores, as well as a new Atari ST core that's cycle accurate).  I also finally got around to setting up my USB gamepad just right for each core.

- Redid my PSP GO PSX game profile on my Framemeister.  The Firebrand X profile is fine, but he only offers a 1080p profile which means the scanlines look slightly off and the game window has larger borders on all sides.  I set up a new 720p profile so it would fill up more of the screen, optimized the picture for my TV, and got the scanlines looking just right.

 

As a side note, the PSP GO was ridiculed back in the day, but now it's awesome.  It can be synced with a PS3 controller for PSX-accurate controls (all four shoulder buttons), supports component video out to a TV, and with how easy custom firmware is to install on it, it's now basically the ultimate mini PSX system—at this point far more compatible than the PSIO, for instance.

[GameGirl420]

Successfully fixing my 5200 controller!  No issues at all with it,works 100% now.

[CatPix]

I fixed a disabled vintage mod!

 

I have been owning a 3DO for the past 5 years. There was something on it that intrigued me, but I never got around to fully examine it. Until recently.

 

 

You don't see anything strange? I guess it's normal. But that PCB on the right shouldn't be there at all.

 

After examining it and a bit of testing, it turns out that this board is a S-video to RGB SCART converter.

 

The PCB has writing in French. Clearly it's a mod that was done back in the day. It's confirmed by the fact this console is an US model - why would you go though the trouble and extra cash to get an US model when you have the PAL model readily available?

 

Answer : someone wanted to play games in 60 htz but had a TV who wouldn't display NTSC colors, only black and white (a common occurence in Europe until the mid-90's).

 

For some reason, someone later got ride of this, cutting the cable short. Why?

I decided to try the mod. Maybe it was poor and resulted in a picture so bad it wasn't useable?

Well, turns out, it's alright! In fact, it's really good! Probably because the 3DO S-video is really good to begin with.

 

So I grabbed a COM extention cord, soldered a SCART plug on one end, and got myself a SCART to COM cable. I really dislike hardwired cords, and that one would have been a bit under 2 metres long ( 7 ft long!).

Then I soldered the smaller end into the console.

 

 

Sure it's not a neatly fixed connector on the console body, but that's good enough for my tastes.

 

Then as an extra precaution, I added 75 ohms resistor to where the old cable was connected :

 

(RGB and Sync cables)

It didn't changed much on the resulting picture, but I prefer to know that my cables are neatly 75 ohms as the standard orders.

 

 

Welp, I borked that picture, but the ending result is great! I'm pretty sure most people wouldn't be able to say it's not "true" RGB.

Edited November 28, 2019 by CatPix

[newtmonkey]

Summary: Setting the Framemeister to 480p cuts the Framemeister's lag roughly by half, and—in this particular situation only—actually provides a much nicer and sharper image than 720p!

 

Not really a "tech repair" per se, but I made some interesting discoveries about playing PSX games using the PSP Go with dock connected through a Framemeister to a flat panel TV.

 

This setup allows you to play PSX games at native resolution (240p), and the PSP Go even supports the Dual Shock 3.  Due to the quality and compatibility of Sony's PSX emulator, this is really the best solution for playing PSX games without having to rely on an optical drive.

 

However, it's got two major problems in my eyes:

• Input lag.
• Soft, somewhat poor video quality.

Setting the FM to 480p reduces the lag just enough to keep it below the threshold at which I notice it.  MUCH better!

 

The biggest surprise for me, however, was the boost in sharpness and image quality I got from dropping down from 720p to 480p.  Note that every other system I've got running through the Framemeister looks way better at either 720p (N64, PC Engine, Saturn, Jaguar) or 1080p (Dreamcast, PS2)... it's only the PSP Go that looks better at 480p.  It makes no sense, but it's true.

 

I also went through and adjusted all the color settings using an SMTPE color bar pattern.  Getting it just right required TONS of work with values all over the place.  Every other system I've got looks great at even the default FM settings, but the PSP Go by default looks pretty horrible.  After a bunch of tweaking, I finally got the color bar pattern looking right, and was surprised at how much I needed to boost both the black level and gamma, and how much I needed to reduce saturation.  This all suggests to me that either the video out hardware in the PSP Go is garbage (wouldn't surprise me considering the size of the console itself) or way off spec.

[The Usotsuki]

To the OP: Replacing a Dallas clock chip in a PS/2 I bought.  (It was socketed.)

[DragonGrafx-16]

5 hours ago, The Usotsuki said:

To the OP: Replacing a Dallas clock chip in a PS/2 I bought.  (It was socketed.)

I wish the one in my old Gateway 2000 was... as I had already posted in this thread about it. If it was socketed I would not have lost that system.

Edited July 24, 2020 by DragonGrafx-16

[joeatari1]

I have done more "repair" in the last year than I ever have.  I bypassed the bios and Windows passwords on a laptop for my friends wife.  He passed away and she needed access to some files on the laptop.  I refurbished a 5200 controller and that now works 100%.  I also replaced an axle, wheel bearing and brakes on my father in laws car (I'm not a mechanic, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night ?).

[+wongojack]

I recently took apart a PS2 and cleaned up the drive rails so the eye could move easily and read discs.  I also cleaned up a ton of dust and then accidentally pulled the cable for the on/off switch out.  It was a bit delicate to get the cable plugged back in, but it is in there now and working. 

 

I also replaced the voltage regulator on a 7800 with a DC/DC converter.  I actually had to try two different converters as the first one didn't get the job done.  Kind of an expensive fix in the end considering I had to order multiple parts, but the 7805 was coming loose, and I wasn't sure I could re-seat the heatsync quite right again.

 

Next up is to install my GDEMU in my Dreamcast.

[ChildOfCv]

I got a remote switch/status panel for my power inverter.  After ordering, I saw in a couple of reviews that their panel worked for a while then quit.  Hopefully those are outliers.  Wrong.  After some time, mine would still turn on the inverter, but none of the status LEDs turned on, and all the numerical readouts were zeroes.

 

I decided to reverse-engineer the device, and while mapping it out with the microcontroller removed, I noticed that its socket had damage.  Factory damage?  In particular, one of the pin contacts was smashed in, and likely barely made contact.  So after finishing the schematic, I put it all back together as is and tried it out again.  I got actual numbers on the readout!

 

So I replaced the socket.  Fingers crossed, but this probably fixed it.  Which is a lot better than buying another $150 panel, unsure of whether it will meet the same fate.

[zetastrike]

I replaced the broken worm gear in one of my FZ-10 3DO systems with a 3D printed replica.  It's a bit loud, but it works perfectly.

[CatPix]

18 hours ago, zetastrike said:

I replaced the broken worm gear in one of my FZ-10 3DO systems with a 3D printed replica.  It's a bit loud, but it works perfectly.

3D printing really opens new perspectives for fixing out old electronics!

[+x=usr(1536)]

All-in-one tech mod and repair: I added an LED lightbar to our riding lawnmower.  Its original headlights went AWOL ever since they (along with the grille they sat in) were accidentally sent to the dump years ago, and I figured it would be useful to finally be able to see where you're going in the dark again.

 

Step one was to install a bridge rectifier to convert the AC power the alternator was providing to the incandescent bulbs to the DC current that the lightbar required.

 

Step two was to install the lightbar itself, which I just bolted straight to the engine cover.

 

 

Need to tidy up the wiring a bit, but am otherwise happy with how it turned out - and that lightbar is bright.

Edited September 24, 2020 by x=usr(1536)

[CatPix]

Where in the hell did you find a Peugeot logo XD Is tha from a 405Mi16? Not even... if memory serves me right Peugeot of the era had a "free standing" logo, without the frame, and without a "back".

Ad for me : two fuses (one wasn't needed but since both fuses were equally old and corroded, I figured that the other one may give up as well from old age) some sticky tape, and an electronic typewriter (from East Germany no less) was revived.

 

 

[+x=usr(1536)]

2 hours ago, CatPix said:

Where in the hell did you find a Peugeot logo XD Is tha from a 405Mi16? Not even...

Yep, that badge absolutely came from a 405 Mi16.  Well spotted

 

The car was one that had been left to rot behind a mechanic's shop for years after its owner never paid for repairs.  It was used as a parts car for some time, but after a decade of sitting out in the sun with a window halfway-down, it was eventually sent to the junkyard.  I scavenged the badges and a few other things from it, but not much remained that was usable, unfortunately.

 

One of my planned projects is a 205 with an Mi16 motor in it.  Should be fun!

 

2 hours ago, CatPix said:

if memory serves me right Peugeot of the era had a "free standing" logo, without the frame, and without a "back".

IIRC, the 205 and the 309 badges had a back, but no frame.  Can't remember how the 605 was, though. Could be wrong since it's been a very long time since I've seen any of those vehicles.

Edited September 24, 2020 by x=usr(1536)

[CatPix]

Fair. I mean, I know for sure this logo was too recent to be from a 505, and a Peugeot Logo would be a strange souvenir to bring from Europe, so it had to be from a 405 MI16

After looking, it seems Peugeot made some variants, possibly corresponding to different trimmings (and the MI16 would have been a very high one)

 

For the back thing, you're right. I'm probably mistaking it with later variants. Funny how I just see those everyday and can't recall all those details. But heh I'm more a Citroën guy

[+x=usr(1536)]

55 minutes ago, CatPix said:

Fair. I mean, I know for sure this logo was too recent to be from a 505, and a Peugeot Logo would be a strange souvenir to bring from Europe, so it had to be from a 405 MI16

 

Good points FWIW, the 405 was also sold in North America with the 1.9-litre 8V engine (XU9J2, IIRC).  The first car I had after moving to the US was one of those, automatic.  Not bad but nowhere near as fun as the Mi16.

 

57 minutes ago, CatPix said:

For the back thing, you're right. I'm probably mistaking it with later variants. Funny how I just see those everyday and can't recall all those details. But heh I'm more a Citroën guy

Technically, I'm more of a Citroën guy as well - it's just that Peugeots keep coming my way

[+wongojack]

On 7/23/2020 at 9:19 PM, wongojack said:

I recently took apart a PS2 and cleaned up the drive rails so the eye could move easily and read discs.  I also cleaned up a ton of dust and then accidentally pulled the cable for the on/off switch out.  It was a bit delicate to get the cable plugged back in, but it is in there now and working. 

 

I also replaced the voltage regulator on a 7800 with a DC/DC converter.  I actually had to try two different converters as the first one didn't get the job done.  Kind of an expensive fix in the end considering I had to order multiple parts, but the 7805 was coming loose, and I wasn't sure I could re-seat the heatsync quite right again.

 

Next up is to install my GDEMU in my Dreamcast.

I did install a GDEMU in my Dreamcast which involved going to a local hardware store to buy a correctly sized 'through-hole' standoff.  I am still evaluating if I want to disable the 12v regulator on the power board of that thing.

 

I also configured all the software for a soft-mod PS2 project.  Holy crap was that time consuming.  I filled a 2tb drive with PS2 ISOs, and I never want to do it again.

[newtmonkey]

3 hours ago, wongojack said:

I also configured all the software for a soft-mod PS2 project.  Holy crap was that time consuming.  I filled a 2tb drive with PS2 ISOs, and I never want to do it again.

I did this not too long ago.  It was a fun project (and well worth it in the end), but it was indeed a PITA.

[TheCoolDave]

This is a project I did about 3 months ago... My car is a 2014... with that, It has a navi system, stuff.. but, I wanted to modernize it with out changing the look of the car. Found a kit out of Japan to add in Android Auto and Apple car play.  So I ordered it,  It was a huge install,  I had to rip almost everything off the dash to get it wired, so it goes to the screen and is controlled by the steering wheel buttons... 

 

I have Android Auto now(I am a android user) ! Awesome ! Use Waze on my navi screen, stream XM radio so I can listen to all internet stations. A updated car with internet connections ! Very cool.  This system also has A/V inputs for cameras, etc.  So I wired the USB cables (to connect your phone to) and I also wired A/V jacks in my center console.  I picked up one of those "wana-be gameboy" devices with 400+ games from Wish. This has video out... 

 

JUST so I could do this... 

Edited September 29, 2020 by TheCoolDave